4.6.23: God

The Trinity in an Initial B, Master of the Codex Rossiano, Sienese, pobably 1387.

NB: Just after posting this prayer, I looked at my calendar and discovered that today is Trinity Sunday. This came as a complete surprise, and made me smile broadly, rejoicing in God’s astonishing goodness and power!

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; NIV).

God is three
And God is one:
Father, Spirit,
Much-loved Son.

God is one,
And God is three:
Love, in perfect
Unity.

Love …is the bond of perfect unity (Colossians 3:14; BSB).

God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT). 


References

God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us” (Genesis 1:26; NLT).

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; NIV).

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3; NLT).

God is Spirit (John 4:24; NLT).

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2; NKJV).

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone (John 1:1-4; NLT).

Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him (Isaiah 42:1; NLT).

This is My beloved Son (Luke 9:35; NKJV).

The Father and I are one (John 10:30; NLT).


A short reading: Genesis 18:1-3,33; CSB.

The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant… When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

29.5.23: We praise you

The Healing of the Blind Man and the Raising of Lazarus Date: first half 12th century (possibly 1129–34), metmuseum.com.

This prayer arrived when I was praying without words very sleepily last Saturday morning. Having just learned how to make videos here after 10 years of using WordPress every day, here is a recording of it, in case that’s better for you than print: IMG_3546

We praise you, Lord (Psalm 21:13; GNT).

We praise you, Lord,
And worship you;
We learn from you,
And follow you;
Believe in you,
And long for you:
Our Teacher.

We love you, Lord,
And serve with you;
We trust in you,
Rejoice in you;
Depend on you,
And pray to you:
Our Master.

We grieve with you,
And yield with you;
Accept with you,
Endure with you;
We suffer and unite
With you,
Our Saviour. 

He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:6; NLT).


References

You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am (John 13:13; NLT).

Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! (Luke 17:13; NLT).

Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:11; NLT).


Something extra


Here is a link to a gallery of photos which tell the story of a beautiful, short walk we enjoyed last Saturday. I apologise for having messed up my sharing of this yesterday, and hope it will work properly. I can’t claim to be a mistress of technology! Just click on the live link if you would like to view it: https://wp.me/P45bCr-eaC.

19.5.23: Nothing I need

Image by Christopher Kuszajewski from Pixabay.

Two days ago, I received these verses during wordless prayer. Most unusually, I was able to write them down, then continue the silence without it being broken.

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence (Psalm 16:11; NLT).

There’s nothing I need
But your presence,
Nothing to do
But your will;

Nothing to say
But, “I love you”,
Nothing to see
But your light.

There’s nothing to utter
But, “Jesus“,
Nothing to offer
But thanks;

Nothing I want
But your mercy,
Nothing to do
But unite.

You also are complete through your union with Christ (Colossians 2:10; NLT).


References

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

God is light (Job 33:28; NLT).

God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11; NLT).

Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! (Psalm 57:1; NLT).

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

26.12.22: Faith

Context: Today’s prayer came to me whilst I was praying on the morning of Christmas Eve. I was so grateful to receive it:

I love you, LORD (Psalm 18:1; NLT). 

I love you, Lord, and I have faith
That you love me still more.
Please help me where my faith falls short,
For it is weak and poor.

I love you, Lord, and I have faith
That you have sent your Son
To help us when our faith falls short,
So we can all be one.

Please rid me, Lord, of every sin,
And help me to follow Christ.
My mind, heart, soul and strength are yours
In humble sacrifice.

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30; NLT).

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise (Psalm 51:17; NIV).

Equality

Introduction 

Some Christians believe that women are, and should be, subordinate to men, and that wives should submit to their husbands. Having researched and reflected on this issue for many years, I want to examine it in some detail, beginning with a question:

Did Jesus ever teach, state, claim, suggest, imply, or show by his behaviour that he considered women to be subordinate to men?

Jesus’ attitude to women 

The Gospels illustrate how Jesus went out of his way to include and relate to women in ways which were revolutionary for a man in a highly patriarchal society. He talked with them, listened to them, taught them, touched them, healed them and ate with them. He had close women friends and cared about women’s spiritual development. He depended on his female followers’ financial backing, and received their emotional support to the very end of his life, when all his male disciples except John had fled. Women were also the first witnesses of his resurrection. 

Jesus’ male disciples were sometimes shocked  by how closely and equally he related to women, as seen when they found him talking to the woman at the well (John 4:26; NLT).

Perhaps most significantly of all, there is no suggestion in the Gospels that Jesus excluded women from becoming his disciples:

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34; NLT). 

Saint Paul’s attitude to women 

So, given Jesus’ egalitarian example, where did the belief that Christian women should be subservient to men originate? Here I turn to the letters of Saint Paul. A tough, educated and opinionated man, Paul did not question the culture of his day with regard to the sexes:

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord (Colossians 3:18; NLT).

Going even further, he instructed churches to silence women members, regardless of their spiritual gifts:

Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings (1 Colossians 14:34-5; NLT). 

In saying this, Paul presumably felt he was adhering to the Gospel, even though Jesus said nothing of the kind. 

It’s interesting to note that in his letter to the Galatians, Paul once stated the exact opposite of what he wrote to the Colossians. Experiencing a moment of sublime insight into the essential equality and oneness not just of the sexes, but of all people, he was able to write:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NKJV). 

Historical context

I don’t know how Paul managed to square his contradictory views on women, but I take care to bear in mind how strongly his writing was influenced by his historical context. Although he was an extraordinary, sometimes inspired, speaker and writer, he was also a fallible man of his times, whose views were shaped by widely-held beliefs and prejudices, some of which unfortunately crept into his letters.

Unfortunately, these non-Gospel aspects of his teaching have continued to influence others ever since. Thus, when powerful men spent years arguing about which books should be included in the Biblical Canon, most of those by, for, and about women were ruthlessly excluded. The selections they made still influence Christian belief and practice over 2,000 years later.

Conclusion

It’s hard to understand why Paul’s conventionally patriarchal attitude to women came to be so thoroughly embraced throughout history, whilst Jesus’ consistently loving, egalitarian approach has been largely ignored. Even as I write, I’m shaking my head in disbelief that Paul’s first-century beliefs about the roles and status of women and men continue to influence so many individuals, families, congregations and denominations right up to the present day.

Nothing

Context: When this little prayer arrived yesterday, I scribbled it down, then had to get up early to go into town. My aim was to tackle my most feared  department store lift (see yesterday’s blog).

After four rides in 2 different lifts, I was absolutely exhausted. During the afternoon and evening, I fell asleep repeatedly whilst working on the morning’s notes, not finishing work on them until after 11.30pm. Here is the result:

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:39; NLT). 

Nothing comes between us, Lord,
And nothing blocks our way.

We share unbroken unity;
We walk, and talk, and pray.

Our friendship has no start, no end
On earth, in heaven above,

In mind or heart, in life or death:
For we are one in love.

You …are complete through your union with Christ
(Colossians 2:10; NLT).


References 

Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God (Romans 5:11; NLT).

You are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me (John 15:15; NLT). 

Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8; NLT).

Those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life (John 5:24; NLT).

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song of Songs 6:3; NIV). 

Pray for peace


I will pray for peace (Psalm 122:8; CEV). 

I pray for peace in every mind,
That pride and hate will always fail,
That all will turn to you at last, Lord God,
And faith prevail.    

I pray for joy in every heart,
That rage and greed will always fail,
That you will reign in every life, Lord God,
And hope prevail. 

I pray for truth in every soul,
That lies and force will always fail,
That all will grow in unity, Lord God, 
And love prevail.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; NIV).

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love –
and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT).

The song of the dead

No longer will you need the sun to shine by day,
nor the moon to give its light by night,
for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light.
(Isaiah 60:19; NLT).

The dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
(Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Father, brighter than the sun;
Jesus, every battle won;
Spirit, all your work is done:
We love you.

Lord, we walked the path you trod;
You, our guide, with staff and rod,
Leading us straight back to God:
We love you. 

Every enemy outrun;
Here, no hatred, fear, or gun;
All will live in union:
We love you. 

Father, we have run our race;
Jesus, we can see your face;
Spirit, overwhelming grace:
We love you. 

Lord, in paradise, at last,
Every pain and grief is past;
You have saved us, held us fast:
We love you. 

Now, our joy, Lord, has begun;
Now, we hear you say: Well done!
Now, we know you, Three-In-One:
And love you.

🖤

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.
(1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
(Revelation 21:4; NLT). 

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
(1 Corinthians 13:12; NIV).

 


We are wretched

All the days of the oppressed are wretched.
(Proverbs 15:15; NIV). 

Father,
We are wretched,
Pitiful and weak,
For we have been invaded,
And the strong oppress the meek.

Father,
We are anxious,
Hungry, thirsty, poor,
For we are now blockaded,
And the strong despise your law.

Father,
We are homeless,
Distressed in heart and mind,
Yet everyone is fragile,
And all lives are intertwined.

Father,
We are battered
By hardship, bomb and gun,
But weak and strong are suffering –
For all of us are one.

🖤


References

You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17; NIV).

We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other (Romans 12:5; NLT). 

If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it (1 Corinthians 12:26; CSB). 

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NLT).

 


 

Consequences

You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.
(Isaiah 47:7; NLT). 

There will be wave on wave
Of plague,
Until we’ve realised
Everything it has to teach
About our own shortsightedness,
Our foolishness,
Our selfishness
And greed.

There will be wave on wave
Of plague,
Until we’ve suffered
Everything it has to show
About our basic unity,
Our kinship,
Our fragility
And need.

There will be wave on wave
Of plague,
Until we’ve tackled
Everything it has to say
About our deep unwillingness
To lend, give, share,
Co-operate,
And care.

🖤

Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need.
Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it.
In this way, things will be equal.
(2 Corinthians 8:14; NLT).