Making Space for God – a Wellspring Retreat

Making Space for God

Disciplines for Life

November 6th and 7th, 2009

Retreat Schedule:  Friday night, 6:30-9 PM/Saturday morning, 8:30-Noon

Northern Hills Church, Brighton Colorado (1.5 Miles East of I-25 on Hwy 7 – Exit 229)

Solitude and Silence/ Preparing to Hear the Word

Scripture/ Taking in the Word

Prayer/ Responding to the Word

Simplicity/ Removing Distractions to the Word

• The retreat  will be a blend of small group gatherings & individual time around these four themes for the purpose of spiritual formation in Christ, the true Word of God (John 1:1).    
• Participants will come away from this retreat with a renewed connection to God and tools for deepening their relationship with the only One who is Life – “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

Hosted by Wellspring Ministry, Retreat Leaders:

Dave Gifford  – an ordained Pastor and M. A. Counselor at Northern Hills Church in Brighton Colorado.

Scott Toillion –a spiritual director and current student in the Christian Spiritual Formation and Soul Care Program at Denver Seminary.

RSVP to Dave Gifford at Northern Hills @  720-685-1717 or at daveg@nhcc.cc

http://wellspring1.wordpress.com

HELP!

Recently I was listening to a relatively modern day psalm.  It probably wasn’t written as a psalm but it sure sounded like one of those laments for someone who can help.  “Help! I need somebody, Help! Not just anybody, Help! You know I need someone, help.”  Yes it is by the Beatles and most likely is sung for a girl or a friend, or someone earthly who can help out a lonely, confused person.

HELP!

HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY,

HELP! NOT JUST ANYBODY,

HELP! YOU KNOW I NEED SOMEONE, HELP.

 

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY,

I NEVER NEEDED ANYBODY’S HELP IN ANY WAY.

BUT NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE, I’M NOT SO SELF ASSURED,

NOW I FIND I’VE CHANGED MY MIND I’VE OPENED UP THE DOORS.

 

HELP ME IF YOU CAN, I’M FEELING DOWN

AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING AROUND.

HELP ME GET MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND,

WON’T YOU PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME.

 

AND NOW MY LIFE HAS CHANGED IN OH SO MANY WAYS,

MY INDEPENDENCE SEEMS TO VANISH IN THE HAZE.

BUT EV’RY NOW AND THEN I FEEL SO INSECURE,

I KNOW THAT I JUST NEED YOU LIKE I’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.

 

HELP ME IF YOU CAN, I’M FEELING DOWN

AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING AROUND.

HELP ME GET MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND,

WON’T YOU PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME.

 

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY,

I NEVER NEEDED ANYBODY’S HELP IN ANY WAY.

BUT NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE, I’M NOT SO SELF ASSURED,

NOW I FIND I’VE CHANGED MY MIND I’VE OPENED UP THE DOORS.

 

HELP ME IF YOU CAN, I’M FEELING DOWN

AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING ROUND.

HELP ME, GET MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND,

WON’T YOU PLEASE,

PLEASE HELP ME,

HELP ME,

HELP ME, OH. (The Beatles)

But in it I hear the call to the One who can truly help.  The line is right that it is not just anybody we need. It is Jesus we need.  When you are down, when you are trying to get your feet back on the ground, when your independence has vanished and you feel so insecure, when you just need someone to be around, He is there. 

So if you are singing this song of lament you are not alone.  Centuries of people have sung the same kind of song.  Some have sung it out in desperation to no one in particular.  However, there is someone to sing this song too who really cares.  The true Author of the 150 psalms of the Bible has given us permission to cry out to Him for help.  He will listen.  Psalm 121 speaks of this One who can help.

Psalm 121 A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip– he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you– the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm– he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

 Sing to the ONE who can Help!

Scott for Wellspring © copyright 2009

Shaking Like a Tree in the Wind

 

“Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.”  Isaiah 7:2

This is a little story of worry and fear.  It is a story of worry over something that would never happen.  King Ahaz of Judah is informed of the pending attacks of the kings of Israel and Syria.  Immediately his first reaction was to be utterly shaken with fear, he and his people.

“Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. Say to him, `Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood–because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.”  Isaiah 7:3-5

I can picture Ahaz pacing with fear at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool wondering, what should I do, thinking, this is going to turn out badly for me and my people, it is all hopeless.  I know because I have been in his shoes too, not of course in this kind of situation, but my own places of fear and worry.  But God begins to intervene.  He asks Isaiah to go to the king and tell him to stop worrying, do not lose heart, do not be afraid.  Did God see something different coming in this story than Ahaz?

“Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “`It will not take place, it will not happen…”  Isaiah 7:5-7 

The Lord saw a different outcome…King Ahaz saw failure and fear…God saw two smoldering stubs of firewood…King Ahaz saw two impossible foes…The Lord saw that this would never happen.  How many times have I looked at a difficult situation and thought the worst?  Countless times.  Why did Ahaz not look to the Lord and ask for help and for guidance.  Why did he not ask, Lord what do you see in this?  Why did he not trust the Lord?  I have to ask myself these same questions.  Where is my trust? 

What is striking to me in this story is that God intervenes through Isaiah.  If we will look for it, God is intervening in our own stories.  It may be through the comfort of the Holy Spirit, through words from a friend or a pastor or a trusted spiritual director.  So what should we do when these things come upon us?

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”  Isaiah 7:9b

The NLT version states it this way, “Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm”.  Here it is, the point of it all.  Our faith must be in the Lord no matter what difficult thing we face.  And if it is, He will make us stand firm whether the thing we fear happens or not.  Whether in Ahaz’s case the kings of Israel and Syria attack and destroy or whether it never, ever happens.  If we trust the Lord, He will make us strong.

 Blessings, Scott for Wellspring, © Copyright 2009

“Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, yes, wait for the Lord.”  Ps. 27:14