Growing through suffering and difficult times: Ways to Grow in God

Posted on February 26, 2014 | 14 comments

Suffering

by Laurie-Ann Copple

Last time we discovered that we grow well when we learn to read the Bible (by reading it for ourselves devotionally as well as learning about the history and cultures of biblical times). The Holy Spirit speaks to us through scripture that seems to jump off the page to us, just as if it’s a personal message, and we may also hear his voice at times when we remember various scripture passages just when we need them. Often personalized scripture verses are like promises to us in hard times, and in times of suffering.

We shouldn’t fear difficult times, although there is a temptation to ask Jesus to just take pain away from our lives. When I lived in north Toronto, I used to be part of a church with a strong healing prayer ministry. I also studied counseling at Tyndale Seminary and I integrated what I learned in school with the practical ministry I did at the church. Many times people approached us with deep emotional wounds and difficulties. Some wanted the pain to go away without dealing with the issues that were causing the pain – they didn’t want to deal with the root cause. In a sense, they wanted a ‘band-aid’ for the pain, and not emotional/spiritual heart surgery done gently by the Holy Spirit through prayer. While ministry team members are not counselors, sometimes the Holy Spirit jump starts a process that goes on in a pastoral or counseling office, if the person is willing to ‘go’ where the Holy Spirit is leading them. The important thing is that God is WITH them in the midst of suffering, and through the journey together, they are healed and grow. I have had many occurrences of this phenomenon in my own life, and this has taught me to not run away in the midst of pain or difficulty, but to continue to walk forward with Jesus’ help.

The same growth can happen through illness – which I have witnessed while volunteering in an oncology ward, and in the growth of a close friend while he has lived with failed hip surgeries. I have begged God many times to heal my friend so that he can get on with his life in serving God. He has struggled over seven years and will likely continue until after healing from yet another surgery. Once as I prayed for him, I sensed that God was using this time to deepen spiritual maturity and wisdom into his life. I know that God uses him to minister to others, based on the scripture 2 Cor. 1: 3-4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” My friend is does that through an online support group for people dealing with the same disease that he is working through.

Others experience their difficulties in other ways, including  persecution due to their faith in Jesus.  Throughout the world, there are persecuted Christians. More Christians died of martyrdom and persecution in the 20th century than all previous centuries combined (including the infamous Roman practice of throwing believers to starved lions). Persecution in the 21st century is escalating. I have seen some of this in the Somali community within Kenya and in my work with Pakistani Christians. In North America, this trend may be limited to name calling and political correctness in trying to silence the Christian voice of conscience in our society, but it too is getting worse.

Christians have become targets, similar to how Jewish people have been persecuted through the ages. How can people deal with this strife? When I was on a prayer journey mission in Northern Ireland, I once asked my Christian landlady about the marvelous godly quality of some of the Christians I had met in Belfast – they had a deep, sweet character and every aspect of them reminded me of Jesus. I wanted this quality and told her so. She sighed and then smiled. “There is only one way to grow in this part of your faith.” I asked, “more absolute surrender?” She replied, “No, by suffering.” That hit ‘home’, although I did not fully understand what she meant other than that difficulties refine our character as we trust God in difficult circumstances.

I again saw this quality in the Christian people of Shantinagar, a small village in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Until the past few years. Punjab has been the most stable Pakistani province with the exception of an occasional flare up of persecution. In 1997, there was a massive wave of persecution perpetrated by hundreds of angry Muslims. They attacked the churches, schools, hospitals, businesses and homes of Shantinagar based on a rumour that a Qu’ran had been desecrated (it was actually a Bible that was destroyed). These villagers were left with very little – even the children’s school uniforms and books had been destroyed. Ministries came to help and the village was re-built. Life continued on.

When I visited in December 2007, I enjoyed deeply sweet hospitality. I felt loved, honoured and blessed. I was able to share with them a message I developed specifically for them – about God’s call to them as servants. They knew they were sons and daughters in their faith, and they had confidence in who they were in Christ.  But they were also servants– with the same attitude and love that Jesus displayed in Phil. 2: 5-11. This wasn’t any ordinary service to others. It was something incredibly deep and confirmed to these dear Christians that their forgiveness and humility was a witness to Jesus. Everything that they did and will do for Jesus is a great treasure because of their attitudes, countenance and character. I would like to go back to this place – to teach but also to learn from them. They had truly learned how to grow spiritually – so deeply that Jesus shone from every aspect of their lives. One of their secrets was to trust God in all circumstances. We are encouraged by Proverbs to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths”(Prov. 3:5-6). May we continue to trust Him who is faithful and will never leave us.

Next time I will share on how we can grow through worship.

Yours in Christ, Laurie-Ann Copple

Laurie-Ann is based in Ottawa, Ontario and may be available for mission trips and speaking tours.

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Growing through Bible Study: Ways to Grow in God through God’s word

Posted on February 26, 2014 | 3 comments

by Laurie-Ann Copple

Old-New

Last time we discovered that we grow well when we pray for others in intercession and in fasting (either Lenten type fasts or more serious disciplines). Fasting in the context of prayer is meant to change the heart of the person who prays, and helps you get more in tune with God’s heart.  The next featured way to grow in God is by studying his written Word – the Bible.  The Anglican Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the Book of Alternate Services (BAS) are full of great scripture, so when you decide to begin reading the Bible on your own (or with a group), you will recognize quite a few of these verses. For example, a personal favourite spoken in the order of service, is: Ephesians 3:20: “Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever.” Of course, the prayer book also includes many historical prayers and creeds that are also scripturally-based. However, it is best to start with the authoritative word of God first – the Bible.

The Bible is God’s truth, and it is spiritual food for us.  If this journey is new to you, I would suggest that you begin with the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs, and in time the rest of the Old Testament, including the Prophets.  As you read each chapter and verse, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in understanding. Sometimes a verse from the Bible will seem to jump out at you into your heart (the term is called ‘illumination.’)  This is meant as encouragement to you.  Since the Holy Spirit inspired and filled the human authors to write the different biblical books, He can also inspire YOU.

Remember to be regular in Bible reading – even if it is only 15 minutes a day.  You wouldn’t want to eat too much of your favourite food at once, right?  This is the same thing. We grow through the Bible in a way that roots us into what God says to us, even though the original words were given 1900 – 4000 years ago or so. The Bible has a special quality to it that it speaks to the people of the time in which different books were written as well as to us – sometimes literally, and other times by analogy.  We grow through studying the Bible and spending time with the Holy Spirit during our regular devotional time.  When we have both, we become spiritually balanced rather than being ‘flaky’ or cold.

It often helps to study the Bible in groups, because it is important that you learn what God is doing with others while they are also learning scripture.  However, remember that the Bible is an ancient book. God has spoken and still speaks through the Bible, but the cultures from biblical times are different from our own, although, sometimes the circumstances can be parallel to our own lives. Then we can understand and apply what we learn to our own lives. The term for learning the Bible in its original perspective is called exegesis. When I learned some of the history and culture of those times, as well as a bit of their language, it gave even deeper meaning to the scriptures – especially with the stories of Jesus and of the journeys of the Apostle Paul. It helps even more to see these places in person if possible.

Applying the scriptures to our daily lives is called hermeneutics. Do we need to understand the original meaning before we can apply a scripture to our lives?  No, but it gives us greater understanding and makes the Bible seem even deeper to us since the writers were describing real places.

What if you have read the whole Bible from cover to cover?  I would definitely encourage you to keep reading your Bible regularly.  There are different ways to do this, especially if you’ve read each book ‘as is.’ Perhaps a topical study would be a good start, since often scriptures are linked throughout the Bible. Study Bibles are helpful as are Topical Indexes. Visit your local Christian bookstore, which would have Bible studies that can help you on your Bible-learning journey.

Remember, even though scripture can be familiar, or may feel like a comfortable old shoe, it can still speak to you in a deeper way when you need it most.  Next time, we will learn of another way to grow in God.

Yours in Christ, Laurie-Ann Copple

Laurie-Ann has returned to Ontario from Nelson BC and is currently in transition, seeking ministry and employment. She volunteers as writer, producer and radio host at CKCU 93.1 FM in Ottawa and attends St Paul’s in Kanata ON.

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Sometimes Growth in God is slow – in transition

Posted on January 28, 2014 | Comments Off on Sometimes Growth in God is slow – in transition

Hi!  This post is more of an update than an article.  I’m back in Ottawa, Ontario and in transition.  During this time (partly to do with unemployment), it seems to go by very slowly.  That doesn’t mean that God is done with me (or you either)!   Sometimes we have seasons where we seem to be hidden, like poinsettias being grown in a greenhouse.  They are put in a dark room for a while so they may bloom later.  The apostle Paul talks about this in Colossians 3:3: Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.…

So be patient as God works something beautiful in you!  More later.

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Prayer and Fasting – another important way to grow in God

Posted on August 3, 2013 | Comments Off on Prayer and Fasting – another important way to grow in God
Growing in God doesn't have to be a race like this fast boat from Mackinac Island, Michigan

Growing in God doesn’t have to be a race like this fast boat from Mackinac Island, Michigan

Growing in Prayer and Fasting: Ways to Grow in God

Last time we discovered that we flourish as we express our prayers in journaling, as well as waiting for the Holy Spirit’s voice in reply. This reply often comes by remembered scriptures, words of encouragement and being drawn closer to Jesus). We also learned the popular model of ‘A.C.T.S.’: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.  Supplication includes praying for others; sometimes in the form of lists. The ‘Prayers of the People’ that we share at church would be in this category. I believe that God listens to these prayers. Yet, have you had times when you were interrupted by an urgent thought, a picture of someone you know in your memory and an intense desire to pray for them?  This is intercessory prayer – prayer requests from the Holy Spirit himself. So you’ve obey that call and pray for that person. You feel that burden on your heart grow lighter. Sometimes you may weep while praying.  Then soon after, you learn the person you prayed for had urgently needed help at that exact moment. Your prayers were used by God to get them out of some danger.   The Apostle Paul encourages us in 1 Thess. 5:17 to pray without ceasing (or to pray continually).  This doesn’t necessarily mean for us to literally be on our knees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but it does encourage us to have a prayerful attitude where you can offer up quick ‘arrow prayers’ to the Lord throughout the day.  This attitude keeps us thankful.  It also helps remind us that Jesus really is there with us all the time.  This is “practicing the presence of God” (or abiding as mentioned in John 15: 1-17). This posture keeps you peaceful and centered on Him.

Remember to take your time in all forms of prayer. Don’t just pray quickly to get it over with. Slow down and listen – and be quiet before God.  It can be difficult to hear God in the midst of an adrenaline rush. When you take that time, He may say something to you. He may lead you to specific scripture verses, or pour His love and peace into you as you wait on Him.  You will find that time refreshing and a welcome break to a hectic day. Then you will be more energized and focused. Think of it as a divine refreshment break.

Fasting is often combined with prayer.  My former priest Fr. John reminds us that we need to give something up and take something on during the Lenten season. This kind of fast is specific to Lent, since it is giving up one thing for a specific period of time.  However, you can also set other times for specific fasts if you are called to do so by the Holy Spirit. Usually that item or activity that you surrender would be important to you. The activity you pick up could be extra time with God, or doing a ministry for him (This practice is meant to be a gift of devotion to God and bring you closer to Him).

Many people chose to give up chocolate. Your Lenten fast doesn’t have to be chocolate, although many people choose it as the thing to fast from because it’s their favourite thing.  There are many things we can give up for a season.  I remember going off coffee one year, and it wasn’t easy. Another year I gave up television, which was difficult at the time, but later on I didn’t watch much of it when I was in school nearly full time.  A few years ago, I gave up credit cards, which was a good thing, though I have since relapsed.

You don’t have to limit your fasting to Lent.  Tony and I went on weeklong vegetarian fast before a mission trip. It is also called a ‘Daniel fast’, since the Old Testament prophet Daniel fasted from meat and wine for 3 weeks while he prayed (Dan 10:2-3). We did this as a time of praying and waiting on God’s confirmation of our 2005 Kenya Alpha mission. During this week my mind cleared and my heart began to change concerning Tony’s role in the mission. While I did not yet get the guidance I needed, God was preparing Tony’s heart for that mission; even though he wasn’t yet willing to join me. I simply asked the Lord to speak to Tony about going to Kenya during my own devotional prayer time.

During that week Tony shared with me that he could sense God very strongly several times when he was working on his computer, and he prayed in response to God’s call, but he did not get direction on going on the mission trip.  Eventually, Tony did hear the Holy Spirit speak to him about going with me on the mission, but this was in HIS time, not mine.  Fasting in the context of prayer is meant to change the heart of the person who prays. It also helps that person get more in tune with God’s heart.

Now did any of these Lenten fasts bring me closer to God?  I would have to say that in and of themselves, they did NOT bring me closer to God – but that is where the taking on something extra comes in.  When one gives the Lord what you have given to him as a GIFT, not as an obligation, and in the time you would spend watching television, or eating dessert, etc, you would be spending that time with Him in a specific way, then it can become a blessing to you. One Lenten season I taught the Ways to Grow series at St. Paul’s and all of us were deeply blessed. I especially received as I poured out love, teaching and prayer to those who attended. This was the something extra that I took on that year.

Other fasts can be more intense than Lent.  This includes fasting from one meal for prayer, to forty days fasting from food, but not liquids.  Jesus spent this kind of fast in the Judean desert.   Do we need to do this in our own walk with God?  Perhaps – but I would advise taking small steps as you learn.  I am still learning this discipline myself, and I know the Lord honours our efforts to grow in Him.  He will guide you closer as you dare to walk closer to him.  You won’t be sorry.  Note:  I also shared a longer talk on prayer and fasting that will be posted online separately for readers who need more than this bite-sized story.

Yours in Christ, Laurie-Ann Copple

Laurie-Ann recently moved to Nelson BC, and works for Vista Radio.  She attends Kootenay Christian Fellowship and has roots at St Paul’s in Kanata ON.

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Growing through Prayer: ACTS and prayer journalling

Posted on April 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Growing through Prayer: ACTS and prayer journalling

prayer journal

Last time we discovered that we grow well when we learn really to trust God as our Father. A special way to grow that trust is in speaking with him every day – in prayer. Prayer can be a discipline (that you grow in) but even simple prayers involve talking with God – in an honest way. These prayers are precious! God knows our hearts, and also what we are trying to say when we have trouble giving words to our thoughts and feelings.  Prayer often involves a form of liturgy.  Our green prayer book (Book of Alternative Services) is obviously very helpful for this, as is the Lord’s Prayer. Another helpful model follows ‘A.C.T.S.’: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

Adoration is a form of worship that acknowledges who God really is.  Sometimes thanking God for his wonderful qualities helps you focus on Him – such as his holiness, love, compassion, faithfulness, and amazing mercy. It is very easy sing your prayers since many worship songs are indeed musical prayers.

Confession is the act of acknowledging your own sins to the Lord and asking for his forgiveness. These can be sins that are actively committed as well as those of omission: by not doing what He asks us to do. Allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of specific sin – it may be exactly the right time to deal with it.  Note that conviction is NOT condemnation, or that general feeling of worthlessness.  That’s not a message from God at all.

Thanksgiving is important. You don’t have to have very much to be thankful for.  Remember to thank Him for what you do have and for what He has done for you.  Remember daily what God has done in your life. This keeps you more content in times of transition.  God has a way of giving you what you need while you wait on Him.  Joyce Meyer reminds us in her Healthy Living series that thankfulness is an important key to emotional health.  Remember seven things that God has done for you. Write them down – every day.  Then look back at all that God has done for you. That old cliché of counting your blessings is actually true!  It is for this reason that the Apostle Paul encourages us to be ‘thankful in all things’ (Ephesians 5:20).  Remember, you reap what you sow.  Thankfulness deepens a grateful heart and opens your eyes to the many ways God will bless you.

Finally, supplication is the form of asking God for the needs of others.    It is often called intercessions or prayers for the people.  However, true intercession is when the Holy Spirit puts someone on your mind and heart and gives you an intense prayer burden for that person.  Intercession is prayer with a prophetic edge.

It is very helpful keep track of what you’ve been praying.  We need to do this because it is easy to forget all the wonderful little blessings that God gives us when He answers prayers.  So you write down your prayer concerns on paper or on your computer.  Keeping a prayer journal is beneficial – because if you struggle with praying aloud (even in private), this way helps you organize your thoughts.

I write my prayers like a love letter to God. I was taught this method of prayer-journalling by Buffalo-based speaker Mark Virkler. Mark leads a course called Communion with God that teaches you how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.  He encouraged me to listen to God by writing out my prayer to Him and to wait for the Holy Spirit’s response.  He told me that many people don’t try to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. They don’t want to be still and to give their God-given imaginations to Jesus.  Our imagination is exactly where the Holy Spirit speaks. He inspires us and often reminds of important things. He is that gentle whisper that leads us to Jesus.

Once your imagination is cleansed and blessed, you can hear God’s voice more effectively in your “inner eyes or inner ears.”  This way,  the still small voice of the Holy Spirit doesn’t just come as a whisper of general love and encouragement. He can remind you of a specific scripture, give you a picture from your memory, show you a picture of something to pray about or give you songs and poems…  God is very creative!   Some people are more open to this naturally because they are creative to begin with, yet all of us have this creative side.  When someone says to you: “Oh, you hear the voice of God; are you sure it’s not just your imagination?”  Well, I have to say, wake up, because God uses your imagination! God speaks to you through your conscience, imagination, and the deepest part of you – your spirit.  It’s a matter of being attuned to Him; like a radio receiver on the right frequency. Too often we are listening to static, but God is speaking to us.

When Mark taught us how to hear the Holy Spirit, he emphasized that you have to focus on Jesus. It is also the same with journaling.  Both journaling and soaking prayer work best when you are focused on Jesus. When you focus on Jesus, (and are still before Him) it is definitely God who speaks to you.  Keep focused on Him.

I encourage you my dear friends to try this form of prayer. You will find it deeply satisfying and find that God has been speaking to you all along.  You just didn’t realize that He has been speaking to you!.  Next time I will continue with growing in God through intercessory prayer and fasting.

Yours in Christ

Laurie-Ann Copple

prayer girl

Laurie-Ann works in radio broadcasting and attends St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario

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Becoming a child who trusts our Father

Posted on March 27, 2013 | Comments Off on Becoming a child who trusts our Father

Tara wedding & Niagara 010

Last time we discovered that we grow really well when we obey Jesus and walk in his ways. Sometimes this journey is difficult. However, it is absolutely necessary for us to grow to maturity. The best thing is that we are never alone on this journey.  Others watch us.  It is a witness to the world that we are a “real Christian” when we show our faith by our actions.  One of the deepest ways to grow in holiness is learning to trust God.  Sometimes when we were children, we didn’t learn ‘basic trust’ through our families and friendships. However, we can re-learn this important relational aspect that is the foundation of nearly all our relationships.

Do you know who you are?  Or do you need to please others to feel a sense of identity, belonging or sense of worth? Sometimes we wrongly learn to ‘hedge our bets’ and try to please other people around us. This is very visible if you haven’t had the certainty of love and the dependable nature of a stable parent or guardian.  We may build walls around our hearts. We may not learn the basic trust that someone will catch us if we fall or love comfort us in difficult times.  Instead of the stability of knowing faithfulness and steady, dependable, unconditional love, life can be fragile.  Therefore, many turn into people-pleasers to try to earn acceptance.

It is a good thing to bless others – but we don’t need to always strive to please others as if our identity depends upon our performance. I was like this for many years. I understood myself within a variety of different roles: daughter, friend, sister, student, artist and through my volunteer and paid work. I truly did not understand that I there was no need to please God and his servants in order to get into heaven.  Well… I knew in my head that Jesus gave himself for me. Salvation was costly for Jesus but free to me. Yet in my heart, I wanted more assurance and I strove for acceptance.  I acted only as a servant and not as a daughter. I did not feel comfortable just being with Jesus.  I had to always DO something.

It has taken me time, counselling and lots of love from mature Christians to overcome.  I had much soul searching before the Lord so I could understand this foundational truth: Even if I never picked up another kitchen utensil, musical instrument, paint brush or the like, Jesus would still love me in the same wonderful way.  The Father would still accept me as a daughter and the Holy Spirit would not leave me if I would take a rest.  So I did, and limited myself to specific ministries so that I would do only what I was supposed to do at that time.  I kept burning out for God, when He didn’t ask me to do this. Yet God had something much better for me – to transform my heart to trust Him.  He began to re-work my image of a loving Father.

Most of us have imperfect fathers.  My father wasn’t shy and he showed his love for me. However, he teased me mercilessly. I always took this the wrong way and felt intense shame. He didn’t know how to bless anyone (after all, he wasn’t a Christian).  When I grew up, I attended a week-long school at Singing Waters ministries in Orangeville, Ontario.  It was about the Heart of God the Father.  During that week, a very gentle Christian man was able to ‘stand in’ for my father while we prayed.  I was able to forgive him for his teasing and the ways that he had hurt me. I received further healing through a father’s love at another conference two years later. Another special man blessed me in a way that could only come from a loving father to a daughter. In time, I was able to see my own father through Jesus’ eyes.  It was only then that I could understand. My dad is a loving and generous man. He needs Jesus’ healing as much as I have. So with God’s help, I was able to love honour my dad in such a way that he can now see Jesus in me.

I learned to trust God about my dad, and in the process, I became a witness to him. I had healing in my life concerning other relationships, as I learned to wait on God.  At the core of this healing, was a new foundation of trust and security.  When our basic trust is held by the Faithful One who does not change, we become more steady. We are no longer easily shaken.  King David and other Psalm writers declare their trust in the Lord many times – despite very difficult circumstances.  They take refuge in God (Ps 91:2). They trust God when they are afraid (Ps 56:3). They encourage others to put their trust in God instead of chariots, princes and ways of the world. In time, this trust grows and becomes unshakeable.  God is trustworthy. He shows His faithfulness in our lives in countless ways.  Sometimes He has us wait (seemingly forever!) but He doesn’t seem bothered by our impatience. One of my seminary professors used to say that many people get impatient at the microwave and say, “Hurry up!”  Yet, the Holy Spirit offers us a different way. He promises us that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31).”  That hope implies that we must wait. We must trust Him so we can be allowed to grow – in good times, and in circumstances where we are forced to depend on God.

God doesn’t let us down, although at the time we don’t always see his presence in our lives at that moment.  Then we look back.  Do you remember the “Footprints” poem?  It is then that we see He’s been there all along.  In our last article we looked at obedience, this time it’s about trust.  The two truths go hand in hand, as is shown in Psalm 84:11-12 and by the hymn “Trust and Obey:” “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.  Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey…”

Next time we’ll share on growing through Prayer.

Yours in Christ,
Laurie-Ann Copple

Laurie-Ann is an Ottawa based media person.  She works for Newcap Radio, and graduated from Algonquin College (radio broadcasting), Tyndale Seminary and University of Toronto.   She attends St Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario.

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Becoming Holy: Choices, Obedience and Integrity

Posted on March 11, 2013 | 1 comment

July 2012 104

Last time we discovered that we grow really well when we are mentored or discipled by someone who holds us accountable in our faith. My priest, Father John often reminds us that his faith is not entirely his own. Our parish helps him grow, and we are encouraged by him (individually and corporately). We grow in relationship.  Mentorship can be done by peers or by someone more experienced than ourselves. Sometimes this accountability can be a form of tough love, but it is absolutely necessary for us to grow spiritually mature.  Our spiritual journey is also deepened by obedience.  This means we must obey God’s principles shown throughout the Bible. Obedience is outwardly shown as integrity and holiness.  It’s a reflection of our faith and obedience to God.

Mission trips are like pressure cookers of faith experience.  Long days, culture shock, and human frailty often show what we’re really like inside.  What is really visible in those moments?  Is it something that points to Jesus or our own weaknesses?  I have been told by the Anglican mission agency SOMA (Sharing of Ministries Abroad) that sometimes we are the only Bible that others see. This means that our actions much match our faith. Integrity includes honesty but goes much deeper. Integrity is a special fruit of our character as Christians. It develops over time. Some of this is based on the  baptismal promise to “persevere in resisting evil and, whenever we fall into sin, to repent and return to the Lord.”  Good character develops as a foundation for choosing to walk in his holy ways.   When we answer “I will with God’s help”, we acknowledge that we can only live the Christian life in His power, not our own.  When we do this, it frees us, since without God’s help we’d burn out. OK, I get it.  We can’t become holy by our own power. So how DO we become holy?

When our faith in Jesus comes alive for the first time, He makes us holy because he died for us.  God the Father looks at us and sees us through His Son.  Yet there is a process in becoming more holy in our habits and our actions.  This is a process and most of us have a lot of bad habits to overcome.  This process is called sanctification, or becoming holy.  Some biblical teaching on holy living is simple and straight forward. If you are married, stay faithful to your husband or wife.  We are to love and honour them in a way that blesses them. Paul encouraged husbands to love their wives as much as Jesus does the church. Wives are to love their spouses and understand that their husband wants to protect them from harm, or at best, he should. If you are single, it means you stay celibate until you are married.  When we come to faith, sometimes we don’t know the details of how to live a holy life and it takes time to work this out in our lives.  The Holy Spirit often speaks to friends about areas of weakness in their lives in a gentle corrective way at just the right time.  Sometimes over zealous Christian leaders have mistakenly beaten the Holy Spirit to the ‘punch’ and approached these friends over their poor choices. Mentors and leaders have to be gentle in holding us accountable, since this is the Holy Spirit’s job. It is God who makes us holy, not our church leaders, although they can be used to encourage us to obey God.

The Bible and the Holy Spirit also teach us to act with integrity in other areas: in our work lives, in friendships, and in daily living. God is our source for godly living (2 Peter 1:1-11) and He will help you live out the holiness that you are given through salvation in Jesus Christ.   This means you do not do this in your own strength.  The Apostle Paul tells is in Phil. 2:12-13 “To continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Part of becoming more holy, is to make good and godly choices.  Quite often we wonder, “OK, I’d like to please God and become more holy. How do I know what is His will for me?”  God often leaves simple choices to us, especially if we do not distract others in their faith walk (for example, not drinking in front of an alcoholic and causing him to be tempted). This freedom grows as we become stronger in our faith. It often becomes easier to make good choices because of this strength. However, this freedom gives us more responsibility not to stumble others in their faith because of cultural differences. Paul encourages us to “not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God… (1 Cor. 10:23) and John reminds us that “whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble (1 John 2:10).

Cultural differences include worship styles.  When I was in Pakistan, I learned their cultural experience of prayer. When people pray, their shoes must come off, because where they are praying is holy ground.  Women wear shawls over their heads during services, and especially in prayer.  I grew used to this, although it was difficult pulling my boots on and off.  One of the associate pastors in Lahore joked with me, “Sister Ann, you are powerful with your shoes off, but when you have them on again, you are weak!”  I thought this was incredibly funny at the time, because he was helping me put my shoes back on yet again.  But what they saw when I had my shoes off was a “holy lady” who knew how to pray.  Culturally I was connected with them. I showed by my willingness to enter their culture that I loved them.  This was a godly choice, and it blessed them.  It was the same motivation that caused me to dress African-style when I was in Kenya and Sierra Leone.

So you see that our choices can affect others for good or ill, and cause us to grow or stop growing. I pray that in our choice to follow our Lord, we may become aware of WHEN we are given direction to walk in His way.  If we continue to walk in His ways, He grows our trust in Him.  I will speak on growing that trust next time.

Yours in Christ, Laurie-Ann Copple

Laurie-Ann is an Ottawa based media person.  She attended Tyndale Seminary and graduated in 1999.  She attends St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario

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Growing through Relationships: Mentorship and Spiritual Friendship

Posted on March 6, 2013 | Comments Off on Growing through Relationships: Mentorship and Spiritual Friendship

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I’ve been on a journey and learned that we grow when we allow God’s grace to work in our lives.

Last time we discovered that we grow well when we minister to and encourage each other – in fellowship or koinonia. We are created to be in relationship. Another form of relationship that blesses us is mentorship.

Mentorship means to have someone help you intentionally grow deeper in your faith. When you are a new Christian, it helps to have someone to ‘disciple’ you.  A disciple is a person who has wants to be more than a church-goer.  Like Jesus’ disciples, we choose to follow Jesus. As we grow on that journey, we can do great things for God. This process takes time and willingness to learn.  Jesus said to “take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.” (Matt. 11:29)  Although Jesus is Lord, he was also a mentor to his disciples. He taught them the way of service and love. He does the same for us through the Holy Spirit, and through the relationships we have with our mentors.

A mentor can be someone who is like a spiritual mother or father (not just a godparent). This person actually is what a godparent could be.  That person intentionally comes alongside you and in a loving relationship encourages your walk with Jesus. They don’t just take you to church. Time together can include Bible Study sessions, prayer and pastoral care. Other times a mentor can seem quite harsh in their admonishment, but that is only when we really need that discipline. I had a mentor like that – she was an Australian lady named Jan and she would always tell me to “pick up your socks, mate!” She wasn’t talking about my actual socks!

Other biblical examples of mentors include the Apostle Paul, who was a mentor to Timothy.  Paul encourages younger Christians to be imitators of him (1 Co. 4:16) and to be imitators of God (Eph. 5: 1-2). One of the things that a mentor does is to encourage you.  Paul talks about encouragement as being one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Rom 12: 3-8).  My former pastor Dale always said that ‘encouragement is the oxygen of life.’ This is true of all relationships, including marriage. My husband Tony and I believe so strongly in this that we included the promise of encouragement in our wedding vows. We pledged, “to love, honour and encourage.”

A mentor is often a person who is ahead of us on the journey and lends hand in guiding us forward.  Peer-relationships can also help you grow, and are encouraged at Tyndale seminary (where I graduated in 1999).  I took a course called Foundations of Christian Spirituality, which taught about ways to grow in God.  This included the experience of spiritual friendship – which is to have someone as a dedicated listener and prayer partner with you for a season.

A spiritual friend should be the same gender you are. They can be older or younger, more experienced or on your own level of faith and growth.  The important thing is that you must be very honest with them, and they must be allowed to tell you the truth without you getting annoyed.  When it was time to choose my spiritual friend, we had one female and one male left over in our class. I was the leftover female.  This meant that I had to have a spiritual friend from outside the class.  I chose my friend Claudia, and we shared the devotional book Space for God at least once a week.

Near the end of our course, Claudia remained faithful with me. She also benefited from our deepened friendship.  It turned out that Jan (our Australian friend) was dying of cancer. Jan and I used to be close but when she got really sick I saw her less due to my school and work schedule.  I also didn’t know how to comfort her and procrastinated in going to see her.   When Claudia told me that Jan wouldn’t make it through the week, I grimaced and said “I’d like to see her on the weekend.”  Claudia then gave me a metaphorical push and said, “Jan won’t be alive by the weekend.  You need to go NOW.  I will go WITH you.”

Thanks to Claudia’s push, I was with Jan the day before she died.  We spent a few hours with her, I fed her ginger ale and was just “with” her. I didn’t expect her to talk, but she knew I was there.  While we were there, others came to visit.  This included a chaplain and an emotionally weak friend, who cried all over Jan.  Jan responded and tried to minister to her.  I knew this was exhausting for Jan, but it was very important for this other friend to see Jan almost as she was before she became ill.  I held my feelings in, and didn’t expect Jan to do that for me.  I felt guilty that I hadn’t been to see her for so long.

Somehow I ended up singing Jan’s favourite worship song, “Faithful One” to her.  I closed my eyes and sang my heart out.  I was later told that during the song, the Holy Spirit fell on Jan in such a way that she looked like the Jan she was before she was sick. At that time she shone with love for Jesus, and pride in me for singing to her.  When I opened my eyes, I saw Jan as the way she had been. I thanked her for being such a faithful friend, and that was her gift to me.

The chaplain asked Jan if she’d like me to sing that song at her funeral, and she said yes.  It was at this time that Claudia came back into the room to support me, and take me home. This is what a spiritual friend does – like Jan, in her faithfulness, from telling me to ‘pick up your socks, mate’ when she was well. Jan also forgave me for not being there when she was sick.  Claudia also was a great spiritual friend.  She gave tough love when I needed it, and was supportive when I finally did what was right.

Spiritual friendship and mentorship are both intentional relationships. This means setting a certain time aside, saying to each other: “how is your soul, really?” It means going through your spiritual walk with the Lord together and being HONEST with each other.  God will still bless us through our regular friends, but there isn’t as much opportunity in those friendships.

However, they have potential.  My priest reminds us of this every time he mentions in his blessing, “May you know the Love of God in every friendship.”  Next time I will share with you another way to grow in God… meanwhile I pray that a mentor will be available to you when you need one for whatever spiritual season YOU are in …

Yours in Christ, Laurie-Ann Copple

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Laurie-Ann Copple is an Ottawa-based media person.  She has been on mission trips to Northern Ireland, Kenya, Pakistan and Sierra Leone.  She attends St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario.

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Growing through relationships: Communion of Saints

Posted on March 5, 2013 | 10 comments

communion saints

I’ve been on a journey and learned that we grow when we allow God’s grace to work in our lives.

We allow Him to take away the ‘speed bumps’ that get in the way (such as restlessness, unforgiveness and bitterness).  Speed bumps harm our relationships with other people as well as with God. We are created to be in relationship. We grow best through being blessed, encouraged and loved by others and when we share that love with others.

Some people call that fellowship, but what exactly is fellowship?  It is more than small talk and asking a polite ‘how are you?’ during coffee time on Sunday.  Fellowship is time spent in caring friendship and journeying in your faith with each other.  It includes sharing daily struggles and encouraging each other in love.  The Bible has many examples of how we can minister to each other – the phrase ‘one another’ is repeated the New Testament many times.  I found this statement in the Snodgrass Ephesians commentary: “we cannot be mature Christians by ourselves, for we cannot give ourselves everything we need for a life of faith.  Christ has chosen to grace others so they contribute to us and us to them.  Grace comes from God but it is conveyed through horizontal channels” [Snodgrass, Ephesians commentary, p. 221] My priest, Father John Bridges has said many times that his faith is not entirely his own.  He is validated in his faith partly by us, the community that loves Jesus with him.

One of my former pastors, Dale, had a lot of practical sayings about church.  Dale shared his hopes and dreams for our congregation in a way that I’ll always remember.  He said that the church is meant to be a prayer army, a family and a hospital. This triple role was also confirmed to me in seminary counseling class. I learned there that the church is seen as ecclesia (a place to worship), therapia (a place of healing) and koinonia, (communion of saints).  When we greet each other during Sunday services with the peace of the Lord, we aren’t just giving hugs and handshakes, although I love these.  We are extending love to each other in the Lord’s name. Each time we do this, I feel incredibly blessed.  We do this because we have just been forgiven by God for whatever sins we’re given to Him. This is also a time to extend that same love and forgiveness to each other, even if it is just for a minute.  It’s worship, healing and family at the same time.

Perhaps a good way to understand Christian fellowship is to ponder the term “communion of saints” – a term that I’ve come to love.  I studied at the University of Toronto. While I was in my first year, I took “Basic Christian Beliefs” at St Michael’s College.  I became fascinated in New Testament word studies.  One of the Greek terms I studied was parousia, (the return of Jesus), another metanoia, (which means changing your mind/attitude). However, the most interesting one to me was koinonia, which means communion of saints, or fellowship. 

Although there are many different aspects to church, the one that means the most to me is communion of saints.

It’s more than a line in the Nicean and Apostle’s Creeds!  It’s that special bond between Christians that is more than friendship, and deeper than family ties.  It’s the sense of deep connection that you have with someone that you have shared and prayed with.  When the Holy Spirit fills you both while in prayer together, he knits your spirits and hearts together.  This often happens during the healing prayer time that we have in the Sunday services and it is an intimate bond. This is a safe place to be when this bond is strengthened by friendship and inspired compassion.  It’s this aspect of church that can make it a hospital and place of healing, because healing happens within relationships.

Of course, we should all know by now that there is no such thing as the “Perfect Church.” We’re all at different stages of spiritual growth and emotional maturity. However, we do see glimpses of how the church should be, for example: during the Alpha Holy Spirit weekend, or the Cursillo weekend, and in small group sharing and prayer time. I love getting to know the guests as an Alpha Course leader. Through Alpha, I have gained really amazing friends. One gentle participant said that he was able to share deep things with us that he never could have with his long-time secular friends.  This isn’t because it’s a secret – sharing thing, but rather the sense of trust in each other that is very intimate.

Years ago, “May” was part of one of our Alpha courses.  She loved the course, but she didn’t like going to church, except the occasional evensong, (an afternoon service).  She didn’t have any fire of course, although she appreciated the company of other people at Alpha.  I wondered how she could even survive in her faith completely on her own.  Nicky Gumbel tells a story of a young man who used to be very much on fire in his faith. However after he decided to not go to church anymore, he lost his enthusiasm.  So he went to see an older, wise man to ask him why he lost his joy.  The older man didn’t say a word, but instead spoke through action.  Since they were in the UK, and it gets cold and damp in the winter – so the old man had a coal fireplace. All the coals were hot and glowing red.  The man took a coal from the fireplace with a pair of tongs and set it down on the hearth.  At first the coal was red, but very soon it faded and became grey and then black.  The older man then looked at the younger one, and then took the lonely piece of coal and put it back into the fire, where very soon it grew red-hot again.  He showed the young man without a single word- why he lost his enthusiasm.

The author of Hebrews encourages us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25)  The Apostle Paul encourages us as well that we are a body (in 1 Corinthians 12:12-20).  We NEED each other.  “Communion of Saints” is also mentioned in the Nicene Creed that we recite each week, so this again confirms how central Christian relationships are to our growing faith.

And so my friends, I want you to have the same blessing that Father John often gives us – that you may see the face of Jesus in those you meet, and may you know his love in the friendships you have.  I would also like to add that I’m grateful for the prayers of all my Christian friends during my time in radio broadcasting school.  Since I was the only Christian, I have come to value the communion of saints even more.  We have something special in God and each other.

Yours in Christ, Laurie-Ann Copple

Laurie-Ann Copple is an Ottawa based media person.  She graduated from radio broadcasting at Algonquin College and attends St. Paul’s in Kanata, ON.

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Allowing God’s grace to overcome speedbumps

Posted on March 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Allowing God’s grace to overcome speedbumps

speedbumps

I have found great blessings while writing my Ways to Grow in God series.  The concept was originally prepared in Kenya as a talk on Christian Maturity for a SOMA mission.  A year later, the Holy Spirit led me to expand this talk into a whole series. This was further honed in Pakistan and taught as a Lenten series at St Paul’s Kanata.  We had five to six people at the time, and ended with ‘soaking prayer.’  Since I’m an Alpha coach, I’ve watched Nicky Gumbel’s Alpha videos many times.  During the Holy Spirit weekend, Nicky talks about our being hard crusty sponges until the Holy Spirit fills us with His living water.  This inspired me to take a sponge with me to teach about soaking prayer when I’m on mission trips. When I did this in Pakistan, word of this act spread and gave me opportunities to talk about soaking prayer as a way to cultivate the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The sponge is used as a symbol of how much we need to be hydrated with both physical water and spiritual, living water.  If a sponge is dry and ‘crusty,’ it can’t be used and can even damage countertops if you attempt to use it for cleaning.  But after a sponge is softened by water, it becomes useful.  We are like that sponge.

If we allow ourselves to soak in the presence of God, He fills us with life, peace and His deep love. There is nothing quite like the sense of God’s presence. When we are in His presence, we begin to reflect His glory and we are slowly ‘transformed’ into His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18).

This practice involves laying aside your concerns of the moment by writing them down, then praying with someone else. Then turn on some soft worship music; Ruth Fazal works for me.  You sit quietly and let the music wash over you as you focus on Jesus.  You may even sense a little picture in your mind, remember a special scripture or generally sense the peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). 

However, sometimes there can be ‘speed-bumps’ in allowing the grace of God to work through you. Barriers that slow God’s work include striving to do the will and work of God in your own power.  Just as when you first came to faith in Jesus Christ by grace, coming to maturity is by God’s grace!  We have to allow it to change us.    We are God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10).  He is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:12), and He makes us holy as He is holy (Lev. 19:2), but we have to be actively willing and not get in the way.   We have to trust God and allow Him to change us.

Restlessness is a speed-bump on the road to receiving God’s grace. I couldn’t quiet myself to ‘be still and know that He is God’ (Ps 46:10).  I was frenetic inside and out. Finally, a seminary professor advised me to turn the radio off rather than playing lively worship music in the car. This way I could hear the voice of the Holy Spirit within the silence.  Sometimes we crowd out worries by filling all our time with endless activity.  Often we’d even fill our devotional time with lively praise music to drown out the concerns that are hidden in our hearts.  Praise music is excellent for other times. However, sometimes silence is needed and the music is a distraction.

Silence became rest for the heart and it was good to help me ponder, drive, and listen.  It was in the silence that I learned the meaning of “In repentance and rest is your salvation, and in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15) So the “super-striver” in me began to let go.

A speed bump that can even stop spiritual growth is un-forgiveness and bitterness. The Apostle Paul warns us not to develop a root of bitterness in our hearts. This defiles us – and those who are around us. (Heb. 12:15).  If you are deeply hurt by a past sin against you, forgiveness is essential, because it helps you let go of the pain and give it to Him. We must forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. Until that time, hearts are frozen.   When you are able to forgive, it means that God has given you the strength to overcome your daily challenges.  It also  means that you can leave God to deal with the offender in His time and way.

Forgiveness is often a process, but as my priest Father John Bridges often tells our congregation, our faith is a journey.  You are not alone on this journey, for the Lord has promised never to abandon you.

Laurie-Ann Copple is a media person who is based in Ottawa.  She attends St Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario.

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