Week 1: March 1st – March 7th My Self
It is not wrong to think about ‘me’. Each of us is unique. We each have our own lives to live. We have much to be pleased about, to be thankful for, to be satisfied with. We should take pride in ourselves; our achievements, our accomplishments. But then there is that which is not so pleasing to us. Too easily, and too often we let ourselves down, realising that we are not the person we ought to be. We should take time to examine ourselves before God, and be prepared to look ourselves in the eye…to change that which needs to change…to be true to ourselves. To dare to dream…to be the best we can be, not at the expense of others, but for the sake of others.
Week 2: March 8th – March 14th My Family
Life is lived out in relationship. Within families. Family life is what it is. There is that about it for which we should give thanks. Families can bring much happiness and joy into our lives. But we know there can be difficulties. To be separated from those whom we love, they being no longer with us, we left alone with just our memories. Children who grow up, who change, who become themselves. Having to care for older relatives…births, marriages, deaths…rites of passage that underscore family life. We have to work at our relationships, to maintain the integrity of family life; to be prepared to love and to be loved. To pray for each other.
Week 3: March 15th – March 21st My Church
We live out the life of faith within the family of the church – this local congregation – It is for us a sanctuary, a house of prayer, where we have that sense of Heaven and earth becoming as one. Where we meet with God. We are grateful for everyone who shares with us in the life of this congregation. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and we weep with those who weep. We give thanks for strangers and visitors; for worship and for fellowship; for mutual care and concern; for old and young alike. We are anxious for the future, yet excited by it too. Limitless possibilities are before us, yet each brings with it an awesome responsibility. We share bread and wine together…we are to love one another…
Week 4: March 22nd – March 28th My Community
Living on the Suburb brings with it its own unique opportunities for service. We are mindful of those who live alongside us as our neighbours. Local schools, health centres, shops, cafes, places of work, care homes, social centres, churches, synagogues. But there will be those who are lonely and distressed, elderly and housebound, unemployed, depressed, sad and bewildered. Reaching out and reaching in is never easy. Being a good neighbour to each and all alike is the least we can be, but often the most we can do…reaching out beyond ourselves, beyond our comfort zone…going beneath the surface, not merely scratching it. We are at the heart of the community…we should be its beating heart…
Week 5: March 29th – April 4th My Country
Our nation is in a state of flux. Within and beyond our borders no one is quite sure what the future holds for us. A new Govt seeking to impose itself, yet as with every Govt. is at the mercy of ‘events.’ Still there is much healing required. Our sense of ‘national’ identity is narrowing, the gap in economic well-being is widening, the nature of political activity is polarizing…we are less tolerant, more suspicious, more divided than ever…or so it seems. We all need to be good citizens, wanting the best for everyone…the best schools, the best health care, the best policing, the best environment, the best of everything…But we should be prepared to do what we can, including setting aside personal opinion to pray for all those in authority over us…
Week 6: April 5th – April 11th My World
The world is such a small place. It exists on our doorstep. Technology allows us to go anywhere, see everything, be informed about all that is happening. Some places more familiar to us than others. And for now, the world appears to be a scary place. There is so much anger, so much hatred; political unrest, religious conflict, ethnic violence, terrorist atrocities. We are risk from natural disasters, viral epidemics, severe weather patterns, economic uncertainty. It is a scary place. But it is our world and we are responsible for it. May our horizons be widened in every direction as we contemplate what is yet to be, and may our vision be truly global…Good and faithful stewards of God’s creation, committed to ensuring that the gifts of God are for the people of God…all people.
Christ is Risen – He is Risen Indeed