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I once was lost…

“Today, if you are reading this and you have been marginalised, belittled, ostracised, or left out in the cold; if you have made mistakes, hurt others, or hurt yourself; if you have walked away from relationships, said harsh words, or behaved badly; if you are continually hijacked by inappropriate or disturbing thoughts, desires, or feelings; if you feel undeserving, a lack of self-worth, or that you are unlovable; then hear the message of Jesus — that God loves you, has come to you, and wants you to find your home in them.” Rev Gav, 2022

Daily Office

Morning Prayer

Your love, O Lord, is never ending
and your mercies endure forever.
They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness!

The night has passed, and the day lies open before me,
and so, at the dawn of this new day, I come before you
with an open heart and ready to be filled with your love.

As I rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set my heart on fire with love for you.
Fill me with your life-giving Spirit
that I might be Jesus to all I meet
and a vessel for your unending love.

Loving God, who abides in heaven,
you are the Father and Mother of us all.
May your holiness be declared,
your justice be observed,
your will be embraced,
and your kingdom be established
on earth as in heaven.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
And from the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Prayed 55 times.

Afternoon Prayer

Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning
and dwell by the farthest ocoeans,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Holy God,
kindle in me the fire of your love
that I may bring warmth to the world.
May I be led from death to life,
from falsehood to truth;
from despair to hope,
from fear to trust;
from hate to love,
from war to peace.
And may I be so anointed with your Spirit
that I may be filled with both your peace and joy,
and live and work to your praise and glory.

For all that has past I thank you
and for all that lies ahead I give you praise.
May my eyes be open to see you
in all whom I serve and encounter.

Help me be Jesus to the world.
Help me be your hands and your feet.
Help me have your heart for the broken-hearted.
Help me be Jesus to a world
that needs you more than words can tell.
Help me be Jesus to the world.

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with me and all those I hold dear,
Now and for evermore.

Prayed 20 times.

Evening Prayer

Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be honoured in the earth.

Loving God,
As this day draws to a close
may I know your grace, mercy, and peace.
Cleanse my heart and mind
of all anxiety, weariness, and pain,
and in the stillness,
may I know your loving presence.

As I reflect on my day,
I give you thanks for all that has been done
And let go of all that has not been done,
handing it over to you
to make good that which I am unable.

For the love I have shared, I am grateful.
For provision and nurture, I am grateful.
For kindness given, I am grateful.
For the sorrow I have caused, I pray for forgiveness.
For injustices ignored, I ask for mercy.

As I look forward to this night
I cast my fears upon you –
fears of the world’s darkness
and fears in my inner being.
May I find my rest in you.

May the peace of your Spirit
that transcends all understanding
fill me and all those I love and hold dear.

Tomorrow is a new day
with new joys and new possibilities.
May I wake tomorrow
feeling refreshed, expectant, joyful,
and with a heart full of your love.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

For you are with me,
now and always.

Prayed 10 times.

Night Prayer

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Holy God,
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
Keep me as the apple of your eye.
and hide me under the shadow of your wings.
Protect my conscious and my unconscious,
and guard me as I sleep this night
that my dreams will be filled with hope
and my rest be in your loving arms.

Spirit, in whom I live and move and have my being,
from you, nothing is hidden.
Breathe into me your cleansing wind
that I may be filled with your unending love.

Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.

From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.

O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death.

Jesus Christ,
I cast my burdens unto you,
and ask that my soul might be refreshed as I sleep.
For I am yours and you are mine.
Now and forever.

Prayed 32 times.

Daily Bread

Our weekday devotion.

Jesus came to his home town and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?’ And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house.’ And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

It's interesting to think that the biggest block to faith was that Jesus was known to people. They couldn't see past the person who was standing before them and their minds were filled with memories of who Jesus was and his local family connections. In a way, they couldn't see the spiritual (God) because they only saw the physical (man).

In the same way, if we are open to God through Christ, we become filled with the Holy Spirit — God makes home with us, but to others they see only the physical us. Our colleagues, friends, and family know us. Some know the good bits, some know the bad bits, and others know the ugly bits!

As a pastor, I often feel 'imposter syndrome'. If others knew what was going through my head would they really bother to listen to anything I have to say? Would they say, "Gav, we know what you're really like! Call yourself a Christian? Pfft!"

Yup, the truth is that none of us are worthy of being filled with the Holy Spirit, but we are made worthy through Christ, and God chose to make us clean so that God could make home with us.

Today, don't let anyone put you down because of who you are or what you have thought, said, or done. You have been sanctified (made holy) through Christ and are a bearer of the image of God. Christ is in you. Be confident in that, knowing full well you are not perfect, God chose you. God chose you. God chose you!

Holy God
Thank you that
although I was far off
you came and met me
through your Son.
Thank you for choosing me
and for filling me
with your Holy Spirit.
I am yours
and you are mine.
Now and forever.

Prayed 9 times.

Our Sunday Insights and Wednesday Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Published every Sunday.

Rev Gav | Jul 27

How powerful is God?

A woman stands, with warrior paint, defiant and determined, exuding power and confidence.
We live in a world where there is unimaginable pain and suffering, and we are not to be bystanders, imploring a remote God to divinely intervene.
A screen is filled with white binary numbers - zeros and ones. Some of them are red and make the picture of a heart.
Jul 20

Are you a Mary or a Martha?

The way of Jesus, the ‘one thing’, is a the way of humility and obedience to God, and we are all invited to join the way.
A homeless person sits alone on a street corner at night, illuminated by the glow from restaurants and shops. Used under license from EV on Unsplash.
Jul 13

Who is my neighbour?

When an expert in the law correctly identified the one who was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers, Jesus had only one reply. “Go and do likewise.”
A white dog is being offered a treat but cross-eyed it appears to be resisting.
Jul 6

How can I be more self-controlled?

Over time you will know the transforming power of God, that you might become more self-controlled, and become the person that God created you to be.

Bible Studies

Published every Wednesday.

Rev Gav | Jul 30

Faith

A female marine stands in smart uniform, holding her hat against a woodland backdrop.
Luke 7:1-10. Luke challenges his readers to ask whether they we have humility and faith in Jesus Christ.
A heart-shaped white bowl contains a mixture of fruit.
Jul 23

Heart

Luke 6:43-49. If we claim to be a follower of Jesus,then we need to put his words into action — we need to exercise our hearts.
The word welcome has been chalked onto a wooden board with each letter a different colour. Underneath the word has been drawn a smiley face.
Jul 17

Non-judgmental

Luke 6:37-42. We are to be lovingly, unconditionally, inclusively, and non-judgmentally generous in our lives — and we can’t do this on our own.
Tips of coloured pencils arranged in a circle.
Jul 11

Inclusive

Luke 6:32-36. Ultimately, we are called to be inclusively generous because God is inclusively generous. Jesus did not ration his love, God doesn’t ration her love, and neither should we.

Creativity

Jul 11

Tyte Team Roles

Hundreds of multicoloured pieces of jigsaw puzzle jumbled up in a box lid.
The 26 (currently) Tyte Team Roles
A road in the Australian outback stretches off into the distance.
Jul 7

Hitch

Rev Gav
Rev Gav’s first book is a Travelog of his gap year that took place in Australia in 1990 and how…
A ewe and her lambs feed contentedly in a lush field
May 15

Driving Into a Parable

Marie
Shanna finds hope in the midst of a sad drive when she sees two fields of sheep
The FAB logo as it appears as a device app icon with one red notification circle containing the number 1.
Apr 20

Install FAB Church as a web app!

Rev Gav
FAB Church can be installed as a web app on your phone or device.
The Garden from the view of John — the disciple Jesus loved.
Apr 17

John Remembers Gesthemane

Marie
A monologue – John remembers, with regret, the night when Jesus needed him and he just – slept.
Apr 8

Mary of Bethany remembers…

Marie
In a monologue, Mary of Bethany , kneeling over Jesus’ lifeless body, remembers the night she broke her alabaster jar…
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