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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.

‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

There's something incredibly sad about a house-clearance after someone dies. You have all their 'stuff' that, for the most part, is worthless without their owner. I've been involved in a few that involved multiple trips to the dumpster, thrift store, and secondhand sales market. However, there's nothing wrong with owning stuff, nor saving for a rainy day, so what is Jesus talking about here?

When it comes to any teaching we seek to understand, it can be helpful to go back to our basic values. I've written (and we've discussed) about 'sin' a great deal, where I define it as putting ourselves first at the expense of others and the environment. It's not a perfect definition but it's close enough. The second value is the one found in the book of James, where we read that 'mercy trumps judgment' — i.e. that whenever we have a choice to be merciful or judgmental we are to choose the former. So, what would it mean to apply these values to Jesus' teaching about storing up treasures on earth?

When it comes to making decisions about what to purchase and own, we need to be mindful of how that purchase affects others and the environment. For example, buying food has a massive impact on the environment. Firstly there's the food itself — was it grown and produced sustainably, how many food 'miles' has it travelled, and how is it packaged? Or, when we buy clothes, where were they made, does the manufacturer make ethical use of labour, and what materials are used? Of course, the major question is, "Do I need it?" Much of everything we buy will end up, one day, in landfill — be buried in the ground and covered up. We might be familiar with the mantra, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" but the emphasis should absolutely be on "Reduce".

As Christians living in the 21st Century, we cannot claim to be ignorant of the way our lifestyles and purchase choices affect others and the environment. There are no excuses. It might be almost impossible to live a lifestyle that doesn't have a negative impact on others or the environment, but does that mean we shouldn't try?

Holy God
I am mindful of the way in which
my lifestyle has negatively impacted
others and the world around me.
Forgive me and help me to live
in a way that is sustainable and healthy,
not just for me but for all creation.
Now and forever.

Prayed 8 times.

Our weekly Insights and Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Rev Gav | Jun 15

Are God and Love the same thing?

A stained glass window with a dove in the centre.
“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.
An abstract of blue bubbles of various sizes and depths.
May 26

How can we be led by the Spirit

God-given visions happen when we give permission for the Spirit of God to speak to us and we allow ourselves to imagine how things could be in the future.

Bible Studies

Rev Gav | Jun 16

Woes

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.
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.
A woman, wearing a red dress, stands alone in a green forest holding up her hands in prayer.
May 26

Team

Luke 6:12-16. When Jesus had a major decision to make, he needed to spend time alone, to seek God, and to have space to Reflect, and if Jesus needed to do this, then perhaps we do too?

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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