Category: Vision

Golden darkness

Ruth Kirk

Yesterday morning, as I greeted my icons one by one, the first words of this prayer came directly into my mind. These verses attempt to describe experiencing the presence of Christ during wordless prayer, in life, whilst dying, and in paradise. We can dip in and out of this experience until we die, but after death it will be all we know, and all we want to know.

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT). 

Moses approached the thick darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21; NLT).

Golden darkness deep within,
Far from stress, and shame and sin;
Lost in worship, bliss and peace –
Rest, in life, with Christ, our Priest.

Golden splendour all about,
Letting go of dread and doubt;
Lost in rapture, joy and love –
Walk, with Christ, to heaven above.

Golden glory all around,
Free from pain, with mercy crowned;
Lost in ecstasy, we soar –
To be with Christ, for evermore.

Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17; NLT).

 

Beyond praise

Ruth Kirk

Yesterday I was praying without words in brilliant, white light when this hymn of praise began to arrive. Thinking about it afterwards, the light seemed to be both inside me and all around me. Everything was one, and I was one with everything. I couldn’t see anything but the brightness, which was very beautiful. These verses proved exceptionally difficult to express in words, and I don’t feel I did the whole experience justice at all.

Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2; NKJV).

You are my Maker,
Earth’s living Creator:
A shining, refining,
Unquenchable blaze.

You are my Teacher,
My Prophet and Preacher;
My yearning: returning, Lord,
All of my days.

You are my treasure,
My wealth beyond measure;
Compelling, indwelling:
My spirit obeys.

You are my story,
My future, my glory;
My crying, my dying, Lord:
Far beyond praise.

The Lord our God is great beyond all gods (2 Chronicles 2:5; BST).

 

Gold

Ruth Kirk

This prayer arrived very late last Sunday night, just as I was settling down to sleep. It comes a little closer to describing what I saw and experienced the same morning. If you would like to read that earlier attempt, which is called “Dazzled”, here is a link to it: https://wp.me/p45bCr-eQk.

NB: As I was writing today’s prayer, I realised that when working on the earlier piece mentioned above, I noted down some of the rhymes used in today’s verses. However, at that time I had no idea how they might come to be used.

I create light and darkness (Isaiah 45:7; CEV). 

Gold; deep shadow;
Dappled sun and shade –

Though my eyes are closed,
You are arrayed

In light and darkness,
Mercy, love, and grace –

But, when you claim my soul,
I’ll see your face.

They will see his face (Revelation 22:4; NLT).

References 

Darkness and light are the same to you (Psalm 139:12; NLT). 

There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2; NIV).

Darkness was your robe (Psalm 18:11; CEV). 

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV). 

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity (1 Corinthians 13:12; NLT).

 

Dazzled

Ruth Kirk

Today’s prayer is a first, halting attempt to picture and describe what I experienced yesterday morning. Tomorrow I hope to post what followed it later the same day.

A bright cloud covered them with shadow (Matthew 17:5; JB). 

Dazzled by your light and darkness,
Lord, I meet you, deep within. 

Humbled by your loving-kindness,
I bow down to weep, and cling.

Overjoyed by your forgiveness,
I give thanks to you, my King.

Then I worship you with gladness,
In the shadow of your wing. 

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 57:1; NIV).

God is Spirit

Ruth Kirk

When I was praying yesterday morning, I saw the simultaneous Threeness and Oneness of God, all happening continually and eternally in a never-ending moment of nowness. However, I found this pretty well impossible to put into words, so today’s blog is sadly just a pale glimpse of what I was given. I did my best.

God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3; NIV).

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! (John 14:9; NLT).

God is Spirit – this we know,
And Jesus is God’s human face.

The Holy Spirit is their soul,
Uniting them in love and grace.

For God is Three, and God is One:
Our Origin, our life, our end;

Our Elohim, our Guide, our Judge;
Our Saviour, Advocate, and Friend.

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11; NLT).

Note: Elohim means: Supreme Mighty One.

 

Dancing with God

Ruth Kirk

This prayer came to me suddenly last Saturday, during the final minutes of my online movement class. I found it very difficult to put into words what I had seen.

King David [was] leaping and dancing before the LORD (2 Samuel 6:16; NLT). 

I’m leaping up, Lord God,
And bowing down;
I’m reaching out to all,
And joining in.

I’m moving through the crowd, Lord,
Seeking you;
We meet at last, join hands,
Rejoice and sing.

I lift my eyes to gaze
Upon your face;
In love, we dance as one,
My God and King.

You are my King and my God! (Psalm 44:4; NLT).

 

A woman’s song

Ruth Kirk

Yesterday morning, while I was waiting and listening in silence, a realisation came to me so forcibly that I had to start noting it down immediately. Morning became afternoon, then evening, then night, as I worked to express what I had seen and understood. Today’s blog is the most difficult piece I’ve ever had to write.

Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them (Genesis 1:27; TIB).

We can’t exclude the feminine
From God,
For if we could,
“Our” God would not be whole.

We’ve tried (how some have tried!)
To claim we can,
But if we could,
“Our” God would not be All.

We can’t deny the feminine
In men,
For when we try,
Our men are incomplete.

We can’t deny God lives
In womankind,
And when we try,
We wound each woman’s soul.

So, till we seek the feminine
In all,
Our faith falls short:
“Our God” is far too small!

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Your immortal spirit is in every one of them (Wisdom of Solomon 12:1; GNTA).

References 

The Almighty …blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb (Genesis 49:25; NIV).

Christ is all, and is in all (Colossians 3:11; NIV).

There is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; RSV).

All of you are equal as brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8; NLT).

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

God is so great – higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars (Job 22:12; NLT). 

Keep on seeking, and you will find (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

There is one Savior, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of all, who is over all, who works through all and is within all (Ephesians 4:5-6; TIB).

Visit the garden

Ruth Kirk

Despite my migraine, the moment I began to pray two days ago, this little conversation came vividly to mind:

The LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion (Isaiah 30:18; NLT). 

Let’s visit the garden
Where Jesus is waiting
To listen, and talk with him daily
In prayer.

Let’s live in the garden
Where Jesus is dwelling,
Communing as one with our Saviour,
God’s Heir.

But where is this garden,
The heaven we long for?
It’s here, deep within us –
The temple we share.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

References 

Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20; NLT). 

I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn (Psalm 130:6; NLT). 

All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them (John 14:23; NLT).

She lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:37; NLT).

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-3; NLT).

 

The tomb

Ruth Kirk

Yesterday, in a vivid split second, I saw my heart as the tomb where Jesus was laid after his crucifixion. Out of this came today’s rather mysterious, ambiguous dialogue. The vision was completely silent, so it was exceptionally difficult to put into words. The last two lines are spoken by Christ.

Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there (John 19:40-2; NLT). 

I saw that my mind is the tomb
Where Our Lord was conveyed.

Will you rise from the dead there,
To pray for the people I meet?

I saw that my heart is the tomb
Where our Saviour was laid.

Will you rise from the dead there,
To love every person I greet?

I saw that my soul is the tomb
Where our Master was sealed.

Will you rise from the dead there,
To shepherd my steps on your way?

I saw that my flesh is the tomb
Where Christ Jesus was healed.

Will you rise from the dead there,
To serve me in others today?

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

References 

Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light (the Ephesians 5:14; NLT).

They sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it (Matthew 27:66; NLT).

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them (2 Corinthians 5:15; NLT).

Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17; NLT).

Those who die in the LORD will live; their bodies will rise again! (Isaiah 26:19; NLT). 

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; NLT).

 

Ecstasy

Ruth Kirk

Almost every day, I dance, and it’s always good. But today when I danced before the Lord, I experienced the most wonderful ecstasy. This has happened to me before in various circumstances, and always takes me by surprise.

No matter what God gives or takes, I am completely safe in his hands, one with him forever. I have nothing to fear, so my heart just can’t help overflowing with joy and delight.

As soon as I finished dancing, I sat on the floor to write today’s blog:

David danced before the LORD with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14; NLT). 

Dancing here before you, Lord:
I’m overwhelmed by ecstasy.

Living, dying, in your hands:
I overflow with ecstasy.

One with you, my Lord, my God:
Our love explodes in ecstasy,

Sharing everything you send:
At one with you, through ecstasy.

I became in ecstasy (Acts 22:17; DBY).

References 

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?  (Job 2:10; NLT).

The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB). 

I will go to the altar of God, to the God who gives me ecstatic joy, so that I express my thanks to you, O God, my God (Psalm 34:4; NET).

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).