Reverend Dawn Britt has been at Tillman UMC since 2007. Her call to ministry came later in life encouraging her to leave her first career as a Senior Vice President working with Fortune 500 companies. An Atlanta native, Britt earned her Masters of Divinity degree from Emory’s Candler School of Theology in 2004. She also has a post graduate certificate in Asian Religions & Healing from Boston University. 
 

Visit with Reverend Dawn at her blog

revdawnleavesoflife.blogspot.com

INTIMACY WITH GOD

As we work on this website, my hope is that each of you gets something of God from one if not all of the articles. It is with this goal in mind that I want to begin with a topic that is close to my heart: “intimacy with God.” So many times I feel that I do not know exactly how to become intimate with God. I hear from the Scriptures and from my work in the church that I must aspire to do so. I understand that we all walk and talk with God. I comprehend how life with God is a journey and God is with us all of the way. Yet how can I really become more intimate with God? What are those things that I must do to ensure that intimacy and most importantly how will I know when I’ve achieved it?

It has been an aspect of my journey in ministry to continue to delve into and question the depth of my relationship with God. As I ponder and struggle with exactly how to go about it, I am reminded of Jacob in his struggle with the angel. Perhaps this struggle is where all searching begins. Many of you in the congregation may have the same feelings as I do. On my journey towards God, I must learn some things that perhaps I lack in my own life. I have had to learn for myself what the term intimacy really means. My prayer is that these thoughts will help each of you to move into a more intimate relationship with God. 

Experts say that to become intimate with our higher power we must first look at our castle within. What this concept means is that intimacy begins with our lives first. The castle within each of us is where we find the Holy Spirit residing. The Biblical foundation comes from Exodus 3:1-4:17 and Exodus 33:7-11. “As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses….The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with a friend.” Intimacy is a mutual want. We have to choose to be close to God. God is always close to us. God wants our friendship. Open the door--Christ is knocking, and ask Him in.

Having said that, I am reminded that we must guard against some barriers to the process. In the next several months, we will address each of these barriers to our success in finding a beautiful relationship with our Lord. We will look at issues such as superficiality, failure to prioritize, information overload and our world. I hope that each of you will continue this learning journey with me. For now, look inside your castle. Are you speaking with God there?

HUNGER FOR LOVE 

I have been reading a book called “Love Hunger”. It is about people who have food addictions. Well, it could really be any type of addiction. In our techno, broadcasted, information overloaded culture why not?  What I found interesting in the book was the authors’ discussion of the six-step downward spiral of an addiction:  The first step is called “Love Hunger”. Interestingly, it is the trigger mechanism that sets off the addiction–cycle like the first domino in a circle of dominos. The authors say that one hits another and then another until the entire circle of dominoes has collapsed. The difference is that in the domino example once they all fall the cycle is over. However, in the real world, the stages continue to go around and around deeper into the addiction. 

What causes this first step in the process you might ask? The very first domino to fall is our hunger for love. Whether it be from trauma in early childhood, a disastrous love interest, a severe disappointment, a trauma at work or a disfiguring disease, they all serve to start our hunger for love.

For  Christians, if we only know one thing, we must know internally that we are loved by our creator.  As the Psalmist says in Psalm 139:14: we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”.  A human being is an incredible thing: complex and intricate to have come into being without the guiding hand of a Creator.

We have been made in the image of God.  At some point in our lives, we must internalize that love.. It is the key to the salvation of our spirits.  Our lives are all about love. Love of God and love of one another. No matter how you got to the place where you are today, remember that God truly loves you.  If you don’t believe that statement, why, ask another Christian. They most certainly will affirm God’s love for you. For no matter what we have done in the past or will do in the future, we have been restored to the image of our creator.  The next time you are feeling the pressures of this world, or the past life you have lived or the worry of your future repeat John 3:16 only substitute, your name in the blanks.

John 3:16

16"For God so loved ___________that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that _________believes in him ____________shall not perish but have eternal life.

RENEWING YOUR LIFE

Yes, it is almost that time of year again. The tulips and forsythia are pushing blossoms to the top of the soil and limbs. It is a time for renewal of all life. Spring is almost here.  We too should treat our lives like these precious flowers. We should be pushing up new things while learning, growing and developing ourselves more fully.

We began Lent on Wednesday February 17th with our Ash Wednesday Service. The forty days of Lent are traditionally a period of meditation, prayer and spiritual renewal among Christians. Many of us need help with what that actually means and how we go about making it happen. We live in such a chaotic world with so much happening around us at such a fast pace. It is difficult to focus on our own meditation and prayer much less renewal. This month I offer several thoughts which may help you during the Lenten season to renew. I hope to add to this list next month.

It is important for us to shed the past and move into the light of the future. First, remember God’s mercy renews. Let it happen. Psalm 51:1 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions”. Let it go this Lent. Let those transgressions go. Feel God’s mercy. Really feel God’s arms around you forgiving you.

Secondly, give what has been given. God has blessed us all with so much. Has life been a perfect dream? Well no but it’s life right? The point is to live life without the dream of perfection.  Give to others, give to yourself, and most importantly give to God. Show your gratefulness for what God has given to you. Give up yourself. In the end it’s all God’s anyway.

Lastly, search for God during your Lenten journey. Psalm 51:17 “the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”.  Find the fullness of love and you will find God. It is more difficult to find beauty and truth if you are walking in the valley of death and despair. Search for truth and beauty in the depths of your heart. Life is stronger than death, love is stronger than hate and God is stronger than everything.  My hope to you is that you find your mercy, peace and love this Lenten season. I pray each of you will be renewed for life.

LENTEN JOURNEY

Well Happy Easter to each of you! Ash Wednesday was the start of our Lenten journey of 40 weekdays (Monday through Saturday) that takes the church to the eve of Easter. And yes, Sundays are not included in the count of 40 days, as they are "little Easter" celebrations.

Now we reach our destination Easter Sunday. Easter is a time of rebirth and new life for Christians around the world. Many of you know that I gave up deserts this year for Lent.  I have been given so much grief this year because I did eat deserts on Sundays. I have even been called a “cheater” by some.  I love you all anyway. I thought that it would be a great time to let everyone know that every Sunday is truly Easter. Easter is not just a point in time; it is a journey that never ends literally. Because of our belief in the resurrection of Jesus, we will have life eternal. Our life eternal begins now as Christ has risen now. It is this belief that is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave (up from the grave he arose). We no longer have to fear death or sin. God so loved us that he became human and took them both on

for us.

In today’s world there seems to be so much to fear. We have a sagging economy, a nuclear prolific world, war on all fronts with many who want to kill. It is refreshing to realize that Easter is about just the opposite of all that. Easter is about life and living. Living with Christ within us never worried about what this crazy world can do to us. This is the mystery of faith that Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again.

Hallelujah!!  Have a blessed Easter season and know whose you are and what you are. 

FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY 

As we begin to enter the beautiful flowers and weather of spring, we begin again with our own faith journeys. With all the news in the world both locally and globally, one has to be more prepared than ever for the journey. Like all good journeys, we each need companions. For me, I learned recently that just as food is important to sustaining life, so are companions crucial to our souls and well being. The word companion comes from the two Latin words: com, meaning “with”, and panis, meaning “bread.” Companions help us along life’s journey. They provide us with nurture and nourishment so we can continue with our personal journey.  As bread is the food for life so are companions the food for our soul and emotions.

As I visit nursing and health care facilities, I find that the one lacking ingredient for persons who in these facilities is friendship. The loss of ability to make and keep friends can be devastating. At these facilities, people reach for you just for the touch of humanness and companionship. I believe that this one factor is the reason that those who have a church family have sustenance for life. People whom we can share the bread of life with in community. It is life giving when times are bleak as well as when times are merry.

The greatest example of this companionship involves those represented in the Last Supper. Jesus seems to show us something very special in that example as a model if you will for us to follow. Jesus reveals His mercy, love, suffering and hope to each of His companions. Examine the interaction in this Gospel.  Throughout the Bible, look at all of the times Jesus longed for the companionship of others. This too, is our food for the journey. It is about being with one another. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says we are never alone. Let us never allow others to be alone either.  Reach out for companionship.