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COVID-19 Julian of Norwich

4/28/2020

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Julian of Norwich (1343 - about 1416) caught my attention 20 years ago as I was training to become a spiritual director.  She became a heroine, as I read about her and learned to appreciate her ways of relating to God’s love.  “God is our clothing, that wraps, clasps and encloses us so as to never leave us.”  This quote nearly leaves me breathless.  Julian lived at a time of heightened fear through plagues, wars, famine and peasant uprisings.


As we moved into lockdown here in NZ a month ago, I wondered what the mystics and particularly Julian offered me from her experience of God and prayer during her isolation throughout the Black Plagues.  What parallels would I find?


In late medieval Europe many women withdrew from society to live walled in, alone in a room attached to a church.  They were called Anchorites.   Julian, and other anchorites, lived a life of prayer; particularly praying on behalf of others. Their lives of isolation empowered them to express their love for Jesus. From there they encouraged and supported other followers of Jesus, through their prayers and through their counsel. Many became the ‘wise women’ of the townships.  There was freedom for these women to live a life of individual contemplation.


Often these women lived in the centre of a community with their cells facing busy roads where passers by might stop to chat and ask advise. Probably Julian was glad to hear and also provide others with local gossip!  The anchorites were there not just for there own benefit but for the sake of others.  They were there to ‘feel compassion’ and ‘gather to their hearts all those who are ill or wretched’.


During their isolation Julian speaks of her own vulnerability - but suggests seeing that as a strength and that suffering and difficulties will not defeat her… Christ did not say, ‘You will not be perturbed, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be distressed,’ but he said, ‘You will not be overcome.’


As I've lived these past nearly six weeks in isolation, what have I noticed?  I’ve not been shopping or out in our car all of this time.  Others have shopped for us (as for Julian).  I’ve walked in the neighbourhood most days and had many zoom conversations with friends, colleagues and directees.


I’ve lived more internally and been recognising my vulnerability and losses.  But I’ve also lived with a heightened awareness of God.  I’ve found myself more frequently coming to my ‘prayer cell’ and sitting in the love of Jesus - his love, mercy and grace toward me; his love, mercy and grace toward the world at times overwhelmed with fear and grievous pain and loss.  Often no words, but noticing the gaze of God - wounded pain in that gaze.   My prayer intentions for others, for the world has increased; gathering to my heart all those who are ill or wretched.


Perhaps I’m recognised as the ‘wise woman’.  Like Julian, I too have women stopping by (on zoom) for counsel.  Indeed more have come during this time of ‘plague’, wanting to make sense of the times.  Women who live and work in the role of overseas mission.  We gossip and we sit in silence together and wait, often in our pain, to notice God who is our clothing, coming and wrapping us, clasping us and enclosing us in a way that we know She’ll never leave us.   


This is not a chosen isolation like Julians, but it is certainly a time of inward withdrawing; withdrawing into the deep pain and compassion of God.   I do get perturbed, and troubled and distressed, but I will not be overcome.
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God is singing over you.

5/22/2019

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Zephania 3 : 17

“The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
    he will quiet you with his love,
    he will rejoice over you with singing…


Can you possibly imagine the delight the Lord your God is taking in you now?  Stop and notice.  Look around you at the beauty of the world and notice the delight God takes in that.  Do you realise that God takes even more delight in you? 

I'm wondering if you've ever stopped long enough to allow God to quiet you with His love. Sometimes I stop and become aware of my breath and with that breath, God's quieting love calms me and offers me peace.  Why don't you try it.  Breathe in - breathe out.  Breathe in - breathe out.  God's quieting love.

I'm trying to imagine all of the songs God is singing.  He's rejoicing over YOU with singing.  Take a moment to listen - perhaps you can't believe that God would possibly do that - but He IS.  He's singing over you.  Why don't you write down the song, so you don't forget it.  
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When life is heavy

7/23/2018

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When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself.  Enter the Silence.  Bow in prayer.  Don't ask questions.  Wait for hope to come.  The Message Lamentations 3

As life became heavy, I found myself bowing in prayer in front of the altar.  I'd gone off by myself, entered the silence and waited.

God joined me - kneeling there in the silence.  Placing His blue cloak of 'wrap around presence' over me.  We knelt together, His arm and cloak enfolding me.  I noticed His tears.  They became shared tears - an offering of comfort and easing of pain.  My breath became deeper and easier as companionship encased my pain.  Together we knelt,  and turned toward each other - looking into each other's eyes.  No words needed.  Deep sharing and knowing.  'Hope' was finding its way back.
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Wrapped Light

1/28/2018

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Your name is Wrapped in Light - and you come to me with your enfolding cloak.  As you approach with your strong arms and disarming smile I melt into you and welcome the warmth of enfolding.  It covers my sin, my shame and distress and warms me with an affection unable to be named for its breathtaking holiness.  I am made Holy in that moment.  Wrapped in Light - encase me and fasten my cloak.  I'm Home.
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Grace -

7/10/2017

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Grace

The One who is Grace, pour the balm of your gift into the fissures of my being.  Ease the friction and rubbing of all that inhibits rest.  Massage the inner knots of unbelief into tender, unresistant calm in your hands.  Forgive my desire to live without love, the need to fulfil my own wants in my own way.  The gift of balm slows me into a receptacle ready to receive.   I come open, expecting your hearty smile of warmth and welcome.
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COCOONED IN LOVE.

10/16/2016

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Sweet breath of God
floating like a feather,
framing me, with warming flurries,
gentle puffs; a cosy fire on a cold day.
Satisfied engulfing - like a a hot tub in the middle of winter.
Immersed there in safety - cocooned in Love.

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Illuminations 

8/4/2016

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What if I were to consider that inside of me was lit up with the most brilliant of lights?  That there is no darkness within.
What if I am actually brimming with phosphorescent brilliance so great that I am blinded by it...and others too?
What if I believed that the Light of the World - the One whose name is Light - actually is who He says He is and dwells where He says He dwells....within?

All is brilliance - all is bursting with glorious sunshine.  What if I actually believed that?  What difference would it make?

I am bursting with light - not my own and nothing that I am conjuring up - but a reality of a spiritual dimension.  The brilliance of Light filling the world - pervading and holding me and all creation. A Brilliance filters through my layers and free falls between the layers and washes and dissolves the layers.  For Brilliance there are no layers - there are no rooms or different places allotted to Him.  He is not able to be separated into here but not there - but occupies, with deepest love and brilliant Light - ALL.
All is held, loved, embraced, gentled, caressed - nothing hidden or lost, nothing disrespected or categorised. All is consecrated. 

Brilliance - doesn't condemn or blame - but shines perfect love on all our shame, our own condemnation of self, our sin.​

The Brilliance around and without, looks at the Brilliance within and can ONLY love....only LOVE.  Brilliance loves Brilliance and are One and the same - and I am hidden in Brilliance with Brilliance.


Added to the reading from Teresa of Avila where she talks about seeing only the light without and forgetting the radiance within,
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 Christmas

12/14/2015

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The year is in its eve - the days are getting longer - summer is here.  

But tomorrow we exit our home and our city and fly to the Northern hemisphere to family - I can't wait.  

My musings have been on Christmas and on Mary: the extraordinary news from the angel.  Mary is a very 'out of the ordinary' woman, and was twice blessed...an Image Bearer by birth, and then a Bearer of that Image as she carried Jesus for those nine months.  Holding God in her belly, in the dark, attached to her placenta, getting life giving nourishment, only because she said 'YES'.  I've been imagining myself in the stable...watching her labour, for hours I've wiped her forehead, coached her through, helped her pant and push and then received Jesus into my arms.  Exhausting, messy, noisy hours of labour. What a way to introduce The Holy One into our world - He's come here needing a mother to birth him, and a father to teach him.  In what ways were Mary and Joseph trained to be parents - to be parents of this Holy Child? What a risk the Trinity took choosing a couple to birth and raise Their Beloved Son.  My thanks are with Mary and with Joseph, who agreed to this inexplicable, crazy plan.

I don't know if you get it!  I certainly don't - but my gratitude abounds.  
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Grief.

10/12/2015

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Grief has come to my house.
Has opened up a cavern in my soul,
Walked right in and taken up residence.
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Uncertainty

9/16/2015

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Hi there - what a glorious ‘dance’ we’ve had over the past five and a half weeks.  Thanks for joining us!! 

> The Member Care Training programme was fabulous.  So much energy and enthusiasm packed into the five days. 30 attendees!!

> It is hard to find words to describe the Retreat in Everyday Life. Stephen and I had the breath-taking privilege of watching God come and take these people on deep intimate journeys. 

> An Unexpected Bonus was being with our friends Irene and Roland, translators for the Kuni people in PNG, as they unpacked the only and just completed New Testaments that they have been working on for several years!!  Praise Be!! 

love Jocelyn and Stephen 

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