"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  

This text has been present in my thoughts since February.   It seemed to apply to nearly everything.   What is the future for us in A.R.M.(Wales), for the church, for the deanery?   Everyone seemed to be considering the future.   But the text kept appearing, it was the Old Testament reading for Lent 3, and then I felt the Lord prompt me to read a book I bought at Flames of Fire 2005, it was ‘Out of the Comfort Zone’ by R.T. Kendall (Hodder and Stoughton 2005) .  The sub-title asks the question, ‘Is your God too nice?’  it is about the nature of our relationship with a holy, awesome God.   Repeatedly R.T. comes back to my text and each time I knew that God was speaking to me and to the Church.

We so often look at our loving merciful God who sent his Son to die upon the cross in our place, he has done every thing for us so there is nothing left for us to do, else it becomes works.   But wait a minute, God never changes he is the same yesterday today and forever (Heb.13:8).   We have to reconcile Jesus Christ and our heavenly  Father to the awesome, powerful, majestic, jealous, creator God of the Old Testament.   R.T. shows us the need to fear the Lord.    It is not a matter of being afraid of God but rather of recognizing him as he is, so much more than we can imagine or understand and he has commanded us to love him and put him before everything else.   He wants obedience from us that’s all! 

As we think about what that really means we can see it affecting everything we say and do and his way must be obeyed.   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps.111:10) so can we easily achieve it?  The Psalmist also tells us that the Lord himself will teach us this fear (Ps.34:11)  So how long dare we run away?

R.T. points us to Psalm 95:10 which is quoted in Hebrews 3:10 “They have not known my ways”,   and reminds us that God  says this in anguish, “I was grieved by this generation”.    He goes on to say that God feels the same way about us when we reject him and, He wants us to know his ways, He yearns for us to know what he is like and love him for being just as he is.    When we realize what is at stake we have no choice but to obey him and constantly seek his way.

So we respond with a “Yes, but how?”   We have as you know included a strapline with our headings:   Encouraging people to live in a closer relationship with God.

This is what it is about, coming into the presence of God and being so conscious of him that we shall know what he wants.   I have recently studied the life of a Byzantine mystic, St.Symeon the New Theologian.   In him we find a guide that well suits those in charismatic renewal.      He constantly sought God’s presence and met with him as Light, he believed that this was possible for all Christians and indeed it was essential.  Although  the  first  meeting  with  the  Lord  had  happened  easily he found that after  entering the monastery he had to work harder to gain the same position.   I think sometimes that applies to us, and I about what it says in Luke 12:48:

From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and  from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

vv.41-48 are about the faithful and the unfaithful and are a dire warning to us.    

St. Symeon was a humble man who practised asceticism, to what we would consider an extreme degree, there is no way that I could cope with it living in a comfortable modern house, but nevertheless I need to become aware of the commands of our Lord Jesus.   I have included two of his hymns  in this issue which I am sure you will enjoy, I may tell you more about him in a later issue.

Also in this magazine we have an article on Renewal and Mission by Martin Cavender the Director of ReSource.    ReSource is A.R.M. reborn and we are hoping to learn more from him when he visits us on 24^th for an enlarged Executive meeting.  

In the November issue I wrote about our need to look at the theology of renewal, now I have persuaded Revd. Canon Tudor Griffiths to write for us.  This is an important article so please take it to heart and allow the Holy Spirit himself to teach you more.   Tudor will be known to the Monmouth people as a previous diocesan missioner, he is now up here in the north as vicar of Hawarden and a Tutor for St.Michael’s and St Asaph.

Brian was given a book to read but as you will see he got carried away with the subject, even I didn’t know that he felt so passionate about women’s ministry!    I have a lot of respect for David Pawson and especially for what he has written about Baptism in the Holy Spirit, but have always been disappointed in his views expressed in this book.   I leave you to discover as you read, ‘Adam Rules - OK?’.   I wanted to head it Not a Book Review !

Sheila Griffiths tells us of her recent SOMA trip to India.   Please continue to pray for SOMA and the opportunities they are given.    And take inspiration from David Bell’s article on his experience of Street Mission, he has led a life of obedience to the Lord and we are fortunate to have him as a prayerful member of the Executive.

We are aware that many are wondering what A.R.M.(Wales) are going to do next and we know that the Lord hasn’t finished with us yet.    I personally believe that we shall change but not die, I hope that we shall find the right way to cooperate with ReSource.      At the same time we know how much we have to do in the parishes and that must be a priority for most of us.    But it seems a coincidence that A.R.M. has chosen the name ReSource: some ten years ago our vicar, at the time, said to me that A.R.M.(Wales) seemed  to have taken on a life of its own, it was meant to be a Resource!

Mary Newsom

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