• Stillness

    Ask for what you seek in this prayer
    • Today, we will repeat a very important word to help you into stillness. Notice where you are...how you are...what is going on for you...give all that to God.
    • Then, ask for what you seek in this prayer...it might be to know Jesus as Lord, or perhaps something else.
    • Then take the Aramaic word Maranath a, which means ‘Come, O Lord’ and repeat that word as you breathe...Marantha. Do this for a couple of minutes...if you become distracted, simply return to the word.

  • Reflect

    He will be with us and all authority is his
    • The disciples sometimes called Jesus Lord.  It might be one of your names for him.  It is a name Jesus seems willing to apply to himself on occasion.
    • The word denotes authority and calls to mind Jesus’ words at the end of Matthew’s Gospel: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  His final sentence is just as consoling: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 
    • So, he will be with us and all authority is his. In these dark days of winter, we have no need to fear. 
    • Let that Jesus be with you.  What does he want you to know?  What do you want him to know?

  • Reading

    • At the end of the 14th Century, when Europe was in the grip of the plague and many feared the world was coming to an end, Julian of Norwich, mystic and theologian, shared her image of God with a troubled world.  She affirmed that whatever disasters befall us, whatever challenges we face, Jesus is Lord and always with us. 
    • Julian has an assured sense of God saying, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
    • Julian shares more of what she hears God say to her and to all of us:

    “See that I am God. See that I am in everything. See that I do everything. See that I have never stopped ordering my works, nor ever shall, eternally. See that I lead everything on to the conclusion I ordained for it before time began, by the same power, wisdom and love with which I made it. How can anything be amiss?”

  • Talk to God

    How is Jesus calling you to work with him for the good of the world?
    • This is an invitation to trust in the providence of God. We do not need to be frantic in our efforts to put right what is wrong in the world. 
    • Perhaps return to your saying of the word, Maranatha. As you breathe out, let go of some of the anxiety about life that you may be carrying around.
    • Trust in providence is never licence to be passive. I may not conclude, that because Jesus is Lord, I need do nothing. Not at all. We are called to a middle way in which we hear Jesus, our Lord, call us to work with him for the good of the world. 
    • How is Jesus calling you to work with him for the good of the world? Listen to him. Respond to him.
    • Because we can be utterly confident in him we can trust less in distracting worldly securities. We can become more generous with our time, talents and wealth.  Does this notion inspire a petition in you, perhaps to be more trusting and less distracted? Maranatha...Come O Lord.

    O Wisdom,
    Lord and Ruler,
    Root of Jesse,
    Key of David,
    Rising Sun,
    King of the Nations,
    Emmanuel, Come Lord Jesus.

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