PLANTING CEDARS

PRAYER PAUSE  

Thursday 14 December 2017, St John of the Cross

PLANTING CEDARS

Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “In the wilderness I will put cedar trees, acacias, myrtles, olives. In the desert I will plant junipers.”  (Isaiah 41:13-20)

Reflection. Isaiah comes up with multiple images of hope, like today’s ones, with which to nourish our Advent journey. Here is another, this time from the Economist. Terry Laughlin, a swimmimg coach died in October. Star swimmers, he held, go through four stages. The first is unconscious incompetence when they can’t swim and they don’t know it. Then comes conscious incompetence when they know they can’t swim. The third is conscious competence when they can swim and they know it and finally unconscious competence. They no longer have to think what they are doing: they have achieved “communion with the water.” Not a bad image for the life of John of the Cross and of our own Advent hope.

Prayer. Lord, lead us along the way of hope, always reaching beyond our grasp.. Amen.

STRENGTH TO THE WEARY

PRAYER PAUSE  

Wednesday 13 December 2017, St Lucy

STRENGTH TO THE WEARY

Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “The Lord is an everlasting God, he created the boundaries of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming. He gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless.”  (Isaiah 40:23-41)

Reflection. Who is there who does not feel the weariness of life? If I am employed there are constant pressures. If I am unemployed there is constant worry. It is hard to meet someone who is always content, calm and at peace, though there are such people. Once more Isaiah lifts our thoughts in this Advent time and the accompanying reading from Matthew –“Come to me all you who labour and are over burdened” (11:28ff) – tells us that it is Jesus himself who consoles us. The people of the Congo and Syria, the migrants, those in prison for years without due trial and all who have waited years for redress from their burdens. We can, in this Advent, come to the hearth and the heart of God and “find rest”. And such coming is contagious and can help others to come too.  

Prayer. Lord, you are gentle and humble of heart. We come to you seeking rest for our souls. Amen.

GO IN SEARCH

PRAYER PAUSE  

Tuesday 12 December 2017

GO IN SEARCH

Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray?”  (Matt 18:12-14)

Reflection. In the recent events in Zimbabwe there was “only” one fatality. We rejoice in the peaceful change yet still, one death is one too many. God is not interested in favourable statistics he cares for each one of us. And if we stray he “searches” for us – the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son where the father is on the look out for his son’s return. We live in a time that promotes individualism and self-reliance. But it is an age that is not very good at caring for the individual. Many, not exactly “drop out” which sounds as though they make the choice, but fall out. I met a man yesterday who has been a beggar all the time I’ve known him, that is, his whole life. He has tried and tried but he cannot cope. We live in a hard world. If you can’t make it, tough!  

Prayer. Lord, help us to be on the watch for those whom we can encourage. Give us hearts of compassion for those who find life so difficult. Amen.

LET THE WILDERNESS EXULT!

PRAYER PAUSE  (Connected again!)

Monday 11 December 2017

LET THE WILDERNESS EXULT!

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Let the wilderness and the dry lands exult, let the wasteland  rejoice and bloom!”  (Isaiah 33:1-10)

Reflection. In Advent we feast on the words of hope in Isaiah which are coupled with “signs” of fulfilment of his words from the gospels. Today they are from Luke 5:17-26.  “Let the dry lands exult!” We live the long dry season each year which has embedded in it our looking forward to the rains. We lived the long “37 years” which had embedded in it the hope which arrived and “bloomed” for a moment on 18 November past. We have lived frustrations and weariness in our own lives but Advent reminds us of the hope we have embedded in our faith. Can my own dry heart receive this message? This rain? Can I allow my own weakness to be my strength, as Paul tells us?  

Prayer. Lord, help us to receive the “rain” of your grace, your love. Help us to see our weakness as our strength. Amen.

I am away for some days. Back soon.

NOT OF THE DEAD, BUT OF THE LIVING

PRAYER PAUSE  

Sarurday 25 November 2017

NOT OF THE DEAD, BUT OF THE LIVING

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Now he is God, not of the dead , but of the living; for to him all are in fact alive.”  (Luke 20:27-40)

Reflection. In the accompanying reading, from 1 Maccabees 6, King Antiocus realises at the end of his life he got it all wrong. He was thinking on another level. In this gospel “some Sadducees” also get it all wrong in their trick questions about life after death. Jesus cuts through their useless posturing. To God “all men and women are alive” whether they are “dead” or not. That is a traditional belief anyway in this part of the world where we speak of the “living dead.” The difference Jesus makes is to embue these living dead “who are judged worthy of a place in the other world” with joy and peace in a way we cannot now imagine. All fear is over and the triumph of God in men and women is complete.

Prayer. Lord, help us to have your mind and to see with your eyes. Amen.

HE WEPT OVER IT

PRAYER PAUSE  

Thursday 23 November 2017

HE WEPT OVER IT

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he wept over it and said, “If you had only understood the message of peace.”  (Luke 19:41-44)

Reflection. God weeps over our follies and cannot save us from the consequences. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. Zimbabwe was “destroyed” by years of folly and neglect. And we know that in our own lives there are many things we have only slowly come to understand. Jesus wept over the city and Christians later built a small chapel to mark the spot. It is simply called Dominus Flevit, the Lord wept. God weeps over our sad world. But, like every mother who weeps for their children, he does not despair of us. There are always new moments – like in Zimbabwe this week- where we can begin again, and again and again. Seventy times seven. We will get there in the end. “All will be well.”  

Prayer. Lord, help us to be keenly aware. Help us not to miss our opportunity. Lord, that we may see! Amen.