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Spirit of the Flame - 70 days following the Olympic Torch
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DAY 57

Hill View.

Today the Olympic torch went from Bournemouth to Southampton, via the Isle of Wight. Yesterday I mentioned about kids aged 6-8 years old, and I must have been about that age when I lived in Bournemouth. It's where my youngest brother was born. It's where I saw the QE II sail past Hengistbury Head, near Bournemouth, as part of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, with the Queen on board apparently; though at half a mile out from shore I have to take their word for it! And it is where I went to Hill View Infants School.

At church this morning, I had the blessing of being able to participate in the service of communion. Usually, I am at churches or events where we don't do communion. That's not usually done when the Youth Director is there. So for the last eight or so years I have rarely led or participated in communion.

Now the violins have stopped, I will just say we sang a hymn during the communion service today that always reminds me of the Adventist Church in Londonderry.

I was told that it is the hill the other side of the river Foyle from the Adventist Church that gave inspiration to the words of the song "There is a green hill far away". Cecil Alexander was the wife of the Anglican Bishop of Derry, who saw a green hill, or mound, regularly on her way into the city to do her shopping. This mound reminded her of the hill where Jesus was crucified.

Derry has an old city wall. I believe it is one of the only ones you can still walk all the way around the top. And this too is referenced in the song, "without a city wall", meaning, from the old English, outside a city wall.

Therefore, Cecil would regularly see a hill that reminded her of God's love for mankind, in sending His Son to experience the spiritual death we all deserve due to our rejection of God. That is, the death of spiritual separation from God the Father. Cecil had a Hill View to remind her!

It is recorded, "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’)." (Matthew 27:46 NIV). This is a direct quote from Psalm 22.

In reading this Psalm I noticed that there is a reference in verse 26 to the poor eating and being satisfied. This reminded me of the stories of when Jesus fed large crowds, on a hillside (Matthew 14 and 15). The sum of these stories is Jesus took a small amount of food, gave thanks for the blessing, and shared it with the people. Jesus performed a miracle of multiplication. Everyone ate and was satisfied. There was even food left over. The crowds and the disciples learnt a lesson on those days. They had a Hill View experience.

These same lakeside hills are where Jesus met with his disciples after his resurrection. And here on the hillside Jesus told them 1. in your going (as you go about your daily business) 2. make disciples (followers of Jesus) 3. baptising them and 4. continue teaching them all I have told you. (Matthew 28:19-20). This instruction was done with a backdrop of a Hill View. This was another Hill View experience for them.

Our Hill View may not be an infant school, a grassy urban mound, a song, or a Galilean location, but I think it is good to have a Hill View. A Hill View in terms of the presence of God, is a place we can associate with God's love and mission.

I thank God that things around me: my spiritual Hill Views, remind me of the love God has for us, and how He asks us to share that good news with others. What, and where, are your Hill Views?

-Pr Nathan Stickland

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/i/tiagreen.htm
http://homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/618693/
(www.adventistyouth.org.uk)

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