God’s Work

•January 22, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Don’t you just hate it when you’re forced to take sides – or at least someone tries to persuade you to?  Sometimes it is perfectly possible to see both sides of an argument.  Or if it is a choice between people, they may both be your friends, and you don’t want to have to choose.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18  (CEV)

Taking Sides

10 My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don’t take sides. Always try to agree in what you think. 11 Several people from Chloe’s family have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other. 12 They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Peter or Christ.

13 Has Christ been divided up? Was I nailed to a cross for you? Were you baptized in my name? 14 I thank God that I didn’t baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15 Not one of you can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 I did baptize the family of Stephanas, but I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else. 17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good news without using big words that would make the cross of Christ lose its power.

Christ Is God’s Power and Wisdom

18 The message about the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work.

We have already been introduced to the Corinthians.  Now that Paul has established the basis for what he wants to say, he turns to their difficulties, for much as there are blessings and good things happening, there are also problems arising.

Factions are appearing within the membership, arguments over who they follow.  Some are saying they follow Paul, some Apollos, others Peter, and some just that they follow Christ.  Paul is quite blunt with them – he doesn’t want any special glory or recognition.  He knows that salvation is not through him, so why are they arguing about such a thing?  We are perhaps used to reminiscences about previous Ministers, and different people having their favourites, but this is even more than that, it seems to be people placing their whole salvation in one of the leaders.

Paul wants to point right away from that.  He is not the rescuer.  He is the messenger.  God sent him to tell the good news, not to be the good news.  He points only to God – none of it is about him.  Why can’t the Corinthians see that and agree on it?

The same is true for us.  Whatever part we are called to play in God’s work, it remains his work, not ours.  Whoever is our Christian idol, however much they have helped us, it is still God’s work that they are doing, and our focus should be on him, not any human being.

Lord,
it can be so nice
to be flattered;
for people to tell me
how much I’ve helped them,
even shown you to them;
but help me
always to remember
that it is your work,
not mine.

May my life point to you
and not me,
in all I do

It’s All About You, It’s not about me

Posted in bible, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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God, My Night-Light

•January 21, 2014 • Leave a Comment

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When I am afraid in the dark,
you are my night-light,
the comforting,
re-assuring glow,
a presence
there,
with me.
With you there,
I know I am safe,
nothing will leap out of the shadows,
I can see if I need to move,
with your light,
I am not alone.

I ask
only one more thing,
‘Can I come into your house?’
To live in your presence,
your protection
day by day;
to be where you are,
ever close;
to be able to hide
in your protection.

Hear me O Lord,
I want to see your face,
to be ever near,
to talk to you,
to sing your praise.

You alone have kept me.
Don’t hide from me now,
don’t turn away,
don’t go;
you are the only one
who can help me,
please keep me safe.

Psalm 27:1  (CEV)

(By David.)

A Prayer of Praise

27 You, Lord, are the light
    that keeps me safe.
I am not afraid of anyone.
    You protect me,
    and I have no fears.

4 I ask only one thing, Lord:
Let me live in your house
    every day of my life
    to see how wonderful you are
    and to pray in your temple.

5 In times of trouble,
    you will protect me.
You will hide me in your tent
    and keep me safe
    on top of a mighty rock.
6 You will let me defeat
    all of my enemies.
Then I will celebrate,
    as I enter your tent
    with animal sacrifices
    and songs of praise.

7 Please listen when I pray!
    Have pity. Answer my prayer.
8 My heart tells me to pray.
I am eager to see your face,
9     so don’t hide from me.
I am your servant,
and you have helped me.
    Don’t turn from me in anger.
You alone keep me safe.
    Don’t reject or desert me.

God is My Light

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Light at the End of the Tunnel

•January 20, 2014 • 1 Comment

Apparently the third Monday in January is meant to be the most depressing day of the year, though I have heard mention of it a couple of weeks even earlier.  The theory is that the weather + debt + time since Christmas, combined with failure of new year resolutions all snowballs together with ‘that Monday morning feeling’ and it becomes too much.

There are many who don’t like Mondays and having to get back to routine after the freedom of the weekend, but there are many others for whom life is a much bigger struggle. For those suffer from depression, it is no joke, and life, not just today, can be one black cloud.  For others there is just nothing in their lives that brings any ray of hope.  People are living with hunger, injustice and pain.  There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

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It is into this though that God still promises that light WILL come.  One day.  The light is there, whether we can feel it or not.

 Isaiah 9:1-4  (CEV)

9 But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.

War Is Over

2 Those who walked in the dark
    have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
    of darkest shadows.
3 Our Lord, you have made
    your nation stronger.
Because of you, its people
    are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
    what they have taken.

4 You have broken the power
of those who abused
    and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
    from Midian.

There are those that subscribe to the belief of, ‘become a Christian and life will run smoothly’.  I am not one of those – but I do believe that God is there loving us, whether we can feel it or not; he is there holding us, long before we realise; he is holding everything together, when we cannot.  And the light will come.

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.  It shines on those who live even in the darkest shadows.   Power, pain and abuse will be broken by God – that is his promise.  And I believe that promise.  I believe it for I have found it to be true.  In the depths of the darkness, in the blanket of despair, the light of God is ready to shine.

Alexander P Kapp

Sometimes there is nothing else to hold on to…

 Lord
where there is pain
come;
where there is despair
come;
where there is injustice
come;
where there is hatred
come;
where there is darkness
come.

 Come,
bring your light
your spark
to places of deep darkness
and long shadow.

Bring light,
bring hope,
bring peace.

And this says it all

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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