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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

Our daily offices and Devotion.

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.

At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

In this passage Jesus is not thanking God because God has purposely hidden these things from those who are worldly wise, but because God has revealed herself to those that the world considers unwise, unintellectual, or 'lesser'. Practically speaking, Jesus' disciples were not learned academic scholars but included fishermen and builders.

It is also not that God chose some to be recipients of God's revelation and not others. When Jesus said that no-one knows the Father unless the Son chooses to reveal him, he meant that God chose to come to us first — i.e. no-one can choose God without first being chosen by God, and that includes you and me.

Jesus described those who received him, and therefore God, as infants or babies. A baby is wholly dependent on its parents. It first looks to its parent in all things for life, care, and sustenance. In the same way, in the Hebrew scriptures — the Old Testament — wisdom is not found through our own intellect but begins by 'fearing the Lord'. Now, that doesn't mean being afraid of God, but having a reverential respect and deference to God, and first submitting to God in all things.

There is a name for this way of first submitting to God and it's called humility. Pastor and theologian Jon Stott wrote, "Nothing is more hostile to spiritual growth than arrogance, and nothing is more conducive to spiritual growth than humility."

In other words we cannot find God using our own intellect, and we cannot reach God (acquire holiness) in our own strength. We must first come before God in humility, dependence, and a sense of perspective that God is God and we are human.

Holy God
Thank you for choosing me
and for revealing yourself
to me through Jesus Christ.
Thank you for the gift
of your Holy Spirit who
comforts and inspires me.
I have not earned your love
nor do I deserve it,
but your have embraced me
as your beloved child.
Therefore I will
praise and thank you
and give my life to you.
Now and forever.

Prayed 1 times.

Our Sunday Insights and Wednesday Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Rev Gav | Jul 13

Who is my neighbour?

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.
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.
A bunch of silver house keys sitting on a wooden table top.
Jun 30

Who has the keys to the kingdom?

I am convinced that God will not leave us as we are, but call us to collectively shine like lights in a dark world, opening the doors of the kingdom to those that have previously been excluded.
A man stands in the darkness, blindfolded and holding between his hands a chain. He is shouting out in anguish.
Jun 23

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

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.

Bible Studies

Rev Gav | Jul 11

Inclusive

Tips of coloured pencils arranged in a circle.
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.
A bowl of ripe cherry tomatoes is being handed from one person to another.
Jul 3

Generous

Luke 6:29-31. We are to live a life of superabundant love, but think for a moment, how many people actually live this out?
Pieces on a chess board. The white king, alone, faces three black pieces.
Jun 25

Loving

Luke 6:27-29. Anger and unforgiveness only hurt ourselves and not the people who hurt us, and sometimes, because we have been so badly hurt, forgiveness is a decision we have to make on a daily basis.
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.

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 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
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