(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
Prayer: Seeking the Lord
O gracious and holy God,
give us diligence to seek you,
wisdom to perceive you,
and patience to wait for you.
Grant us, O God,
a mind to meditate on you;
eyes to behold you;
ears to listen for your word;
a heart to love you;
and a life to proclaim you;
through the power of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
St Benedict, 480-543 (
Sourced from A Treasury of Prayers in Uniting in Worship, copyright 1988 Uniting Church in Australia)
Read:
Matthew 26:36-39. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
(Mt 36:36-39 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
In 1996 a Disney Movie came out that depicted a dark time in the life of the Church. Ambitious powerful men had become bishops and justice was not a theme in the halls of church power. Disney takes great delight in demonising the Church of that time including the many people who came to the cathedral to pray each day that God would hear their prayers for money, wealth, health and security. But in one highlight cuts through this dark litany of selfishness, one woman is heard to pray not for herself but for others. Underpinning this is her delight and thankfulness to the Creator for her life and that she is so loved by God. Her prayer is like Christ’s in the Garden.
Can you find this gratitude in your heart that enables you to let go and say, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”? Can we be more than spectators in the Garden of Gethsemane?
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
Prayer: For the graces of the Holy Spirit
O merciful God,
fill our hearts with the graces of the Holy Spirit,
with love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Teach us to love those who hate us,
to bless those who curse us,
and to pray for those who abuse us,
that we may be the children of our Father:
who makes the sun shine on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and unjust.
In adversity grant us grace to be patient;
in prosperity keep us humble;
may we guard the door of our lips;
may we lightly regard the pleasures of this world,
and thirst only after heavenly things;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
St Anselm, 1033-1109
(Sourced from A Treasury of Prayers in Uniting in Worship, copyright 1988 Uniting Church in Australia)
Read:
Matthew 22:34-40. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
(Mt 22:33-40 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
It is not hard during the many days at home to lose track of time and our sense of self. Jesus addresses this very question in his time when it seems his people have lost their way and wonder what God requires of them. Jesus reply showed it is really very simple to understand when you strip back the detailed requirements of God to what underpins it all.
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
Prayer: Lord, open the eyes of our heart that we may see you clearly and praise you, and that we may see ourselves through your eyes and be thankful.
Our reading picks up a theme from Jesus’ preaching that is repeated over and over again in the Gospel According to Matthew. A theme that will help us navigate the time we now live in. Can you pick it?
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Jesus (Mt 7 NIV)
The house is you. It is where you live including our body. In life this ‘house’ can be a home filled with peace that brings blessing to others. But if this house is allowed to run down then you won’t have another one to move in to. Jesus continually warns people against poor decisions in life “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mt 16:26
Does Jesus tell us what will help us keep our house/self in good shape. He does. The one who “hears these words of mine and puts them into practice”. Jesus words bring about well-being in ourselves and in others. It is precisely in the difficult time of testing “the storm” that we must decide whether to live out the words of Jesus or abandon them in anxiety and panic.
We are in the midst of one of these storms right now. Will we be loving as Jesus commanded or look at everyone with the eyes of suspicion? It is right to cut ourselves off from all physical contact and to keep social distancing. If this is an act of love for the sake of others we maintain our house/self and our sense of integrity- of being true to ourselves and our God. If we do the same action merely out of fear and anxiety then we damage our house/self. Jesus’ words bring life and light into all our interactions in this strange environment we now live in. Trust in him
In a time of social distancing, I have never been so proud of our church as everyone has rallied together over the last week to make sure our church family will be cared for now and into the future. People are realising that we will still now to worship and receive spiritual encouragement even if worship services are closed. Pastoral carers are committing to maintain phone contact in the months ahead. We are going to work on livestreaming worship and developing online ways of meeting. In every case love has been the motivation. The “storm” is battering at the house but it will stand because of those who “hear these words of mine and puts them into practice”.
May your foundations go down deep into the “rock” Jesus Christ. May you find life in this strange time. May Christ keep your ‘house’/self a place of peace and blessing to others.
Prayer: Thank you God that we have your words to sustain us and to guide us. We pray for all those who struggle not just with social distancing but with social isolation. May you be present there. May you open our eyes and help us to be the voice and love of Christ where we can. Amen
(Look for more devotions on our website over the weeks ahead)