Sing along to YouTube: ‘Yesterday, Today & Forever - Vicky Beeching’
Use the lyrics below to inspire prayers of thanks to God for the ways in which you have recognised his helping presence during lockdown.
O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
Be our defence while troubles last, and our eternal home
Under the shadow of your throne, your saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is your arm alone and our defence is sure.
(Isaac Watts 1674-1748)
Have you got into a new routine? Do you have a new pattern for living under lock-down? Have you developed certain ways of splitting the day up or of making one day different to the next? We are on day 58 of lock-down, and it has been 39 days since we celebrated Easter Sunday.
During the 39 day days following Jesus’ resurrection I’m sure that his followers developed new routines – once they had recognised the fact that Jesus is alive but not always with them I’m sure they would progress into a ‘new normal’ of Jesus suddenly being with them and then not being with them. The ‘new-normal’ wasn’t like the ‘old normal’ when they simply followed Jesus wherever he went, it was a ‘new normal’ but Jesus had also talked to them about a further change which was to happen – he was going away – Jesus talked about a time when they wouldn’t see him again, but he said he wasn’t going to leave them ‘like orphans’ instead Father God would send someone to encourage them – strengthen them - someone who would always be with them – so there was going to be yet another ‘new normal’ a ‘new, new normal’ for them to adapt to. Read John 14: 15-21 (I never know where to suggest starting and ending a bible reading from John chapters 14, 15 & 16 – read all of ch.14 – or even all 3 chapters and be blessed).
Jesus is trying to help the disciples to grapple with the mystery of One God reveal as Father, Son and Spirit – that while they are three distinct entities they are also one – experiencing the presence of one of them is to experience the presence of all three – although each has distinct attributes which help us to grasp different qualities of Almighty God. So while the disciples are naturally upset at the idea of Jesus no longer being with them, Jesus is trying to explain the God will give them something even better than being in the presence of Jesus – his presence in their lives! You can perhaps begin to see why this conversation takes 3 chapters of John’s gospel.
Tomorrow (Thursday) is Ascension Day, the day when Jesus left earth - with some men in white (Angels?) appearing and reminding the disciples that ‘this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way…’ Read Acts 1: 1-10
We can never place ourselves in the shoes (sandals) of those we read about in the gospels as they, unlike us, really didn’t know what was going to happen next to them - just as we don’t know what will happen next in our lives. Those followers of Jesus – ordinary women and men – had no idea what the next day would bring and how they were going to have to adapt to their changing circumstances, but as we read our bibles we see that God is with these ordinary women and men - God understands the remorse Simon Peter feels for denying knowing Jesus, and God addresses the uncertainty of those in the upper room - the doubts that Thomas had. We also don’t know what is coming next in each of our lives and in the lives of those we love but we can be certain that God will be there, understanding how we are feeling and wanting to guide, comfort and strengthen us.
As we enter the 10 days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost Sunday when God’s promised Holy Spirit comes to each and every believer, you may be able to find the booklet of daily bible readings which we used last year (it has a picture of a lighthouse on the front) or you may be able to download ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ (TKC) phone app. On the app as well as listening to daily readings and thoughts about those readings it also encourages you to list just five people who don’t know Jesus as Saviour and Lord and pray for them each day – something we can all do whether or not we download the app.
Looking at the universe God has created for us to live in helps me to recognise that nothing is too big for God to deal with and nothing is too insignificant for him to care about - Read or sing these familiar lyrics before bringing ‘everything’ to God in prayer. Your hopes and dreams, your worries and cares, the needs of others in this country and situations throughout the world:
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear -
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness - take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.
(Joseph Scriven 1819-1886)
Listen to YouTube: ‘Tim Hughes Hope & Glory lyrics’ (You may recognise which ‘bird’s eye view’ of a city is being shown behind the lyrics) As usual there will be a ‘Guest Writer’ on Friday and I will write once again on Sunday - Stephen