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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 Prayers

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 sovereignty 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 kin-dom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Prayed 74 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 oceans,
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 30 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 19 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 38 times.

Daily Bread

Our weekday devotion.

Rev Gav | Dec 16

Accepted

No matter who you are or what you have done, there is a place for you in God’s family.

‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Are you a tax collector or a prostitute?

You are probably thinking you are neither, and I doubt you are thinking you are both!

I am not ignoring the fact that some people, in our contemporary world, choose, with agency, to be either tax collectors or prostitutes, but in the ancient world both shared the commonality that they were despised and marginalised by society.

Jewish tax collectors were men who had colluded with the authoritarian overlords. They collected tax, typically on goods that passed through towns or regions, and to make a living, added a percentage to keep for themselves. This amount varied, and some abused their position by ‘overcharging’. Either way, they were making money for the oppressive, occupying government of the time. Tax collectors were typically banned from attending the synagogue, and would hang out, only with other tax collectors and their families, occupying a social ‘no man’s land’ between secular and sacred societies.

Jewish Prostitutes were women, typically from poor backgrounds, who had been forced into the line of work by their social circumstances (as happens when there are oppressive, occupying forces). Prostitutes sold their own bodies to make a living, and like the tax collectors, they were social outcasts and snubbed by the religious community.

The ancient world was not clear-cut and there were those, of course, who tried to encourage, help, and release the marginalised from their lifestyles, but in general terms both tax collectors and prostitutes were both considered ‘sinners’.

It is interesting to note that Jesus regularly picked both social categories — encompassing both male and female — as those he came to reach and those who would be first to embrace God’s kingdom.

In ancient Jewish culture, a ‘sinner’ was defined as someone who put themselves first, ahead of the Law of Moses. Today, because of Jesus Christ, we describe a ‘sinner’ as someone who puts themselves first, ahead of God, others, and the environment — and this means that those we might describe as tax-collectors or prostitutes — just like anyone else — may or may not be ‘sinners’. In other words, there is hope, because your lifestyle or trade no longer defines you as someone who is ‘in’ or ‘out’ with God.

A subsection of the Christian church, excruciatingly, continues to perpetuate a message that describes ‘sinners’ with regards to God’s law, and excludes people on this basis. This is wrong and needs to be called out.

Today’s message, in print, right there, on the pages of Matthew’s gospel, is a reminder of the wonderful saving grace of Jesus, and that no matter who you are or what you have done, sin itself has been redefined under the banner of Christ, and that there is a place for you in God’s family.

Photo by Alekon pictures on Unsplash

Holy God
Thank you that,
through Christ,
I am welcomed
and adopted
into your family.
Help me to put you,
others and the environment
before my own
needs and wants.
Thank you for the
saving grace of Jesus.
This day and forever.

Prayed 6 times.