#BigRead12 Week 2 - Echoes

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This week is week 2 of the #bigread12 and this week we looked at the theme of Echoes. We are asked what we think of when someone says the word Echo.

I always think of a cave and the hello bouncing off the walls, floor and ceiling and coming back over and over again. It's magical and a whole lot of fun.

Jesus echoes the Old Testament in his stories and for us He echoes our lives and experiences. I'm constantly amazed just how relevant the Gospels are to my life today; how clear it is that Jesus understands and shares in my life.

The storm on the lake is the passage for reflection this week. I love this story and have learned a lot about life and panic and chaos by meditating on it and presenting it with children. However I have been further challenged by these questions posed by the material.

1. When have you felt the same as the disciples in this passage
Of course, who hasn't felt fear and panic and desolation.  We were particularly reminded of visits to the Dentists, personally I avoid them, but others are braver than me and they feel the fear and do it anyway.  It's in the position of vulnerability that it can be hardest to come out of ourselves and reach through faith for reassurance.

2. What echoes from the Old Testament do you see in Jesus' life
I have never really engaged with the Old Testament but over the last few weeks it has been the subject of a course and some information I was pointed towards.  This can be no coincidence, there's something about the themes through the Bible which I need to learn from.  I am still working through this so could offer very little but someone else said the storm on the lake was reminding them of the exodus from Egypt.  The people followed Moses but became scared quickly and felt doubt and fear.  God spoke through Moses and told the people to have faith.

3. What echoes from Jesus' life do you see in your own?
Has anyone ever noticed how many people start hearing a calling to ministry in their early 30s; it happened to me and to many people I know, even those who don't respond for many years or even decades.  There is something about maturity and life experience which is reflected in God's calling of us, much as when it was suddenly right for Jesus to start his teaching.  I am personally struck at the moment with the fact that Jesus was rejected in his home town, something which I experience.

4. Why did Jesus calm the storm? What impact does this have on us today?
Jesus needed to show the disciples that they could rely on him and that he was looking after them.  He is showing that although he doesn't control the storm's onset, he can save us from it when we have no way else to save ourselves.  Jesus has us in his arms, he watches over us and is there even when we think he is asleep and far from us.  All we need to do is wake Jesus and ask him for help, when we do that he will respond.

We didn't really get on with the pudding exercises, we stayed with our questions for quite a long time and felt we'd covered both the hot and cold pudding options; we were full up from the main course.  But we found room for the after dinner chocolates. We all thought of different things we might do through the week in response to the 3 ideas; my personal thoughts are alongside each.

1.Find a location to go and find some echoes. If you’re feeling particularly brave, film or record them and share them online. There's an underpass near our home and I might take Rachel and see what crazy echoes we can make.

2.Think of a positive story from your childhood which echoes in your life today.  It's my gran, it always is; I'll see where that takes me.

3.Pick a new action in the week which allows you to demonstrate Jesus in everyday life. I'll let God show me how to do that, I know He will.
 
This was our second week, how has it been for you?  I'd love to know all about it, as would the #BigRead12 team