Thank You Pete Greig

I don't suppose Pete Greig will spend his time reading my blog, but I want to say thank you to him for this book.

Thank you for the honesty contained in this book which encourages us to engage with the silence of unanswered prayer.

It won't be enough to make space on your shelf for this book, you will need to make time in your life for this book - it doesn't deserve to be on a shelf but in your hands being read and prayed.

I don't want to try to pick away at this book with lots of comments, let me share just two things.

Questions that heal

It's interesting to note how many times after His resurrection Jesus introduces Himself to people by asking them questions. Good Friday had left a mess, and Jesus was systematically dealing with the consequences of chaos in the lives of His friends by provoking them to respond to His presence. (page 296)

What a great insight into the coming of the Lord Jesus to his friends on that Easter Day. Jesus knows about the sorrow of Good Friday, the silence of Holy Saturday, and in his presence, at his coming he wants to deal with that by asking us questions upon which we can grow.

Living with unanswered prayer

I need a big God;

an awesome,

unspeakably amazing God;

a death-defying, eternal God;

A God whose promises are certain.

No compromise:

our God is our Father,

loves us completely,

is all-powerful and

ultimately will make

all things new. (page 85)

Thanks, Pete, for highlighting the dangers of compromise. This is our God, even when he is silent.

Greig on Lewis on Prayer

I'm reading Pete Greig's God on Mute (see, I'm sticking to those on my list!) and it really is a great book. I'll be finished by the end of the week and post something on Pete's book then.

Today I came across a quote which Pete uses from CS Lewis, Screwtape is giving this advice to his nephew the junior demon:
Sooner or later [God] withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience ... He leaves the [human] to stand up on its own legs - to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish ... Our cause is never in more danger than when a human - no longer desiring but still intending to do [God's] will - looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys. (God on Mute p. 234, CS Lewis The Screwtape Letters p. 47 in my copy)


I hope this helps someone today. God's absence is in experience, not in fact and when we stand, and continue to stand, when we obey in the apparent absence of God, hell trembles. Mustard seed faith expressed in faithful perseverance may be for many the victory we will see today.

24-7 Red Moon Rising

I've been reading Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts, The adventure of faith .. the power of prayer.

This is a good book, not difficult to read, very encouraging and challenging.

Perhaps it struck me because of the recent anniversary, but I love this quote:
But when the Berlin Wall finally came down one communist official made an extraordinary admission to a journalist: 'We were prepared for every eventuallity, but not for candles and not for prayers.' (page 24)

The vision and values of the 24-7 movement are very powerful and well worth reading and reflecting upon - vision and values here.

Again, perhaps given the present situation in the Church of Scotland, I was struck by one of the seven aspects of the brotherly agreement that influence Zinzendorf and the Moravians:
A refusal to be hostile to other believers - even when you believed they were not understanding the Scripture as you might. (page 341)
I don't think this is saying you need to agree with everyone, or even give in to everyone, but rather that in disagreements within the church, between believers, there should be a refusal to be hostile. Hostility generates heat, and what is needed in disagreements between believers is light.

So, read the book, visit the 24-7 web site (link at the side) - but even if you don't, pray!

24-7 Prayer

I don't usually post on Sunday, but I've been reading Pete Greig's Red Moon Rising and found the 24-7 prayer web site and wanted to share it. I've added a link on my side bar or you can find it here.

It may be that the work God is calling us to in these day is prayer; not praying for other work, but prayer is the work.