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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 Bread

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 52 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 19 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 31 times.

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Growing up, I was so inculturated by a particular brand of Christianity that I thought that 'entering the kingdom of heaven' meant 'going to heaven when we die' and, to my frustration, I still find myself unconsciously projecting this view onto the text. So what is the Kingdom of Heaven?

The Kingdom of Heaven is a place that overlaps earth and heaven and also a way of life where God's subjects live in alignment with God's will and purpose. One day it will fully encompass both heaven and earth and God's rule or 'kingship' will be fully established. But... it's not fully established yet. We have a choice to enter or not enter into this place and way of life.

We are justified though our faith in Jesus Christ, but in what way can we say we are members of God's kingdom if we continue to go around hating on people, living selfishly, and hurting others or the world around us? We need to trust in Christ and be subject to the rule of Christ. There is a reason why the first Christians called their religion 'The Way'.

In this Bible passage, Jesus is saying it's not enough to simply 'bandy around' or 'use' God's name. We need to hear his words and put them into action, we need to live out our faith, we need to allow God's will and purpose rule in our hearts, and we need to allow the Holy Spirit to pour into our hearts God's gift of love.

The idea is that, on 'that day' when heaven and earth fully overlap, when God's kingdom is fully established and God's rule of love will be in all creation, we will fit right in.

Holy God
I want to be a Christian
not just with my words
but with my whole life.
So fill me with your love
that I am one with you
and you are one with me,
and may your kingdom come
on earth as in heaven.
Now and forever.

Prayed 6 times.

Our Sunday Insights and Wednesday Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Rev Gav | Jun 23

Did the miracles of Jesus really happen and what do they mean?

A man stands in the darkness, blindfolded and holding between his hands a chain. He is shouting out in anguish.
The story of Jesus is the story of a God who came in person to confront and subvert all that would oppress us and seek to control us and we need not be afraid.
A stained glass window with a dove in the centre.
Jun 15

Are God and Love the same thing?

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5.4b)
Blurry bright red light lines streak back and forth across a dark red background.
Jun 9

How do I know if I’m filled with the Holy Spirit?

May we be open to allowing the Spirit who lives in us to transform us from the inside out, and also to allow the Spirit who lives in us to reach out to others with God’s love.
A closeup of grit on asphalt.
Jun 1

How do we stand out to stand firm?

If you have little left of yourselves to give, and are physically or emotionally worn out, hang in there, for you are not alone.

Bible Studies

Rev Gav | Jun 25

Loving

Pieces on a chess board. The white king, alone, faces three black pieces.
Luke 6:27-29
A red triangular warning sign with an image of black rocks falling from a cliff stands on a post in front of a coastal white cliff.
Jun 16

Woes

Luke 6:23-26. If we follow the way of Jesus then we will put the needs of God and of others first and this may mean a change in priorities, and quite possibly, a radical change in lifestyle.
A rainbow streaks across a dull blue sky.
Jun 9

Blessings

Luke 6:20-23. The ‘beatitudes’ are spiritual and practical blessings that accompany the Kingdom of God, and they really are good news.
Am orange moth sits on a dark green illuminated in the darkness by a low light.
Jun 1

Moth

Luke 6:17-19. The very fact that you are reading this demonstrates that you are already on the path to seeking out Jesus.

Creativity

May 15

Driving Into a Parable

A ewe and her lambs feed contentedly in a lush field
Shanna finds hope in the midst of a sad drive when she sees two fields of sheep
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…
Father and son embrace
Mar 24

The Prodigal

Marie
Here is a modern day short story based on Jesus’ story about the Prodigal Son
A girl peeks through a doorway in fear
Mar 9

The Doorway

Marie
Claire learns fear and the Spirit that is Love and changes fear to peace
The sun shines on the ocean behind the clouds.
Mar 5

A glint of hope

Rev Gav
The sun shining through the clouds.
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