Saturday 27 Feb
Sabbath
The concept of Sabbath is often misunderstood; it means ‘to stop’. The biblical creation account tells us that God rested on the seventh day – delighting in his creation. Often this biblical command to ‘keep Sabbath’ has been made into an unhelpful, stifling religious duty. Jesus responded to that by saying that ‘the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’ (Mark 2.27). It’s a gift from the Creator to his creation. Our goal should be to work from rest, not to rest from work: “People who keep sabbath, live all seven days differently” (Walter Brueggemann).
> Do you take a weekly Sabbath? What could you do on that day that refreshes you?
> Take some time today to review what you’ve learned this week. Which one step could you take into greater emotional wellbeing?
Thank you Father for hearing us in Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.
Friday 26 Feb
Slow down to be present
Slowing down is essential but it can be hard. Our fast pace can make us especially vulnerable to burnout if our identity is rooted in what we do rather than who we are. A wise Christian leader counselled a younger one, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
Slowing down is part of becoming the person God has designed us to be. Only when we slow down can we learn to be present.
The Christian approach to mindfulness is being present to the One who is always present to us. It is about learning to ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46.10). The Prayer of Awareness (developed by St Ignatius of Loyola) can be helpful in this. It consists of five steps:
(1) Thanking God for specific good things. (2) Searching my heart for anything that has come between me and God. (3) Reviewing the day just gone – have my actions and circumstances taken me towards God or away from God? (4) Confessing anything that I have become aware of in steps (2) and (3), not allowing any sense of condemnation, but receiving his forgiveness and love. (5) Abiding in God’s presence and love.
Thursday 25 Feb
Gratitude
“Rejoice always, … give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5.16-18)
Studies have shown that the attitude of gratitude can increase our happiness by as much as 25%. It helps us savour the good things in life. But it’s not enough to feel gratitude – we need to express it. Some people write down three things they are grateful for each night. The Book of Psalms is full of songs of gratitude to God. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter full of gratitude to God … from prison! (Read Philippians 4.4)
> Which gratitude habits could you adopt? Read Psalm 103 and write your own list of what you’re grateful to God for.
(This is from a longer article by Curt Thompson. Read the full article here…)
By now, most of us have noticed. And either we or someone we know is talking about it. Zoom fatigue. Irritability. No fever, cough or body aches necessary. Just the normal, run-of-the-mill symptoms of social distancing. And mostly, people are describing how much more exhausted they are at the end of their days compared to what their lives were like before three weeks ago. All of this highlights one element of what it truly means to be human that our encounter with the coronavirus has drawn our attention to: our bodies.
God made our bodies as part of what it means for us to be human, and much like asking someone to breathe air that is only 15% oxygen instead of the normal 20%, we’re asking our bodies to do things they were not made to do. Even so, along with other suggestions I have offered regarding COVID-19, here are some additional things you can do to help:
Our bodies are hard at work. And although we are in a season in which we are asking them to work differently and harder than usual, know that you are not alone, and your work is not in vain.
Wednesday, 24 Feb
A hope that doesn’t disappoint
Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp, tells how hope was the most important factor in surviving. Hope is the belief that things can change. It sustains us. It helps us deal with suffering and disappointments. It’s important that we learn to deal effectively with such disappointments, including the need to mourn a sense of loss before moving on. Often, when we trust God, he will bring turnaround in his way and his timing. As Christians, our deepest sense of hope is that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross and rose triumphantly from the grave. All things will be put right when he returns!
> Bring your disappointments to God and renew your trust in him. Read and meditate on Romans 15.13.
On Sunday, Christoph talked with Samuel Kpagheri at Church Coffee Online. Samuel works with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Togo and West Africa as a translation consultant.
We talk about the bible in Ncam, the local language, to which Samuel contributed. It was completed in 2015. Alongside it runs a literacy programme especially geared towards women who have a crucial role in the education of the next generation. Many people do not have the resources to buy their own Bible in Ncam. This Lent, can you make a contribution towards free and subsidised Bibles so that many more can read the Bible in their mother tongue?
You can give online by clicking here,* or make an online bank transfer (details below).
Watch the interview:
*(All online donations made until Good Friday will be given to our Lent Appeal).
Details for online bank transfer:
Denham Parochial Church Council
Barclays Bank Uxbridge
(Please make sure you spell the name exactly like this as banks are clamping down on the smallest mistake due to widespread fraud)
Account No.: 30305553
Sort Code: 208916
Type of Account: Business Account
Payment Reference: Bibles
Tuesday, 23 Feb
Beloved
The most significant truth about our new identity in Jesus is that we are deeply loved. If you are a follower of Jesus, you are loved by him and the Beloved of God (see Ephesians 1.5-6 and Colossians 3.12). How does God usually reveal his love for us?
> Slowly read and meditate on 1 John 3.18 and Romans 8.15-17.
St Mary’s Church Office
Village Road
Denham UB9 5BH
Tel: 01895 832771
