Mark Carey Writes:

Realignment and Scarification - 2 words to help us follow Jesus through this season

Realignment

Recently I had an appointment with someone to advise me on my back pain. He helpfully pointed out that because my central nervous system remembered previous pain and trauma it was protecting me from further pain. As a result, I was making things worse by walking in a way that wasn’t natural – the advice I was given was to slouch! In other words, retrain my body to be in the right posture. Stop being afraid of the pain! So – I have been re-training myself – slouching – just a little – as I walk – and I am already feeling the benefit of it.

God wants to realign us – to be trained into His ways. They will seem counter-intuitive, but we grow through what we go through. Jesus describes God as a gardener in John 15. He tends His vine – training and pruning the branches – for growth. We must keep submitting to the gardening work of God, even when it feels hard – because we grow through what we go through. 

Scarification

Our verse for the year talks about spreading out to the right and to the left – Isaiah 54:3. This word ‘scarify’ has come to mind as I pray for our Network. When you scarify a lawn, you are creating space for organic growth and spreading out. Speeding up the natural processes of growth by removing barriers to light and oxygen. Existing seed that hasn’t been able to grow begins to grow. New seed can be sown and won’t be choked by moss and weeds. Our good gardening God leads us to be able to partner with Him in scarifying work – this is one of the reasons we prioritise worship and prayer. We cooperate with God in taking part in sowing seeds of faith and encouraging the growth of existing seed – the growth we are seeing today as people come to faith and grow in faith now.

I find these two words are helpful as I seek to follow Jesus at this time – I hope they will be for you.

The Rev Canon Mark Carey - Christ Church Bridlington Network