Thankful

•September 11, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Do you ever worry that you have done something so bad that if anyone knew you would be rejected?  Something totally unforgivable?

Or perhaps you think you’re not too bad, you’ve never done anything too wrong, nothing to get worried about?

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Being Thankful for God’s Kindness

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord. He has given me the strength for my work because he knew that he could trust me. 13 I used to say terrible and insulting things about him, and I was cruel. But he had mercy on me because I didn’t know what I was doing, and I had not yet put my faith in him. 14 Christ Jesus our Lord was very kind to me. He has greatly blessed my life with faith and love just like his own.

15 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all! 16 But since I was worse than anyone else, God had mercy on me and let me be an example of the endless patience of Christ Jesus. He did this so that others would put their faith in Christ and have eternal life. 17 I pray that honor and glory will always be given to the only God, who lives forever and is the invisible and eternal King! Amen.

The lectionary reading this week move quite beautifully along.  From failing to acknowledge God and trying to replace him with something tangible, through acknowledging how far from God’s ways we have been – to now a realisation of how much we have to be thankful to him for.

In this reading there is a realisation, however awful we were, whatever we might have said and done, God, in Jesus shows kindness and understanding.  He knows where the writer was, and gets it.  There is no blame, no withholding of blessings or gifts – just kindness and blessing.

However far we wandered, Jesus came into the world for each one of us.  No one is too bad, or done the unforgivable.  God has endless patience, endless mercy – and he gives it, not just to Paul, but to you and I too.

If we think on that, how does it make us feel?

I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel relieved and grateful – and so I come in thanks to the God who understands me so much, and came into the word to save me from myself and the stupid things I do.

Lord,
I want to thank you
for your kindness,
your love,
your care,
your understanding.

Thank you for coming to save me,
and each and every one of us.

Thank you that nothing I have done is too much
for you to take,
takes me too far for you to reach me.

Thank you for reaching out to me
in mercy,
in love,
in kindness
and forgiveness.
Thank you for your patience with me.

I put my trust in you,
and pray that honour and glory
will go to you

Posted in bible, faith, God, Jesus, Lectionary, Religion, Thanksgiving, theology
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A Prayer For Forgiveness

•September 10, 2013 • Leave a Comment

By Trautner-kunst (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Psalm 51:1-10

(For the music leader. A psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba.)

A Prayer for Forgiveness

51 You are kind, God!
    Please have pity on me.
    You are always merciful!
    Please wipe away my sins.
2 Wash me clean from all
    of my sin and guilt.
3 I know about my sins,
    and I cannot forget
    my terrible guilt.
4 You are really the one
    I have sinned against;
    I have disobeyed you
    and have done wrong.
So it is right and fair for you
    to correct and punish me.

5 I have sinned and done wrong
    since the day I was born.
6 But you want complete honesty,
    so teach me true wisdom.
7 Wash me with hyssop
    until I am clean
    and whiter than snow.
8 Let me be happy and joyful!
    You crushed my bones,
    now let them celebrate.
9 Turn your eyes from my sin
    and cover my guilt.
10 Create pure thoughts in me
    and make me faithful again.

Forgiving By scem.info [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

This is an amazing prayer of awareness of all that is wrong in a life, and a crying out to God to be washed free.  What an awesome prayer to pray for each one of us.  Perhaps today, we can pray it slowly and take the time to reflect on our lives – that God may wash us clean and make us faithful again.

Posted in bible, faith, forgiveness, God, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Acting Like Fools

•September 9, 2013 • 2 Comments

Laughing Fool

Have you ever had a good deed thrown back in your face?

Something you have done that has gone unacknowledged, or someone else has tried to claim the deed for themselves?

Do you find that frustrating?  Annoying?  Rude?

Imagine how God must feel…

Exodus 32:7-14

7 The Lord said to Moses:

Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools. 8 They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt. 9 Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are, 10 and I’m angry enough to destroy them, so don’t try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation.

11 Moses tried to get the Lord God to change his mind:

Our Lord, you used your mighty power to bring these people out of Egypt. Now don’t become angry and destroy them. 12 If you do, the Egyptians will say that you brought your people out here into the mountains just to get rid of them. Please don’t be angry with your people. Don’t destroy them!

13 Remember the solemn promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised that someday they would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and that you would give them land.

14 So even though the Lord had threatened to destroy the people, he changed his mind and let them live.

After all God had done for the people, leading them out of Egypt – a place of slavery, and bringing them to Israel – a land of promise.  After all he had done, they still want an idol to worship.  They can’t focus and rely on him, they want something else.

After all God has done for me…

Is he the focus of my life?

Or do I act like a fool?

Do I want to replace him with something inconsequential?  An object of my adoration that is not real?  Or not worthy?

It’s easy to condemn the people for being so easily and quickly distracted and led astray – but am I any different?

Forgive me Lord
when I have made idols of the wrong things,
objects in my life that I have given undue importance,
idols I have built with my own hands,
times when I don’t acknowledge your place.

Lord,I give them to you,
sorry for what I have done,
I bring them to be smashed.

May you alone
be the object of my adoration
and worship

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