Liberation

Readings for Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:4-9, Philippians 2:5-115: 1-11 & Matthew 27:11-54

Tuesday 4th April

For those who follow Christ, liberation comes when Jesus’ presence ignites a freedom that we ill deserve, but is freely given.

Just recognising the physical, mental and spiritual journey that Jesus made; placing that journey alongside your own pathway and the sense of liberation is because Jesus has been there before you. God has this pure empathy.

Question: Who do I know that because of their faith, act as liberated and free. What in my life speaks to others of liberation, freedom because of Christ with me?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, speak to me, stay with me, liberate me, to do your will and to be a fellow child of God , free in your grace. Amen

 

Readings for 3rd Sunday in Lent

Exodus 17: 1-7, Romans 5: 1-11 & John 4: 5-42

Saturday 18th March

What happens to us when God breaks the rules? We are called as Christian people to model our behaviour on the behaviour of Christ. What a challenge! I wonder if an alien arrived in our parishes this Sunday, and was asked to imagine Jesus based on the behaviour of his present-day disciples, what conclusions that alien might draw?

Perhaps that the Jesus we follow was a nice comfortable chap who liked to sit in big buildings once a week? Perhaps that the Jesus we follow was a sensible, common sense sort, who would like to hope for the wonderful, but generally expects the slightly below par, with a small dose of cynicism and a bucket of pragmatism thrown in. But of course that is not the Jesus we try to follow. That Jesus would surely never have chosen the cross. But our Jesus did – chose the outrageous, dangerous, glorious expression of ultimate love – so   that our faith and love for God could transcend what we have  been told, what we have inherited. So that we might truly be  liberated to follow the Saviour of the world.

Question: How do our lives reflect the way Jesus lived?

 Prayer: Freedom-giving God, loose the chains of habit and culture that bind us to false religion. Set us free to follow the earth-changing ways of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Vigilance.

Friday 25 November

Jesus’ words at the end of this Sunday’s Gospel are a call to vigilance. Why? The Sunday prayer tells it plainly: “when he shall come …. we may rise to the   life immortal.”

Once more the theme of preparation for a superb hope is placed before us.

Vigilance is this awareness of Jesus – His birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection – and placing that awareness into a state where it effects our actions and relationships.

Make today one in which something you know of God helps you react or interact. Vigilance of God meaning we are vigilant for God in other.

Lord Jesus, make my vigilance for the freedom you offer spill over into the things that I do and for the people I meet today. May my awareness of your grace lead me in my present vigilance for and with you. Amen

Be Prepared!

Thursday 24 November

The scout motto, ‘Be Prepared’ is a wonderful focus for Advent.

The inference is that as a scout you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty. The idea is to “Be prepared in mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, & are willing to do it” and to “Be prepared in body by making yourself strong and active and able to know the right thing at the right moment, and do it.”

Next Sunday’s Gospel has Jesus saying, “Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24.36-44

In this season of preparation give us a sense of how to be ready, how to live in the new creation. Help us look to bring to fruition the dream of Jesus of our closeness to the Father bringing freedom and perfect readiness. Amen

Stay Together.

Tuesday 22 November

As a child, as a gang of  us headed off into the countryside around our village, we would have ringing in our ears the saying, “Go together, stay together, come back together!” Wise words to follow then and now.

Look at the Old Testament reading for next Sunday, you will find a striking and hopeful opening. There is a hope that, though the people have sinned, there might yet be a glorious future if people  remain faithful to the reforms made in the days of Hezekiah or Josiah. A simple return to walking close to God. the beautiful vision of Isaiah .

Jesus also spoke of the truth setting us free. His was the same call to prepare ourselves each and  every day by walking as close as he did to his Father.

Help us in preparing to celebrate God’s closeness this day. Grace us, as we make our hearts ready, placing our hope in you. Staying close to you our Heavenly Father through the same Jesus Christ. Amen