I have been intrigued by hearing readings in church meetings from Eugene Peterson's The Message version of the Bible, and recently I have been reading from it in my own quiet times, to give me a fresh perspective on familiar texts.
Today I was looking at the section on public worship in 1 Corinthians 10-14. I found it very illuminating and helpful, and I found Peterson's rendering of what St Paul had to say about women keeping silence and a covered head in church meeting gave me food for thought.
The verses that really stood out for me today, 'spoke to my condition' as George Fox might have said, were these:
"Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can." (1 Corinthians 10:11-14)
I also read a little bit in Advice and Queries, which always flies like an arrow of truth straight into my heart; and what I read today was No 2:
"Bring the whole of your life under the ordering of the spirit of Christ. Are you open to the healing power of God's love? Cherish that of God within you, so that this love may grow in you and guide you. Let your worship and your daily life enrich each other. Treasure your experience of God, however it comes to you. Remember that Christianity is not a notion but a way."
As I read these words in the early morning today, I was vividly taken back in my mind and imagination to Jordans Meeting House in Buckinghamshire, where I went only once but found such holy peace.
Today, may your path lie beautiful.