This morning we explored the question of our responsibility to the ‘God story’ in our lives, and how much of a burden this may or may not be to each one of us. How are we carrying this weight?
This clip from Chocolat demonstrates both the very serious and more light-hearted characters of a small French town and how some are serious about being light-hearted to help them deal with the weight of life!
Jenny reflects on how she grew up feeling weighed down under the seriousness of feeling like she was meant to change the world. As her faith has evolved she shares how she no longer feels that as a crippling burden and yet still believes that each of us at Q are world changers and that there is a seriousness to our quest...
· We want to liberate (by challenging the status quo of religion)
· We want to explore (by remaining curious about the God stories and through new discoveries of what the Christ gospel is all about)
· We want to find and impart spiritual truth (by seeking out valuable knowledge and wisdom and sharing it)
We’ve spoken a lot recently about light and darkness and the value and significance of both and this week Danny invites us to consider light and heavy and what it means for us to be light-hearted.
In this clip from Finding Nemo, it’s safe to say that Dory is a good example of someone who is light-hearted. Marlin the Clownfish, on the other hand, has a heavy heart but learns that he has to let go in order to get where he wanted to go.
Are there things we might need to let go of in order for us to get where we want to go or become who we want to be?
Jesus declared to his followers "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Following Jesus and his way of living isn't about carrying the weight of the world, but on the contrary, letting go of things that would weigh us down. Danny suggests that three examples of this are mentioned at the end of The Lord's Prayer, when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
Maybe part of the heavy heartedness we can feel in life is because we are holding onto authority, power and glory for ourselves, rather than surrendering them for the benefit of everyone and, in so doing, become more light-hearted.
When Derek Redmond's dream came crashing down around him in the 1992 Olympics, the world watched as someone ran onto the track to help carry him home.
We don't have to carry the weight of the world on our own and part of being light-hearted is recognising that we are on this journey together. Maybe the key to you becoming more light-hearted is in sharing the load with others or maybe you are someone who can help bear the weight for someone else.
In this scene from The Thief, his Wife and the Canoe the wife is feeling the weight of a decision that her husband has made, whilst he's making light of it.
Each of us need to consider how we're going to carry the weight of the decisions that we've made and continue to make and not just expect others to carry our weight.
When there's a large pile of things to carry up your stairs, what type of person are you?
Are you the sensible kind of person who takes it in two trips or do you do whatever you can to carry it all up at once?! Sometimes we need to re-assess how we're carrying the load we have to bear in life and carry it differently.
The first miracle Jesus ever demonstrated was when he turned water into wine at a wedding. His ministry began with an outpouring of joy! Often Christianity is known for its seriousness when in reality it started with a resurrection, not a death!
"The church did not create the resurrection story, the resurrection story created the church."
A bible character called Ezekiel was taken by God into a valley where there was a collection of skeletons and dry bones, representing everything that was dead and lost in his life, and God asks Ezekiel the question "Can these dry bones live?" At God's command the bones then grow flesh and as he breathes out words of life, the formerly dry bones become a living army of the no-longer-dead!
Sometimes we can change the weight of what we're carrying by how we use our words. We don't need to suffer in silence and can reach out for help and speak life over the areas of our lives that seem like dry bones.
Whatever you're facing at the moment, we hope you can build a life that combines the responsibility of carrying some serious weight, with the light-heartedness of letting go of unnecessary burdens.
If you've enjoyed this blog then we'd love to hear from you. You can drop us an email to info@qyork.co.uk.
To experience more content from Q, head to the BLOG or MEDIA PAGE!
If you'd like to support all we do as Q then you can make a donation here. Thanks!