Monday 3 December 2012

Monday - reconciliation and imagination

Prayer:   Great God,   as we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child,  remind us to open our eyes to the needs of our neighbours.   Help us to bring the reconciling love of Christ into our community and church and neighbourhood.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read  St. Luke  4: 31 – 37

And the people were impressed with Jesus’ teachings. The people stated that Jesus taught and preached with authority,  with forthrightness,  with confidence not as their usual Rabbis taught with quibbling and quoting.  
Lorna Dueck,  host of Context with Lorna Dueck,  stated on CBC’s The Current  (19 November 2012),  “…..that the biggest dilemma facing Canadians this day is  reconciliation and imagination.  How do the faith communities sit along side secular Canada and in the world where religion is growing larger than ever.   What does it mean to take the imagination and apply it to the faith teachings that have been so prevalent.  On Sunday there are 24000 places of worship in Canada.  We never ask or examine what came out of that time of worship.  What did you learn from worship that you will apply to today and tomorrow and to reconciliation.   Reconciliation is a need in this world and a huge issue of neighbourliness. ….”
We need to ask ourselves what we learned each week from the sermons we hear and how to apply the teachings of the sermon to our lives and ask God to help us reach out into the community and provide peace.    
The teachings of Jesus are not just in the old book called the Bible,  the teachings of Jesus inspire us to go out into our neighbourhood and provide peace.  During this time of Advent,  we remember that we are preparing the way for Jesus.  
Today,  ask ourselves what we learned this week from the sermon.   Today, think of three things that you are thankful for during this time of preparing the way for Jesus.

Prayer:   Heavenly Father,  we thank you for all the blessings You have given to us in our life.   Help us to share our blessings with those who need Your help this day.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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