Devotion
Accepting Mortality
David Jacobs
My father spent most of his life as an angry man. He grew up in a poor home, was abandoned by his parents, left school at 12 having never learned to read and write, spent his adolescence in and out of care homes and eventually became a bricklayer. The anger and disappointment in the hand that he had been dealt had forged itself with his very being.
Growing up around him was often unpleasant. He would be insecure, angry, and violent at the drop of a hat. He was caught up in so much hate that he eventually became it, causing much stress for my siblings and me.
I grew up, and after completing my studies I moved out and travelled the world, looking for a safe place to call home. My siblings also travelled and found their own places. We kept contact with our parents but it was often more formal than a truly familiar experience.
5 years ago, my father lost his temper with his boss at work, which resulted in him being 50 and unemployed. During that time, he had also developed bad carpal tunnel from years of hard labor in the cold, which had then developed into severe arthritis that meant he could not find further work.
One day, I received a phone call from him, but it was different. I was no longer talking to the angry, insecure man of my childhood. He had been transformed.
"I am not going to live forever." He said. "I know that now, and I wasted so much of my life being mean to people, being so angry and unforgiving that I have driven a wedge between us. I am truly sorry." We made up.
Not long after this conversation, our family had been washed over. We all got along much better. After his confession, my father eventually found a job teaching vocational skills and trades to children that had been expelled from schools, or abandoned by their parents and fallen behind. He now has the chance to do good work with children that may have eventually grown into the man that he once was. He handwrote me a birthday card that year. That old, angry illiterate man has now learned enough that he can use messaging apps on his phone to send me holiday greetings and words of encouragement wherever I am on planet Earth.How incredible is that?
How much time do we spend on things that don't truly matter? Stress, anxiety, worries, anger, sadness...is this how God intended us to wisely spend our time?
Prayer
Through faithful study, meditation and acts of kindness, our insecurities and pain can be transformed into wisdom and love. Amen.
Devotion
All are welcome
Frances Taylor
But are they? One of the gifts of the Feast of the Epiphany is the realization that Jesus came for ALL people. When we see representations of the Magi coming to worship the new King, we notice that they are of mixed races. We are aware that they are not Jews, but they seem to know that the star they noticed "at its rising" is a sign that the promised one has been born. At this moment in time, seem to be having difficulty seeing that we are all images of the one God, brothers and sisters regardless of race, nationality or religion. We have some choices to make in this New Year. We can follow the example of Jesus who welcomes all, or we can follow the example of Herod who wishes to destroy. The road to peace is a bumpy one and requires effort. It is a road of acceptance, compassion, forgiveness and taking responsibility for our actions. We can choose to fuel the fires of division and hatred, or we can choose love. As we count down the last few days ...
Morning Prayer
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Inspiration
It is only God who can keep us from stumbling and making mistakes. His guidance ensures that we always come out right – and never disadvantaged. We begin to encounter errors when we try to do things in our own power.
Prayer
Dear God, I simply ask that I do not wander away from the path that you have set for my life. May I always pay attention to your instructions, and may I carry them out well. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Inspiration
Have you noticed that predators hunt by surprising their pray? The alert animal might get a head start, bounding away from the threat, while the distracted animal becomes the hunter’s next meal. Satan, too, does his most destructive work when we are distracted by worldly cares or our own selfish desires. We must be alert in the Spirit at all times, ready to flee and defend against Satan’s threats.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your untiring faithfulness. Please help me to free my mind from distractions, and open my eyes to your truth, so that I may see with all wisdom. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I may remain vigilant in prayer, and watchful in my walk, so that the enemy may not surprise me in a moment of distraction. In Jesus’ name, amen.
