CHILDREN OF GOD

PRAYER MOMENT (This may be the last for some days as I am not sure of the internet where I will be).

Tuesday 30 December 2013

 CHILDREN OF GOD

Pause. “Be silent; be still, before your God...”

Reading. “To those who accepted him he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:1-18)  

Reflection.  We end the year with the breath taking vision of the opening of John’s gospel. Where the synoptic writers get straight into detail of the temple and the stable John takes us back to “the beginning” of creation and beyond. As in the opening of the book of Genesis we are to imagine a void, a time when there was nothing. “All that came to be had life in him.” Not just human life but “power to become children of God”, that is to say, to share in the divine life. It is an awesome thought to end the year on and something on which to build our New Year. That young man, standing at the intersection selling juice cards, is also destined to share the life of God for ever, as are those people tricked and trafficked into migrating from Africa to Europe and Asia who end up in torture camps and squalor.

Prayer. Inspire us, your children, Lord, with your promise of the fullness of life as we enter a new year. Help us to see that we and all your people have this great destiny and help us to join hands in 2014 to make our society a place that reflects your image.Amen.

LOOKING FORWARD

PRAYER MOMENT

Monday 30 December 2013

 LOOKING FORWARD

Pause. “Be silent, be still, alone, empty before your God...”

Reading. “Anna came into the temple just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-40)  

Reflection.  Anna makes a brief appearance in Luke’s gospel like the widow of Nain. But unlike the widow she is given a lengthy introduction to establish her in the tradition of Israel as one who “looked forward.” The text says she looked for “the deliverance of Jerusalem” where the great city is a biblical focus for all human longing. A new year is always exciting – for a moment. Then we settle down to what goes for normal life. But it is a moment when the person of faith can come in touch with his or her deepest longing, when they can look forward to “deliverance” as a woman looks forward to the birth of her child. It may be a personal deliverance or a national one or even a global one, Straining forward in hope is what makes us human.   

Prayer. Lord, as we approach a new year, fill us with hope in your promises. As we rejoice in the birth of your Son as one of us give us the confidence to know what it means that he is with us. Amen.

HEROD KILLS CHILDREN

PRAYER MOMENT

Saturday 28 December 2013

 HEROD KILLS CHILDREN

Pause. “Be silent, be still, alone, empty before your God...”

Reading. “Rachel was weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they were no more.” (Matt 2:13-18)  

Reflection.  The Assyria invasions in the time of Jeremiah ravaged the country and children were massacred. Now, at the time of Jesus’ birth, a Jewish leader massacres children in an attempt to do away with Jesus who he sees as a threat. Innocent children dying and mothers weeping is something repeated in every war, famine, epidemic (HIV/AIDS) or flood. In every age children bear the weight of the decisions of adults. Their lives are frustrated or ruined before they can even begin. “Let the children come to me for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matt19:13) Jesus sets in sharp contrast the indifference of “the world” and the way God sees things.

Prayer. Father, we pray to join with Rachel in lamenting the suffering of our world, especially the suffering of the innocent and the weak. May we see the world through the eyes of children – full of hope and longing! Amen.

HE SAW AND HE BELIEVED

PRAYER MOMENT

Friday 27 December 2013

 HE SAW AND HE BELIEVED

Pause. “Be silent, be still, alone, empty before your God. Say nothing, ask nothing. Be silent. Be still, just wanting him with your whole being. Let his face shine on you – that is all.”

Reading. “(They) saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head … (John) saw and he believed.” (John 20:2-8)  

Reflection.  In the twelve days of Christmas (up to the Epiphany) we are given a whirl of bible texts. Today, the feast of St John, we have a post resurrection scene where John and Peter enter the tomb and see no body but just the cloths in which Jesus’ body was wrapped. We are told it was enough to lead John to belief. In a companion passage, from John’s letters (1 John 1:1-4) we read “we have seen with our own eyes … we have touched … the Word, who is life..” The disciples had an experience of Jesus while he was with them and, in John’s case, that was enough to arouse faith when they did not see him. We live our life without “seeing and touching” Jesus, but we believe.

Prayer. Father, as we celebrate these days of revelation when your Son came among us in the flesh, help us to have a deep faith and joy in his presence with us now, even when we do not see and touch him.. Amen.

FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

PRAYER MOMENT

Thursday 26 December 2013

 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Pause. “Be silent, be still, alone, empty before your God. Say nothing, ask nothing. Be silent. Be still, just wanting him with your whole being. Let his face shine on you – that is all.”

Reading. “Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59)  

Reflection.  It is perhaps puzzling why we move so rapidly from Christmas mode into the post resurrection life of the early church and the story of Stephen’s acts and death. I have not come across an explanation as to why we have Stephen on 26 December. I suspect it was an accident but we can make the most of it! The birth of Jesus is immediately followed by the birth of the early church. The tense days around the events in Bethlehem are mirrored by the tense days in the early Jerusalem community.  The power of the Spirit overshadowing Mary is paralleled by the pouring out of the Spirit on the early Church and particularly in the witness of Stephen to his adversaries. And this is coupled by the words Stephen says as he dies which are virtually the same as Jesus uttered as he was dying.

Prayer. Lord, as we relish the days of Christmas we recall how your birth led to the birth of the church and our new birth. We rejoice in your coming to us and all that it means for us. Amen.

HE HAS VISITED HIS PEOPLE

HE HAS VISITED HIS PEOPLE

Christmas is like struggling through a thick forest and coming to a clearing and being able to look up to the sky and knowing where you are. It is a space we create each year where we pause in the midst of the bustle of life and take an eternal view of our surroundings. If we call ourselves disciples of Jesus it means we, at least, stop for a moment and reflect on the event that we remember these days of Christmas. And I believe we, in some way, represent the many people who do not think deeply about this event. We do it for them and somehow bring them along with us to Bethlehem.

It is a long story. A man called Bill Bryson wrote a book some years ago called A Short History of Nearly Everything and in it he spells out for us in simple language the astronomical dimensions of time and space which make up the preparation for the arrival of humans. We now know that the bible story took billions of years to reach that point where God “visited his people” in “Bethlehem of Judea.” He acted “when the times had run their course” (Eph 1:9) and came to “bless us whom he had chosen before the world was made.” (ibid). And Jesus himself told his disciples , “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear and never heard it” (Luke 10:23). And the people had a sense of this as when they reacted to the raising of the son of the widow of Nain: “A great prophet has risen among us; God has visited his people” (Luke 7:17).

This “visit” of God, this “living among us” (John 1:14) changed everything- not in a dramatic way like the French Revolution or the world wars of the twentieth century or the end of colonialism in Africa. It changed things as leaven changes flour or as a seed growing. Jesus rejected all forms of force and compulsion. He wanted then, and he wants now, people to grow. But they must grow organically, naturally – each according to his or her gifts and abilities. God is completely respectful of human rhythm. He is prepared to wait.

So there was a long time of preparation, a short time of his presence among us and now we live in “our time, the final days.” (Heb. 1:2). This is the time of growth, and just as the dry season and the wet season come round every year, so does Christmas. We cannot celebrate it once and for all. We have to keep coming back to it and pray, with Cardinal Newman, that “each Christmas, as it comes, may find us more and more like him, who at this time became a little Child for our sake: more simple-minded, more humble, more affectionate, more resigned, more happy, more full of God.”   

“More full of God!” This “third” age, these “final days” is the time for us to become “full of God.” Our Baptism is the beginning: it is when the seed is sown or the leaven enters the flour. But a lot has to happen later and this is our life. The Christian, the disciple of Jesus, describes his or her life as a time when they become “full of God” through their spontaneous or deliberate responses.

It is amazing how the story shifts suddenly. We have Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. But as soon as this is described we move to the shepherds who were close by and to whom an angel appears and tells them the news. We are told they were terrified – everyone in the New Testament, even Mary, is “disturbed” or afraid of the Good News. I do not know how many times the words, “do not be afraid,” appear.

So, as soon as the Good News happens it is announced – and people respond. The shepherds were the first and all of us come later. This Christmas, as with every Christmas but always in a new way, we are invited to respond. This may disturb us, even frighten us, but the gospel is clear that the message is one of joy. We come to the manger with our own particular reasons for being joyful and grateful as well as our own particular concerns and anxieties and we place them there with the gifts of the wise men from the east.

On this Christmas Day we can leave the manger with a new dose of hope for the days ahead into 2014. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:2). We leave the manger with great hope that that light will shine on us. I leave you with a word from the poet Seamus Heaney written in the dark days of “the troubles” in Northern Ireland (1969-98):        

“Human beings suffer,
They torture one another,
They get hurt and get hard.
No poem or play or song
Can fully right a wrong
Inflicted and endured.

The innocent in gaols
Beat on their bars together.
A hunger-striker's father
Stands in the graveyard dumb.
The police widow in veils
Faints at the funeral home.

History says, don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.

“Hope and history rhyme.” There comes a moment – a tidal wave - when the hopes of people actually become real history: hope is fulfilled.

Christmas 2013.

THE REFINER’S FIRE

PRAYER MOMENT

Monday 23 December 2013

 THE REFINER’S FIRE

Pause. Be in the presence of the Lord.

Reading. “Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s alkali.” (Malachy 3:1-4, 23-24)  

Reflection.  We saw yesterday how Joseph was troubled by his experience and had to struggle to become “obedient by faith.” He came to accept and welcome God’s will. This can be demanding for us and Malachy calls it a “refiner’s fire”. He will “purify” his people “and refine them like gold and silver.” Today’s passage from Luke describes the birth of John the Baptist and he was to be the refiner of Israel. As we celebrate the coming of the Messiah we are called to welcome, like Joseph, the purifying that God longs to do in us that we may become his gold.

Prayer. Lord, we pray that we may welcome your presence in our lives and see our challenges as ways in which we are refined and purified that we may turn our hearts towards you. Amen.

Joseph

Joseph

In the week before Christmas there are various people who make an entrance onto the stage, do their bit and then pass off. John the Baptist is one, Zechariah and Elizabeth are two others and then there is Joseph. He plays a key role for a moment and then we never meet him again.

For Luke, Mary dominates the infancy story. But for Matthew it is Joseph. In the account we have there are echoes of the other Joseph, the favourite of his father Jacob, who gave him a coat of many colours. This Joseph also had dreams and also went down to Egypt. These echoes are used by Matthew to link the history of Israel with the coming of Jesus and show how Jesus is the fulfilment of the promises of God.

The first Joseph went through many trials – rejected by his brothers, betrayed to foreigners, imprisoned by Pharaoh, but in the end he “saves” his family. The second Joseph – through his “obedience of faith” (Romans) - opens the way for Jesus to come into our world. He too would be rejected, betrayed and condemned. But he would save not just his “brothers” and sisters of Israel but the whole human family.

……..

So we look at Joseph for a moment. Something happens in his life which causes him great pain and anxiety. What is he to do? Being a “man of honour” he wants to cause as little fuss as possible. He doesn’t want to embarrass Mary but at the same time he has to act.

At this point he has a dream in which he is addressed as “son of David”. This in itself is a loaded title as it prepares us to understand that Jesus will be born into the family of David, giving him a particular human identity. Joseph’s immediate acceptance of the message opens the way for what we call Christmas, the birth of the child Jesus into a human family.

…..

I have mentioned that Joseph’s “obedience of faith.” This is the quality that enabled him to accept his unusual role. He doesn’t know what is going on. But he accepts in anyway.

Paul introduces the phrase at the beginning of his letter to the Romans – the second reading today – and at the end. He has come to “preach the obedience of faith.” The word (obedience) enters our life early – at home, at school. And if we go into the army or indeed any form of employment we are expected to “obey” the rules and ways of the organisation. This type of obedience – to a greater or lesser degree – is enforced. If you don’t obey there are consequences. Perhaps we can call it the “obedience of fear.”

But there is no “force” behind the obedience of faith. It is not an “outward” conformity to some set of rules or procedures. It is an inward attitude of mind and heart. If my husband or wife, or someone close to me, becomes seriously ill, I have a choice. Obviously it will be a time of great pain and anxiety but, at the deepest level, do I fight it and say, “Why me? God is unfair.” Or do I try to accept this new reality and say, “this is now my life.”

Sometimes people give up on their faith because something happens and they blame God for it. There is much concern in the Church at the moment about the way we treat divorced people. Even though the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is an older Church than ours, allows divorced people to marry again, we, in the Western tradition, do not. And we may all know people who say, “well, if that is how it is, count me out.”  Their disappointment with the Church leads them to abandon their faith. “Obedience of Faith” on the other hand doesn’t change their status as divorced people – and they may or may not find themselves in a new marriage – but it does preserve their relationship with God.

The phrase, obedience of faith, means basically that I trust in God even though I do not understand. That is what the first Joseph did and that is what the second one did too. We live in a rational age where we want answers to everything instantly. Well, as we know, there aren’t immediate answers to everything. It is part of our human experience not to always see – what Newman called – the “distant shore.” For him one step was enough. The rest was a matter of trust and faith.   

22 December 2013                  Sunday 4 in Advent 1

Isaiah 7:10-14                         Romans 1:1-7                          Matthew 1:18-25

BLESSED IS SHE WHO BELIEVED

PRAYER MOMENT

Saturday 21 December 2013

 BLESSED IS SHE WHO BELIEVED

Pause. Be with Mary and Elizabethin the presence of the Lord.

Reading. “Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:39-45)  

Reflection.  We call it the “Visitation” which is a matter of fact sort of description. But the event itself was charged with energy and happiness. Mary sets out “as quickly as she could” to share her news with her cousin, Elizabeth, who is overwhelmed by her visit and catches the mood of expectation and joy. “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” And then her third blessing: “Blessed is she who believed the promise of the Lord,” which is the basis of the other two. It is not hard to imagine these two women being beyond words to express what they felt. No wonder it took them “three months” to do it!

Prayer. Lord, help us to share in the joy and expectation of Mary and Elizabeth as we approach the celebration of the great event that changed everything. Teach us to be moulded by that event into a new creations. Amen.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT

PRAYER MOMENT

Friday 20 December 2013

 AN ANNOUNCEMENT

Pause. Be with Mary in the presence of the messenger of God..

Reading. “You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus..” (Luke1:26-38)  

Reflection.  We are in wonder at how God does things. In a corner of an unmarked village in a remote province of a vast empire a messenger comes to a young woman called Mary. In a short greeting he tells her she is to be the mother of one who would change history forever. He would fulfil the longings of people everywhere and in all ages. She could not take all the implications in there and then but she would ponder it all her life. Meanwhile she understood the essentials and gave her whole hearted assent to the invitation she received. “And the angel left her.” He left her to live out her life each day in the joyful hope that God would act. And we too are “left” to go on our journey with great joy and hope that our God is indeed at work in our world today.

Prayer. Lord, with joy we approach the days of Christmas, filled with hope and thanks because you are at work amongst us and in my own life. Amen.

UNEXPECTED BIRTHS

PRAYER MOMENT

Thursday 19 December 2013

 UNEXPECTED BIRTHS

Pause. You are in the presence of God..

Reading. “Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you are to call him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth.” (Luke1:5-25)  

Reflection.  In speaking of the resurrection Paul describes the Lord’s appearance to him as to one who was “born when no one expected it” (1 Cor 15:8). He was speaking of his conversion but the same intervention of God lies behind the descriptions of births to women who were “barren and getting on in years.” Today this motif is played out in the birth of Samson to the wife of Manoah (Judges 13) and John the Baptist to Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah. Samson will “begin to rescue Israel” with the jawbone of an ass (15:15) with which he slaughtered the Philistines but John will rescue Israel with his own jaw, his words preparing the way of the Messiah.

Prayer. Lord, may your Spirit open our minds to see how you draw us by your presence in our lives, how you rescue us from our fears and lead us into ways that open doors for us and for others.  Amen.

THE DAYS ARE COMING

PRAYER MOMENT

Wednesday 18 December 2013

 THE DAYS ARE COMING

Pause. Be still in the presence of God..

Reading. “See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David.” (Jer. 23:5-8)

Reflection.  Jeremiah wrote when Jerusalem was under threat from invasion and destruction and yet he gives this message of hope. In the gospel for today (Matt1:18-24) Joseph is filled with anxiety as he sees Mary is pregnant. He too receives a message of assurance and hope. And this is our inheritance too. We are surrounded by anxieties on a personal and a global level. Yet our life is laced through with an underlying hope in our God who works together with us to bring about his reign, the fulfilment of all. This may sound rather up in the air but each of us is assured of a breakthrough in our own lives and all of us as God’s  people will see this too on a global scale.

Prayer. Lord, in this week we receive messages of hope and assurance. Help us to translate them into our own situation that we may live each day with solid trust in you.  Amen.

SON OF ABRAHAM

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 17 December 2013

 SON OF ABRAHAM

Pause. Enter into stillness in the presence of God..

Reading. “A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.” (Matt 1:1-17)

Reflection. Today we begin the final countdown to Christmas with a description of the ancestors of Jesus. The aim is to situate Jesus in the heart of his people, the Jews. God came and “lived among us” (John 1:14) as a member of a particular people in a particular place at a particular time. That is the “incarnation”, the taking flesh as one of us. He used a particular language and gestures. He learnt particular traditions and was part of a particular social and economic set-up. In this way he assumed his place in human history where all these particularities apply to every human being. Embedded in this way he was “completely like his brothers” (Heb 2:17) and could “go ahead of them” (John 10:4) in every human experience and show how it was possible overcome every challenge even if it meant death to do so.   

Prayer. Lord, we are overwhelmed when we think that you became one of us and experienced everything as we do. Help us to become one with you and meet all the challenges of life as you did.  Amen.

A DOG IN THE MANGER

PRAYER MOMENT

Monday 16 December 2013

 A DOG IN THE MANGER

Pause. Be still in the presence of God..

Reading. “What authority have you for acting like this?” (Matt 21:23-27)

Reflection. The Jewish leaders ask this question of Jesus not because they are interested in his answer but because it is a ploy to trap him. The chief priests and the elders consistently appear as people interested in their own power and position and unwilling to listen to the message of Jesus with an open mind and heart. They were like the proverbial dog in the manger which enjoys the soft hay to lie on but cannot eat the hay and will not allow the ox, which wants to eat it, to come near. Woe to those in authority who do not use their position to grow in the spirit themselves and block the way for others who wish to do so.

Prayer. Lord Jesus, bless our teachers, our leaders, all those in authority and help us all to open doors to others so that we grow in your way with and through them. Lead us all, as your people, to the fullness you promise.  Amen.

The passing of Mandela

The passing of Mandela

What qualities define a great leader? The ability to inspire others? Or the ability to get things done? The easy answer is “both.” But if I had to make a choice it would be someone who inspires others. The rest will follow. Churchill single-handedly changed the course of a world war through his words. Ghandi was an inspiration to a sub-continent and has been invoked in every continent since. And then there is Nelson Mandela. The days following his death have seen unceasing coverage of his story. It is as though people cannot have enough of it. They want to soak in every detail of his “long road.” Among the multitude of reflections three stand out for me.

In his early years his embrace of the struggle probably did not differ much from that of many other fighters for freedom in Africa. But what is astonishing about Mandela was the focus he had over those long years on Robben Island and beyond. It is clear that every day, in his mental attitude and the physical regime he adopted for himself, he was preparing for the future –despite the fact that he was serving a life sentence! This practical belief in the unbelievable has to stand as one of his greatest qualities.

Then there was the time after his release when he could easily have waited for political office to be handed to him on a plate as part of some sort of inevitable process. But as the media has been reminding us over these days, there was nothing inevitable about those tense years 1990-94. I think I heard correctly that there were more deaths in those few years than in all the preceding years of the struggle. He took a firm and principled stand against would-be destroyers of the people’s hopes whether white or black. Violence on many sides, and especially the death of Chris Hani, eventually focused minds and led to the agreement to hold elections in 1994.

But even then he could not sit back and “enjoy the fruits.” Winning a landslide in an election does not necessarily bring reconciliation and peace and the media has made much, over the past few days, of his grasp of sport as the great reconciler. The film Invictus claims that he had to use all his authority to persuade people not only to accept the hated brand, Springbok, but to use it as a rallying cry to unite a nation.

People have used the word “miracle” over the past few days and rightly so. South Africa is a miracle. In the 1970s and ‘80s how many of us dreamt of such a relatively peaceful change? It still fills us with astonishment and gratitude. It would not be right to claim that it all came down to one man but there are few who would not agree that one lion-hearted man played a crucial role and his inspiration will live on for his country, his continent and the world. 

15 December 2013                  Advent Sunday 3A                 Isaiah 35:1-6,10      James 5:7-10           Matt 11:2-11             

THEY DID NOT RECOGNISE HIM

PRAYER MOMENT

(There is no electricity so this may not go)

Saturday 14 December 2013

THEY DID NOT RECOGNISE HIM

Pause. Be in the presence of God..

Reading. “I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased.” (Matt 17:10-13)

Reflection. Sometimes we don’t recognise people we have not seen for some time. We struggle to remember their name and recall the context in which we knew them. But it can be more serious if we fail to recognise someone who could change our life. We think, if only I knew who he/she was! When Jesus stood before Pilate the governor had no idea who he was. If he had things would have been different. When the Samaritan woman stood before Jesus at the well he was filled with compassion. As a Jew and as a man he “should “ have acted differently. But in fact he went out to her and revealed to her her worth and her beauty. 

Prayer. Lord Jesus, teach us to see each person as you see them; to welcome each one we meet and show them respect and compassion; and also to receive from them what they offer. Amen.

YOU WOULDN’T DANCE

PRAYER MOMENT

Friday 13 December 2013

YOU WOULDN’T DANCE

Pause. Come into the presence of God..

Reading. “We played pipes for you and you wouldn’t dance.” (Matt 11:16-19)

Reflection. I saw some people pushing a car that would not start yesterday and I thought should I stop and help them. When Jesus evokes a picture of children playing in the market place as a description of “this generation” he is pointing to the freedom we have to either accept or reject the reign of God. “We played pipes and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges and you wouldn’t mourn.” God has acted in history by sending his Son but people have taken no notice and carried on with their normal life. We are called to lend our weight to the great work of getting that car going, getting the wold going, joining with others to welcome and kick start the blossoming of the kingdom in our society.   

Prayer. Lord Jesus, help us to welcome the signs of your presence in our midst, the ways you work with people to inspire them to push for justice and not self-interest. Bless all those everywhere who are trying to dance the dance of your kingdom. Amen.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

PRAYER MOMENT

Thursday 12 December 2013

JOHN THE BAPTIST

Pause. Be still in the presence of God..

Reading. “Of all the children born of women a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen.” (Matt 11:11-15)

Reflection. It seems that normally in the second week of Advent John the Baptist makes his appearance. In John’s gospel it is more to introduce Jesus but in Matthew and Luke he has a fierce message of. his own: “you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming retribution? … even now the axe is being laid to the trees …” John speaks of imminent judgement. God’s reign is about to be proclaimed and he will sift the wheat from the chaff. For John this was about to happen. For Jesus “the end is not so soon.” People would be given to time to change their way of thinking and accept the gospel. Yet it is good for us to accept the dose of urgency that John gives us, It is so easy to relax. But our times are urgent and full of danger,  

Prayer. Lord, teach us to have that alertness and sense of urgency that John the Baptist gives us. We cannot rest while your reign is still only accepted in a confused way. Amen.

FINDING REST

PRAYER MOMENT

Wednesday 11 December 2013

FINDING REST

Pause. Be still in God’s presence.

Reading. “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:28-30)

Reflection. The use of anti-depressant drugs has soared in the past decade in Iceland, Canada, the United States and China and in a number of other rich countries. People seek relief from stress in a way that can be ultimately harmful when used to excess. They find it difficult to find balance and harmony in their lives and often do not call on resources deep in their spirit that can help them. The great religions open this door and Jesus, who must have often experienced stress, instructs his disciples in a rhythm of life which can keep stress in its place. Humour, patience, a sense of proportion, prioritising our tasks and the Spirit of God in our hearts – all lead us in to this rest for out souls.

Prayer. Lord, teach us to rest in you in times of stress when we feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. Amen.

THE ONE WHO STRAYS

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 10 December 2013

THE ONE WHO STRAYS

Pause. Remember that you are in God’s presence.

Reading. “If he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all.” (Matt 18:12-14)

Reflection. The Advent message is God’s compassion for every person and all his creation. Our media speaks of so many thousands killed in a typhoon in the Philippines. But each of these people is known to God and each represents a human tragedy. There was news only yesterday of a man arrested, assaulted, imprisoned and a bribe extorted for taking a harmless photo. That too is known to God. It is not the ninety-nine that the Lord considers but each individual person with all his or her personal joys and sorrows, hopes and anxieties. The message of Advent is that we do not suffer alone or to no purpose. Everything, even tragedy, is alive with energy and pregnant with the promise of God’s reign.  

Prayer. Lord, in our daily struggles and hopes we turn to you, trusting that, even in our small way, we are part of the great story of the coming of your kingdom. Console those who suffer and see no hope.  Amen.

THE WOMAN

PRAYER MOMENT

Monday 9 December 2013

THE WOMAN

Pause. Call to mind that you are in God’s presence.

Reading. “I will make you enemies of each other; you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring” (Genesis 3:9-15)

Reflection. 8 December was a Sunday this year so the feast of the choice of Mary “before the world was made” (Eph. 1) is deferred to today. She was to be the woman who would “crush the head of the serpent”, “the enemy of our human nature.” But this “Second Eve” would not do it in a day or an hour, nor would she do it violently. She would do it so quietly the world would not notice. She would say her “yes” in her dwelling in Nazareth, such an insignificant town that it is not even mentioned in the lists of the towns of Galilee. This silent “yes” is taken up by her offspring in every age and place, all those who recognise her son as their brother and who put their hand to the plough to labour that the reign of God may come – not with noise and shouting – but like dewfall in April.  

  

Prayer. Lord, we thank you for the gift of Mary on this day of her Immaculate Conception, when we celebrate her “obedience of faith” and her fruitfulness as the Mother of all those who “yes” to you in their daily struggles and hopes.  Amen.

A tender shoot at risk

A tender shoot at risk

We are trying to find the African footballer of the year but if we were trying to find the prophet not just of the year but of the ages my vote would go to Isaiah. His words are bursting with promise and this week I am touched by his talk of shoots and roots. “A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots” (Is. 11:1). A shoot, as we know when the rains bless our fields, is that beautiful appearance of new life from the earth giving the promise of food and strength.

It is a beginning and it has to be nurtured through weeding and fertilising, fenced against animals and irrigated should the rains fail. Isaiah is not, of course, talking about farming but about God’s unfolding plan. Jesse was the father of David and David’s age was looked back to as a golden one when Israel was strong and free. But the Israel of David was a pale image for new Israel of God. Just as every person is called to reflect the image of God in whom they are made, so every human society is called to be “an image” of the perfect community God is building.

And Zimbabwe is no exception. Its destiny is to be a society where every man, woman and child, “to say nothing of the animals”(Jonah 4:11), enjoys a life of dignity, freedom, justice and peace. Every country is “groaning in labour pains” (Rom 8:22) to bring this about. The media batters us with stories from Egypt, Thailand and Ukraine to say nothing of Syria and the CAR. That little shoot is having a hard time bursting forth.

Reflecting on Zimbabwe’s story since the great turning point of 1955, one can see the “groaning” that has weighed us down for nearly sixty years. Our hopes have risen and been dashed so often that we are all just tired, listless and many have lost interest. Nothing in the papers or on the screen excites us anymore.

Yet we should not give in to this feeling of acedia. No country can avoid the backbreaking toil of forging a society that is at peace with itself. Some are further along the road than others. The battlefield is not in grand conferences and the clash of entrenched interests but in a multitude of little victories. Every time someone takes responsibility for their actions or holds another accountable they are sending out “ripples of hope” that can eventually sweep away everything that is false, febrile or feckless.

I heard recently of a minister in a foreign government who was asked by a radio interviewer on a morning show what he was going to do about misappropriated money, donated as aid, which was given by the country of the interviewer. “I did not know about it,” he said. “But, Minister, your ministry was responsible. Should you not resign?” “Resign? Why should I resign? I know nothing about it.” “But…” The interview went nowhere.

We are not alone in suffering a malaise of accountability. If there is just one thing I would hope for in 2014 it would be that the tender shoot of freedom, which we say we have, be given room to breathe, that its groaning be heard and that we stop saying, “it’s not my fault. I know nothing about it.”

8 December 2013                    Advent Sunday 2 A                 Isaiah 11:1-10         Romans 15:4-9        Matt 3:1-12

   

A TOUR THROUGH THE TOWNS

PRAYER MOMENT

Saturday 7 December 2013

A TOUR THROUGH THE TOWNS

Pause. Be in God’s presence.

Reading. “Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching and proclaiming the Good news of the kingdom.” (Matt 9:35- 10:1, 6-8)

Reflection.  The people looked “harassed and dejected,” Matthew tells us, “like sheep without a shepherd.” As the whole world mourns the death of Mandela and draws inspiration from him as a shepherd, we can reflect on how much a leader can do. He or she has huge influence for good or ill in our lives. We rejoice when we have good leaders but we also know that they are fragile and can go either way. The message of Advent is that we are not ultimately dependent on them, however good, or bad, they are. We have one “leader” who does not change. He is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” And his “policy” is always the same: to bring life, the reign of God, into the hearts and homes of people everywhere.   

  

Prayer. Lord, we thank you for the life and inspiration of Nelson Mandela. Teach us how to be shepherds in our own way, how to open doors, console those in pain, reconcile those in disputes and encourage each other on our journey.  Amen.

SIGNS OF THE MESSIAH

PRAYER MOMENT

Friday 6 December 2013

SIGNS OF THE MESSIAH

Pause. You are in God’s presence.

Reading. “Do you believe?” “We do.” And their sight returned. (Matt 9:27-31)

Reflection. In this first week of Advent we have signs of the arrival of the Messiah, the Christ, the one who was to come to. One was the opening of the eyes of two blind men. On the physical (medical) level it was wonderful to be able to see again. We can imagine what it would mean. But this was just the beginning. What Jesus really wants to show was the fullness of sight; the ability to really see what God was offering to all men and women. To see the trees, the mountains, the football and the videos, was one thing. To see the whole plan of God for his people and ultimately to see God himself was quite another.

  

Prayer. Lord, that I may see! That I may be able to see beyond the things my eyes present to me; to see the realm you are opening up. Amen.

BUILDING ON ROCK

PRAYER MOMENT

Thursday 5 December 2013

BUILDING ON ROCK

Pause. You are in the presence of God.

Reading. “He built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall.” (Matt 7:21, 24-27)

Reflection. Jesus came to proclaim the reign of God and he looked for a response. The perfect response was to believe in Him as the Son of God, the one who would wipe out all offence and lead men and women to the fullness of a share in the divine life. The belief he looked for was to be something solid and unshakeable, something that would withstand the storms of life, the disappointments and temptations that assail every person. He used the image of a rock, something that is so secure and when we see one we can safely say it has been there for millions of years. And he built his church on this rock. In fact he even called Simon by a new name, Peter, the Rock. This is the promise of Advent: a human response – to which we are all called – that can withstand any crisis.    

Prayer. Lord, I grew from an embryo and so did my faith. Strengthen it, Lord, through my daily responses to the events of life so that it may grow rock-like and withstand the pressures that come. Amen.

AS MUCH AS THEY WANTED

PRAYER MOMENT

Wednesday 4 December 2013

AS MUCH AS THEY WANTED

Pause.  Be in the presence of God.

Reading. “They all ate as much as they wanted and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.” (Matt 15:29-37)

Reflection. Early Advent is full of the promise of abundance. Everyone is cured. Everyone has their fill. These are signs of the Messianic age when the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was being fulfilled for Israel and through Israel there would be a superabundance for all the nations. None of us is without a deep yearning for a fulfilment that we know is beyond our reach now – despite what the advertisers tell us. We long for a solution to all that we know is incomplete in our lives, our relationships and in our society. Everything is transitory and already has the seeds of decay as soon as it is made. We sense that there must be a solution to all this chaos one day and we are right.   

Prayer. “May He support us all the day long till the shades lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done; then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging and a holy rest and peace at the last.” (John Henry Cardinal Newman).

HAPPY THE EYES THAT SEE WHAT YOU SEE

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 3 December 2013

HAPPY THE EYES THAT SEE WHAT YOU SEE

Pause.  Be still in the presence of God.

Reading. “Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see and never saw it; to hear what you hear and never heard it.” (Luke 10:21-24)

Reflection. On 3 December each year we keep the feast of Francis Xavier. Jesus walked the roads of Galilee and Judea but hardly ventured beyond the borders of Israel. Paul travelled the highways of the empire, reaching “Illyricum” (Croatia) and Rome. Xavier travelled the oceans of the world reaching India and Japan and died on the doorstep of China. Today the frontiers are no longer of road or sea but of the human heart and the shanty towns we have built across the earth. These are as difficult frontiers to cross as those our forebears faced because there is so much resistance to change. But the gospel message today is of rejoicing: change is breaking in for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.     

Prayer. Lord, we rejoice that the gospel message exploded across the earth through the generous hearts of people like Paul and Xavier. Help us in our time to cross the frontiers we face in our world that resists the message of change and conversion. Amen.

JESUS WAS ASTONISHED

PRAYER MOMENT

Monday 2 December 2013

JESUS WAS ASTONISHED

Pause.  Be still and enter into the presence of God within.

Reading. “When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him … I tell you that many will come from the east and the west to take their place with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 8:5-11)

Reflection. Advent kicks off with descriptions of the gentiles streaming to Jerusalem to take their place in the feast of the kingdom. Israel has opened the door to the nations though the welcome the patriarchs gave to the call of Yahweh. Now the time has come for all the nations “from the rising of the sun to its setting” to enter into the reign of God. The gospel captures the joyful astonishment of Jesus as he notices the faith of the Roman centurion and it is the note of joy with which we approach Advent. Jesus relishes the moment. The reign of God has come. The invitation is announced. All that remains is for “the nations” to realise it and take notice of what is offered. Advent is the time when we strain ourselves like an athlete to reach out to the promise.  

Prayer. Lord, we rejoice in this time of promise. With hearts full of gratitude we ask you to help us to reach out for the promise that you offer us. Amen.