MEDITATION:
Written by D. James Kennedy (1930-2007) an American pastor, broadcaster, and author.
William Wilberforce was at a crossroads. Young, wealthy, well-educated, a member of Parliament, and a much-in-demand man about town, Wilberforce was in the throes of what he later came to call his “great change”—his conversion to Christianity. Elected to Parliament in 1780 at age 21, Wilberforce had pursued his own political ambition with little thought for God or the Gospel. At age 26, this promising, talent-laden member of Parliament had been persuaded to trust Christ after reading a famous devotional classic and the Greek New Testament… Should he leave politics? … Politics, was, as many evangelicals then thought, a “worldly” pursuit. It was an endeavor fraught with moral compromise and the corrupting quest for power. Something, in short, in which no truly “spiritual” believer could take part…Wilberforce put the question to John Newton, the former slave trader turned minister who is best known today for writing the famous hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Newton’s answer amazed Wilberforce. He advised him not to leave his post. That would be tantamount to desertion from the position to which God had called him. Instead, he should serve Christ in the political arena….Wilberforce embraced two great goals: the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (moral standards)… He largely succeeded. Twenty years after Wilberforce took up the cause of abolition, Parliament passed in 1807 a measure ending the horrid British traffic in slaves. Then, in 1833, just three days before his death, the House of Commons approved a bill for the abolition of slavery throughout the British colonies—an act that, according to Wilberforce biographer Kevin Belmonte, brought freedom to some 800,000 slaves. The impact of Wilberforce was equally profound on the moral climate of Britain … Under his leadership, a Christian social conscience attacked prevalent social ills while at the same time seeking to better the lives of those affected by them. … The life of William Wilberforce is a powerful, stirring, and instructive example that we, as Christians, can bring moral renewal to our culture. It won’t happen through government alone, as Wilberforce well recognized, but it can happen if we answer the summons to be salt and light for Christ in every area of life—including the political arena.
PRAYER:
Written by William Wilberforce (1759-1833), a British politician, and leader of the movement to stop the slave trade.
Lord God, Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength and forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will: through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
MUSIC MEDITATION:
Amazing Grace Performed by Home Free
The hymn was written by former slave trader John Newton in 1772 and was published in 1779. It is based on his life and conversion.
Pathways Press.com 