Category Archives: AccessTheStory

Psalm 103 – The Eternal & I: Intertwined.

Posted in AccessTheStory, God by

We looked at Psalm 103 at AccessTheStory rhythm this morning. Two questions were asked:

1. What do you learn about God?
2. What do you learn about us? 

I grabbed two highlighters (one orange, one blue) and marked the words that described or were relevant to a) God, and b) me.

As I read through the 22 verses of Psalmy-goodness I soon realised the lesson for today was simple: The Eternal and I are intertwined.

My orange & blue highlighters had created a picture of the relationship that defines me.  A visual that showed how God (the Eternal) and I, interact, cross-over, relate, come together, compliment and oppose all throughout this story.

We are body, emotions, mind… He is Eternal. (v1-2)

We offend, He forgives and releases. (v3)

We are sick, He heals our diseases, more than any doctor. (v3)

We are famished and withering, He fills us with beautiful things and satisfies us. (v5)

We are weak, He makes us strong like eagles. (v5)

When we are crushed, wronged, enslaved, raped, murdered, He is just and makes the wrongs right. (v6)

We cross the line, He is patient. (v8)

We struggle against him, He lovingly stays with us. (v8)

We make mistakes, He doesn’t punish us like we deserve (v10) but instead takes away all our crimes. (v12)

We revere him, He expresses love. (v13)

We are temporary (v15-16), He is Eternal (v17).

(…. you get the picture….)

It seems you can’t get to far with one highlighter before you need the other, and then before you know it, you swap back again. The Eternal.. His people… Him… Me… We are intertwined.

IMG_4600

 

Jesus is the fishing expert (John 21)

Posted in AccessTheStory, God by

Picture this.

You’ve got a bunch of guys out on a fishing boat, a couple of them are professional fishermen. They’ve been out all night and have caught nothing.

Early in the morning a guy is standing on the shore (so not even near the boat or where they were fishing). He yells out to the fisherman, “Have you caught anything yet?”.

The story tells us the fisherman replied with a one-word “No”.IMG_4272

(My friend Matt has some insight here and wonders if the tone of their “No” offered a hint of exhaustion? Irritation? Embarrassment? Perhaps…)

The guy on the shore then yells out and tell them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat.

You’d think at least the professional fishermen would’ve thought of that already.

Anyway, the moment they cast the net on the right side the story says “they were unable to haul the net in because it was so full of fish.”

Turns out, the guy on the shore was Jesus and He knew exactly where to cast the net.

In the context of my life right now, there’s an element of Jesus asking me to cast my net even though I can’t see any fish. While it can be liberating to not know where the next step is going to take you, it’s pretty awesome when you take that step of faith, ‘cast your net’ and see what happens.

Here’s a few other things I’m learning from this part of the story:

1. You are not always the expert. 

Consider your expertise. Now consider that someone else knows more about that than you do. It’s not always easy to allow someone else to lead or teach you, especially if it’s some bystander on the shore. I doubt it would’ve been easy for the fisherman in the boat to take Jesus’ advice, but I bet they were glad they did.

2. Always be open to surprise. 

The story talks about the catch like it happened instantly. You’d think this would mean the fish were near the water’s surface and possibly visible, but if that were true the fishermen would’ve seen them. So, was it the casting of the net that drew the fish in? Who knows. I don’t think the details mattered to the fisherman as they drew in their nets full of fish.

3. Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus = Rewarding step of faith. 

The guys in the boat had nothing to lose by casting their net on the right side. They’d been out all night and had caught nothing. Ever been there? I have. It’s a bit scary. Next time you’re at a dead end and you feel like you should do something random, just do it. You might just land a huge catch.

[Every Monday I catch up with the ATS crew and we ‘story’. I hope to have more to share with y’all as I discover more about the greatest story ever told]

 

The power of vulnerability to build community.

Posted in AccessTheStory, Life, SocMed by

I use social media a lot. I’m on Facebook, Instagram and twitter, the first two I use constantly, I mean, regularly. 😉 I also manage The Simple Life and contribute to AccessTheStory. (So many hyperlinks…)

With all of that ^^ in mind, I have a pretty strict and complicated personal social media policy. Every post gets filtered through a ton of internal screening questions, one of which prevents me some sharing anything too personal, negative or controversial.

This year I’ve been experimenting with stepping outside my normal boundaries, being a tad vulnerable and writing more open and honest posts. *cue dramatic music here*

vulnerability equals community

1) A couple months ago I shared this post, my first risk, describing a journey of burnout and recovery, at a level a lot more open and vulnerable than normal. #lifesuckssometimes

2) I followed it up with this post, sharing my progress after some time away in a really helpful and healing environment. #thereishope

3) Then recently, I shared this post about my burnout recovery. #itdoesgetbetter

It blew me away that after each post was published, it sparked a particular response from people. Messages of encouragement, people sharing their own stories, admiration for my courage in being honest… I heard from all kinds of people – some from my past, some I hadn’t heard from in ages, as well as close friends.

It occurred to me that by choosing to be vulnerable, I had created a space for others to step out, share their story with me, offer encouragement, even words of affirmation that truly meant so much to me.

Call me crazy, but that sounds like community, no? People sharing their stories, even if only momentarily, encouraging each other, expressing care, gratitude and support for each other.

So it got me thinking…

What if we all stopped posting our perfect lives, dialled back the filter a bit, relaxed our social media policy and allowed some raw honesty, some vulnerability back into our broader communication?

What the worst that could happen? People might know your life isn’t perfect and that you struggle sometimes too. Big deal.

What’s the best that could happen? You might just inspire people to step out and be honest with themselves and others, ask for help, find support and healing in a troubled time. You might give someone an opportunity to offer you some support and encouragement. You might just build community in your world.

Doesn’t sound so bad to me. The only cost? Your vulnerability.

JB xo

A story that shapes hearts. Including mine.

Posted in AccessTheStory, God by

[Originally published 9th March 2012]

It’s been almost four years since a local church easter camp hosted the raw and unpolished pilot of Immerse. That weekend marked the beginning of an incredible journey for me, and many others (it would now seem). Having just returned from my tenth (!!) Immerse experience, I felt it fitting to mark the occasion with a reflective blog of sorts.

We recently spent five days with this years Year In The Son students on a journey through the greatest story ever told. A story that breaks down preconceived ideas about a God that was once distant and unobtainable, and reveals his loving heart and relationship with his creation.

The setting was beautiful.

{Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot.}

 The students were inviting, fun, adventurous and ever so sarcastic… (That last bit could be something I inspired and maybe even encouraged… whoops!)

The Story was confronting, challenging, inspiring, restoring, encouraging and motivating. We wondered about what it would have been like to be there – what we would have seen, smelt, felt, tasted…?

{The separation experience}

Once again, I saw a genuine community form around laughter, prayer, inclusion, and the courage to ask questions we may not have the answers to – yet. We dared to venture into the realm of the heavenlies and walked out with reshaped hearts.

{Re-telling the story with some artistic flare.}

{Inside the story room}

We even played duck, duck, goose. (Sadly, no photographs were taken of this.)

But at the end of the day, the reward is not in the friendships made, the laughs had, or the new range of instagram photos I have to share. (Although they are all great things, of course.) No – it’s when you read the thank you letters from your students and you can’t hold back the smile….

“… to experience the bible in such a practical way has made it come alive!”

“… I’m actually excited to pick up my bible now.”

“… I’m feeling more confident in my faith and loved what I learned.”

“… the way we received it, I think it will stay with me for a long time.”

If I could selfishly ask for any more than this, it would be that the story inspired a new group of movement makers, dedicated to sharing the story with others.

Perhaps there will be many more that will mark a number ten against their list of Immerse experiences. I surely hope so. Not because it is some revolutionary answer to contemporary youth ministry in Australia (although, I do occasionally wonder…) but because the journey of these past four years has made me, shaped me, taught me and led me to the very position I am currently in. And let me say, the view from here is amazing. A little scary at times, admittedly, but amazing nonetheless.

To my four special girls, you were indeed a sprinkle of delight in my life. (Get me a bucket.)

😉

Just saying.

J xo