“8 Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness
9 that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.
10 They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.
11 Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’”
Isaiah 30 NLB
Dear Friends,
I have been reading the the book of
Isaiah
and have been struck by the relevance of this book for today. Some of the passages are alarming while others are deeply comforting, and all the way through we can see the pointers to Christ. I led the prayer meeting this Monday morning reading from Chapter 30, which begins with a reminder that God is the
“Holy One of Israel”. In fact, it is repeated three times. We read that God’s people have not only been unfaithful, but have gone bearing gifts back to Egypt, seeking
their
help rather than turning back to God to save them from their enemies. Their unfaithfulness is so audacious, because they are trusting Egypt and not the God who rescued them from slavery out of Egypt! Yet, though God’s judgment is about to fall, he is still calling them back to himself, he still loves them and wants to whisper gently in their ear, directing them in the way they should go.
This still seems so relevant, as we still only want to hear what we want to hear, and a
feel-good Christianity
is very appealing to many today, as ever. We swing between either simply seeing God as affirming and offering easy Grace, or the pendulum swings to just seeing God as a harsh judge who loves to punish. The Bible gives a picture of God that is complex - he is our safe refuge and friend, and he is the judge of mankind. He disciplines us for our good, to help us thrive, and loves to be kind and gentle.
“O my people in Jerusalem, you shall weep no more, for he will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. He will answer you. Though he give you the bread of adversity and water of affliction, yet he will be with you to teach you - with your own eyes you will see your Teacher. And if you leave God’s paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, “No, this is the way, walk here.”Isaiah 30:19-21
The people of Jerusalem did see their Teacher, the one who gave them the bread of Life, the living water. These words of Isaiah were preparing God’s people, and remind us thousands of years later that we are still called to
faithfulness, trust and obedience. This is a complex reality that only finds its resolution in Christ. The more we understand God’s Holiness and our sin, the more we understand the depth and breadth of God’s Grace, because we understand that we do not deserve it and Christ has paid such a high price for it. There is no room for cheap grace or as Isaiah said, “pleasant lies”, but we need to make room for the person of God in this present reality, holding on to the fullness of His truth in all its complexity. Please pray that we would walk in the path set before us.
Since Mercy wrote in December, we have done a great many things. Firstly, we had our
January retreat
in Missouri where we had some wonderful folk come out and stay for varying lengths of time. The schedule is run as in any typical L’Abri term, we just do it in our wonderful building in the woods. We had all kinds of people, from families with small children to elderly folk in their 80’s, and everything in between. We ranged from serious questions to laughter and song, with much good food in between to keep us all going. One couple first came just as they discovered they were pregnant, then returned when their little baby girl was 8 weeks old, and this time when they came back she was 6 months and it has been a delight to have them included in our extended L’Abri family. Another family has been coming frequently for 4 years and their girls see the place as their home away from home. Together with a gentleman who first came to L’Abri in the 60’s and another who brings his harmonica and wonderful voice, we have enjoyed the richness of this bundle of life. Our former helper Hannah came with her brother and friend through a snow storm for a long weekend and finished our wood counters and trim in the kitchen and dining room. Along with a number of new faces we had a wonderful time and were encouraged by the progress. One new student, who was questioning his faith, exclaimed after a time of singing that he felt that he had experienced a taste of what true Christian community was. God has been so gracious in filling the place with a presence that is tangible to all.
https://youtu.be/EZMKK5U3iIs After the retreat, we then rushed back to get ready for the
February conference, and due to excellent help from our helper Julie and friends from church, we were able to kick in to our routine and get the job done. Again, the conference was well received and though there were the usual travel challenges because of bad weather, I think it was an encouragement to all. Folk were especially appreciative of the theme, focusing on work and vocation. Attendance was, however, lower than usual and so we did experience a significant shortfall. We are trying to be creative in order to keep it going, as it is a blessing to so many, but please pray for Jock as he carries all the organizational challenges.
After the conference, we then continued wearing down the road between Minnesota and Missouri, as we headed back down after a few days of recovery. We worked on the
building
and the contractors came out to do the last of the mudding, and we are now at the point where we can say it is almost done. This is an enormous relief, but also a remarkable thing as we have, by the grace of God, been able to get this done only by the hard work of many friends and generous donors. We marvel at the way that the L’Abri story of living by faith and answered prayer continues, and how God, in his love, has brought us to this point. He created a community before the building and it has grown out of long term relationships and support.
After another week of catch up, and dealing with mountains of snow (this
Winter
has broken all records), term has just started here in Rochester. Already we have welcomed new faces and heard sincere questions and struggles. It is lovely to see the relationships grow over time and how God brings the right people together. We would appreciate prayer though, for a solution to our snowplow truck as the plow snapped off due to the weight of frozen snow! It seems that these practical headaches trip us up when we are trying to focus on other things. We had to cancel the Friday Night Lecture this weekend as we could not move the mountains of snow and there is nowhere for guests to park. And tonight we are getting even more snow. I think it may be June before things melt, given the high mountains of snow everywhere and continued freezing weather!
We do feel so thankful for the many ways this work has been supported by so many. Your prayers and support are a huge encouragement in the face of the daily challenges. God is the same, the Alpha and Omega, and our hope is in His unfailing
faithfulness
to this small work on this hill.
Thank you,
Alison