Author Archives: paulworledge

The theme this week is Jesus’ sorrow, but in many ways, I think ‘disappointment’ was the emotion He was feeling at the end of Luke 13.

This week is the start of Lent, a period of forty days (not including Sundays) where Christians traditionally fast from something and reflect more deeply on their walk with God. This is modelled on Jesus’ wilderness experience, when he spent forty days fasting and being tempted by the devil. What was the point of this?

Guilt can take many forms—whether it’s a guilty verdict, a pang of guilt, or even a guilty pleasure. It can become more than just a feeling or judgment; it often manifests physically in our bodies through symptoms like headaches, difficulty sleeping, flushed cheeks, muscle tension, and physically secluding oneself. So, what is the remedy for this pervasive emotion?

The psalms are different. They are addressed to God and the complaint is turned into prayer, a plea to the one for whom nothing is impossible.

Psalm 23 is popular for good reason. The promise of God’s comfort, support, presence and leading even as we walk through ‘the valley of the shadow of death’ goes to the heart of a Christian spirituality for dark times. Furthermore, its last lines offer great hope, with a promise of a wonderful welcome into God’s house for evermore.

We often think of fear as a negative emotion. Yet, fear is also a good and necessary part of life. Sometimes being afraid can make you feel more alive. I guess that is why people deliberately take on scary activities like bungy jumping, fare rides or parachuting. Also, fear is a protective emotion.

When we are powerless, the only hope is to find someone who has power to help us. This is where the spirituality of prayer comes in.

As we start a New Year, let’s pray that God extends our vision of who God may be calling to share with us and the Magi the joy of being a disciple of Christ.