Pathways Press.com

MEDITATION:

Written by Ken Shigematsu, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his book “God in my Everything.”

As Celtic monks drew close to God in the sixth century, they intentionally built their monasteries close to the “world” – near settlements, on well-known hilltops, or on islands by established sea lanes – so they could reach out to people with the hospitality of Christ. The monasteries not only provided a place of prayer but also served as hotels, emergency shelters, hospitals, libraries, universities, centers for the arts, and mission-sending bases. Although our values will differ from those of mainstream society as we are guided by the Spirit we will not withdraw from the world or disconnect from people who don’t know the living God. Just as Christ was sent by his Father into the world, when we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we will seek to obey him by being “in the world, but not of the world.”

An important first step in becoming people who share the gospel is to pray for people around us who don’t know Christ and to trust God to work in their lives. As we turn to God in prayer, we are reminded that God is preeminent in all of this, preparing people’s hearts to receive him. Communicating Christ is not primarily about our competencies; it is something the Holy Spirit does through us.

PRAYER:

Written by Rev. Charles Lewis Slattery (1867-1930), Bishop of Massachusetts in the Episcopal Church.

Almighty God, thank you for the job of this day.

May we find gladness in all its toil and difficulty,

its pleasure and success,

and even in its failure and sorrow.

We would look always away from ourselves,

and behold the glory and the need of the world

that we may have the will and the strength to bring

the gift of gladness to others;

that with them we stand to bear

the burden and heat of the day

and offer you the praise of work well done.