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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 51 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.

Friday 16th May (Rev Gav)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honour your father and mother’— this is the first commandment with a promise: ‘so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’

And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.

And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.

Last week I was asked if it was sinful to not honour one's mother and father, and the questioner cited the example where a parent had abused a child. Should a child honour abusive parents and if they did not, would that be sin? To be fair, they were trying to trap me, for if I answered 'yes' then I would be condoning abuse, and if I answered 'no' then I would be accused of breaking God's commandments.

They didn't like the answer I gave because, as you know, I define sin not as the breaking of commandments but as putting ourselves first at the expense of others and/or the environment. Therefore, based on this definition of sin, then no, it would not be sinful to not keep the commandment of honouring a parent! The parent had already dishonoured themselves.

Many of these theological and moral dilemmas come back to the fact that many of the ten commandments were general umbrella rules, and then there were a myriad of further sub-rules to deal with specific situations, and then even these sub-rules were debated at great length by rabbis and teachers. However much I wish it was the case, the ten commandments cannot be applied in all and every situation we encounter.

Because of this 'blurriness' of life, my theology is continually developing. I used to say that sin was putting ourselves first at the expense of God, others, and the world around us, but gradually I came to understand that loving God and others is the same thing (think of the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples to love one another), however I wonder if I should add ourselves into the mix such that sin is putting ourselves first at the expense of ourselves, others, and/or the environment?

In other words, switching it around, sometimes we need to put ourselves — our own needs and safety — first. If we are being abused by anyone, including a parent, then we need to get out, get away, and get help, and it is not sinful to do so!

Navigating life is difficult and messy, and there are often no easy answers to the moral and ethical problems we face. Sometimes we have to make decisions knowing someone will be hurt. Should we honour our mother and father? Yes, in a perfect world, absolutely, but the truth is that we do not live in a perfect world and the answer is 'it depends'.

There are, however some universal truths to which we can adhere, for example, that mercy trumps judgment, and that our movement should always be towards love — love for God, love for ourselves, love for others, and love for the world.

Today, as you read this passage from scripture, I pray that no 'human' interpretation will weigh you down with guilt and shame. Christ has set you free and you are God's wonderful child, and may you be both merciful and loving, just as God is.

Holy God
I know that your commandments are perfection
and that I should all strive to obey your word,
yet I also know that we all fall short.
Help me to keep loving even when I experience hate.
Help me to keep being merciful even when I am judged.
As I live and work to your praise and glory.

Prayed 8 times.

Our weekly Insights and Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Rev Gav | May 12

In what way was John’s revelation radical?

A beautiful and elaborate golden throne with red velvet seat and back sits on a plinth in a darkened room.

John paints a picture of how things will be for a great multitude that no-one can count from every nation, tribe, people, and language.

Two ducks swim across a calm lake, one following in the wake of the other.

May 4

What can we learn from Peter?

We can see ourselves reflected in the story of Simon Peter — a story where we drop everything to be with Jesus, discover that Jesus values us, that through his resurrection we are forgiven, and that our love, however flawed, is enough.

Apr 28

What is our ‘new work’ in Christ?

What does your church do collectively to declare Jesus Christ as Saviour and to bless the community that it serves?

A stone tomb with a large round rock that can be rolled away from the entrance.

Apr 20

Why was Jesus resurrected?

The power of God lives in us to bring about justice, peace, grace, and mercy in the world, and this is why, on Easter Day, we gather and proclaim, “He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”