Wednesday - Lent 5

Wow.  I am always so amazed at the generosity and hospitality of the Museum Volunteers. Yesterday I was sick at home.  During morning coffee break yesterday,  the Museum Volunteers called me and had all of us on speaker phone so I could hear what was being discussed about our upcoming Vimy Night on Saturday.  How neat!    At one point there was a huge garbled sound on the phone... then the Curator said, "Lorna,  you fell off the middle of the table so we have now put you on the end of the table!"   Heh heh heh.
Our Museum Vimy Night celebration is coming along quickly.    The major elements are all in place
but it is the minor things like remembering to pick up the stir sticks for coffee that keep me making "to do" lists!
How amazing that God does not need "to do" lists!

Devotional.....

Thank You Lord God Almighty  that You know how many hairs we have on our head.  You know us intimately and love us.  You provide life and eternal life for us.  We thank You that You are Our God and we are Your people.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read:  St. Matthew 10: 29 – 39

How much does God love you?   Even the hairs on your head are counted.  Wow!  How neat is that to know!  Even the hairs on your head are counted.     God loves us so much that even the smallest detail is known by God.  Wow!    That is so re-assuring.

When the disciples heard these words,  they must have been reassured that their journey to collect the Harvest would be with God surrounding them with His care and love. 

Jesus continues (in verse 34)  that Sharing the Good News (bringing in the Harvest)  will not be easy.  Not at all.  As the disciples have heard previously,  sharing the Good News is difficult… some will listen and ignore the Gospel.  Some will listen and try to take apart their belief,  point by point.   Some will listen and try to tell the disciples that their lifestyle is way better than the disciples lifestyle.      Sharing the Good News is not easy BUT it comes with eternal rewards in heaven.

Then Jesus comes to the pinnacle of some very important instructions,  “Anyone who does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”         The Message states: “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me.  If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself.  But if you forget about yourself and look to me,  you’ll find both yourself and me”.

 Give us strength O Lord to do what we have to do, and do not remember the sins we commit.  Save us Lord of all.   Strengthen us with Your presence;  give to us all the light of Your consoling presence.  Save us Lord of all.   Conform us to the truth of Your Word in faith, keep us obedient to the disciples teaching of the Gospel of our Saviour,  Jesus Christ.   Amen.  (Taize  “Praise in All Our Days”  Mowbray,  1981).  

Many blessings!