Suggestion for Daily Use

Follow the ‘Daily Prayer’ at the side+++Suivez le ‘Prière Quotidienne’. Read the bible passages and then the meditation. Pray, tell God how you felt about the reading and share the concerns of your life with him. Maybe you will continue the habit after Lent. Lisez les passages bible et après la méditation. Priez, dites à Dieu que vous avez ressenti à propos de la lecture et de partager les préoccupations de votre vie avec lui. Peut-être que vous allez continuer l'habitude après le Carême. Daily Prayer Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Luke 4.1-2 Now is the healing time decreed For sins of heart, of word or deed, When we in humble fear record The wrong that we have done the Lord. (Latin, before 12th century) Read: Read the Bible passage. Read the meditation Pray: Talk to God about what you have just read. Tell him your concerns - for yourself, your family, our church family, our world. Praise him. Pray the collect for the week – see next pages. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Prière Quotidienne Jésus, rempli de l'Esprit Saint, revint du Jourdain et le Saint-Esprit le conduisit dans le désert où il fut tenté par le diable durant quarante jours. Luc 4.1-2 Maintenant le temps de la guérison est décrété Pour les péchés du cœur, de la parole et des actes, Lorsque nous nous souvenons avec humilité Le mal que nous avons fait au Seigneur. Lire : Lisez le passage de la Bible. Lisez la méditation. Prier : Parlez avec le Seigneur de ce que vous avez lu. Parlez-lui de vos préoccupations pour vous-même, votre famille, notre famille de l’église, notre monde. Louez-le. Priez la collecte pour la semaine. Voyez les pages suivantes Mon âme, bénis le Seigneur ! Que tout qui est en moi bénisse son saint nom. Mon âme, bénis le Seigneur, et n’oublie aucun de ses bienfaits !

20 December 2021

Privilege and responsibility

 

Psalm46│Malachi 1.1,6-14│2 Peter 1.1-15│Matthew 19.1-12

Psaumes 46 |Michée 1.1,6-14|2 Pierre1.1-15|Matthieu 19.1-12

 

Privilege and responsibility

 


Living a Christian life is one of both great privilege and great responsibility. We are reminded of this equally empowering and sobering lesson in 2 Peter 1:1-15, where Peter calls on us not only to acknowledge our calling to God, but to confirm it as well.

At this time of year we remember the gift that the Lord has bestowed upon us: his son, Jesus Christ, born to free us from sin. It can be easy to fall into complacency once we grasp the gravity of this gift; why bother with morality and righteousness when, at the end of the day, we are saved? Is Jesus not the answer to all our problems – the light sent down from Heaven to bring us peace?

Yes, he is – and it is precisely because of his presence and love that we have a responsibility to live the life to which he has called us. Peter implores us to live with goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. For without these things, he says, we cannot fully understand – let alone embody – what Jesus has done for us and the stewards he has empowered us to become.

The cynical among us – and yes, criticism is welcome – will point out that Peter does not specifically attribute rejection from God’s kingdom to the absence of the qualities mentioned above. Maybe I am naïve, but I don’t think we need an ultimatum to be coerced into a life based on goodness and love. Goodness, in its purest form, expects nothing in return.

The birth of our Saviour is testament to the power of good over evil, especially when we inspire others to live with love for God and each other. To fully appreciate the privilege we have been gifted, we have a responsibility to reproduce acts of kindness, mutual affection, and love towards people and planet.

By confirming this responsibility – and with enough practice – we may even start to see glimpses of God’s eternal kingdom right here with us.

Benjamin Jance IV

Image:'A Potter in Bangalore, India' By Muhammad Mahdi Karim - Own work, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36687161

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