Refugee Sunday 2009

a verse or two

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me " Matthew 25:40

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Refugee Sunday 2009:

We’ve all heard people around us take stock of the global suffering and ask: “Where is God in the midst of this pain?”Certainly many refugees would be asking this question. Perhaps God is speaking a direct response to that question in Matthew chapter twenty-five? God's plan for justice, mercy and compassion is “just us”. It is us who are called to help feed the poor. It is us who are called to help heal the sick, to make time for the lonely, to show hospitality to the stranger, to advocate for the downtrodden. None of these things are always easy, it can get messy, it can be inconvenient, it might never end – but in serving the least of these we are serving Christ. 

To Pray and Ponder: The Refugee Prayer [by Faith Asylum Refuge] 

O Lord, 
  we, people of faith and people from various walks of life, 
  have known you through your various channels
as the One who provides 
  food for the hungry, clothes for the naked, 
  shelter for the unsheltered, home for the homeless, 
  freedom for the oppressed, respect for the unrespected 
  and dignity for the downtrodden.

We pray to you to give us the courage 
  to employ ourselves to be of help and support 
  to all refugees and asylum seekers who are suffering 
  because of terror and turmoil in various parts of the world

O Lord, 
  we pray to you that through your grace 
  we are encouraged to honour this commitment 
  which we share for the world.

Amen. 

God Bless, Jon

How deep the Father’s love for us

a verse or two

How deep the Father’s love for us 
How vast beyond all measure 
That He should give His only Son 
To make a wretch His treasure 

[verse one of the hymn by Stuart Townend]

Spiritual Walk and Musings: How Deep the Fathers Love for us.

The following quote by David G Benner articulates the profound depth of the Father’s love for us; it is from the book “Surrender to Love”.

“The Christian God is unlike any god humans could ever imagine. In fact, the Christian God operates in a manner so often unlike what we even want or are ready to receive that it is obvious that such a God is no mere projection of human imagination or desire. The great distinctive of the love of the Christian God is that there are no strings attached to it. God simply loves humans. He created us for a love relationship with himself, and nothing that we can do—or not do—changes the love he bears us.

The notion of God's loving us unconditionally is absolutely radical. As Philip Yancey has written, "The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, and Muslim code of law—each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional." The God Christians worship loves sinners, redeems failures, delights in second chances and fresh starts, and never tires of pursuing lost sheep, waiting for prodigal children, or rescuing those damaged by life and left on the sides of its paths.

The Christian God of grace stands in stark contrast to the vindictive, whimsical, threatening and often capricious gods of other religions. Only the Lord God unconditionally cherishes human beings....”

To Pray and Ponder: Praise to the Father for sending the Son.

David G. Benner makes the comment that “the good news of Christianity is something that we would have never discovered if Jesus had not come and shown us the character of God.” Never would we have gained understanding of God’s deep love for us if not for the sending of the Son. When on your own, perhaps walking along a beach or wherever—why not ponder the what-if if the Father had not sent the Son and then spend time thanking and praising the Father for sending the Son.

God Bless, Jon

Lord's Supper Prep

a verse or two

"¹Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord." 1Cor 11:27

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Partaking of the Supper Unworthily.

Next week we gather and partake in Holy Communion. Today we ponder at the betrayal of Christ with encouragement that even with our own individual or collective acts of betrayal of Christ (sin in our lives), we are nevertheless fully accepted by him. Christ still called Judas “friend” when he was being betrayed – the same applies to us. Christ calls each of us “friend”. Therefore it seems to me that we can partake in an act of reciprocal friendship with Christ if we spiritually prepare ourselves for Holy Communion next Sunday. 

As he calls us his friend, let us do as St. Paul said, “Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup…..if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged.” (1Cor 11:28-31). Knowing you are a friend of Christ, talk to him this week about your soul, making peace with him and with those others whom the still, small voice of the Spirit hints we ought to make peace with.

To Pray and Ponder: May the peace of Christ be with you.

The more I learn about Jesus, the more I marvel – even when I betray, his hands are extended and the words “friend” are on his lips and his peace flows through my being. The following prayer was written by Augustine (354 - 430).

“You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. 
You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. 
You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, 
and I pant for you. I tasted and now I hunger and thirst. 
You touched me, and now I burn with longing for your peace.” Amen

God Bless, Jon

By Murray

a verse or two:

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Acts 2:1-2

Spiritual Walk and Musings:

Tuhoe Isaac was once a notorious Mongrel Mob gang boss. In his book ‘True Red’, he tells of his journey from the brutal world of the gang to a meeting with and commitment to the living Christ. The person who counselled him then encouraged him to find a church where he could be nurtured in this new and very different life. Tuhoe confesses that he lasted but a short time in what now knows was a great church with really caring people. However, at the time, church (and church people) was such a foreign territory that he longed for and soon returned to the gang scene. How his story ends I leave unsaid. 

Tuhoe’s difficulty illustrates an important dilemma—that many who find the person of Jesus, and therefore his call, to be truly attractive find this same difficulty doing church with us. 

Last week Jon posed the question ‘Why is it that the so called “riff-raff "sought Jesus’ company and the so-called “respectable” shunned him, whereas today the opposite appears to be the case?’ Some good responses came from the congregation, but look at it this way: Tuhoe Isaac's story does tell us that Jesus’ appeal to the less- than - respectable is as real today as 2000 years ago, if only that appeal can be presented by us in clear and winning ways. Church may not be appealing, but Jesus remains so, which reminds me, he is never recorded as saying “come to the synagogue”, but he did often say “follow me”. 

Jon has earlier said that sitting in the mall with a coffee brings us in close proximity to untold numbers of passers by. To each a whispered blessing can be imparted “God loves you”, to which we can now add “and Jesus says ‘follow me’”. 

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer A prayer from Sri Lanka.

“Even as the water falls on dry tea leaves 
and brings out their flavour, 
so may your Spirit fall on us and renew us 
so that we may bring refreshment and joy to others.”
Amen