Wednesday 3 December #Obedience

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,  “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,  for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.  I do not want to send them away hungry,  for fear they may collapse on the way.”  The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” 
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”  He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.  Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.  They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Matthew 15:29-37

Readings: Psalm 23, Isaiah 25:6-10,Matthew 15:29-37

Reflection:

What can you do with leftovers, fragments, remains? Bin them, compost them, reuse them or give them away?

After the crowds came to Jesus, he called his disciples together and he began to speak to them. He said, "my heart is moved with pity.”  In today's parable, we see people who complained and we see people who saw the potential in a situation to make a difference and our society is still full of those kind of people today. Jesus feeds many people with very few fish, and still at the end of the day, the disciples gathered seven full baskets of left overs. Today, as we prepare for a future in our communities we sometimes feel we have so little to offer, but what we have can do so much for those on the margins of society. As we have been asked so often, what is holding our hearts back from being "moved with pity" and why is this so, and what are we going to do about it! " The Time is now! The place is here! We are the people!"
As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, let us have our hearts moved with pity, just as Jesus did. Let us be the people who see the potential and act upon it for moved with pity God stepped in and moved with pity Jesus stepped in. Moved with pity will you step in?

Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.  

Alleluia, alleluia.

Prayer

Help me, Loving God, to stand bravely before this changing world and to see the shoots of life in everyday.
Help me to grow my roots deeply into your love.
In my despair may I find your hope.
In my darkness may I see your light.
In my loneliness may I know your presence.

Amen

Tuesday 2 December - #Provider

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.  The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;  he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

Isaiah 11:1-10

Readings: Psalm 72, Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 10:21-24

Reflection: 

The prophet Isaiah’s visions in Advent challenge us to become the bearers of good news to the poor and the marginalised of society. Through images of the mountain of the Lord’s house, the peaceful kingdom, the desert highway, and the child Emmanuel, Isaiah describes the coming of the new son of David and the establishment of the reign of God.  What Isaiah saw as God’s will for the future can become a vision that changes things in the present. We revisit the prophecies  during Advent to reorient our hearts to the coming of God’s kingdom that can renew our discipleship today—and how we need that for ourselves. Through Isaiah we find four visions of God:

The Mountain of the Lord’s House (Isaiah 2:1-5),
The Child Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:10-16)

The Peaceful Kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-10)

The Desert Highway (Isaiah 35:1-10)

Isaiah’s message directs our faith to a future in which justice will prevail, in which creation will be restored, and universal peace will be established. Advent heightens this hope and impels us to journey together with Immanuel on this Holy Way, a journey that will culminate with the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. How we need this hope today in our world as we look around us. Where do we sense the need for the reign of God in our lives?

Alleluia, alleluia.

Behold, our Lord shall come with power; 
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.  

Alleluia, alleluia.

Prayer

Lord God,
fill my heart with your love and my mind with your

wisdom so that my actions will be pleasing to you.

May your peace,
which surpasses all
understanding, guard my

heart and mind in Christ Jesus, through your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

 

Monday 1 December = #Faith

In days to come, the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.  All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.

Isaiah 2:1-5

Readings - Psalm 122, Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 5:8-11

Reflection

Thomas Wolfe famously said, "You can't go home again," but the Bible suggests otherwise. It could be said that going home, going to the right home, is the Bible's central theme. And Advent is the quintessential time for going home. Of course, in the 21st-century culture of Britain, Advent registers hardly a blip on the radar; there is no shopping money to be spent on Advent. Christmas is the ticket, and Christmas is about home, family and goodies, both wrapped and cooked. "I'll be home for Christmas," "Home for the Holidays," and other cosy songs of the heart pour from shops speakers, IPods, and car radios beginning several hours after Halloween, and do not cease until the big day itself. We long for the peace of new year long before it arrives.

Advent points us to a home where peace will reign. Where there are no swords but pruning hooks and ploughshares. Where nations are at peace. How we rejoice at that—there we will find our home.

Advent points us toward home where the hope of genuine peace reigns. Thus, we can say with the ancient seer, "Let us finally walk in the light of God!" Welcome home! 

Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, Lord
our God; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved
Alleluia, alleluia.

Prayer
God of power and mercy, open my heart in welcome. I consider and reflect on all I hold back, all that denies you in my life and I am sorry—forgive me. Remove the things that hinder me from receiving Christ with joy, so that I may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Sunday 30 November #Watch

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”  Mark 13:33-37

Readings
Psalm 80 , Mark 13:33-37 and 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Reflection

Who is God for me? What does God desire to bring to birth through me this Advent? What are the places in my life that cry out for redemption? What is my personal hope in life?

Have you ever lost something and searched and searched. So many search. So many hearts long for truth, for life and for love. It’s a longing of the heart that is not merely physical or emotional - it’s holy longing. It’s a holy longing from God and for God, who is Truth, Life and Love. It is not easy, to search and to long for God, because the fact is that we do not always know what we are looking for or who we are looking for. Some may not know they long for Him, because they don’t know Him. Some may be seeking, but can’t find Him. And others may know Him, but don’t seek Him. God is not always easily found. The good news, however, is that as we search for God, God is searching for us too. We must remember that God is not lost - we are - and Advent calls us to become aware of this Truth. We must acknowledge our need for the saving work of God and act accordingly. Advent is about seeking God, about letting God come to us. It’s about recognizing and accepting His invitation to be with us. God wants us to move beyond our fear, beyond our own resistance or shame or guilt or rejection and let ourselves be who we are.

Let us watch and be alert for his coming..

Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
Alleluia, alleluia.

Prayer

O Holy Word, Come to me today as you came so long ago and dwelt among us in the flesh, in the person of Jesus. You have gifted me with the power of words which I can use to build up or break down, to sow love or hatred, healing or hurt. May the spirit of Jesus guide my words, that they may be used to create rather than destroy, that they may be used to further the work and the hope of building your realm of peace and justice. Amen.