31st Day of Lent +++ Are we ready to go yet?

John 11.1-16    Jean 11.1-16

This reading, the first part of the story of the death and raising of Lazarus, is one of the most familiar in the Bible.  It’s a situation most of us have found ourselves in: in a small group, we’ve been told something’s happening and could we come and help out.  Some of us want to put our shoes and coat on straightaway and dash out of the house, others seem to be taking a more considered (even, to the impetuous, overly relaxed) view.  Who’s right?  To the first group, waiting and seeing is wasting time when we might be able to do something.  To the latter, pausing for reflection might mean avoiding acting rashly, and allowing us to take the actions that will be most productive in the longer run.  There’s a bit of discussion, but finally we all set off.  This story shows how Jesus, with His full knowledge of the will of His father, guides his disciples in the manner which will best reveal God’s glory to those who believe in Him.

Pray that we may allow God to work in our lives in the fullness of time so that they fulfil His plan for us.

Carol de Lusignan

30th Day of Lent +++ With All My Heart

Psalm 86  Psaume 86  Psalm 86

This psalm is both a prayer and a song of praise. This year, I am discovering the richness of the psalms. Often, I am taken aback by all the emotions.

I have read this psalm out aloud three times and hope you will do so too. One reading takes about three minutes.

David asks for attention and help. He expresses his love for God and promises to not stop trusting Him in the future. What strikes me most is that he gets very enthusiastic about who God is, he is obviously enjoying the fact that he is in touch with God (v 12):

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;

I will glorify your name forever.

Shall we say this promise together? I find this declaration of love very powerful. Expressing it aloud makes the meaning and the feelings that come with it even stronger.

Let us take time to tell God that we love Him. It will make us content. And God, just like us, will be pleased when we say to Him ‘I love you’.

*********

Psalm 86 is zowel een gebed als een lofuiting. Ik heb de psalm hardop gelezen en ik hoop dat je dat ook zult doen. In vers 12 raakt David enthousiast over zijn verbondenheid met God. Laten we de tijd nemen of tegen God te zeggen dat we van Hem houden. We worden er rustig en tevreden van.

Harm de Jonge

29th Day of Lent +++ The Good Sheep

John10.11-21    Jean 10.11-21

I felt a bit indignant at the description of the hired hand. Sure, some hired hands would run away at the first sign of danger - but where’s their sense of responsibility? They’re being paid to do a job, after all! Personally, I’d like to think that I would do it properly, even if the sheep weren’t actually mine. What a generalisation to throw around!

Of course, the generalisation is true, and - of course - it applies to me as well as everyone else. We protect what we care about. (If we’re lucky, we care about the work we do - and that’s why we do it well). God has given us stewardship over many things on this earth, and who of us can honestly say that we don’t sometimes (many times…) run away in fear from the action we’re called to take? In protecting our planet and our fellow inhabitants of it, we decide that, well - maybe it isn’t our responsibility after all.

However, the hired hand isn’t the only character in this story. There’s the shepherd, and then there’s the flock. The flock doesn’t always see the big picture (just who are these “other sheep” anyway - are they like us? And where is their sheep pen??) but they know the shepherd’s voice. They know they are safe with him. They know his unfailing care and devotion to protecting us all. They know that hired hands may come and go but that the shepherd’s love remains.

As we hear the Good Shepherd speak and follow where he leads, perhaps we - the flock - are called most simply to be his Good Sheep.

Jo Hamborg

28th Day of Lent +++ Wait and Pray

Psalm79    Psaume 79

Jeremiah 18.1-12    Jérémie 18.1-12

That there is injustice in the world is a fact. That we ourselves sometimes suffer it and perpetuate it is also. That God has the power to the deliver us is believed; but when God does not act, we question and sometimes we realize God’s correcting hand. We ask and we pray, How long, O Lord, how long? This is a cry for mercy, and it is also one for the restoration of our relationship with God. We cry out with the Psalmist, “Help us, O God of our salvation!” Will we have faith and trust that God is the Shepherd and we the flock of God’s pasture? That God will deliver us and forgive us?

Today, may you draw close to the forgiving and loving God, who moulds you like a potter moulding the clay. May you know the peace of God who restores relationship and redeems all. May you believe that God will act and is not far off, that the Kingdom is at hand. May you have the hope that the cry of your heart has been heard by God and will be answered, as you wait and pray.

Jeremy Heuslein

27th Day of Lent +++ Life-giving water

Jeremiah 17.5-18        Jérémie 17.5-18

A curse and a blessing are set out side by side in this passage. In both the image of the presence or absence of life-giving water is used to illustrate the point. Rather than some prophecy based on ill-will, it is more helpful to see this passage as a simple explanation of cause and effect. If we turn our back on God, there will always be something missing from our lives, a constant spiritual thirst – the sort that in the physical world drives the lost traveller in the desert to desperation. But if we trust in the Lord God and commit our lives to Him we will have a constant source of spiritual refreshment. We will experience the same burning heat, the same desert storms as others, but even in the worst drought we will still be able to grow healthy green leaves. It reminds us of our Lord Jesus’ promise to the Samaritan woman by the well ‘whoever drinks the water that I will give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’  (John 4.14).

*********

Une malédiction et une bénédiction sont mises côte à côte dans ce passage. Dans tous les deux  l'image de la présence ou l'absence d'eau vivifiant est utilisé pour illustrer le point. Plutôt qu'une prophétie fondée sur la mauvaise volonté, il est plus utile de voir ce passage comme une simple explication de la cause et de l'effet. Si nous tournons le dos à Dieu, il y aura toujours quelque chose qui nous manque dans nos vies, une soif spirituelle constante - celle qui dans le monde physique conduit le voyageur perdu dans le désert au désespoir. Mais si nous faisons confiance au Seigneur Dieu et que nous livrons notre vie à Lui, nous aurons une source constante de rafraîchissement spirituel. Nous connaîtrons la même chaleur ardente, les mêmes tempêtes du désert que d'autres, mais même dans la pire sécheresse, nous pourrons encore produire des feuilles vertes saines. Cela nous rappelle la promesse de notre Seigneur Jésus à la Samaritaine par le puits «celui qui boira l'eau que je lui donnerai n'aura jamais soif. En effet, l'eau que je leur donnerai deviendra en eux une source d'eau qui jaillira pour la vie éternelle. » (Jean 4.14).

David Fieldsend

4th Sunday of Lent +++ Mothering Sunday

Psalm34.11-20      Psaume 34. 11-20

Luke2.33-35         Luc. 2.33-35

Mary treasured all these things in her heart, Luke tells us twice in chapter 2: the angel, cousin Elisabeth and shepherds have all told Mary that her baby is Jesus, the Messiah, the Lord. So perhaps it’s no surprise when they bring him to the temple and Simeon knows who he is too – ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel’. But she might not have expected to be told that ‘a sword will pierce your own heart too’. A mother’s heart which was to be broken when she watched her son be rejected, spoken against and die on a cross.

In Luke 9 we read that the disciples had the exhilarating experience of praying for people to be healed and seeing Jesus feeding the 5,000. Then Jesus says to them - “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Will we treasure in our hearts those times when God has spoken clearly to us? When, like Mary, we have been able to say “the Mighty one has done great things for me, holy is his name”? Memories to sustain us when the going gets tough?

The Psalmist knows: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”. This is a promise for us too.

Susie Wilkinson

25th Day of Lent +++ Annunciation

Psalm 40.5-11      Psaume 40.5-11

Many psalms attributed to David exude a confidence that God, who acted mightily in the past, would act mightily again in the future. Yet there is also immediacy about today’s very personal psalm: the writer desperately needs God now. God is indeed God of the remote past and of the unseen future, but the writer recalls that God has helped him recently. God has lifted him before from a slimy pit and set his feet on rock (v 2) – and God can do it again.

I know a young Aboriginal man with great potential for Christian leadership in his depressed, damaged, substance-abusing community. We have often read this psalm and translated it into his language. It mirrors his experience – evil forces always try to draw him back into the slippery pit of alcohol and drugs, to mire him in the black hole of depression. He has learned painfully, as Christian did in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, that he cannot, by his own efforts, pull himself out of the swamp of despair (‘Slough of Despond’). Like Christian, other people who understand him can help him out, but mostly he is like this psalmist. Only God himself can deliver him (v 17).

Like the psalmist, we can genuinely love knowing and doing the will of God (v 8). We can, like my young Aboriginal friend, be powerful witnesses to the saving power of Jesus (v 10). For that very reason, the power of evil can draw us back down into darkness, unable to see our way out (v 12) in a place where others give up on us (v 15). Only God can penetrate that darkness. We must recognise our need of him (v 17). Then God can lift us out again. Only God.

John Harris

(reflexion on Psalm 40, WorldLive by Scripture Union, 20^th December 2015)

24th day of Lent +++ Raw Pain

Psalm22   Psaume 22

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? As Easter Christians we recognize the psalmist’s lamentation as a foreshadowing of our Lord’s Passion and the very phrase Matthew and Mark report as His last words from the cross. Sometimes in our personal pain and disappointment and our despair for the continuing evil and injustice in the world we want take up the same cry ourselves. Like Jeremiah we want to ask God why our pain is perpetual and our wounds refuse to be healed.

 Yet the writers of these poignant words did not only speak of their despair. They also wrote of their trust in God’s love their whole life - From my mother’s womb you have been my God. They knew He understood their complaints - He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. And they trusted that He would save them from the wicked and the terrible.

When we feel the raw pain and despair of the 22^nd psalm, we should remember that the very next psalm is that great song of faith and hope – the 23^rd psalm. And we should remember that after the repentance and reflection of every Lent in our lives comes the glory of Easter.

Tom Buckner

Let God be God

John 8.31–47    Jean 8.31-47

As humans we have many different desires. Usually when we cause hurt it is not because we want to but because one of our desires has become too powerful – the need to be successful, to be comfortable or even just to be loved. Our desire turns into an idol – what St Ignatius calls a ‘disordered attachment’. 

What is it to be free? What is it to live in the truth? Jesus answers this very simply. To be his disciples, and children of God – called into relationship with our Father.

When we let God be God we no longer have any need for idols.

When have you been most aware of your desire for God?

When have you been most aware of God’s desire for you?

Philip Milton

22nd Day of Lent +++ Light of Life

John 8.12-30     Jean 8.12-30

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "l am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” v 12

Imagine yourself in a dark room, if someone comes and puts on the light then the room becomes bright and darkness vanishes. In the same way we humans were in the darkrooms of Idolatry, Love of money, laziness, enmity, unmerciful, sexual immorality, bribery etc. . . .Our Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to earth and shattered the sin on the cross. He was the Great Light raised upon us which cast away the darkness of sin from us.

Now as the Holy light has shown upon us and we should Arise and Shine for His Glory. When we acquire His light we need to endure the below promises.

First, His followers will never walk in darkness, which is a reference to the assurance of salvation we enjoy. As true followers of the Light, we will never follow the ways of sin, never live in a state of continually sinning (1 John 1.5–7). Rather, we repent of our sin in order to stay close to the Holy Light. The second promise is that we will reflect the Holy Light. Just as He came as the Light of the world, He commands us to be “lights,” too. In Matthew 5.14–16 we see believers depicted as the light of the world. Just as the moon has no light of its own, reflecting the light of the sun, so are believers to reflect the Light of Christ so that all can see it in us. The Light is evident to others by the good deeds we do in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,

Like a little candle burning in the night;

In this world of darkness, we must shine,

You in your small corner, and I in mine

.

Priscilla Alexander

21st Day of Lent +++ Casting Stones

John 7.53-8.11        Jean 7.53-8.11

The image below is a print by Peter Brueghel the Elder from the British Museum, (the painting is in the Courtauld Gallery in London). It shows one of the most powerful images of Jesus' life on earth as he faces a woman caught in adultery. The print illustrates a passage in John's gospel where the Pharisees (religious teachers) were trying to trap Jesus into saying something that could be used against him by asking him if the woman should be stoned to death for her act of adultery. In responding, either he risked being made responsible for the death of the woman or for disobeying the law of Moses.

Jesus responds by stating that whoever is without sin should throw the first stone. (The irony being that He is the only one to have lived who was truly without sin). Jesus then writes a message in the dust (shown in the image) as the crowd leaves one by one. This just leaves Jesus who powerfully states that neither does he condemn her.

This challenges us in many ways in our lives today but I want to highlight three points. Firstly, are we ever like the crowd ready to throw a stone at someone who has 'sinned', knowing nothing of their background, situation and life? Yet that individual is standing there afraid and feeling surrounded by those who judge them. Who do we judge today despite the flaws in our life, where do we need to show the tolerance and love of Jesus? Maybe we need to also look in the mirror and see we also struggle with the same faults or other faults that are just as destructive?

Secondly, do we feel like the woman in this story? It may not be adultery but is there something that we did 27 years ago or 10 minutes ago and we do not believe we can be forgiven? This story states emphatically that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus as he states 'neither do I' condemn you. Maybe we need to know that today even if it feels like we are surrounded by those who judge us.

Finally, the most challenging and maybe forgotten part of the story. Jesus forgives and then adds that the woman should go and sin no more. Jesus' forgiveness does not mean that every act is ok but that he will love us and forgive us. Where is God speaking to us and stating we need to change out of the love illustrated in Brueghel’s print?

Matt Harpur

20th Day of Lent +++ Joseph of Nazareth

Matthew 1.18-end      Matthieu 1. 18-25

After going through the first two suggested readings for today (Psalm 89.26-36; 2 Samuel 7.4-16) I found myself wondering exactly how Joseph of Nazareth could be the focus for the day - as they refer almost exclusively to God’s promise of an eternal kingdom to the Davidic line, and my understanding was that Mary brought in this Davidic connection for Jesus. It surely couldn’t be Joseph since he had no biological connection to Jesus, right? Then I read through the Gospel reading. 
Obviously Joseph is the centre of attention here, and I did a bit of research to discover that Matthew and Luke’s gospels differ in the genealogy of Jesus; Matthew connects Christ to David through Joseph’s line, not Mary’s.

Scholars take differing perspectives on considering either genealogy as factual history, but the lesson I take from my reading and research is a reminder that Joseph was called just as much as Mary. The Matthew reading reminds us of the difficult choice he had to make, and the reflection on genealogies reminds us that it is not biology that makes a family, but the calling to be one for God.

Naomi Browell

Third Sunday of Lent +++ Faithful to the End

Exodus 17.1-7      Exode 17.1-7

God’s plans for my life are always bigger and better than I anticipate or could ever hope were possible. However, despite God’s provision, I am still often tempted to see a limit to God’s generosity: I’m convinced that God’s blessings will only reach so far or for so long before I find myself back on my own again.

The Israelites’ behaviour on their journey through the wilderness reminds me of my failings to trust God and lean on His promises at all times and in all seasons. The Israelites were ready to trust God with their destination, but they started doubting His methods along the way.

Trusting God is a hard thing to do. So often we trust Him with the big things - to get us to our intended destination - but somehow it is all too easy to believe that He might then abandon us, as though His promises were well-intentioned, but He could never follow through to take care of every detail. How often do I find myself in need of God’s direction, see His generous provision in my life, but then quickly revert back to relying on my own strength instead of continuing to trust Him?

When we look at the challenges and struggles we face from a human-centred perspective, we will be tempted to grumble that the situation is hopeless and that this is all we should ever have expected: we were simply asking too much of God. But aren’t we in fact asking and expecting too little of God? This Lent, let’s stop testing Him with our human-centred problem-solving, and trust that He is the God who keeps all His promises and is faithful to the end.

Laura Bispham

Throw Away

Psalm25          Psaume 25

It strikes me how in this and other Psalms, and elsewhere in the Old Testament, the greatest threat we face alongside our own weaknesses is the enmity of our fellow human beings - rather than natural disasters, famine or the dangers of the wilderness. The latter especially are easy to overestimate, as when in Genesis Jacob supposes a wild beast has devoured his son Joseph whereas it is Joseph’s own brothers who have turned against him.

In this Psalm the psalmist's enemies are "numerous" and hate him "fiercely". It is by fearing and trusting God and walking in the paths of His teachings that we overcome distress and find refuge.
In this light it becomes clear how Jesus' injunction to seek reconciliation with our brothers lies at the core of the work to build God's Kingdom. This Lent, as we throw out what we don't need, let us also let go of the grudges that hamper our relationships, and work for harmony and inclusion in our communities.

Tommaso Besozzi

17th Day of Lent +++ St Patrick

St Patrick

Psalm91.1-4,13-end       Psaume 91.1-4, 13- fin

Today is St Patrick’s Day. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, Nigeria, Montserrat, New York, Boston, Melbourne, and more.

He was born in fifth-century Britain, perhaps in Cumbria. Although his father was a deacon, Patrick had little interest in the Christian faith. But, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland and sold as a slave. In captivity, he cried to God for deliverance and became a Christian. After living there for six years, working as a shepherd, he escaped and returned to Britain. There he studied the Christian faith until a vision called him to return to Ireland to bring the gospel to the Irish people in their own language. This he did with great success.

In all our adversities we should not lose heart, for God works within us to will and to work his good pleasure.

David Mitchell

Jesus Became Human

Hebrews3.1-6    Hébreux 3.1-6

The first six verses of this chapter show the superiority and dignity of Christ above Moses. In order to understand the third chapter of Hebrews, I would advise you to read the first two chapters. Chapter1 presents Jesus as God who came in flesh, to deliver a renewed covenant. In Chapter 2, one writer says, “the covenant establishes the believer as joint-heirs with Christ, brothers called to glory”. In Chapter 3, the first word is “therefore”, which indicates drawing a conclusion based on previous things. The nature of Messiah and his covenant is further explored, emphasizing on the need to turn completely to Christ and centre our Religious lives on Christ without struggling between the Old and New Covenants (of Moses and Jesus).  

 Since Jesus suffered on the cross and died for our salvation, he made us worthy to be referred to as “holy brothers who share in the heavenly calling”. As Christians and believers, we are implored to “fix” our thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess (v 1).

Based on this “fixation on Jesus”, we need to remember the following points as we meditate on the first 6 verses of this Chapter:

Jesus is seen as our Apostle and High Priest. He is above Moses, as the builder is above the house. Moses is a servant while Christ is the Son, our faithful high priest who eternally resides over the house of God as a son, thus showing us his superiority to Moses and the old covenant of the law.

The word apostle means “the sent one”, Jesus was sent by God to us with a message and followers are to pay close attention to him as a person and what he says, because he is part of the message of God. His death has meaning for us because of who he is, God’s son. He speaks to humanity on God’s behalf as an Apostle. As High Priest, he is the “Intercessor”, he speaks to God on behalf of humanity, and he is our mediator who intervenes between us and God so that we can have eternal life. This makes Jesus the basis of our salvation and the one who applies it in our lives. We, therefore have to draw near to him, concentrate on him in order to know him better and make sure that nothing distracts us from focusing on him.

In the previous chapter, it is explained, as one writer, Morrison puts it, “that Jesus became a human being so he could save human beings. Because he was human, he is qualified to be our high priest and intercessor. He suffered, so he knows the struggles we go through, and he can sympathize with our weakness, he can help us .He not only atoned for our sins, he is able to help us in our temptations”.

Blessings,

Thoko Nkonyane-Nilens

Temptation of Christ (mosaic in basilica di San Marco)

12th Century 

By anonimus [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Upside Down Kingdom

Hebrews 2.10-18       Hébreux 2.10-18

Today’s passage from Hebrews is an affirmation of Christ identifying with our humanity. Just as we are children of God, so Christ comes alongside us and calls us his brothers (and sisters). He fully understands everything about the ups and downs of the human condition. He needed to experience the depths of any human suffering or temptation to be able to be truly compassionate and merciful in his saving role. In fact the passage clarifies that the "author of salvation" was even made "perfect through suffering".

Another example of God's upside-down kingdom - and Christ's triumph over the bleakest of human experience, death.

Sue Bird

Prediction of life today?

Jeremiah 8. 1-15  Jérémie 8. 1-15 / Jeremia 8.1-15

Prediction of life today?

When I was reading this passage, I felt like I was reading our modern day situation. What with all that has happened recently with Brexit, Trump being elected, the continuation of war all over the world, terrorism, global warming etc. It’s true that we are stubborn and refuse to change direction. We always think we know what’s best without consulting God. It’s strange how birds know exactly what to do without consulting anybody whereas we actually know nothing. We keep saying ‘It’s not so bad. You’ll be just fine’, when nothing is fine at all.

So what can we do to deserve God’s grace and not have our bones dug up to then be left as fertilizer for the new soil? How can we become chosen by God? We need to die fighting for God’s truth and believe and trust in Him and Jesus. We also need to ask for forgiveness of our sins, which we all commit. Hopefully verse 15 isn’t to be our life for evermore, but that peace will come and terror be vanquished.

Voorspelling van het leven vandaag?

Terwijl ik deze passage aan het lezen was, had ik het gevoel dat ik onze huidige situatie van vandaag aan het lezen was. Met alles wat er gebeurt is met Brexit, Trump die verkozen werd, de voortzetting van oorlog over de hele wereld, terrorisme, de opwarming van de aarde etc. Het klopt dat we koppig zijn en weigeren van richting te veranderen. We denken altijd dat wij het beste weten zonder God er bij te betrekken. Het is raar dat volgens precies weten wat ze moeten doen zonder iemand raad te vragen, terwijl wij als mens eigenlijk niets weten. We blijven altijd zeggen: ‘Het is niet zo erg. Alles is prima’, terwijl niets prima is.

Dus wat kunnen we doen om Gods genade te verdienen en onze botten niet te laten opgraven om daarna achtergelaten te worden als meststof voor de nieuwe aarde? Hoe kunnen we Gods verkorenen worden? We moeten strijdend ten onder gaan voor Gods waarheid en in Hem geloven en vertrouwen alsook in Jezus. We moeten ook voor vergiffenis vragen voor onze zonden, die we allemaal wel plegen. Hopelijk is vers 15 niet ons leven voor altijd, maar zal er vrede komen en terreur overwonnen worden.

Jenny Freeman

13th Day of Lent +++ God loves us

Psalm 32  Psaumes 32

Jeremiah 7.21-end   Jérémie 7.21-34

Hebrews 1     Hébreux 1

John 6.41–51    Jean 6.41-51

God loves us and wants to provide for us – in every way! He offers us bread to sustain us through our days and a living bread to sustain us through eternity. He promises to provide protection and guidance all the days of our lives and communion with Him all the days after. We just have to believe and we will have everlasting life with Him! 

That’s easy enough to believe but it can be much more difficult to trust in our day-to-day lives.  As humans we fail a lot, and our instinct is to hide that, to cover up our sins and mistakes - to be like Adam and Eve covering up our nakedness. We think (often subconsciously) that we have to be perfect to be close to God - but that doesn’t bring us closer to God. In fact, it pushes us further away from Him and frustrates, saddens or even angers Him. Life can quickly become overwhelming when we try to be perfect – and that’s not what God asks of us. He wants us to be honest with Him and with each other. When we confess our sins He forgives and strengthens us, removing the guilt. When we are honest with each other we often find that we struggle in similar ways. In my own experience I have found that a shared struggle is a much-lessened struggle!

So use this time of Lenten reflection to be honest with yourself, with those around you and with God about the ways you have fallen short; the ways you have tried to cover your sins. Confess them instead and grow closer to the God, rejoicing in the promise of salvation through the ultimate gift given at Easter – Jesus Christ our Risen Lord!

‘Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity; I said “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” – and you forgave the guilt of my sin’.

                                             ~ Psalm 32.5

Morgan Buckner

Sunday 12th March, Second Sunday of Lent

Sunday 12^th March, Second Sunday of Lent

Psalm 121

We thank you Lord that you are with us from before our birth and that you will be with us every step of the way until we see you. We thank you for the blessings we have already received and will receive. When our journey is difficult and we feel weary, we can trust that you are right there with us.

This is not always easy when we are sad, ill, mourning, stressed, in pain, lonely or when we are being tested. Lord, I pray that especially during this time of Lent we - as a community - will draw close to each other reminding each other of your love, faithfulness and protection of us as we journey together becoming more like you.

You can find the “servant song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4UBYV8jbgU

Brother, let me be your servant. Let me be as Christ to you. Pray that I might have the grace To let you be my servant, too. We are pilgrims on a journey. We are brothers on the road. We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load. I will hold the Christ-light for you In the night time of your fear. I will hold my hand out to you; Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping. When you laugh, I'll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow Till we've seen this journey through. When we sing to God in heaven, We shall find such harmony Born of all we've known together Of Christ's love and agony. Sister, let me be your servant. Let me be as Christ to you. Pray that I might have the grace To let you be my servant, too.

Jikke Drummond Smith