Morning Prayer
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Inspiration
We do not go to the doctor to be cured if we are not sick or do not have some physical condition that needs healing. Nor will men go to Christ for forgiveness of sins and spiritual healing if they do not first see themselves as they are, if they do not see their lost and needy condition.
Prayer
Help us, O Lord, to point men to Christ as the One who can heal the disease of sin and cure all its "symptoms. " But teach us to first show men their need of Jesus Christ through presenting your Law. We know men must be humbled by the Law before they can receive the love of your Gospel. Help us to be discerning and sensitive to our audience when we preach your Gospel. Amen.
Devotion
We Are Blessed
Frances Taylor
The people had waited for a Messiah for millennia, not just years and now their prayers were answered. Jesus is telling his disciples how blessed they are, but I don't think that they understood quite what he was saying. Kings from the time of Saul and prophets in every age were waiting and hoping that the Messiah would come in their time, but they died without his coming. We, too, are blessed for we have been privileged to know the teachings of Jesus. We may not have been present when he walked the earth, but, in many ways, we are more aware of his works and his words than many of the people of his time. We forget how limited travel was during this time. Most people didn't travel much beyond their communities. People did come to know about Jesus, often from those merchants who did travel the countryside selling their wares, but that didn't mean that they actually had the opportunity to see Jesus. Even those who did see and hear Jesus in person ...
Morning Prayer
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Inspiration
What did Paul mean that he was "all things to all men? " Not that he would compromise the Gospel message, changing it or "adapting it to different cultures, but that he would change and adapt himself in any way not sinful or deceitful, in order to remove a needless roadblock to men hearing the Gospel.
Prayer
O Lord, let me be willing to leave my "comfort zone" or to adapt to others and different situations as needed to be an effective witness for you and your truth. Let me not hinder the Gospel by stubbornly holding to human traditions, but let me not change the truth of the message with novelties that depart from the faith once delivered to the saints. Amen.
Devotion
St Francis of Assisi
Frances Taylor
St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved saints known for his gentleness and his love of animals. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Among other things, he is known to have put together the first live Nativity scene. On his feast day, churches in both the Catholic and Anglican traditions celebrate the blessing of the animals. Although he was from a wealthy family, he later embraced a lifetime of poverty. He founded the Franciscan Order of Friars but never felt worthy to be ordained a priest. He remained a deacon. He chose St. Anthony of Padua to succeed him. Francis was wild in his youth but after a time as a prisoner of war, he turned his life around and became a Christian. He became a new creation through his baptism. He embraced his new faith and preached all over the countryside bringing many people to faith. Many Christians have started out living in ways that are quite opposite to the Christian way of ...
