Praying For Me

•May 15, 2015 • Leave a Comment

You pray for me Lord,
that blows my mind.
Someone with all the things
to deal with in the world,
takes time to pray for me.

And not just me,
for everyone.
For those left in the world,
your followers,
seeking to do your will
and go your way.

So if you love that much,
what is it that you pray for us?

You long for us to be one.
Not clones of each other,
but living and moving and working
together
as your body,
your people,
your presence.

Lord,
you know how difficult I find that.
I like my way,
my opinion;
I want to be the centre of attention,
for people to dance around me.

But that isn’t the way,
we need to stand with each other,
walk together,
helping each other along,
showing your way.

Thank you for giving yourself,
that this may be possible.
May I not be one to stand in the way.

John 17:6-19 (CEV)

6 You have given me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what you are like. They were yours, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed you. 7 They know that you gave me everything I have. 8 I told my followers what you told me, and they accepted it. They know that I came from you, and they believe that you are the one who sent me. 9 I am praying for them, but not for those who belong to this world. My followers belong to you, and I am praying for them. 10 All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine, and they will bring glory to me.

11 Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.

13 I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. 14 I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.

15 Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. 17 Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours.18 I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. 19 I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.

Posted in bible, community, faith, Jesus, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Comfort to Keep

•May 14, 2015 • 2 Comments

2015-05-14 07.53.02

A parent had to go away on business.

Something needed to be accomplished that couldn’t be done here, the main site had to be the place.  Neither was it appropriate for the rest of the family to go with them – there was a life to be carried on where they were.

The spouse was worried how they’d cope alone, shouldering all the responsibilities and work alone – but knew they would be able to talk on the phone, to mull things over together and seek advice.

But one of the children was not so easily convinced.  I’ll miss you, I need you; how will I even remember what you look like, sound like, smell like?

And so the parent left something behind.  A special teddy.  The child knew that it was the parent’s.  Battered, loved and very theirs – it even smelt of them.  It was a part of them, a present reminder of the parent who was somewhere else for a time, though very much still watching out for them and loving them – and a reminder of the promise that they would be back.  It reminded them that they were loved, and it made them just a little bit braver to carry on with what they had to do.  It gave them strength that they didn’t know they had – and was a sign of the promise that the parent was coming back.  They still felt bemused and bewildered at times, but they knew they were not abandoned.  They were loved and their parent was cheering for them – if from a different place.

Acts 1:6-11 (CEV)

Jesus Is Taken to Heaven

6 While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?”

7 Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. 8 But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” 9 After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him,10 but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky.

Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them.11 They said, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go.”

Posted in bible, faith, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Religion, theology
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Changing My Mind

•May 8, 2015 • Leave a Comment

I think I’m so clever.

That I know
what’s right
and what’s wrong;
what’s acceptable
and what’s not;
what’s good
and what’s bad.

I have such ideas,
fixed ideas,
safe ideas.

And yet,
perhaps Lord
you offer me a different way,
a less tied up way,
your way.

Maybe if I listened to you
life wouldn’t be so black and white,
so right or wrong.

Today
may I open myself up to you.

What you might be showing me,
where you might be leading me.

May I lay down
my presuppositions,
my prejudices,
the things I’ve long been told

and hear your voice,
calling me,
opening me up,
releasing me,
and seeing
the breadth
and depth
of your life;
and not lock anyone out.

Acts 11:1-18 (CEV)

Peter Reports to the Church in Jerusalem

11 The apostles and the followers in Judea heard that Gentiles had accepted God’s message. 2 So when Peter came to Jerusalem, some of the Jewish followers started arguing with him. They wanted Gentile followers to be circumcised, and 3 they said, “You stayed in the homes of Gentiles, and you even ate with them!”

4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened:

5 I was in the town of Joppa and was praying when I fell sound asleep and had a vision. I saw heaven open, and something like a huge sheet held by its four corners came down to me. 6 When I looked in it, I saw animals, wild beasts, snakes, and birds. 7 I heard a voice saying to me, “Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them.”

8 But I said, “Lord, I can’t do that! I’ve never taken a bite of anything that is unclean and not fit to eat.”

9 The voice from heaven spoke to me again, “When God says that something can be used for food, don’t say it isn’t fit to eat.” 10 This happened three times before it was all taken back into heaven.

11 Suddenly three men from Caesarea stood in front of the house where I was staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry. Then six of the Lord’s followers went with me to the home of a man 13 who told us that an angel had appeared to him. The angel had ordered him to send to Joppa for someone named Simon Peter. 14 Then Peter would tell him how he and everyone in his house could be saved.

15 After I started speaking, the Holy Spirit was given to them, just as the Spirit had been given to us at the beginning. 16 I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 17 God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So how could I have gone against God?

18 When they heard Peter say this, they stopped arguing and started praising God. They said, “God has now let Gentiles turn to him, and he has given life to them!”

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