“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.
TO PONDER
“I’m a ‘Pastor’, sorry please don’t hold it against me” has been my standard introduction for several years now when I meet new people.
Before anyone quotes the scripture at me about not being ashamed of the gospel, I am most definitely not ashamed and to be honest my ‘apology’ is given as an icebreaker (of sorts), with a smile and a chuckle but my apology is often required.
Let me briefly explain what I mean; A 2022 study carried out by Ipsos of 3119 Americans aged over 18 found that over half of those people described Christians as ‘self-righteous’, ‘hypocritical’ and ‘judgemental’. Again, before anyone says that’s not Australia, in my many discussions with non-churched people I would say that figure would be higher in Australia.
I have never once had someone protest my apology with a “that’s ridiculous, Christians are the most joyful, fun, accepting, hospitable people I have ever met, they are overflowing with life!”
In his book “Happy Hour” (available at ACR) Hugh Halter has titled the first chapter “Party as Sacrament”. He opens this chapter with Luke 7:34, the description used against Jesus of basically celebrating too much with the type of people most church-goers wouldn’t hang out with. Today’s verse uses the words “celebrate” and “festival” but when I read it my mind goes to some kind of stuffy, cold, religious church service not a joyous, overflowing life affirming, celebration of God’s grace.
Jesus’s first recorded miracle was at a celebration, at a party, it wasn’t to heal a sick person, or to feed the hungry but rather to make a celebration better, a joyful occasion more joyful, dare I say a party a sacrament…
PRAYER: Amazing God, I thank you for celebration, for joy, for parties, for hospitality, for overflowing life that can be found in following you. I ask you to help me be seen as one who celebrates too often, who practices extreme hospitality, and who is a friend to sinners. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside
“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’
TO PONDER
We have our fore bearers, or ancestors, seemingly randomly thrown together yet living their lives and having children, who had children, who eventually had us. We look back with amazement at the hardships and difficulties they survived and the joys they experienced.
Now there is us, here in the moment, trying to live our lives for God, being in him and him in us, within all the complexities of just being a human being.
And then there are the generations ahead that will exist because we existed. We pray our children will remain faithful to God, we see our grandchildren and the rapidly changing world they are growing up in and we feel left behind.
But our task is pivotal, how does, or will, that upcoming generation see us? Do they see our absolute trust in God throughout our ups and downs? Do they see a vibrant living faith or rote religion? Do they want what we have, that something different about us that shines through as faith in action?
PRAYER: Jesus, guide us to be a blessing to the generations that come after us. May they see you in our lives, and want a taste of that. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day till now,”
TO PONDER
Well, we cant gloss over this verse, it cuts to the chase. Are we fully in partnership in the gospel with our community of believers? Can we pray with joy for us all, because we are in partnership with each other?
Do we pray for each other, naming them before God? Privately and together? Do we pray with joy over our members, asking blessings for them from God? Do we lift them up when they struggle. Do we know when they struggle because we are in close partnership with them? Do we nurture and draw new contacts into this partnership of community that points to the love God has for them?
I should stop asking questions now. In the end, prayer for others, naming them, draws us out of ourselves into something larger. Joyous prayer gives us hope, unveils our purpose, brings us into partnership, with God and people. Joyous prayer includes a deep listening to the Spirit of God within us as we ponder the people we are praying for and leads us to want to know them more.
PRAYER: Jesus, bless us as consider our community, some of them small but intimate. Grow us into true partnership of caring for each other, for those that don’t know you yet, and those who have forgotten about you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Bard Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
TO PONDER
I have always loved this prayer of Jesus. For me, there is a difference between Jesus being in us, and us being in the Trinity.
I can relegate Jesus to a corner in my heart, a designated space with boundaries, a time of day for a chat. I can also live with him fully within me, opening all private doors, inviting me to examine my soul regularly, aware of community within me. I suppose most of us are a combo of the two most days, well, I am anyway.
But to live fully in the awareness that I am in the Trinity? That I am scooped up and gently held in the arms of Creator Father. That I am pursued by the outstretched arms of the crucified Christ into relationship. That I am nurtured and encouraged by the Spirit into community with God, nature, people, even my self?
So remember: not one of us here on earth is an insignificant being on this dot of a planet in the universe, we are immensely significant, being pursued and invited into the great connection of being one with God.
PRAYER: Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, may we all respond to your invitation to be in you, and to bring others with us as we come home to you. Amen
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
TO PONDER
To be a true ambassador for someone, there has to be a good connection, a commonality of beliefs and values, a loyalty and trust that goes beyond the norm, a dedication and commitment to the person, not just his kingdom.
Yikes, am I a good ambassador for Christ?
I note that here the writer uses his title, Christ, not the more casual first name Jesus. It sets the tone for who we are ambassadors of, it reminds us that we serve a Majesty.
In my human brokenness, I stumble and fail. And in my human brokenness, I am reconciled to God and reinstated as his ambassador. Luther reminds us to daily die to sin and rise up in Jesus, who is not just our Majesty, but our friend, companion and we are the people he chooses to work through.
PRAYER: Jesus, forgive my weaknesses and failings, raise me each day into new power and authority for the day, may today be a good day for you and I to work together. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
TO PONDER
Hmm, this is a bit like Sunday’s Exodus call to Moses. Here, Jesus calls each disciple, he gives them power and authority, and they are sent to proclaim and heal. That blessing was bestowed to us all with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
So each one of us is called for a purpose unique to us, those tasks may vary over the years; they may have one general theme; or they may be a conglomerate of small unconnected tasks that we look back on and see the hand of God in it all.
I like the sense of community in this verse, the disciples have grown close over a period of time, aware of each others strengths and weaknesses, they are sent out together, and as we read the New Testament that spreads over many years, we see connections via letters and messages, short visits and long periods of direct ministry, persecution and death, growth and shared rejoicing.
That’s a pretty good long term example for us all.
PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit, come. Fill our hearts, surprise our minds, build us into a community that has a willingness to listen for your call, obey and enter the adventure, and be blessed to the full. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said,’Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ “
TO PONDER
God, do this for me and I will do that for you. Can any of us really say we have never said that, however subtly, at least once?
How do we respond when someone asks us to pray for them? Do we offer to pray with them right now, to involve them, to reassure them no bargaining is required, to bring them to a place of a grateful response that is genuine? Or do we wimp out and say sure, I will pray for you and leave it at that, or that old cliché you will be in my prayers tonight?
If they don’t want prayer with us on the spot, we respect that of course. Do we text, write or ring them to say what we prayed, what God put on our hearts for them, so they have that to reread, recall and turn into their own prayer? Do we keep the connection alive for further conversation? Do we make them feel part of the prayer by sharing it with them?
PRAYER: Jesus, may our hearts be ready for every conversation, give us courage, respect, integrity as we pray, follow up, make connections and show people your Grace through our actions.
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you.”
TO PONDER
I see three promises here – God has made us able, God gives us a right hand man, God will give us the words to say.
What is required of us is to see, to see ourselves in the image of God who has called us to a task, to see our place in the grand design of God’s plan, to be obedient as we see and recognise a call, large or small.
God sees a need, and gives us a right hand man, Jesus, who walks our journey of life with us, who understands our fears, trepidation and insecurities, who holds the lamp that shines the way ahead, sometimes only the next step, as he teaches us trust in this adventure.
And when the time comes to act, speak, connect, the Holy Spirit gives us the words to say, the compassion to have, the patience to endure, the empathy to act with His grace in any given situation.
PRAYER: Jesus, may we all live in a state of willingness and readiness to speak your word to those you place before us, because we have already been made able in you, and we are in conversation with you and are open to your leading. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
TO PONDER
There are all kinds of help available to those who ask for it. Your GP, Centrelink, the local MP, the police and emergency services, a mechanic and all trades people and the list goes on.
For those who know the Lord, because his Word and Spirit have taken root in them, then our first help is the one who has created us in his image. All the other helpers are his gifted people gifted to us, but he is our first and last, our north, south, east and west. He is not just at every point of the compass, he, Jesus, is the one who draws all people and all of creation to himself for revival, resurrection, transformation, restoration, renewal, elevation, and glory. Jesus who is Yahweh, is our all in all.
Where does my help come from? Jesus.
PRAYER: Fill me with your perfect peace Father, let us rest in your eternal goodness and grace. May our eyes be forever on Jesus, our help in every need. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra