Daily Devotions

What our world needs more than anything during these times of conflict is to take on board what  Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer quietens anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.”

Often, when dealing with issues we have with others, the main difficulty is not actually the situations we are facing, but the way in which we deal with such circumstances. It’s possible to be right and wrong at the same time, right about the problem and wrong about the way in which we are approaching the person about the difficulty between us.

While we all know we are supposed to be gentle, it sometimes can be hard to picture what it actually means to deal with someone in a gentle way? In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft and virtually spineless. Not so! Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere. Gentleness has the capability of emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves. It exhibits tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity.

On every flight that frequent fliers take, they hear the words from the flight attendant: “In an emergency, please make sure your oxygen mask is in place before assisting your child with their mask.”

Have you ever wondered why this instruction is given? Because if we can’t breathe, we can’t help our child, and before you know it, neither of you is breathing. If we cannot control our anger or other emotions, we certainly can’t expect our others to be self-controlled. Throughout the Bible, it is assumed that anger is a part of life, and that there is an appropriate response to it. It is very rare, however, that anger or aggression is a correct response.

Paul to the Galatians 5:22-23 writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Lord, we would grow with you

and bring forth fruit

that is pleasing to you

fed by your living water

giving sustenance to others

Lord, we would grow with you. Amen

Daily Devotions

Remembrance is a bittersweet act, especially on this day as we recall the horror of war and loss. Remembrance is also an act of empathy. It asks us to think outside ourselves, even for a moment. It asks us to see ourselves, our human condition, for what it is. And yet, it is also an act of hope. For every traditional act of remembrance, for every act of Communion and for every two-minute silence on Armistice Day, we recall the promises and previous actions of a loving God and our bright hope for tomorrow.  

Is it comfortable to remember persecution, rebellion and pain? Possibly not. But it does remind us that, in spite of our fears and our failures, God always keeps his word.

Just for a minute consider the act of not remembering. What would happen if you didn’t set aside times and dates to take part in deliberate acts of remembrance? Perhaps many are already in this position. I’m thinking of those outside the Christian faith who often don’t attach any deeper significance to holidays such as Christmas and Easter, beyond enjoying a break from work.  

St Paul has an idea of how society will fare without remembrance. In Romans 1:28-29 he notes what happens when people fail to remember exactly who God is and what he has done: “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” (ESV).  

In short, failure to remember God, leads to the breakdown of the very fabric of society. But as much as we look to rituals to deliberately remember God, we as Christians can just as easily fail to acknowledge him in these moments. Failing to remember is a deliberate act with powerful consequences.  

O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know. Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world, and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm. As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever.

Daily Devotions

Today, in preparation for Remembrance Sunday we spend time in contemplation and prayer.

In the rising of the sun and in its going down,

we remember them.

In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,

we remember them.

In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring,

we remember them.

In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,

we remember them.

In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn,

we remember them.

In the beginning of the year and when it end,,

we remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength,

we remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart,

we remember them.

When we have joys we yearn to share,

we remember them.

So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us,

as we remember them.

From Gates of Prayer, published by Central Conference of American Rabbis. 

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 

Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

As it is written,‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31- end NRSV

Ever-living God

we remember those whom you have gathered

from the storm of war into the peace of your presence;

may that same peace

calm our fears,

bring justice to all peoples

and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Daily Devotions

I recently read an article that said, “Our Armistice ceremonies and traditions are a way of holding and handing on raw memories of pride and shame, bravery and cowardice, outrage and fear, comradeship and sacrifice. We find our own meanings in them, we think our own thoughts and pray our own prayers during the two-minute silence. The risk is that the rhetoric of remembrance becomes too broad, too elegiac, too generalised for us to make sense of it.”

So here we are on the Friday before Remembrance Sunday I wonder, is there something that Jesus said that can help us to look at this kind of remembrance from a discipleship point of view?

In Matthew 10:29-31 we find Jesus proclaiming, “Look, if you sold a few sparrows, how much money would you get? A copper coin apiece, perhaps? And yet your Father in heaven knows when those small sparrows fall to the ground  You, beloved, are worth so much more than a whole flock of sparrows. God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. So do not fear.”

“Do not be afraid”. This is an invitation we encounter so often in the Bible. God is reminding us all the time that we can face our difficult choices without fear, trusting in his aid and protection. We meet these words so often because we do need to hear them repeatedly in our lives. Let me ask for the grace to trust God, as I hear him telling me not to be afraid.

The original Greek word translated as fall in our verse can also mean to perish, to come to an end, disappear, cease. Yet in Christ’s remembering the fallen we are given the image of sacrificial love, “the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends; and you are my friends if you obey me.”John 1512-13 and we need to take on board Jesus parting words, "Remember, I am with you always.” Matthew 28:20

As we move into this Remembrance weekend we need to remember, as the author John Swinton buts it, “we are  because we are sustained in the memory of God.”

Lord, give us the certainly that beyond death there is a life where broken things are mended and lost things are found; where there is rest for the weary and joy for the sad; and where we will meet again our loved ones. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Daily Devotions

I recently read of a technique for dealing with conflict of a personal nature. The writer suggested:-

“Try this little exercise: Imagine a relationship with someone you care about but with whom you disagree. Make a fist with your left hand. Imagine that you are holding on to your deeply held convictions in that hand. Hold them tightly and feel your commitment to them. 

Now, without letting go, extend your right hand to your friend. Don’t let go of the convictions in your left hand and don’t let go of your handshake with your right. This is the stance that represents the kind of emotional maturity that Jesus modelled for us as he clearly defined himself again and again while inviting others to think about their own response to him, all within relationships of grace and truth.”

In fact, he clearly instructs people to love their enemies. Matthew 5:43–44,  states, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you". This verse is part of the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew's fifth chapter of the New Testament. In this chapter, Jesus refutes the idea that people should hate their enemies.

“An Armenian nurse had been held captive along with her brother by the Turks. Her brother was slain by a Turkish soldier before her eyes. Somehow she escaped and later became a nurse in a military hospital. 

One day she was stunned to find that the same man who had killed her brother had been captured and brought wounded to the hospital where she worked. Something within her cried out "Vengeance." But a stronger voice called for her to love. She nursed the man back to health. 

Finally, the recuperating soldier asked her, "Why didn’t you let me die?" 

Her answer was, "I am a follower of Him who said, ’Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you’." Impressed with her answer, the young soldier replied, "I never heard such words before. Tell me more. I want this kind of religion."”

The love of God can be poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us. Even when someone feels far from blessed myself, even when old age makes one feel there is little I can do for others, I can still give my approval and blessing to those I meet; that will lift them.

Well might we pray, there are times, Lord, when you lift us beyond what we thought possible. Here you ask me to be perfect: meaning that in my heart I should bless even those who hate me and wrong me. Amen

Daily Devotions

A plea  often heard from counselling clients is “I am so tired of all the bickering, conflict, strife, and stress; I need some peace in my life.” I understand the need for a break from the strife and discord that often characterise life in a fallen world. In fact, I share it. We live in a world in which we are beset daily by  what someone has called, “cacophonous squabbling, animosity, and disunity.”  

Discord and controversy virtually leap off the pages of your morning newspaper and shout at you from nightly news programs. Civility and decorum have given way to volume and vitriol. 

Reports of road rage, mass shootings, workplace violence, rioting mobs, sideline rage, terrorism, political discord, and armed conflict monopolise media coverage in all of its forms. Politeness and courtesy in public discourse seem to be a thing of the past. Frankly, there is a lot of ugliness in the world and it can be difficult if not impossible to get away from it. Add to this the conflicts that occur in personal and work relationships and it is easy to see why so many people cry out for peace and harmony in their lives. 

Jesus knew this all too well when he said, “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.  “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:31-33

These words of Jesus are the foundation and basis for Christian hope. Our hope in life is based on the victory of Jesus over death, and on his ongoing presence in our lives. His is a saving and energising presence, and it gives the courage and conviction we develop in prayer. He has conquered anything that can make for discouragement and despair.

Why not ponder today on John Oxenham’s great hymn.

1 Peace in our time, O Lord,

To all the peoples—peace!

Peace surely based upon thy will

And built in righteousness.

Thy power alone can break

The fetters that enchain

The sorely stricken soul of life,

And make it live again.

2 Too long mistrust and fear

Have held our souls in thrall;

Sweep through the earth, keen Breath of Heaven,

And sound a nobler call!

Come, as thou didst of old,

In love so great that men

Shall cast aside all other gods

And turn to thee again.

3 O shall we never learn

The truth all time has taught,

That without God as architect

Our building comes to naught?

Lord, help us, and inspire

Our hearts and lives that we

May build, with all thy wondrous gifts,

A Kingdom meet for thee.

4 Peace in our time, O Lord,

To all the peoples-peace!

Peace that shall build a glad new world,

And make for life’s increase.

O, living Christ, who still

Dost all our burdens share,

Come now and dwell within the hearts

Of all men everywhere. Amen

Daily Devotions

So we arrive at 5 November when in 1609 Religion, Royalty and the Rule or parliament came into conflict with a group of dissidents. Known as Gunpowder Plot was a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London and kill the King James I was due to hold a ceremony on 5th November 1605 in the Houses of Parliament.

The plot was not only to kill the king, but also the queen, their son Prince Charles and every member of the government who would be at the ceremony. Beneath the Houses of Parliament, there were cellars that were used as storage spaces. These were rented out for the plot and gradually filled with a total of 36 barrels of gunpowder, with the intent of blowing up the buildings as well as everyone in them.

The most famous man involved in the plot was Guy Fawkes and a group of other Roman Catholics. During that period Catholics were not allowed practise their religion as they wanted to. James I’s mother had been Catholic, so the Roman Catholics of England had hoped that he would present a fairer rule, but he instead ordered for all Catholic priests to leave England.

I wonder how many folk know why they letting off fireworks today?

On one occasion Jesus had to rebuke the pharisees when he said, "Won’t you ever understand? Don’t you remember at all the five thousand I fed with five loaves, and the basketfuls left over?” Matthew 16:9 The controversy here was that Jesus was eating with sinners and the pharisees thought that this was all wrong; for sinners read the opposition, the other side even the enemy.

All Jesus wanted was that the very good religious people to know their need for his healing and mercy too. He knew that unless they knew their own weakness, they would never know the love of the Father. He tried a homely example that you don’t go to the doctor unless you are sick, nor to any health-care person unless you need help. We are all like that - people in need.

Jesus calls us to remembrance too. 

Lord, I used to think religion was a matter of keeping the rules. But when you walked this earth, you preferred to mix with those who had broken the rules – not because they broke the rules, but because their hearts were open and humble. As I move through this day, help me to quietly consider how you want to call all those around me. If I do not understand why, is it because I do not see what you see. Amen

Daily Devotions

On first reading, there is what appears to be an alarming statement made by Jesus concerning Peace and Conflict. In the Gospels, Jesus seems to often focus on conflict.n  Explicitly he says, “Do you think I have come to bring peace upon the earth: I have not come to bring peace but the sword' ( Lk 12:51). The peace that most of his listeners seem to have opted for was that of compromise with Mammon (a false object of worship and devotion) Mt 6:24). Such compromise often leads to oppressive societies, powered not by love but by greed. 

What is this 'sword of division' that he brings that is sharp enough to divide even the members of a closely knit orientated family into fiercely antagonistic groups who take up sides for or against him.  

Jesus seems to know that his life will cause huge divisions, even in one of the most sacred communities of all - the family. He calls his mission 'a fire'. Fire can destroy and leave its marks forever. Yet it can strengthen with its huge energy. Our baptism is to enter with Jesus into the fire of love, commitment and conviction.

In a museum in Scotland, resides the sword of the famous Scotsman Wallace who was a hero and patriot. A visitor once said, “I do not see how it could win such victories.” “Ah sir, you do not see the arm that wielded it,” came the reply.

Overall, Luke 12:51 is a powerful and challenging verse that forces readers to confront the radical nature of Jesus' teachings and the impact that they can have on individual lives and society as a whole. It serves as a reminder that following Jesus may involve division and conflict, but ultimately leads to a deeper commitment and understanding of one's faith.

Dear God, as I reflect on your words, I am reminded that your message is not always easy to hear. Help me to understand that sometimes division is necessary in order to bring about change and growth. Give me the strength to stand up for what is right, even if it means going against the opinions of others. May I always seek to bring peace and love into the world, but also recognise that sometimes conflict is necessary for progress. Amen.