Paul was a tent maker by day and devoted his evenings and the Sabbath to worship and teaching. But then he had a vision, in which he saw a man of Macedonia calling to him and this experience convinced him that he was being called by God to go straight to Macedonia to continue his ministry. Who knows what he expected to find - I doubt flogging and a spell in jail was on his agenda. And that’s the problem, if we follow God, we don’t know where we’re being led or what we’re in for. We just have to trust in Jesus. Carl Jung said, ‘Bidden or not bidden, God is present, but not always active in ways we desire or understand. Faith is to embrace the unknown and welcome the unfolding of truth, which is sometimes disturbing'. In other words being a follower of Christ isn’t always the easiest of options.

And discerning the will of God as opposed to going our own way is one of the toughest issues we face. Making the 'right' decision can often feel like a shot in the dark. We need to be prayerful and open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes we need to mull things over with a trustworthy friend or spiritual director. And this is where the Society of St Luke comes in - as being a community of prayer we offer spiritual guidance or help. And our Quiet Mornings and Bible Study afternoons have the potential to help deepen our relationship with Jesus - something that is so necessary because he trusts us with his message. After all, we represent him in our ordinary lives and our day to day encounters - and we are called to reach everyone - including the complacent and indifferent. In other words God’s kingdom is for everyone.

But how do we pass on this message? Well, definitely not by confrontation or trying to ram the 'good news' down peoples throats - there’s no bigger turn off. The answer is we are called to be loving people. To care for others, to look out for our neighbours and be compassionate.

The simple truth is, if we put Christ at the centre of our lives - something will rub off - others will see something and they’ll want a bit of it. Amen.

The Revd Mother Julie Wiseman SSL