Tress and I were at the same church yesterday and on my part (and I believe for her too) I felt at peace, settled and was looking forward to allowing ourselves to find a new home there.

The sermon was on Matt 12, and the minister spoke with an English accent that sort of reminded me of that minister back in Kingsford in Sydney. I think John Smith was from Birmingham and I haven’t got a clue where Mike McNamara grew up in England but there were moments I felt like I was listening to a younger sounding John Smith.

A more important moment however, was when Mike made a point about the context of the passage. Jesus had just suffered a case of injustice. He was breaking a rule on Sabbath when he had just healed a man. The Pharisees were then plotting to kill Jesus.

Jesus’ response was to withdraw. This evoked a passage in Isaiah which referred to the Messiah as someone who would not be heard in the streets. He would not cry out or quarrel. He would not bruise a reed or snuff out a smoldering wick.

I have been thinking about how best to really move ahead. Leaving behind what had hurt a lot, would probably work best if I no longer allow myself to revisit any of the actions of those involved.

I have to also withdraw, or encourage either myself or anyone else (including my dear brother Jason) not seek to “be heard on the streets”.

Jesus withdrew because there was work left to be done.

If I still wanted to do any of the work of the Kingdom, I too have to withdraw. I can’t let this blog continue as a source or medium to battle those “Pharisees”. At least for as long as I can hold it all in and keep my eyes on what I want to still do, for the Lord. 

I needed to respond to the word of God preached well. So right there on the pew in church, I made this blog private again. I hope to keep it that way for as long as I need to or can.