Exploring Streams
II was fortunate to grow up close to woodland and a large Park in Hastings and St Leonard-on-Sea. In those days it was relatively safe to allow your children to go out to play for hours. It was an excellent playground and we had all kinds of adventures, built camps, climbed trees, and fought off attacks from rival gangs. One of my happier memories was exploring rivers and streams.Donning wellington boots, I used to wade through the waterways, exploring every aspect until I reached the source. One stream flowed from the overflow of a large reservoir. Tracing that further back took me up Old Roar Gill, a stream that passed through a deeply wooded high banked area, where a rival gang was based. Exploring this provided hours of fun as I sought to find out where the stream started
Many years later I explored the River Manifold. This Derbyshire waterway is particularly interesting as it flows from Axe Edge, near Buxton but mysteriously disappears along the way, only to reappear further along its route. This phenomenon only occurs in the summer when there isn’t so much water running. The river, of course, passes through underground caves.
This is not unlike theological streams that flow through the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament). During a series of Bible Studies I held at HMP Gartree, I asked the men who attended the sessions how many theological themes they could spot in Genesis. We filled up two sheets of flipchart paper! Like the River Manifold, the streams follow an intriguing course as they flow on to the life of Jesus Christ, sometimes clearly visible, but occasionally disappearing for a while.
This Sunday, 17th January, we have mixed the metaphor as we look for some “Gospel Gems in Genesis”. Do please join s if you can. The link is below.
Another stream I have enjoyed exploring is my personal stream of faith. It may have risen in my home where my father and mother both had roots within the Salvation Army, though they were not Salvationists at that time. As the stream flowed on through Sunday School from a very early age, the flow became more obvious. Then in my teens it seemed to disappear for a while, but even when not visible, it was being swelled from tributaries such as my RE teacher who used archaeology and science based films to help build faith.
The stream surfaced again, later in my teenage years, but its flow seemed fairly feeble until suddenly it burst out in full flow after I surrendered my life to God and was baptised at the age of 17. Since then it has flowed steadily and, I hope has helpfully overflowed its banks to water the surrounding parched land. I find the stream of faith to be a helpful image, and I commend it to you. Why not try mapping your own experience. Do you know where it started? Can you map the tributaries?
The river through the park, in which I used to wade, flowed on through various ponds, disappearing into concrete conduits through the town as it eventually flowed the short distance to join the English Channel. On its journey from Old Roar Gill it gave life to trees and flowers, and satisfied the thirst of countless birds, animals, and helped supply the needs of local inhabitants and helped to keep them clean. The river of our faith is meant to do likewise as we journey on to our destination. Jesus said, “The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) Let’s pray for a flood!
Love is flowing like a river,
Flowing out through you and me.
Flowing out into the desert
Setting all the people free.
Let it flow through m, let it flow through me,
Let the mighty love of God flow out through me.
Response:
- Pause and thank God for each person and situation that fed into your personal faith stream
- Express your thanks to anyone who is still alive.
- Reflect on the impact your faith stream is having on others at this time.
Rev Barry Osborne
CEO Rural Mission Solutions
4 Clarence Street, Market Harborough,LE16 7NE
barry@ruralmissions.org.uk
01858 414930
