CIC over the past 28 weeks has been challenging. However, through it all, it has helped me in the following ways.

• Renewing perspectives in my HEAD. To discover and refine what I understand about my grace journey with God the Father, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in my daily life going forward.

• Changing of desires in my HEART. To understand the importance of and realign my schedule in prioritising my relationship daily through listening to the Holy Spirit who guides me through my ongoing journey towards union with God.

• Perfecting the works of my HAND. To see the beauty and reshape the practices of spiritual disciplines. Firstly, to deepen my personal relationship with God. Secondly through cells, as companion and hidden director to spur and help one another to do likewise. 

Through CIC, the Lord corrected my view on spiritual formation. The spiritual formation movement has persistently championed the value of silence, solitude, contemplation, meditation, and prayer. They have also suggested that disciplines of abstinence are essential to a healthy spiritual life. To me it was unrealistic, rigid, vigorous, and impractical in our modern society.

I held the view that practising a solitary and retreated Christian life is normally associated with full time ministry people. For me it was an option whenever I had time and desire to seek God for major decisions in my life. Understanding what it is and without understanding why it is important and how it can enable me to cooperate with God’s sanctifying grace in my life had biased my feelings and outlook towards spiritual formation. 

Christian spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of others (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). 

17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

The focus of spiritual formation is the Holy Spirit, who guides the ongoing journey towards union with God. Jesus modelled it for us when he was on earth. 

After going through the 28 weeks, I began to see how CIC aims at transforming a Christian’s experience in spiritual formation. Exploring the classic spiritual practises  invites participants to develop daily patterns that open their lives to a deepening relationship with  God and one another. 

I have been corrected and I repent. I see it as an interesting idea to introduce in cell groups to help each other to deepen in their relationship with the Father and grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

There are many other lessons and experiences I have learnt over the last 28 weeks in CIC. Briefly I would like to mention 2 areas:

1) Journalling my prayer times, thoughts and insights through CIC has deepened my relationship with God. For the past 53 years of my faith journey, Father God has been gracious and good to me but I realised that because I did not keep a journal, I could only recall very few of these events and experiences and lessons learnt. I realised I missed out a lot in my faith journey with God over these years. It was not easy to develop this habit of journalling by myself. Although I struggled with it over the last 28 weeks, the momentum of doing it as a group and being accountable to share week after week has helped me a lot and through CIC I have developed a new habit of journalling. One of the spiritual blessings Father God Has blessed me with in CIC are Christians who are drawn together to journey together as companions in Christ, to encourage and hold each other accountable to grow in Christ. Journalling has helped me to see the hands of God working in my life, transforming me into a better person. As I reflect over my journals in writing this testimony, I appreciate the Father’s love and His grace over the last 28 weeks.

2) My approach to cultivating a deeper relationship with God has always been intellectual. God has given us Christ Jesus and His word. I can know all that He wants to reveal about Himself through His word. But CIC introduces me to explore other ways of spending time and exploring my relationship with Him, eg through clay shaping and art as well as engaging our sanctified imagination in the meditation of Scriptures to hear God’s voice. It was a challenging and uphill learning experience for me, learning to approach my relationship with God in more creative ways.

The Lord gave me the Word “Chill” to encapsulate what I heard the Lord saying to me through the 28 weeks…

“ Son Come and Hear and Imagine with me, to Love Life.”

Jesus says in John 10: 10, 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I joined the CIC programme with some anxiety and trepidation. Will I be able to commit to and complete the 28 weeks? Will I be comfortable enough to share my challenges, my life with my fellow participants whom I do not know? 

After much prayer, I decided to “pay attention” to the nudging of the Holy Spirit and take the step of faith to join the CIC and have not looked back since. 

I was surprised by the openness and deep sharing of lives with one another. Indeed, the CIC small group of participants and facilitators is a wonderful gift of grace from the Lord to me. I looked forward to each week’s CIC session to learn and hear from one another. The Deeper Exploration of topics like “Feeding on the Word” and “Prayer” opened my eyes to various ways of feeding on Scripture and different forms of prayer to approach God. It was a breakthrough for me as I learn to practise lectio divina, breath prayer, centering prayer, praying with a visual focus etc. 

During these 28 weeks, besides my CIC companions and facilitators journeying with me, the Lord was in our midst, guiding, teaching, nudging us in the way we should go. As I learn to discern and listen to Him, I, too, am listening and discerning for my CIC companions just as they are also listening and discerning Him for me. The CIC Small Group is a powerful way to grow and mature in the Lord. I am so thankful to the Lord for this CIC journey! 

In 2021, I joined Companions In Christ (CIC) for a second time, as a participant and facilitator some of the time. In 2020, I had joined a CIC group and had experienced the Lord’s bonding us as a community through the Holy Spirit.  It was magical.  In the beginning of last year when I joined CIC 2021, I had felt impatient to see the group bond. On reflection, I know now that I could not wait to see God at work again. In both groups, some of us were total strangers who had never met. We came in because we are serious in our walk with God and had a common desire to grow in a like-minded community. I also looked forward to another season of journeying with another group of companions, wondering what the Lord wants to show me or lead me into.  

God showed up as He had promised when two or three are gathered in His name.  With time, we bonded together as a community of companions in Christ. I learnt that I do not need to be impatient. I also learnt to give my expectations to the Lord. I learnt again to wait for God. To be still and know that He is God. I feel like I have grown up a little bit in regards to trusting and waiting for God. Not just for Him to show up, but to know that He is very present.  

As I took tentative steps to facilitate the CIC sessions this year, I experienced a deepening of some of the spiritual practices that I was introduced to last year. As I offered myself in this endeavour, I was mindful of Soo Hoong’s encouragement to pay attention to what the Lord is showing us in our own journey.  I see this as a beginning of a journey with the Lord. Having caught a glimpse of God’s heart for community, I plan to continue to be a companion with whom He chooses to bring into the CIC experience.

Why did I join CIC? 

In 2016, I was at a turning point in my life. I pondered on my next purpose at half time of my life. It pointed towards drawing closer to God and pursuing spiritual maturity. Towards that end, I embarked on spiritual formation in 2017 at the Community of Spiritual Formation CSF. I spent almost a year plus with CSF, feeding on the word, prayer, meditation, reflection, journaling, journeying and listening to people whom I do not know, sharing with a group of companions whom I still remain in contact, sketching images that pop up in my mind, and resting in the Lord. These action words are a common lexicon in spiritual formation and it was perhaps the constant dialogue with God, our Lord and Holy Spirit all in one that nudges me to continue on this journey with the Companions in Christ (CIC) programme in PLMC that started in Feb 2021.  

What did I gain?

The 28-week spiritual formation journey through CIC enabled me to deepen the understanding of His words through intentional dwelling, deepened prayers, awareness of my giftings, charge to respond to my callings, exploration of His spiritual guidance, and discerning His will. With like-minded brothers and sisters’ encouragement, affirmation and gracious sharing of their spiritual life experiences, I was not alone in discerning His will for me. My experience resonated with Spiritual Directors Rueben P. Job and Marjorie J. Thompson who wrote “We need others to help us see and hear ourselves clearly. We need others to explore with us the edges of our fear and faith. We grow spiritually only in and through our relationship with God and with others.” That is living as a covenant community. 

What has the Lord shown me out of this experience?

I have learnt much from embracing a prayerful life, enriched with a variety of practices that deepens my relationship with God day by day. I now see myself as a letter from Christ as mentioned by Paul in 2 Cor 3:3: “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” I make it a habit to have that deliberate pause for breath prayers, to contemplate a passage, do an examen or just pray for someone. I must confess that I still need to discipline myself to this experiential practice and take encouragement from John Calvin that “The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul, and penetrates to the inner recess of the heart.”  

Why did I decide to facilitate CIC? 

After completing CIC in 2021, I felt a nudging to be a Facilitator. I felt led to share this special connection with God and others through the Holy Spirit, and journey with them. There is so much to learn from one another as I grow in spiritual maturity. 

How has CIC changed my daily walk with Christ?

This spiritual formation journey has no destination but a continuation of quality conversation with God, Our Lord, the Holy Spirit within us, and with one another. I am sure many would want to be listened to, and to seek help in unpacking what God is saying to them. This small step to be in touch with God and filling my inner being as I seek maturity in Christ resonated with Eph 4:13 – “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

This is my third year with CIC.  For me, each run of CIC is a small community of believers coming together to share the spiritual journey.  In their company, I learn to listen to what God is doing in each one’s lives and to share my own journey.  Together, we contribute to supporting God’s work in each other’s life. Through this, I have learned many ways and paths to grow and deepen a relationship with God as we let the Holy Spirit do His work in and through our lives.

I went from being a participant to a facilitator in the second year.   It has been meaningful and encouraging for me to see fellow participants experience what God has for them through CIC.  I get another opportunity to reflect on the topics and bible passages and receive fresh insights for further growth.

CIC has helped me to be more aware of what God is doing in my life.  I am also more aware of my responses to Him.  I am thankful for the people I have met and spent time with in CIC.  They are a blessing.

When I decided to join Companions In Christ (CIC) in 2022, I knew without a doubt that it was God’s good timing. I am grateful that He invited me into this journey despite my reservation about whether I would be able to share openly with companions who were strangers to me.

The weekly CIC session has a structure that sets a safe space for all of us to share at one’s comfort level and sharing soon became easy as we were led by the Holy Spirit and the guidance of our committed facilitators. The daily exercises are unlike other studies. The daily exercises led me to meditate, reflect and converse with God and to journal my experiences and thoughts. The weekly sessions provided a platform for us to share our reflections from our daily exercises and the facilitators led us into deeper explorations to centre on God in various ways. As we shared, we also listened to ourselves and to one another without judgement, resulting in clarity and strength for our daily living. 

Psalms 16:11 - “You will show me the path of life; In your Presence is fullness of joy.” 

CIC is a personal encounter with God in the midst of our daily routine. You will not regret the commitment. Whether I am busy or not, there are always distractions that I have to empty in order to enter fully into the Presence of God. With a busy schedule, I am reminded of guarding my priorities - that it is Being over Doing; Prayer over Service, and Contemplation over Action. The various spiritual practices that I learnt deepen my meditation and prayer, enabling me to centre and linger in God’s Presence. As I seek God’s Presence, I am humbled to witness the flow of His grace in my daily routine even with interruptions and unexpected conversations. My intimacy with God and reliance on Him grow. It results in an inner spirit that is peaceful and steadfast despite challenges that come along my way. I praise God for blessing me with His Presence and Love as I persevere to honour Him with my presence on a daily basis. 

CIC helps me to embrace God’s purpose for my life with contentment and freedom. There is clarity, strength and fulfilment in ministry when I surrender and abide in Him constantly. He also provides companions along the journey. I discover the nature and value of spiritual friendships that are intentional in providing mutual support and accountability. 

The fruitful love of the Holy Spirit will flow as a result of abiding in Christ. May His spiritual energy and divine grace flow to touch the lives of those around me. To God be the glory! 

Psalms 84: 5-7a …Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on a pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring, the rain also covers it with pools. They grow from strength to strength.

I joined CIC on the encouragement of my wife.  More than listening to my spouse, I also desired to hear God directly and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit again.

28 weeks may seem dauntingly long at the beginning.  But the systematic pacing (daily readings/exercises/reflections) and rigor of weekly meeting up form a very good discipline in sharing lives together as companions in Christ. In the blink of an eye, it is over! 

It is a safe and non-threatening place to share God’s overflowing blessings in our grace journey. It also facilitated me to search deep into my soul - the thoughts deep within me through the spiritual guidance of the various trained facilitators!

Through the CIC, I learnt to hear God using some of the simple methods taught.  I also felt His presence very strongly during a particular session where I realized that my current state was so unworthy of my feet being “washed” by a fellow companion! My imagination, creativity and discernment of God’s presence were also enhanced – as God is the creator of the universe. 

The completion of the course is not an end by itself.  On the contrary, it is a start of an exciting intimate journey with God’s presence - alone and in the community of believers and society. My hope is to adopt and exercise the practices taught to continue in a closer walk and experience God at a deeper level in my daily life! 

Isaiah 55:6

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Certainly, God can be found and He is not far, when we seek His face with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength! (Mark 12:30).

God seeks us evermore!

The past 28 weeks have been a time of discovering myself, other fellow CIC participants, and especially God. I joined CIC without any expectations, but I was open to the journey and what I would encounter along the way. And it has proven what is said in Jeremiah 29:13 and Deuteronomy 4:29 – If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. 

We encountered God together through our sharing, our listening and also while preparing our daily exercises. Through the course, we also learned the different ways to study the Word and how to pray more effectively. I learned that God is always present in our lives. It is whether we are aware of His presence and want to draw closer to Him, whether we want to make time and make ourselves available to commune with Him. He is always there with us and for us. 

Through CIC, I also discovered that I enjoyed journaling. I always dismissed the idea of journaling in the past as I spent time with the Lord. But I have found that as I journal, the Spirit just guides me along in expressing myself and recording what transpires within my heart, mind and soul. I also realized the importance of being immersed in the community of believers. It helps to strengthen our faith as we journey this life together as pilgrims.

I hope to continue this journey together with my fellow CIC participants, to learn more about God, myself and one another and to be molded to be more like Jesus. 

Thank you, Lord. May all the glory be Yours! 

My first CIC journey began as a participant in 2020 and then subsequently the following year I participated as a CiC facilitator. This path led me to learn more than I would have as a participant.

I was hesitant because God did not answer me but I took a step of faith to commit to support in the facilitation. Being more of a quiet nature, I thought I would be overwhelmed, but in the weeks leading up to it, God affirmed & encouraged me through the Sunday sermons. The initial journey was a struggle with my inadequacy but through the regular meetings with our Spiritual Director and two other facilitators, I was able to better understand the facilitation and that helped me to stay on course. But the inadequacy was still there. Throughout the whole process, God enabled me to see the area I needed to overcome and that deepened my dependence on Him. The bible devotion through Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer and Journaling have helped open my eyes to see things from His perspective and my faith grows strong in Him. In the process, I learned to let go of self effort; His Word renewed my mind and transformed my thinking to be more Christ-minded.

In this year's CIC, I was drawn to spend a little more time practicing Centering Prayer. I learned that God dwells in silence and where silence is, there He is in my heart. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Be still before Him, remaining silent in His loving presence, no need for words, or thoughts. As I cultivate this habit of silence, the Holy Spirit refreshes my mind and the noise of worldly distractions lessens. When I read His Word, I become more attentive to what He is drawing my attention to. 

Every day is a step of obedience and trusting Him, learning and moving forward in His grace and mercy.

Isaiah 30:15 AMP:  “In returning to Me, and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength”

I am thankful to the Lord for the two groups of my companions who journeyed with me.  I enjoyed every session with them. The qualities that make them so special are their humility, exhortation, graciousness and their spiritual maturity. Faith sharings through each session build up our faith & trust in the Lord, enabling us to see what the Lord was doing and saying to each one of us and us as a group. There was always an eager expectation of Him, to learn more, to deepen our understanding and knowledge of Him in our lives. There was much joy in His presence for all our meetings.

The wonderful part of the sessions was when we prayerfully sought the Holy Spirit’s guidance to discern and name His gifts for each one of the Companions. With the affirmation of many gifts, we are never short of serving Him faithfully.

The Companions reminded me of the image of tall Redwood trees which grow near to each other, whose roots are intertwined which give them support to stand and grow strong, and what it means to live as companions in Christ and in covenant with God, watching over one another in love and growing toward spiritual maturity which is important to the growth of the Church.

Through it all, we see the evidence of God’s gracious love and His continued labour in healing and redeeming His people. We give Him the glory for the works He has done in us and among us and is continuing to do. 

This course enables me to practise knowing God’s presence in my life. I read the scriptures and pray daily but there was something missing in my spiritual life. There was no connection with God. I realised I lacked discipline in listening to God. Listening prayer is one of the spiritual disciplines which helps me to listen to Him. With the various means of spiritual disciplines to learn and apply in my life, it helps me to grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord. In addition, it also builds a community of believers to encourage, strengthen and to support one another in our journey with the Lord. 

My initial thought was a 28-week study in "spiritual formation" was what I needed to center myself in God and His truth while returning to the workforce after a 7-year hiatus. So without hesitation, I agreed to Soo Hoong’s invitation to embark on this journey. It did not sink in then that this was a “28 WEEKS” journey i.e. 6 months, half a year! Now that I look back, it’s only by God’s grace that I managed to get through the study, fighting at times fatigue, at times busyness, at times stress, at times distractions by work-life issues…

What did I gain? A blast on this bumpy personal spiritual journey with 12 wonderful companions-in-Christ, sharing the joy of discovering ourselves while discovering Christ. Each week while going through the readings, daily exercises, and group discussions, I felt that God was addressing me personally. Through the wondering and pondering, I discovered the unspeakable joy of being loved by Him.

When I learnt about this spiritual formation course, Companions in Christ,  I felt 2 things, first was a Yes - in my heart I knew God had answered my musing about wanting to do a study to deepen my walk with Him, and then second was the doubt if I could sustain attending a course for 28 weeks.

After a few weeks into the meetings, I realised that it was not like any of the other courses I had gone through. Every Monday, even after a hectic work day, the flow of the sessions enabled me to still my mind, take a deep breath and settle down to listening and sharing personal reflections of the exercises of the week with my wonderful fellow companions. The guided ‘Going Deeper’ aspects gave me more pathways to seek to be with God both on a one-to-one basis and in a small group. Each chapter of the book opened my eyes, heart and spirit to seeing with awe, what God has intended for us, His children, to be for Him in this world. To have His truly amazing grace revealed through the weeks.

Together with my companions, we are constantly reminded of the character of God, how He longs for us to linger in His presence, seek Him in different ways and to be His instrument wherever He places us in a community.

I will intentionally practice the Breath Prayer, Holy listening and as much as I can of all that we have learnt, to preparing my heart, mind and spirit when reading God’s word and coming into His presence.

When I learnt about CIC and what it entails, I wanted to join the course without hesitation. For months I had asked the Lord to teach me to pray as I felt my prayer life had been rather dry.

What I have found helpful is learning to be attentive to God in stillness, solitude, and silence. In the part about the ‘Heart of Christ’, I learnt different kinds of contemplative prayer, Breadth prayer, with daily exercises to mediate and rest in God’s presence. These are simple truths, learning to be attentive to God without many words in prayer.

CIC is not another bible study group. It is a community of like-minded believers seeking to deepen our walk with God, encouraging one another towards the same goal. I have also made many new friends who sojourned with me for a time during this journey towards God.

In Touch with God and my Inner Being

In 2017, the desire to grow spiritually was on my heart but I was unsure how to go about it. With the Spirit nudging me on, I joined an external course run by the Community for Spiritual Formation (CSF) which introduced me to feeding on the word, prayer, meditation, reflection, journaling, resting in the Lord and journeying and listening to people, sharing fellowship with a group of companions.

When the course ended, I was seeking the Lord for direction for I wanted to continue this journey of discipleship. Then Companions in Christ was introduced to me.

CIC is a 28-week spiritual formation journey where we were well fed with the word, where our prayer life deepened, we were made aware of our giftings, charged to respond to our callings, culminating in the  exploration of His spiritual guidance. It is based on a book titled ‘Companions in Christ’ and co-authored by Gerrit Scott Dawson, Adele Gonzalez, E. Glenn Hinson, Rueben p. Job, Marjorie Thompson, and Wendy M Wright. This book is printed by The Methodist Church in Singapore. The CIC journey brought me in touch with like-minded brothers and sisters for without their encouragement, affirmation and gracious sharing of their spiritual life experiences, I would struggle to discern His will alone. I learnt that it is the community of companions that reinforces our collective discernment that reaches into the deep recesses of our inner being. This resonated with what Rueben P. Job and Marjorie J. Thompson wrote, that “We need others to help us see and hear ourselves clearly. We need others to explore with us the edges of our fear and faith. We grow spiritually only in and through our relationship with God and with others.” That is living as a covenant community.

After 7 to 8 months, besides developing a bond with the other companions, I have learnt much from embracing a prayerful life, enriched with many ways of praying that deepens my relationship with God day by day. I now see myself as a letter from Christ as mentioned by Paul in 2 Cor 3:3: “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” I make it a habit to have that deliberate pause to contemplate and examen a passage or just pray for someone. I must confess that I still need to discipline myself to this experiential practice. I take encouragement from John Calvin that “The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul, and penetrates to the inner recess of the heart.”  Will have to persevere.

In closing, this spiritual formation journey has no destination but a continuation of quality conversation with God, Our Lord, the Holy Spirit within us, and with one another. Both courses have helped me to be in touch with God and with my inner being and to listen sensitively and prayerfully to others. I  am sure many would want to be listened to, and to seek help in unpacking what God is saying to them. As PLMC moves deeper and further in word, spirit and community,  I am committed to partner the church to journey with those who need that listening ear. I believe this would also sustain me in my quest to be in constant touch with God and inner being as I seek maturity in Christ as said in Eph 4:13 – “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

To God be the glory!

Listen. What do you hear?

These were two most often heard phrases in Companions in Christ from our facilitator as she led the nine of us in the Companion in Christ programme, a small-group resource for spiritual formation. She encouraged us to give one another the gift of listening - listening intentionally as each person shares her discovery from each week’s reading and homework. This constant refrain to listen to one another and to ourselves as we shared was, as I discovered, most important. Ultimately, it is about listening to God, to hear and to receive with an open heart what He has to say to us.

The different approaches to meditating on the Scriptures, such as lectio divina (sacred or holy reading), the different ways of praying, such as breadth prayer, and the practice of examen, which is the review of a daily life that focuses on the awareness of God’s presence, brought a new dimension to my spiritual life.  These spiritual formation practices brought quietness and rest to my inner life and have been spiritually uplifting, providing me a refreshing way of understanding and connecting with God.

Being able to take part in this course has been a gift of grace for me. I always looked forward to each week’s meeting despite being tired from the day’s work, and always felt enriched and fed spiritually by the insightful sharing from the weekly homework.  The sessions were a stabilising and assuring support for me during this unusual time of the pandemic, with the course being conducted wholly via Zoom for nearly twenty-eight weeks, save for the last session, which was conducted at a retreat when we met one another for the first time.  Most of us met as strangers but truly became companions in Christ through the months.  I am indeed thankful to God for the gift of friendship of these lovely ladies, their encouragement, and for the quiet and inspiring way our facilitator led the group and her personal affirmation for each person.

Participating in “Companions in Christ” has broadened and deepened my understanding of various aspects of Spiritual Formation like bible study, prayer and guidance.  I see new possibilities to interacting with God through the Word and different ways of enjoying prayers or reflections.  I am encouraged to recognise God’s presence in the events of everyday life.  This puts new excitement in being God’s child. The course also requires one to reflect, pray and journal.  While that takes time and effort, it has been a refreshing experience for me.  My fellow course-mates were open and accepting, so sessions were times of encouragement for us all.

The Companions in Christ (CIC) was an experience of being companions to one another as we sought to experience God in our daily lives through various spiritual disciplines. We started out as strangers.  Including the Facilitator, there were 10 of us.  At the start of the journey, I did not know most of the group.  Through CIC, we were introduced and practiced the same spiritual disciplines.  These disciplines helped form Christ in us. Through the sharing each Monday evening, we learnt to support each other in our efforts to draw close to God.  The Holy Spirit has reached across the physical divide we had met through Zoom to bond us to one another.

Whilst we were introduced to many approaches to draw close to God, CIC is not a course. It was an experience of opening myself to God, to be formed to his image, with a small group of companions. The spiritual practices that I was introduced to were very rich and had deeply enriched my spiritual life. I am deeply touched by the God who loves me and His hospitality to me, to receive me as I am.

As I had been journaling, I could re-live  the many spiritual practices that I had learned during the CIC experience.  I could re-live the thrill of the rich and honest sharing by my companions. Their stories were touching, inspiring, honest, as even the mundane parts of life were touched by a great God .

Whilst all these were very precious to me, what I have come away treasuring the most is a deep and great sense of connectedness that we are all one in the body of christ. We all have our giftings and a part to play in the body of Christ. I would like to be a companion in Christ for those God would send my way.  I came away wanting to be a companion for Christ, too, to know Christ, and the desires and burdens of His heart. 

My first CIC journey began as a participant in 2020 and then subsequently the following year I participated as a CiC facilitator. This path led me to learn more than I would have as a participant.

I was hesitant because God did not answer me but I took a step of faith to commit to support in the facilitation. Being more of a quiet nature, I thought I would be overwhelmed, but in the weeks leading up to it, God affirmed & encouraged me through the Sunday sermons. The initial journey was a struggle with my inadequacy but through the regular meetings with our Spiritual Director and two other facilitators, I was able to better understand the facilitation and that helped me to stay on course. But the inadequacy was still there. Throughout the whole process, God enabled me to see the area I needed to overcome and that deepened my dependence on Him. The bible devotion through Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer and Journaling have helped open my eyes to see things from His perspective and my faith grows strong in Him. In the process, I learned to let go of self effort; His Word renewed my mind and transformed my thinking to be more Christ-minded.

In this year's CIC, I was drawn to spend a little more time practicing Centering Prayer. I learned that God dwells in silence and where silence is, there He is in my heart. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Be still before Him, remaining silent in His loving presence, no need for words, or thoughts. As I cultivate this habit of silence, the Holy Spirit refreshes my mind and the noise of worldly distractions lessens. When I read His Word, I become more attentive to what He is drawing my attention to. 

Every day is a step of obedience and trusting Him, learning and moving forward in His grace and mercy.

Isaiah 30:15 AMP:  “In returning to Me, and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength”

I am thankful to the Lord for the two groups of my companions who journeyed with me.  I enjoyed every session with them. The qualities that make them so special are their humility, exhortation, graciousness and their spiritual maturity. Faith sharings through each session build up our faith & trust in the Lord, enabling us to see what the Lord was doing and saying to each one of us and us as a group. There was always an eager expectation of Him, to learn more, to deepen our understanding and knowledge of Him in our lives. There was much joy in His presence for all our meetings.

The wonderful part of the sessions was when we prayerfully sought the Holy Spirit’s guidance to discern and name His gifts for each one of the Companions. With the affirmation of many gifts, we are never short of serving Him faithfully.

The Companions reminded me of the image of tall Redwood trees which grow near to each other, whose roots are intertwined which give them support to stand and grow strong, and what it means to live as companions in Christ and in covenant with God, watching over one another in love and growing toward spiritual maturity which is important to the growth of the Church.

Through it all, we see the evidence of God’s gracious love and His continued labour in healing and redeeming His people. We give Him the glory for the works He has done in us and among us and is continuing to do.