Sunday, January 29, 2012

January 29nd 2012

There is a strong tendency in all of us to think of our faith as something rooted in the past. We read our Bible as it recounts the story of God’s interaction down the ages. We learn our Father the creator of the earth, progressed through each new stage and how every tree and plant produced seed so that it would renew itself. We also read the words of the Lord as he continually looked at what he made and said “It is good”.

Then God created human beings in his own image, male and female he created them. God is Love and therefore humans are too are created to love him. However, that love must be freely given. Thus God gave each one of us free will to love him. Alas down the ages, men and women have chosen not to love him but to ignore him and follow what entices them.

Over and over again, God has reached out to us through his faithful followers, a long line of prophets, priests, martyrs and humble followers. They were his living seed through whom he renewed his church. Are we living seeds or empty pots? We must renew ourselves and renew the church.

Finally God came into the world through his Son Jesus Christ. Through him and his death and resurrection we are renewed. By the power of his holy spirit, let us daily renew our lives in prayer and love, tuned to his will.

Let us be a people who are renewed and alive
Let us be a resurrection people



Sunday, January 22, 2012

January 22nd 2012

Do you ever feel inadequate?  Do you wish you were more beautiful, healthier or perhaps  you have a really grievous problem?  St. Paul would have understood how you feel. He  too had a grievous problem with which he had to deal.  He called it his “thorn in the  flesh”.  Down the centuries, we have speculated on what it might have been.  The fact that we have  never come up with an answer perhaps helps us to relate a little more with him.

As Christians, we all want to accomplish things for our God but we feel so inadequate, so lacking in  skills perhaps even suffering pain or physical restriction.  Paul received one simple answer.   “My  grace is sufficient for you”.  What does “grace” mean?  It is a short one syllable word which in the  dictionary includes a number of meanings including a person’s demeanour, the way to address an  archbishop or a duke to a grace and favour house.   The latter gets closer to the real meaning we are  looking for - either a house or apartment put at the disposal of worthy people by the Queen.   God’s  grace comes to us absolutely free too.  Our problem is do we know how to accept his free gift, his  grace.  We want to worthy be on our own.  God’s grace brings not only strength but love. Then we  have the job of not just basking in that grace but being enlightened by it so that we may move  forward in his name, not our own name.   “Whenever I am weak, then I am strong” St. Paul said it  himself (2 Corinthians 12: 10 b)

It seems that God deals with me by just dropping some project in my lap and saying “I am giving  this for you to do”.  When this happens in your life, pick up the project, nourish it, pray over it, and  strive for it.  God’s grace will up hold and nourish you in Jesus’ name.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

January 15th 2012

The actual day (January 6th), the Feast of The Epiphany when we celebrate the coming of the wise men, is over. I have duly taken down my Christmas decorations and we are launched in the season of Epiphany. We know so little about the Three Wise men but many traditions have grown up around them. We do not know their names or even that there were three of them, only that there were three gifts. It is very unlikely that they were kings but the term wise men, implies that they were scholars and men of great knowledge especially in the field of astronomy and mathematics.

What can we learn from them? First of all, there is their lifelong devotion to a task either given to them or chosen by them. When they discovered the star, they did not sit back and enjoy the accolade. They acted and immediately planned an expedition to follow the star they had discovered in the sky. Matthew tells us that the wise men came from Jerusalem from the east. We do not know exactly where they came from, possibly Babylon. In any case, they had to cross a big dessert or go north up the Euphrates valley and back south again. No doubt they were weary as they saw they were being led toward Jerusalem. They then took matters into their own hands and decided to present themselves at King Herod’s Court and seek direction there. That mistake caused the lives of many innocent children. The wise men stopped looking to the star which God had given them for direction. They thought they knew a better way.

Let us pray daily to keep our sights on the star. Many a wonderfully inspired project has been defeated because we looked for other direction that seemed easier. Sometimes we do need a change of course as the wise men did. The last we know of them, God redirects them in a dream and they ride off on a new course. The biggest legacy they have left us is the message that Jesus Christ came to be the Saviour of the whole world, not just the tribes of Israel.

These men from the east were guided to find Jesus, men; women have spread, west, south and north to proclaim him. God has given each of us our own star to follow, perhaps more than one.

First, we must find the babe in Bethlehem and take him into our hearts. Then we will go into our world with our story, that others may know and love him. I think it is possible that the wise men left home expecting to return in triumph having made a great discovery. Probably they returned humbler men but full of joy. May we know this joy too.



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

January 8th 2012

We are now a full week into the new Year. About now, we have jokes about resolutions being broken. Let us now put all that away and go closer to our loving father as our days and weeks come and go.

First of all, let us remember that if we feel we are trying to be nearer him, how much more is he trying to draw us into his arms. Each one of us needs to consider the things that cut us off. I could start by making suggestions, but we need to recognize our own weaknesses and consider how best we can eliminate or control them. God sent his son to reveal himself and show us the way. He also gave us holy scripture. Let us turn then and read how Jesus dealt with this temptation. Matthew 4: 1-11, Mark 1: 12, Luke 4: 1-12. Note how the angels comforted him. You can experience that joy too.

The other thing we need to do is recognize the gifts our Father has given us. Do we use them to his glory? Have we honed our skills that we may be useful leaders in his kingdom? A leader is not necessarily someone in authority but a person who reaches out and takes the hand of a brother or sister and guides them. Perhaps he or she just walks along giving love and support with the joy of companionship. It is possible you will become aware that a third person is walking with you.

In the New Year, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him”. Ephesians 1: 17