Amazing Thursday

In between times of meetings and travelling,  it is always wonderful to take time to pray.  A mini retreat.   A free mini retreat :)    Short prayers to thank God for the day.  Shorter prayers just before one goes into a meeting that one dosn't say something stupid.    I actually like waiting for the City bus.... as I wait,  I pray for family and friends and Church community.  If the bus is late,  then I start on praying for the people who live near the bus stop and the people driving by the bus stop.   A mini retreat during the day.  

Yesterday we heard the news that our Clerk of Session had died. In the Presbyterian Church,  the Clerk of Session is an Elder who is responsible not only for spiritual leadership but for keeping the minutes of all Session meetings.    Our Clerk of Session also had a huge passion for Missions.  She will be greatly missed here on earth but heaven is now rejoicing with her presence.    May God be with her and her family during this time.   May they know the comfort of the resurrection.


Devotional....

Prayer:  Almighty God and most Merciful Father,  we have erred and strayed from You ways.  We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.  We have offended You.  We have left undone those things which we ought to have done.  And we have done those things which we ought not to have done.  But You, O Lord,  have mercy upon us.  Grant us to return to You and remember that we live with You in glory.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer)

Read:  St. Matthew 6: 14 – 15

Forgiveness.   How often does the word “forgiveness” come up in the New Testament?

At least 2500 times.  Minimum.    So this is a really important word.  Yet we ignore this word of “forgiveness”.   And why do you suppose we ignore forgiveness?  We ignore forgiveness because it is hard work.  We ignore forgiveness because we have to look at our inward self and this is really hard work.    We ignore forgiveness  because we first have to acknowledge that we aren’t perfect people.        But what if we do not forgive?   Jesus is very specific in his teachings here.  Jesus says if we do not forgive others their sins (or our sins against others) then God will not forgive our sins.  This creates a broken relationship.      While Jesus died to give us eternal life and ultimately forgave all our sins,   we have a daily responsibility to say to God,  “I’m sorry”.   By confessing our shortcomings before God,  we heal the broken relationship between God and us.    And we truly have to mean that we are sorry for the things we’ve done.   Daily.    All because God loves us so much that God is willing to continually forgive us.  Phew!

Prayer:  Great God,  for the sin that we have committed in stubbornness or in error;
For the sin that we have committed in the evil meditations of the heart;
For the sin that we have committed by word of mouth;
For the sin that we have committed through abuse of power;
For the sin that we have committed by exploitation of neighbors;
For all these sins, O God of forgiveness, bear with us, pardon us, forgive us!

This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.   (prayer adapted from the High Holy Day of Yom Kippur)

Many blessings