H U N G E R
A friend of mine is a nutritionist whose current research project is on ‘satiety’, or when the body knows that it is satisfied and has taken in enough food. Her research shows that much of the current trend toward obesity comes from the fact that we are no longer attuned to our own hunger. We don’t allow ourselves to feel hungry nor do we stop eating when our hunger subsides. She found that we nibble and snack on foods that aren’t nutritious and our diets are disastrous as a result. Her recommendation is that we should relearn how to feel hungry!
The Bible talks about hunger — spiritual hunger. It says that we should hunger and thirst after God and the things of His Spirit because He alone can truly satisfy our hungers, our longings, our desires. Just as we have lost a sense of physical hunger, I wonder whether we need to relearn how to feel spiritual hunger. But how?
We can start by thinking about how often we snack on things that do not satisfy. Good things — nice treats, but not the things of God and the gifts of His Spirit which ultimately satisfy. During the remaining weeks of Lent, take the time to think about what you are feeding your spirit — your soul — through the books you read, the movies you watch, the conversations you have, the relationships you nurture. Do they make you more hungry for God or do they decrease your appetite?
Then I encourage you to do something that increases your hunger for God. Set aside time to pray for a deeper love for God and His people. Read and study His Word and get to know the Personality that dominates the Bible, who walks amongst the trees of the garden, who is so present, speaking, pleading, loving, working, manifesting himself in Jesus. Devour what it says about Him. Feed your spirit with inspiring music, Christian friendships, books that tell the stories of others who are hungry for God.
The readings for this week from Isaiah tell us not to put money and effort into things that don’t satisfy but to feast instead on the rich food that God gives us, at his expense, not ours. Eat well and gratefully on his goodness and pray that your appetite for Him and the things of His Spirit would increase and that you might hunger to know Jesus more deeply and to follow Him more fully.
Rev’d Beth Spence
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D e a n e r y L I F E
One of the local Anglican ministers called me a few weeks ago to ask whether St Mary’s had any special requests for prayer that could be included in their weekly intercessions as they pray regularly for the churches in the Deanery. I was thrilled to learn that we are being upheld in prayer by our neighbours!
I believe that God desires that all Christian churches should be united in prayer and mission. We need to look for ways of extending a hand of friendship to other churches in our area, and in particular we should know and pray for the other Anglican Churches around us. The Eastern Suburbs Deanery includes the following churches:
All Saints, Woollahra
St Mark’s, Darling Point,
St Michael’s, Vaucluse,
St Peter’s, Watson’s Bay,
St Stephen’s, Bellevue Hill,
St Matthew’s and St Andrew’s, Bondi,
St Mary the Virgin, Waverley and
St Matthias, Centennial Park.
Ministers from these churches have been meeting together to pray, to express unity as Christ’s body and to plan some joint activities over the next few months. The first of these will happen on Tuesday during Holy Week. The Deanery has rented the Events Cinema at Bondi Junction and will be showing a film called, ‘The Life of Jesus’. This is an interesting documentary produced by two Australian academics, Dr John Dickson and Dr Greg Clarke. In the film they examine, in a very engaging manner, the historical and philosophical issues that arise out of the life and teaching of Jesus. I highly recommend this event and hope that a number of us from St Mary’s might be able to attend at 7pm, Tuesday 30th March at the Cinema, Level 6, Bondi Junction. Please see Beth for tickets.