Sermon Tone Analysis

A walk in the woods

On wednesday morning I took some of my own advice from last week and headed over to Whisby Nature reserve.

My plan was to spend some time walking around the lakes and through the woods spending some good time in prayer and seeking the presence of God.

I hadn’t planned for rain but the trees gave me some shelter and after an hour and a half of walking and talking to my Father as well as some listening I settled down with a coffee outside of the Cafe to write down what God had been saying and to start to think about today’s message.

It was amazing how different it feels writing when you have first spent some time with the author of all creation.

I had a lovely walk, a good coffee, some productive time and eventhough I spilled my coffee before I could finish it that wasn’t a problem.

I really do recommed spending some time resting in God.

Still, Trembling or moved by the wind.

As I was walking through the woods their was a breeze.

Have you noticed how when there is a breeze or a wind it affects the things it comes into contact with?

Have you noticed though it affects differenet things in different ways.

A feather gets blown all over the place but a rock is unmoved, unless it is a really really strong breeze.

A stood in one spot, feeling the breeze on my face, what I noticed awas the some of the leaves on the branches were not moved at all - they were still, they were not affected by the breeze at all.

Some of the leaves, tremled or shivered in the breeze, you could see the movement of the air was affecting them but it was momentary, soon passing.

There was one branch though.

The leaves on that stem danced and fluttered in the wind.

Some of the

What was the difference between these leave?

They were the same plant, in the same part of the forest, experiencing the same wind.

Positioning - that was the difference.

Some of the leaves we positioned in such a way that the wind just passed them by - the still leaves.

Some, because of their positioning experienced the force of the wind, they were moved briefly before returning to a position where the breeze could catch them momenterily again or they moved their position out of the breeze.

The last set were position so the even as a slight breeze caught them, moved them, shaped their dance.

even as a slight breeze caught them

The movement of the individual leaves seemed to amplify each other, causing them to catch the wind more and and the whole branch was rocking and moving in what was the smallest of breaths.

The breath of of God.

The Hebrew word used to describe God as he interacts with man is Ruach, the spirit of God.

The word Ruach can be translated in a number of ways depending on context but it refers to God as spirit, Gods creative life giving breath or how we percieve Gods interaction with us.

The movement of the individual leaves seemed to amplify each other and the whole branch was

it mean Spirit - Holy spirit - Gods spirit.

- part of God

Wind

Life force of a person - breath of God

it also means wind both of the kind in nature, but also the noticiable activities of God.

In new testement this same word is used but in the Greek form Pneuma.

This concept of Gods breath creating our spirt, God’s breath being the Holy Spirt, and Gods inteactions with the natural world being as a wind, as the spirit moved are tightly bound together with one another.

Our spirit joins with Gods Spirt

The mashed potato analogy.

This is why Jesus refered to himself as the bince and us aas the branches

What the Wind Brings.

creation (Gen 1:2; Pss 33:6

God speaks to you when you catch the wind

The wind brings life.

life.

The wind directs

Are you positioned to Catch the wind.

re:2

Are you positioned in such a way that the spirit just passes you by - like the the still leaves.

Are you positioning yourself to experience the the spitit, but just enough to suit yo before returning to a position where the spitit could catch them momenterily again or they moved their position out of the breeze.

they were moved briefly before returning to a position where the breeze could catch them momenterily again or they moved their position out of the breeze.

or are you positioned so the even as a slight move of the spirit catches you, moves you, shapes you?

Are you positioning yourself to go where the spirit leads even if it is uncomfortable

are you positioned to hear Gods voice, to live life to the full, to Go and be carrie?

As I stood in the forest Tthe movement of the individual leaves seemed to amplify each other, causing them to catch the wind more and and the whole branch was rocking and moving in what was the smallest of breaths.

A familar passage