YOU ARE THE MAN

PRAYER MOMENT  

Saturday 1 February 2014

YOU ARE THE MAN

Pause. Be still in the presence of the Lord.

Reading. Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man. So now the sword will never be far from you house.” (2 Samuel 12)

Reflection. This is the story of David’s crime of killing Uriah so as he can have Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife and how it catches up with him when the prophet Nathan confronts him. Nathan must have shaken in his boots before obeying the word of the Lord and going to tell the king of his offence. What would his leader do? Would he vent his anger of Nathan? David repents but this does not undo the harm to Uriah. David would have to live with his crime for the rest of his life but his repentance meant that he could begin again trusting in the compassion of God and we know that he became renowned as an ancestor of Jesus, Son of David.

Prayer. Lord, you can rebuild the most broken of people when they show a desire to change. Help us and our contemporaries not to harden our hearts when we commit evil but to turn to you in sorrow in the assurance of your compassion.  Amen.

OF ITS OWN ACCORD

PRAYER MOMENT  

Friday 31 January 2014

OF ITS OWN ACCORD

Pause. Be still in the presence of Jesus as he speaks to his disciples.

Reading. “Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear.” (Mark 4:26-34)  

Reflection. The farmer prepares the ground, sows the grain, waters and weeds it. But then he waits. The joy of the farmer is to come one morning to his field and see the growth which has happened “of its own accord.” A parent does everything for their child but then he or she has to just wait. There is an energy, a divine energy, at work and – after doing everything we can – we wait and accept what comes next. It is a joyful waiting for we know that “whatever happens it will be for the best.” These were the words of Sir Thomas Moe to his daughter Meg after he had done everything to defend himself and then he waited calmly and with an inner joy for his own death.

Prayer. Lord, teach us to do all we can in our circumstances and then let wait peacefully and with inner surrender for what happens. “It will be for the best” even if it does not look like it.  Amen.

MORE BESIDES

PRAYER MOMENT  

Thursday 30 January 2014

MORE BESIDES

Pause. Be still in the presence of Jesus at the lakeside with a large crowd gathered round.

Reading. “The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides.” (Mark 4:21-25)  

Reflection. Today we have two sayings of Jesus about openness and generosity. Generosity means giving without calculating. “To the one who asks for your shirt give your coat as well..  Give to anyone who asks you” (Matt 5:40). We know our tendency to calculate: if I give what will I get in return? The gospel message is to give without even thinking about “returns” because the gospel is opening up a new horizon: God’s reign is breaking in on the world and to be part of God’s own generosity is sufficient reward in itself. I leave any idea of “returns” to him. All I know is that the more I give, the more I can “touch the hem of his garment” (Mark 5:28) and that is enough.    

Prayer. Lord, teach us to be generous and to give without counting the cost, just as you did. Amen.

IMAGINE A SOWER

PRAYER MOMENT  

Wednesday 29 January 2014

IMAGINE A SOWER

Pause. Be in the presence of Jesus at the lakeside with a large crowd gathered round.

Reading. “Imagine a sower going out to sow.” (Mark 4:1-20)  

Reflection. The teaching story (parable) of the sower is a mirror in which we can see ourselves. We pay attention for a moment and then the good thought slips away and we lose it. We understand something for a moment and then something distracts us and we forget the good inspiration. We lay down plans for ourselves to do something really good but then other things, good things, often family matters, force us to drop our plans and the opportunity is lost. And them sometimes we get it right. We follow something through; we achieve something and there it is : something to be enjoyed by others and giving us much cause for gratitude to God.  

Prayer. Lord, you alert us though your parables. Let them touch us. Let them penetrate into our minds and hearts that we may know you better and follow your way. Amen.

STANDING OUTSIDE

PRAYER MOMENT  

Tuesday 28 January 2014

 STANDING OUTSIDE

Pause. Be in the presence of Jesus with his disciples inside the house.

Reading. “The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.” (Mark 3:31-35)  

Reflection. As we read Mark we keep in our mind his underlying purpose: to describe how Jesus announced the reign of God which was breaking into the world. One of the consequences of this was that God was gathering a new people who would embody the gospel in the world. This new family of God would take precedence over even normal human families such as Jesus himself was born into. Mark portrays this dramatically in saying twice that Mary and the brothers were “outside” while Jesus and his disciples, the new family of God, those “who do the will of God”, were inside. In the history of God’s people countless women and men have put the call of God before natural family ties.

Prayer. Lord, we thank you for the beautiful gift of family and family life. Help us treasure our families while at the same time may we know that sometimes the call of thegospel takes precedence, even over this most basic of all human groups.  Amen.

ANYTHING BUT THE TRUTH

PRAYER MOMENT  

Monday 27 January 2014

 ANYTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Pause. Be in the presence of God in a village in Galilee.

Reading. “It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.” (Mark 3:22-30)  

Reflection. “My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with facts.” These are the words put into the mouth of an obstinate person. He or she is unwilling to look at what is happening and change their mind. “The blind see, the lame walk, people with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear and the dead are raised to life” (Matt 11:4-5). But it all means nothing to those who have decided not to believe no matter what. They even accuse Jesus of casting out devils through the power of the devils. After pointing out the logical absurdity of their stand Jesus gives the most solemn warning in the gospels: “anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven: he is guilty of an eternal sin.”    

Prayer. We confess that, at times, we search for all sorts of excuses to avoid the truth, the facts before us. Give us the courage to accept the truth no matter what the consequences.  Amen.