a magnificent obsession

Today I’ve been working up talks on “The Beauty of Holiness” for Lee Abbey next week - which I hope to link here as they are given.

Meanwhile the Anglican Collect (theme prayer for this week) is helpfully about grace, obedience & spiritual treasure hunting :

“O God, you declare your almighty power
most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,
that we, running the way of your commandments,
may receive your gracious promises,
and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.”

Seeking the treasure of holiness was what first challenged me to become a Christian, as an unchurched & unwashed sixth former in the Summer of ‘79.

Ever since it has been something of a personal obsession. Today I looked back over previous L.A. conferences I’ve given, and realise the titles have been rather a give-away :

Purify my heart

Consuming Fire (on discipleship in a consumer culture)

The Life You’ve Always Wanted (introducing John Ortberg’s modern masterpiece on the spiritual disciplines)

Apprenticed to a Carpenter

Prayer : the Missing Jewel & Crowning Glory

Saints for Now (the lives of 4 personal spiritual heroes : Jack Winslow, Florence Allshorn, Dick Sheppard & Therese of Lisieux)

I guess my Christian life story is the one Jesus told in these words :

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matt 13 v44)

I haven’t always valued that amazing discovery anything like it rightly deserves. But since Lee Abbey days in the 90’s, a favourite prayer has been for him to open my eyes and heart, to see & truly “partake” of that treasure :

“As the hand is made for holding
and the eye for seeing,
Thou hast fashioned me for joy.
Share with me the vision that
shall find it everywhere :
in the wild violet’s beauty;
in the lark’s melody;
in the face of a steadfast man;
in a child’s smile;
in a mother’s love;
in the purity of Jesus”

Amen Lord, may it be so now and always ….