Matthew 6:19-33
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I had a dream last night,

“I was being forced to dive for fish, so others could take them and there were many people forced to do the same from that same boat and many were also better than I. One person just seem to have the fish float up with him, but it never benefited him because those in the boat would grab the fish and send him away again. Others were catching nothing and so were being pushed away. So I swam down hard and found a hidden house, covered in decorative coral and shells. The door was hidden from the outside and inside was air that I could breath. I could see a ladder leading up to a hidden house far above. Even though the people in the boat were looking for me, they thought I had drowned, I sat calm in this house. A friend was looking for me and as they looked towards the camouflaged house a path appeared to lead to the front door and so the friend followed and quickly we were both safe inside this house. Eventually we climbed the ladder and were both free, emerging from a lighthouse, away from these people. They light shone and guided our direction”

Do you lead people to Christ, only for them to be turned away later, or put off by the church, to jump out of the boat through other’s hands? If fish stay in the boat, they die, they need to be released as new fish to swim a free life.

I have been reflecting on my experience trying to follow God’s call and in particular the churches response. The church calls this a vocation, but it seems just a “jump through the hoops game”. Many can answer the questions with the right answers but are they seeking the presence of God? Many people who are my friends would be bored silly to attend “a service” – and to be honest I have been bored and irritated on some days that there is nothing being said in church, just a load of advice to be good, there is no presence of God which is what people in the bible were worshipping. They were worshipping the presence not just going through a routine.

This is my personal experience and I am not speaking for the majority of cases just mine, or what I have seen. It seems that the church spends much time just asking you to go away and reflect about how you would catch fish so to speak. Reading the bible I see the disciples travelled in pairs, no one went off on their own, at least not in the ministry of Jesus.

Another reflection from the dream is that I am not really interested in catching fish for others, only for those fish to be lost or thrown out as they are too small or the wrong type. In the dream I was seeking the presence of the friend, the Holy Spirit. Even if you are seeking the Holy Spirit you also need a spiritual guide that you can discuss your thoughts with on a day to day basis.

I felt once the friend had entered the underwater house I could be free. You might feel it is bad not to be seeking to catch fish? In my experience people seek Jesus when they see there is a change or something special about someone, not because someone is wandering around trying to convince people to turn to Jesus. Perhaps I am wrong, but I am reminded to seek first the kingdom of God, and surely we must seek His presence first so that He can lead us out to a new life were we are not to fish for others, or a system but for God?

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Dear God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit
I pray for my friends that see the church as an institution
that is failing, that see only the pomp and ceremony
and decide it is not for them,
I pray that your Holy Spirit enters their hearts
and changes them to be seekers of Your presence,
I pray that the church is transformed
in a way that enables all to truly seek You
and to experience Your truth,
so that the journey of life, even though it may be hard
is travelled with Your comforter the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name
Amen