new oceans

You will never discover new oceans till you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

Not my words. In fact I'm not sure whose words they are. But they're really quite striking and hit on the head the challenge I'm facing right now.

The challenge we're facing just now. 'We' as in the followers of Jesus Christ. And myself not least.

The Head Teacher at the primary school started his talk today with these words.

It was the weekly P4-7 assembly and though I thought the quote would maybe float above the heads of some of the younger ones, it certainly struck a chord with me. It put into words the nub of the word God's been speaking to me.

It's the 'Abram' thing again. Leave. Lose sight of the shore. There's no way you're going to discover new oceans unless you've the courage to leave and lose sight of the shore.

Strange the ways the Lord will keep on speaking just one word, impressing that upon my heart, until it's clear just what he's on about!

It helped me, too, at the lunchtime service I was leading once again. In many ways, this was precisely the challenge the passage presented - for me and for us and for all of God's people today.

We were thinking about the story of Naomi and Ruth. And the way in which Naomi takes a bold and risky step of faith in calling Ruth to go and lie at Boaz' feet. Not hugging the coast and keeping the shore in sight.

It's the essence of good leadership. To take those risks and sail on out beyond the safety of the shore.

Not in any blind or random faith, of course. But in response to clear, consistent prompting from the Lord. The summons of his love. The teaching of his word. The import of his very sovereign providences over time.

That's why Naomi did as she did. And read the story through and see how vast were those 'new oceans' she discovered when she exercised that lead!

I enjoy these times of worship in the middle of the day. And the lunch thereafter, too. It's good to be able to sit and to chat with these faithful, fellow-followers of Jesus.

And the same had been true of an earlier meeting, too. At school. Except a different school this time. Catching up with a teacher there who in many ways has sought to do just this. To sail on out beyond the sight of shore. In the 'seascape' of her daily work.

And finding as she does so that there seem to be new oceans she's discovering there as well! It's exciting stuff, this challenge of following Jesus day by day.

I was over the other side of the country later on. Seeing my son. And seeing the exhibition that he and his fellow students have been putting on in the McLellan Galleries.

Impressive and thrilling stuff! A vision of what the city of Glasgow might be like in 50 years.

(It was looking really lovely when I got there, with a gorgeous sort of after-sunset light: stunning!)

He's training as an architect. And as I chatted later with the head of his year group, the guy declared that architects are obliged to think of the future.

Indeed, it seemed to me, in some ways through the work they do they actually serve to shape that future, to shape the very future of a city down the years. Which I find an exciting thought.

And it's what I'm about as well, as a sort of spiritual 'architect' shaping out a future that is still at best a dream.

You don't do that, you can't do that, unless you have the courage to lose that sight of the shore.