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MEDITATION:

Written by N.T. Wright, a contemporary New Testament scholar, theologian and Anglican bishop. This is an excerpt from his work “N.T. Wright on Scripture and the Authority of God.” 

We discover, as we look at the Bible itself, that God’s model of authority is not like that of the managing director over the business, not like that of the governing body over the college, not like that of the police or the law courts who have authority over society. There is a more subtle thing going on. God is not simply organizing the world in a certain way such as we would recognize from any of those human models. He is organizing it—if that’s the right word at all—through Jesus and in the power of the Spirit. And the notion of God’s authority, which we have to understand before we understand what we mean by the authority of scripture, is based on the fact that this God is the loving, wise, creator, redeemer God. And his authority is his sovereign exercise of those powers; his love and wise creations and redemption. What is he doing? He is not simply organizing the world. He is, as we see and know in Christ and by the Spirit, judging and remaking his world. What he does authoritatively he does with this intent. God is not a celestial information service to whom you can apply for answers on difficult questions. Nor is he a heavenly ticket agency to whom you can go for moral or doctrinal permits or passports to salvation. He does not stand outside the human process and merely comment on it or merely issue you with certain tickets that you might need. Those views would imply either a deist’s God or a legalist’s God, not the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ and the Spirit.

PRAYER:

Written by Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226) was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Claire, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land.

God, all powerful, most holy sublime ruler of all, you alone are good – supremely, fully, completely good, may we render to you all praise, all honor, and all blessing: may we always ascribe to you alone everything that is good! Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Jonathan R. Bailey, a contemporary writer and technology entrepreneur serving in the area of Christian Spiritual Formation. This is an excerpt from his devotional “The Eternal Journey.”

C.S. Lewis told us that God wants “creatures whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His.” But to do that, to reach that degree of conformity with the will of God, we must exercise our freedom well. As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin put it, “The only thing that concerns God, the only thing he desires intensely, is your faithful use of your freedom.” Why? Because it’s the faithful use of our first freedom – our ability to choose – that enables the second freedom: union, or likeness with God. Every human being lives with this immense possibility, this staggering potentiality – this divine destiny. Every one of us is created not only to partake in the divine life, but to replicate it.

PRAYER:

Written by Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), a Spanish priest and theologian who founded the Jesuits. Jesuits served the Pope as missionaries. 

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will.

All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will. 

Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Rev. Jeffrey A. Bos, a contemporary pastor. This is an excerpt from his work “The Christian’s Work of Reconciliation: Bringing God’s Peace and Harmony to Earth.”

A Palestinian priest Elias Chacour recounts an incident in his congregation in Ibillin, Israel.  He and his people suffered greatly in the midst of conflict.  The village of Ibillin was also bitterly divided.  Chacour began preaching about the importance of ecumenical and inter-church relations but without success.  The only positive result was a note from one of his parishioners urging him “Begin first to reconcile brothers, sisters, families together.”  Chacour was struck by these words.  On the Sunday before Easter, he decided to do something.  As he celebrated the Lord’s Supper, he “could see so many people who were at odds with each other.”  In fact, he realized that every time he turned to bless the congregation, to give them Christ’s peace, he was reminded that in reality there was no peace among these people.  Such peace had always been refused.   At the conclusion of the service, before anyone could move, Chacour walked down the center aisle.  At the back of the church, he locked the only two doors and took the key.  He then marched back up the aisle, turned around, and told the people that he loved them but was saddened to find them so filled with hate for one another.  In the midst of stunned silence, he went on to say: “So on Christ’s behalf, I say this to you: the doors of the church are locked.  Either you kill each other here in your hatred and then I will celebrate your funerals, or you use the opportunity to be reconciled together…If that reconciliation happens, Christ will truly become your Lord, and I will know I am becoming your pastor and your priest.  That decision is now yours.”  Inside that locked church in Israel, ten minutes passed.  No one said a word.  Finally, one man stood up.  He was a Palestinian serving as an Israeli policeman and was in his uniform.  He stretched out his arms and said, “I ask forgiveness of everybody here and I forgive everybody.  And I ask God to forgive me my sins.”  This man and Chacour then embraced.  Chacour then called for everybody in the church to embrace one another.  Tears and laughter mingled as people who had said ugly words to each other or had not spoken to each other in years were now sharing the love and peace of Christ. Chacour told the congregation: “This is our resurrection!  We are a community that has risen from the dead, and we have new life.,,I will unlock the doors and then let us go from home to home and sing the resurrection hymn to everyone!”  After the people left the church, Chacour removed the locks from the church doors and threw them away.,,The incident related by Chacour took place fifty years ago.  Years later the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis continues, and Christians are still in the middle of it.   However, this is where reconciliation must begin.  In its history, the church has known hostility and conflict, but we also believe that God is working in our churches to bring reconciliation. 

PRAYER:

Written by Gregory the Great (?-604), Pope known for large-scale mission from Rome to convert the Anglo-Saxons in England to Christianity. 

Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of Loving kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son.  Dear Jesus, You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your Blood poured forth in Loving-Kindness.  You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection.  You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror.  You reconciled Heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence and brought us joy.  How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love! Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Kathryn Bindig, a contemporary American pastor and spiritual consultant. 

When we tune ourselves into God’s awesome creation—when we pause to notice life bursting forth all around us, our automatic response is reverent gratitude.  It is impossible to stand in the light of creation & not recognize the reverent majesty and wonder of God’s presence in, around, & within us.  The awesome beauty & reverence of: a vine adorned with morning glories, the joyous song of birds singing, a deeply rooted stable tree, the gentle waves of a serene clear lake, the power of majestic mountain ranges, the first cry of a newborn baby, the healing sound of laughter shared, the warmth of souls embracing, the soothing feeling & sound of the wind, all fill our souls with deep reverent gratitude for our Creator & fill our spirits with new life, joy & hope.  When we fail to recognize the spiritual context in which we live, we lose sight of our Creator and our whole being; mind, body and spirit become broken and separated from our life-giving force.  Though the reverence of creation transcends our full understanding, by the very fact that God is in all creation and all of creation is in God, we who are created in the image of God, are pulled into sacred harmony with God’s creative order and made whole.  Creation is the healing balm that makes us whole and brings us into balance; in our mind, body, and spirit, regardless of what season we may find ourselves in.  The challenge for our soul is to find ways to live in harmony with God’s creative order, which by its very nature includes beauty and suffering that affects our mind, body, and spirit, without losing sight of our Creator.  We know that life is gloriously complicated.  It is difficult to understand why any suffering at all exists, but we know it does. However, even in the worst suffering, ultimately beauty will always outweigh our suffering for our Creator God resides in all life and God created all life to be beautiful and good.

PRAYER:

Written by Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), a Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and Christian theologian. He served as the archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109. 

Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you my whole being. Moreover, I owe you as much more love than myself as you are greater than I, for whom you gave yourself and to whom you promised yourself. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of your love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Excerpted from a work by Rick Warren, a contemporary American pastor and author. 

You’re never going to live in harmony with your wife, your husband, your friends, or anybody else without empathy. You can’t have a team without being aware of what’s happening in each other’s lives. That’s why when people work together in an office, they may do work together, but they’re not a team unless they know what’s going on in each other’s lives. Empathy is so important because it meets two of our deepest needs: the fundamental need to be understood and a deep need to have our feelings validated. If you’re going to build a team of friends or at work or in your small group, you have to build empathy into the structure. So how do you become an empathetic person?

1. Slow down. Because our culture teaches us to move fast, we end up relationally skimming. That means you’re hitting the high points and missing all kinds of details in the lives of people you care about most. James 1:19 says, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (NLT, second edition).  2. Ask questions. Proverbs 20:5 says, “A person’s thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out” (GNT). Most people hold their emotions pretty close, and they don’t automatically share how they’re doing. “I’m fine” is the standard answer, but that doesn’t really tell you how they feel. If you ask, “How are you doing?” and the other person says, “I’m fine,” here’s how you draw out a more telling response: Learn to ask the question twice. That’s how you develop empathy. Pause and say, “No. How are you really doing?” The other thing you do is learn to linger. That means don’t be afraid of silence. Just be in the moment, ask the question, and don’t be afraid to sit there and wait. Don’t immediately go into your agenda. Just listen and learn. 3. Show emotions. The Bible says in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (NASB). Empathy is more than saying, “I’m sorry you hurt.” It’s saying, “I hurt with you.” You’re willing to cry with them, and you’re willing to rejoice with them. There’s only one way you’re going to be that empathetic — stay filled up with God. If your tank gets low on God, you’re not going to be empathetic at all. You’ve got to stay filled up with God.

PRAYER:

Written by Clare of Assisi (1194-1253), the founder of the Poor Clares, a community dedicated to poverty, simplicity and service.

Gaze upon Him, consider Him, as you desire to imitate Him. Show forth in your actions the love which you have within you.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Karen Bables, a contemporary American Christian author. 

When asked by a religious teacher (and legal scholar), “What is the most important commandment,” Jesus quotes this Old Testament verse (Mark 12: 29-30) which makes it an important commandment for Christians as well. In the Shema and in the Gospels, the concepts of the lordship of God and the necessity to love God with everything we have are locked together. In order to live in harmony with God we must obey and simultaneously love God.  For 21st century Christians, I believe, this is a difficult combination – obedience is required; love is offered. We can understand this better if we recognize that love is an action. To the Hebrews, love made obedience possible.  As Timothy Mackie says, “You love someone when you act in loyalty and faithfulness. And so for Israel, to love meant faithful obedience to the terms of their covenant relationship. Obedience to these laws was never about legalism or trying to earn God’s favor. Obedience in the Old Testament is about love and listening. If an Israelite loves God, it will make it easier to listen and absorb his teachings and guidance. This is why the words “listen” and “love” are so tightly connected and repeated through these opening speeches of Deuteronomy” (The Bible Project.com). Living in harmony with God is a multi-faceted experience. But first and foremost we must recognize the Lordship of God. Our response is to “hear” him and love him with” all [our] passion and prayer and intelligence and energy” (Mark 12:30; MSG). This is a commitment far deeper than quoting scripture and attending church services – as important as those things are. It means giving ourselves body and soul to the Lordship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It required stamina and sacrifice and devotion and courage throughout history – and most certainly requires it in the present.

PRAYER:

Written by Al Paton (1903-1988), a South African author and anti-apartheid activist.

Make me, O Lord, the instrument of your love, that I may bring comfort to those who sorrow and joy to those who are regarded as persons of little account. In this country of many races make me courteous to those who are humble and understanding to those who are resentful. Teach me what I should be to the arrogant, the cruel, for I do not know. And as for me myself, make me more joyful than I am, especially if this is needed for the sake of others. Let me remember my many experiences of joy and thankfulness. And may I this coming day do some work of peace for thee. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Joyce Meyer, a contemporary American Charismatic Christian author and speaker.  This is an excerpt from her book “My Time With God.”

God has brought us into harmony with Himself, and His desire is to work through us to do the same thing for the multitudes that are separated from Him and living in darkness. What a great privilege it is to bring people to God! Life lived out of harmony with God is a miserable life. It is one filled with sin, darkness, fear, anger, confusion, and never-ending disappointment. It is one lived without the awareness of God. I remember living a life like that, and I will be forever grateful for the new life that Jesus has provided for me. Let’s be thankful today that we’re aware of God and that we can come to Him without fear of rejection. Ask yourself: Are people being brought to God by my words and deeds? I pray that they are! We have an amazing opportunity to partner with God in the reconciliation of the lost people in this world. We are ambassadors for God, and as such, we represent Him in the earth today. God is making His appeal to the world through us. Working with and for God is the greatest privilege that anyone could ever have. Let the people around you see Christ shining through you today!

PRAYER:

Written by Cheryce Rampersad, contemporary Christian author and contributor to the ChristiansTT prayer website.

Almighty Father, Creator of the universe, I approach Your Heavenly Gates with a grateful heart. I bless Your Holy Name and submit the honor and praise that is due unto You.  Beautiful Lord, I was created in your image, fearfully and wonderfully made to be the light in this dark world. Father, please guide me in a plain path of righteousness according to Your will and glory. You are the Omnipotent Potter and I am the clay. Shape me, mold me, use me, and fill me each and every day to become more like Christ. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Today’s meditation is an excerpt from the Our Daily Bread Mountain Life devotional.

Living in harmony is not as easy as it looks. If we are honest, we like to have things go our own way. Living in harmony does not happen if our real goal is to get people to act the way we want them to act and, at the end of the day, to admit we were right all along (LOL). Our human tendency is to find fault with others, blaming them if harmony is not being achieved. Sadly, the blame game comes naturally to most of us…The blame game does not work because, in reality, the only person I can change is myself…Rather than putting the spotlight on others, let’s start by putting it on ourselves. I want all of us to rate ourselves in the following categories when it comes to our person. A 1 is a low score and a 10 is “we are living it to the max.” Your personal rating should come from how you are doing of late. (Note: if you give yourself all “10’s” then pray for honesty and re-take the test!) 1)  Keeping a sense of humor 2) Being patient 3) Being quick to forgive 4) Sharing how you really feel  5) Building others up  6) Being considerate 7) Overlooking minor offenses  8) Listening to others  9) Serving others in love, and 10) Being positive.

As we consider how we are doing, the goal is not to beat ourselves up in areas where we are struggling. Rather, we can come to God in prayer and ask Him for the grace to grow in these areas. If we slow down and listen, He will help us see specific ways we can change for the benefit of everyone. He may also ask us to ask a loved one for forgiveness if we have hurt them by not living in love in a certain area.

PRAYER:

Today’s prayer is a prayer from Nigeria.

God in heaven, you have helped my life to grow like a tree.  Now something has happened.  Satan, like a bird, has carried in one twig of his own choosing after another.  Before I knew it he had built a dwelling place and was living in it.  Tonight, my Father, I am throwing out both the bird and the nest. Amen

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MEDITATION:

Written by Jimmy Ray Lee, a contemporary American pastor.  This is an excerpt from his book “Stepping into Freedom.”

The only way we can walk with God is to agree with him. Agreeing with God and walking with God go hand in hand. Walking with God means being in harmony with him and his Word, the Bible. Two people cannot walk together unless they are in agreement. If they are not walking in harmony, they are not going in the same direction . . . their goals are different . . . friction grows . . . and communication deteriorates. This is true not only of a relationship between two people–it’s also true of our relationship with God. If we don’t agree with his promises and commands in the Bible, we won’t be moving in his direction. We will want our way, not his. And we will neglect prayer . . . our communication with him. The only way to live an overcoming life is to walk in harmony with our Lord, knowing that we cannot change ourselves. As we obey and trust him, he changes us.

PRAYER:

Written by Luci Shaw, a contemporary American writer of poetry and essays.

Mighty One, as the God who is with us, quench all doubt within us. Reassert yourself in us, in all your creative power and glory. As we remember how your Son gave up that authority to be born and to walk with us on earth, may our love and loyalty rise up to you, strong and certain, to reassure you that we are indeed your creatures. More — we are your sons and daughters. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Colin Smith, a contemporary American pastor.

Harmony, as all musicians know, is a pleasing arrangement of different parts. You get harmony when different notes are brought together in such a way that one note complements another. Harmony is not unison. You don’t get harmony by everyone playing the same note. Harmony does not mean everyone thinks the same nor does the same. And harmony is not discord. Discord is when notes are brought together in such a way that one note diminishes another. To live in harmony with one another is to live in such a way that you enrich and complement each other. Together you are more than any of you would be on your own. There is a display of beauty that comes from taking what is distinct and different and making it one. We see this in the nature of God. There is one God and he is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one in nature, in purpose, and in love. There is a beauty, a glory, a peace, a joy, a blessing, a harmony that we see in God and that flows from God. When God says, “Live in harmony with one another,” the “one another” are Christian brothers and sisters, redeemed by Christ, and brought together in the family of God. Here is a distinct calling that we have as Christians: Live in harmony. Is there anything that is more desperately needed in our world today than this? Our country is tired of polarization, division, and conflict over race and religion and money. The world desperately needs to see something different, and God says, “Let it be seen in the church!” Who are you struggling to live in harmony with?

PRAYER:

Written by Debbie McDaniel, a contemporary Christian writer.

Dear God, we ask that you fill us with your Spirit of love and unity among believers all across this nation. We ask for your help to set aside our differences and look to the greater cause, the cause of Christ. We ask that you would help us to truly live a life of love. We know that this is only possible through the power of your Spirit, so we pray for your Spirit to move across our land in fresh ways. Turn your people back to you. Draw others to come to know you. Thank you that you are always with us to give us great purpose and hope. We pray for our families, for every relationship most dear to us, that you would guard our time, and our lives together. We ask for your ability to quickly forgive hurts, for a renewed heart of compassion, for love and faithfulness to be evident in every decision and action.

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