BeachcomberFX

Category: Sunday@thePub

  • A Question of Encouragement in Faith

    A Question of Encouragement in Faith

    Hi All, hope you have all had a good week.  We will be meeting together at The Quarry at 7:30pm if you want to join us in conversation.  We have tried to meet in the bay window just around the corner from the main entrance (turn left at the bar).  See you then.

    The world is full of worry, stress and challenges at present, with countries at war with one another, government fighting with one another, covid rising again, the cost of living continuing to increase and alongside these there are our own individual worries, stresses and challenges. 

    Through my work and personal relationships its clear to hear that people are tired, drained of energy and finding it hard to keep going, but keep going we must, but at what cost? At who’s cost? The cost of the continued state of living this way is our health; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual; it costs relationships and increases isolation. It feeds negative behaviours and attitudes to be able to cope with what is happening in and around us every day. 

    Life is at times relentless and on top of that there is all the questioning and challenges about what we should or should not be doing, who we should or should not be, what we should or should not believe and who we should or should not listen too. The consistent questioning and challenge leaves me personally mentally tired and my heart seeking desperately to find the joy and encouragement that there are good things about life, people and faith. 

    I am not saying that we should not be challenged or challenge systems and behaviours but there needs to be a balance. There needs to also be conversation that encourages, helping to remember the good things about life, people and faith. To create space for encouragement to happen and what it is at this moment that brings us support, confidence and hope. What is missing in enabling encouragement to take place? And how can we create space and relationships that can give honest encouragement?

    What do I mean by honest encouragement? According to the Oxford dictionary encouragement is the action of giving to someone support, confidence or hope. It is also described as, persuasion to do or to continue something or the act of trying to stimulate the development of an activity, state or belief. I think this is where encouraging can cross a fine boundary and become the need to persuade or stimulate the development of something else. So how can we be authentic in encouraging ourselves and one another without wanting or needing to cross the fine boundary into persuasion? 

    My question of encouragement in faith also comes from conversations about faith and church. While agreed that there are things that need to be challenged , there are lots of elements within faith and church that are good and bring the needed encouragement to do life supported and with joy. Maybe, like archaeologists working on historical sites, we need to sieve through what is needing to change or not be changed instead of throwing the whole thing out or completely dismissing something, losing what is good and helpful at the same time.

    And this is where my reflection on encouragement in faith has left me, with the question how can we maintain a good balance of challenging and at the same time encouraging the faith in practical, supportive ways to bring hope and confidence to life even when things may seem so dark in the world. 

    Questions:

    1. What has been the best encouragement you have received? 
    2. Where do you find encouragement for life, people and faith? 
    3. What is missing in enabling encouragement to take place?
    4. How can we create space and relationships that can give honest encouragement?
    5. How can we be authentic in encouraging ourselves and one another without crossing the fine boundary into persuasion?
    6. How can we maintain a good balance of challenging and at the same time encouraging faith in practical, supportive ways to bring hope and confidence to life even when things may seem so dark in the world. 
  • A Question of Creativity

    A Question of Creativity

    We are looking at creativity this week and we will be meeting at the Enigma Tap at 7:30pm and everyone is welcome to come and join the conversation.

    Are you creative? If so, why? If not, why not? Take a moment to think and write down what you think.

    If you asked most people what creativity is, they’d answer making art, or craft, or music. They’d concentrate on the end products of paintings, musical performance, dance or hand made items. And, of course, there would be some kind of qualitative judgement of any end-product. So even if they may say I’m a musician or a painter – they may follow this up with a statement like – but not a very good one.

    But is this really creativity? Where else is creativity found? 

    In schools, creativity is becoming increasingly important and it’s not just more art, drama and music. Educationalist Bill Lucas along with Guy Claxton and Ellen Spencer undertook research and developed a wider definition of creativity that encompasses habits of mind rather than just practical skills. The key threads being: –

    Imaginative

    Persistent

    Inquisitive

    Discipline 

    Collaborative

    These are not just relevant to artists and musicians but can apply throughout life. Look at their Creativity wheel. How do you think this maps onto our Beachcomber scavenger, wanderer, gatherer and collector values?

    Resource from https://arts.wales/resources/synhwyror-iaith-sensing-language/creative-habits-mind

    Being creative isn’t about making stuff, it’s about creative habits like curiosity, imagination and play. Artists don’t set out to make a masterpiece and musicians don’t set out to make a timeless classic. Using the habits above, they just draw and paint and play. There’s a discipline at work to gain skills, but not with the intent of output. Instead, it’s a process of sketching, jamming – noodling and doodling – working to order is often a killer of creativity. Instead, habitually playing may well lead to more creativity. One thing that won’t is fear. Fear of failure and not being good enough is the killer of creativity. 

    Whether it’s writing or painting, cooking or playing guitar, art or crafting – stepping into the stream of imagination and not being scared of failure and not really worrying if it’s good or not, is the path towards being creative. 

    As you can see from the creativity wheel – it isn’t about making. It’s more about creativity in our everyday lives, noticing when we dare to do something different or live with uncertainty for a while. When we challenge the assumptions of others or wonder about big questions. Its daring to ask, ‘What if?’

    A book we’ve both been bowled over by in the last year is Rob Hopkins’ “From what is to What if”. In it he sets out a manifesto for creativity, imagination and play. He believes it will change the world. Creativity allows us to dream of what could be. Yes, there are always lots of barriers and reasons why things aren’t the way they could be. Often we accept the status quo without asking how things could be different. Artists and creatives are frequently the people within society who ask such questions or dream of a different reality because their creative habits allow then to look at things differently and notice… What if?

    If you could instantly acquire one traditionally creative skill, what would it be?

    Do you ever play anymore? What does (or could) it look like for you?

    Which of those creative habits of mind do you most resonate with and why?

    Which one seems most difficult?

    What would be your ‘What if?’ question about the place you live?

    What could you do to make this happen?

    What could you do this week to start to be more creative?

  • A Question of Thanksgiving

    A Question of Thanksgiving

    If you are joining us tonight then we will be at The Quarry at 7:30pm tonight.

    I went to an awards ceremony last night.  I had been nominated along with some others for an award as part of the Northumberland FA’s Grassroots football awards. I sat in a room with a 100 or so people and 22 awards were handed out to individuals and groups recognising the good work they have done in different areas.  

    Last week I was re-invited to stay another 5 years in the circuit.  When this happens people are invited to say things in appreciation of your ministry (not something I find easy to listen to).  But should we need a formal process to give thanks for someones gifts and then wait five years  to do it.

    I sat in our weekly Mother House prayers as well this week.  As those gathered were chatting Rob shared about giving thanks and telling people about the positive impact they have had on us.  Often we save this for someones eulogy.

    In a world filled with busy schedules, constant distractions, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to forget the simple yet profound act of giving thanks. We often find ourselves caught up in the rush, the deadlines, and the chaos, neglecting to express our gratitude when someone does something good or when a positive impact is made on us, a group, or within an organisation. 

    The fact is that a simple “thank you” can carry immense power? It’s not just about being polite; it’s about acknowledging the positive forces people have in our lives and cultivating a culture of appreciation.  It is more than just thank you though. It is about expressing to someone the important, often unseen things that they do and are that inspire us in our lives.  It is the legacy they pass on to us.

    Paul often in his letters celebrates and gives thanks for those he is writing to or he wants to mention. 

    Ephesians 1:16 (NIV):

    “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

    Romans 1:8 (NIV):

    “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”

    Philemon 1:7 (NIV):

    “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”

    The challenge of all of this then is to ask how we can give thanks for one another.  For the groups we are part of that support us and the things people do that inspire us. So some questions on being thankful.

    1. Have you ever won or been nominated for an award and if so what was it?
    1. When was the last time you told someone how thankful you were for them?
    1. Have you ever been in a group or organisation that did giving thanks well?
    1. How can we build thanksgiving for others into what we do with BFX?

    Photo by Vie Studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/thank-you-lettering-on-white-surface-4439457/

  • A question of cloisters!

    A question of cloisters!

    Hi everyone, this week we are meeting in the Enigma Tap at 7.30. Hope to see yo there.

    A few months ago, I had a chat with one of our BCFX family who’d had a really hard week.

    It got me thinking that a community like us has its benefits and downsides. And one of those downsides is that we are not always able to pick up when others are struggling. And that got me thinking about cloisters…

    George Lings wrote a book called “Seven sacred spaces”. He looked at the areas of a monastery and tried to map these onto our communities. Each has its own purpose; each is a part of the whole jigsaw of what a community needs to be whole, wholesome, and working. The spaces are: The Chapel for worship; the library (or scriptorium) for learning or passing on knowledge; the Cell for alone time with God; the chapter house for meetings and decision making; the garden for work; the refectory for food and hospitality; and the cloister for….?

    I’ve used this model a couple of times with churches to think about if they’re living a 360-community life and they find they can find things they do for most of the list (even if a little tenuous). However, people often find the refectory quite hard as church social events often don’t quite exude the idea of hospitality, and cloisters…

    The central part of a monastery has a rectangular courtyard. Rather than being a paved area you can cross diagonally, a cloister is a walkway around it. Now you may think that it’s a covered corridor to keep out of the rain, but it has a more subtle and intentional purpose. As you walk from space to space around the courtyard you must walk past those, you’re in community. You can’t avoid your companions. Maybe you’d wish to avoid them – then you are going to bump into them sooner or later. Maybe you are lonely, or down. Well, you cannot avoid seeing those who you share the space with. And if they know you well, they should pick up on it.

    To cloister (if you’ll pardon me using it as a verb) isn’t to keep hidden, it’s to be surprised by encounters with others and to come, unavoidably, face to face with each other. We cannot dodge our responsibility to see each other. To miss the opportunity to ask “How are you doing?”

    So, I want us to think about what cloister looks like in a community like ours. Our dispersed model is great for some things. It’s fantastic that we can dip in and out. But how do we make sure that we come face-to-face (in reality or virtually) and cloister together?

    Questions

    Tell us about the most surprising conversation/situation with another person you encountered over the summer?

    Have you ever experienced a cloister in a church? What was it like?

    Have you ever had a cloistering moment where you’ve bumped into someone and realised they are not OK, or bumped into someone you’d rather avoid?

    How do the Seven sacred spaces map onto BCFX?

    Are there any other spaces which we miss?

    How could we create a virtual cloister?

    Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

  • Sluice Sluice Wander – CHANGE OF PLAN!

    Sluice Sluice Wander – CHANGE OF PLAN!

    Change of plan tonight… now meeting at 7.30 in THE Quarry Pub – The weather has meant we need to postpone that walk!

    Hi folks, for our first week back after the summer break we are meeting at the slightly earlier time of 7.00pm for a walk near Seaton Sluice, meeting at the Kings Arms pub, we should be walking for just over an hour, we will also share in some of our liturgy as part of our time together. The walk is fairly easy with well marked footpaths. We will end up back in the pub for a drink to round off our first week back. I hope that you will be able to join us. Hope to see you there.

  • August Plan!

    August Plan!

    Hi folks, i trust you are doing ok… or at least better than the weather! Hahahaha! Over August we take a slightly different approach to our gatherings. We will meet for an informal gathering on the 20th August, meeting at Platform 2 in Tynemouth at 7.30. If you are around it would be great to see you.

    After the summer we will be meeting for our first gathering on the 10th September which will be a walk. More details about that nearer the time.

    So for the moment, have a great summer and we will see you in September.

    Peace, Rob

    Image by Roman Grac from Pixabay

  • A Question of Inclusion

    A Question of Inclusion

    This weeks guest blog is from Caleb! for those gathering for our conversation we will be at the Enigma Tap from 7:30pm

    Before I start, please bear in mind that, as I said in a previous blog, I don’t speak out of particular experience here. I have learned from knowing people and some study. Also please note that there are several aspects of this overall topic that I haven’t even had a chance to mention and the blog is already too long.

    When it comes to sex/gender, some people don’t fit into the normal boxes.

    Here are some characteristics of sex/gender:

    • Chromosomes. Most people have either XX (female) or XY (male). Some have X, XXY, XXX, XYY, XXYY, or something I don’t understand called 45,X/46,XY (let’s be honest, I don’t understand any of the others either).
    • External genitals. Most people have a vagina and vulva (female) or a penis and scrotum (male). For some it’s not so simple: for example, the penis and the clitoris are two versions of the same organ. We categorise it as one or the other based on size, where the urethral opening is, and what the rest of the genitals look like. But sometimes it develops in such a way that it’s not easy to categorise it as one or the other.
    • Internal genitals. Most people have ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes (female) or testicles (male). Some people have neither or both: e.g. testicles and a uterus.
    • Reproductive/sexual capacity. Most people have the ability to menstruate, produce eggs and carry babies (female) or the ability to produce sperm (male). For some people it’s neither or a bit of each.
    • Other development at puberty. Most people develop features like breasts (female) or features like a deeper voice (male). For some people it’s neither or a bit of each.
    • Personal gender identity. Most people feel like they are a woman/girl or a man/boy. Some people feel like they’re neither, some combination, somewhere in between, something else, or just don’t really feel like any gender/sex.
    • Brain patterns. Most people’s brains follow a general pattern of being more of a female brain or more of a male brain. (This doesn’t mean that you necessarily have stereotypical male or female personality traits, just that there are general patterns.) For some people it’s somewhere in between.
    • Social gender identity. Most people are treated by those around them as either a woman/girl or a man/boy. This includes what pronouns people use about them, how people interact with them, what stereotypical expectations people have of them, how much power a sexist society gives them, etc. Some people are treated by those around them as something other than male or female.

    Most people are either male in all these ways or female in all of these ways. But some people don’t clearly fit into either male or female on one or more of the categories. This includes some intersex people and non-binary people.

    As well as this, some people fit into ‘male’ on some categories but ‘female’ on others. For example, some other types of intersex people are ‘male’ on one category (e.g. they have XY chromosomes) but ‘female’ on another (e.g. genitals). A transgender person might be ‘female’ on genitals, chromosomes etc, but ‘male’ on gender identity and brain patterns.

    All of these examples of gender/sex diversity are very different from one another. And each situation is very rare. But I worship a God who is willing to leave the safe 99 to rescue the 1 who is in trouble (Luke 15:3-7). I think we need to care about people regardless of how rare their experiences are.

    There have always been people with minority sex/gender experiences like these. Their experiences are real and scientifically provable, and they have existed in all times and places. They are not an invention of recent LGBT+ movements.

    Cultures come up with different language and concepts to describe and understand people who don’t fit the standard boxes. Examples include: hermaphrodite, eunuch, two-spirit (some Native American nations), hijra (South Asia), kuchu (Uganda), takatāpui (Māori), faʻafafine (Sāmoa), molly or Uranian (England), androgynous, transvestite, etc.

    Currently, some of the most common words that people with these experiences want us to use in referring to them are intersex, transgender, and non-binary.

    Language changes with time. And sometimes people change the language they think is best to describe them (e.g. comedian Eddie Izzard used to identify as a transvestite man, but now identifies as a transgender woman). That’s OK. The person hasn’t changed. What may have changed is their understanding of themself, the language and concepts that society presented to them as possibilities, and/or the ways that they felt it was safe to express themselves.

    I think we should respect the language, names, pronouns, and identity that people tell us best reflects who they are in their context. I think we should affirm and believe what they tell us about their reality as part of God’s diverse creation. I think we should include them, listen to them and learn from their experiences, and just treat them respectfully as human beings!

    I definitely don’t think we should give in to our fear of difference, and believe or repeat harmful lies about transender or intersex people. There is a growing tide of transphobia especially in England, and it makes trans people unsafe. One of its main narratives (intentionally or unintentionally) portrays trans people as dangerous to cisgender* women. As the narrative goes, there is a real risk that people claiming to be trans women are actually making it up to try to sneak into spaces like women’s toilets to assault women, and the solution to this is to make sure women’s spaces are “single-sex” i.e. exclude trans women (but also presumably exclude trans men).

    This narrative is misleading and damaging in a number of ways. To name some problems with this view: People don’t develop a whole (marginalised) identity over years just to attack women. All women, including trans women, are vulnerable to violence in patriarchal societies, and sadly this violence is mostly likely to happen in intimate relationships. The evidence tells us that trans people are very rarely violent, but sadly they’re very commonly victims of violence. In toilets, trans women are all-too-frequently attacked by cisgender women. If they are forced to use men’s toilets they are frequently attacked by cisgender men.

    This narrative that trans people are dangerous is similar to other narratives that dehumanise and oppress other marginalised groups. For example, racism portrays black men as a threat to white women. (This was the pretext for a lot of lynchings in the USA and the justification for the KKK.) Women are indeed vulnerable to violence, but that doesn’t mean we should believe ideologies that use this fact about women’s vulnerability to spin a false, harmful narrative about another (overlapping) vulnerable group like black people or trans people.

    But what is my Christian basis for inclusion? Well, I haven’t left myself much room to go into that. So I will simply remind you of the concept of a “trajectory” in Scripture that I talked about in my blog “A Question of Gender, part 2” two months ago. And I will briefly mention the following Biblical passages and ask you to try to discern a trajectory and a central message about God from these passages about people whose gender or sex don’t fit the standard boxes.

    • Genesis 1:26-28: “Male and female he created them”—please note that this language doesn’t necessarily mean that there is nothing in between. Genesis 1 also talks about “the heavens (skies) and the earth,” land and sea, creatures of the land or seas or skies. But God also created all the in-betweens or hybrids like the atmosphere, beaches and estuaries, amphibians and seabirds.
    • Leviticus 21:16-23: A law excluding “eunuchs” (described as people with “crushed testicles”) from God’s temple. Such people may identify as intersex or transgender today, depending on the cause. This part of the Bible has many laws of exclusion that we have to reckon with as Christians, for example some quite ugly words against people with bodily impairments in the same passage.
    • Deuteronomy 22:5: A law against cross-dressing (people who may identify as trans today). 
    • Isaiah 56:3-8: A prophecy that God will bless and include foreigners and eunuchs, two groups who were previously excluded from God’s people, and accept them in God’s “house of prayer.”
    • Matthew 19:12: Jesus refers to the different categories of “eunuchs” that were known to exist at the time. Nobody quite knows what he meant with the mysterious phrase about people becoming eunuchs for the kingdom of God (some people in the early church took it literally and castrated themselves; these days people often take it to mean “celibate,” though most eunuchs weren’t actually celibate). But it’s clear that Jesus acknowledges the reality that some people don’t fit into standard gender categories, either because of how they were born or because of their actions or actions of other people. And Jesus makes no judgement of any of them.
    • Acts 8:26-40: God guides Philip to talk to a Ethiopian eunuch. Philip helps the eunuch understand a passage from Isaiah by connecting it to Jesus, and he baptises him. Like in Isaiah 56 but unlike in Leviticus 21, verse 36 says there is nothing to prevent him (a foreigner and a eunuch, not a circumcised Jew) from fellowship with God.

    * The prefix “cis” is the opposite of the prefix “trans”. “Cisgender” or “cis” just means “not transgender”.

    Questions for discussion

    1. What’s a situation where you’ve felt you didn’t fit in to the standard boxes?
    2. What media depictions of minority gender/sex experiences have you come across?
    3. If you are willing to share, what are some experiences with gender/sex diversity that have affected you? (either your own experience or those of people you know)
    4. Have you observed changing understandings and languages around gender/sex diversity over your life? What have you found helpful or challenging about this?
    5. What do you think is the ‘trajectory’ of the Bible on gender/sex diversity?
    6. Why do you think there is an increasingly prominent anti-trans movement in England especially?
    7. How do we make sure Beachcomber FX is a welcoming, safe, inclusive, and enjoyable community for transgender, intersex, and non-binary people?

    Photo by Alexander Grey: https://www.pexels.com/photo/multicolored-paint-drippings-1212407/

     

  • A Question of Law and Order

    A Question of Law and Order

    Hi folks, I hope you are doing ok? This week we are meeting in the Brewery in Whitley Bay at 7.30, I hope you will be able to join us. This weeks blog is written for us by Glenn and he covers ‘A question of Law and Order’.

    Writing this blog opened up so many rabbit holes that I have decided to keep the introduction brief and concentrate on questions that may draw out what we feel about law and order. The basic reasoning behind a society having laws or rules is to codify the behaviour that society deems as unacceptable and dispense punishment, or justice, to those who break this societal contract. The ten commandments are obviously the major example of this. However, society appears to be complicated and by the end of the Old Testament we have 613 laws. I could not find an answer to the question of how many laws we currently have in England.

    I think it would be hard to argue that we don’t need any laws in order for society to function. The argument would be as to who proposes and sets the laws. Since the early 1990’s law and order in the UK moved increasingly into the political landscape, with votes being sought through proposed new laws. As a nation we tend to accept the imposition of laws with little fuss, stating that if you don’t break the law, you have nothing to fear. With recent laws restricting our right to protest, or proposing potentially illegal measures for asylum seekers, perhaps we should question our perception of law and order.

    Questions

    What is your favourite film centred on law and order?

    Would you be Robin Hood or The Sherriff of Nottingham?

    Is it ever ok to break the law?

    Should those who have been convicted of a crime carry the stigma of the conviction for the rest of their life?

    Is there a hierarchy of offences?

    Does prison work?

    In the song Rainmaker, by The Rainmakers, there is a line “and everybody wanted to be free, laws and rules should keep it that way”. Do we need a codified legal system or just play within the spirit of the game

    Peace.

    Image by succo from Pixabay

  • Seaton Delaval Wander

    Seaton Delaval Wander

    Hi folks, I trust you are doing ok! This week we have wander planed its about 2.5 miles, starting and finishing at the Keel Row pub which is situated on A192 just north of Seaton Delaval (NE25 0QG). 

    The walk is easy. Most of it is on grassy paths/gravel paths within East Cramlington Country Park. We will meet at 7.15pm. There is an enormous car park at the rear of the pub so we will meet there. The easiest way to access the rear car park is to take the gravel track on the south side of pub. Car park is on the left, behind the pub. 

    There is the possibility of rain so I suggest we all bring a brolly or waterproofs. Dogs are very welcome in the pub.

    We look forward to seeing you there… If you need or would like a lift along then let Rob know. 

    Peace, Rob 

  • A Question Of… Animals

    A Question Of… Animals

    Hi folks, i hope you are doing ok? This week we are meeting at Platform 2 on Tynemouth Station on Sunday night at 7.30pm. We look forward to seeing you there.
     
    This weeks blog is written by Aaron and i really hope you enjoy his reflections. I know i did!
     
    A Question Of… Animals

    I have always loved animals. Aside from the family rabbits that I grew up with, the first pet I had as a child that was actually mine, was a Russian hamster who I named Tanya (it was the only Russian name I could think of!) (editorial note: the image is not Tania)! Once she died, I saved up my pocket money to buy a tropical fish tank and a variety of stunning tropical fish. Sadly for me – and I guess more sadly for them – they died 2 weeks after I got them, as I didn’t realise that every time I cleaned the tank, they would have to acclimatise to the new water temperature again before I let them back in.

    Although I wasn’t the best at looking after my pets, my best friend at the time was amazing at it and I used to love going round his house to see his pets which were slightly wilder than my ones, and included tarantulas, monitor lizards, and pythons. He still has several pythons, and his YouTube videos of his young daughter playing with them have received global attention both from news programmes who want to show his videos, as well as the occasional call from social services, who have been alerted to his videos by worried YouTube viewers (you can see one of his videos here if you’d like to see why he gets calls from both).

    In more recent times, my love for animals has been brought home once again, quite literally, with Rachel and I welcoming Willow into our lives a couple of years ago. Ever since then, she has been an endless source of joy (except for the times she’s shredding up our wallpaper or rolling around in poop!). It’s been having Willow in our lives that has helped spur me on to thinking about how animals can inform our spirituality.
    When it comes to animals and spirituality, the Scriptures are of course full of references to animals – from the very beginning at the creation story when animals are first formed, to the very end when a description of the “Kingdom fully realised” is given, and we see that it’ll be a place where wolves will lie down with lambs and leopards will run around playing with goats (if we are to take these Scripture references on a literal level anyway). In between these references, there are a whole host of different stories involving animals that can inform our spirituality, the most famous of which include the lucky pairs of animals that made it on the Ark, the not-so-lucky animals that were part of the Levitical sacrificial system, a pre-Shrek talking donkey, a normal kind of donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem, and the man-eating whale who was kind enough to spit him back out again.

    Whilst these may be the most famous references to animals in the Scriptures, one of my favourites is a little less well known and occurs in the middle of a conversation between God and Job, when in a discourse about some of life’s big questions, God says to Job “Ask the animals and they will teach you.” (Job 12:7). I like it, because I think it’s a good reminder to stay humble and open to the wisdom that animals can offer us if we have ears to hear and hearts that are willing to learning from them.

    For Job in particular, this invitation to “ask the animals” came at a time when life was painful and wasn’t making a lot of sense, and so I find it really interesting that it is in that context, that God’s response wasn’t to take Job out of his struggles or even give Job the any form of answer directly, but instead to point him to animals to help him gain some wisdom and perspective during his trials. Jesus also picked up on this idea when he taught his first followers to “look at the birds of the air…” when they were concerned about the daily worries and struggles of life, so that they – and we – can learn from them. It’s a good reminder that some of what we need in the middle of our trials, is actually all around us if only we stop long enough to notice.

    As well as the above stories of animals in the Scriptures, there are also the times when God is likened to an animal – either through God’s own self-disclosure or when someone is trying to describe what God is like. The most famous of these are probably when God is called the “Lion of Judah” in the Old Testament, or when Jesus is referred to as the “Lamb of God” in the New Testament. However, there are plenty of others as well. For example, when Jesus likens himself to a mother hen when he tried to describe how he felt about the people living in Jerusalem, or when the Holy Spirit is described as a dove at Jesus’ baptism, or when God is described as an eagle in the book of Isaiah. There is also the surprising description of God, which I’d never heard of before, where God is likened to a moth! (Psalm 36:11)

    It seems that whether we are simply caring for the animals in our world, or learning from their example and the wisdom they have to offer, or even entering into the deep waters of how we perceive God – animals can play a key role in informing our spirituality. Given that we share the planet with a scary number of them (it is estimated that when it comes to insects alone, there are 1.4 billion of them for every human being on the earth 1 !), perhaps it really would be worthwhile to see what we can learn from them.

    Questions:

    1. If you could be an animal, what kind of would you be and why? You could think about an animal you would like to be, or one that you think most reflects who you are.

    2. What do animals mean to you? Do you have a funny, scary, or meaningful story that you can share?

    3. Why do you think God invites Job to “ask the animals and they will teach you” and Jesus invites His disciples to “look to the birds of the air…”?

    4. What do you think animals could teach us about…

    – our daily practices/rhythms?

    – church/community?

    – God?

    5. What do you think animals would say to you personally? Is there a particular situation that you need their wisdom in?

    6. What animal best describes God to you and why? (don’t feel you have to restrict yourself to the ones used in the Scriptures).

    Image by katytylala from Pixabay
     
    1. https://www.royensoc.co.uk/understanding-insects/facts-and-figures/