Mon

11 Mar

The theme for this week is Forgiveness, taken from Matthew 6:14-15. Listen to the Bible reading which uses Lectio Divina to engage with Scripture.

Prayer before Scripture:
Be present Spirit of God as we listen to these words of Scripture. Open our ears that we may hear the call to embody Christ to the world. Open our minds to be challenged to new ways of thinking and being. Open our hearts that we may be formed for mission in your world. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

At the end of the reading:
Whakarongo ki te kupu a te Wairua ki te Haahi. Whakapaingia te Atua.

 

Tue

12 Mar

The Reverend Karen Kemp is Dean of Tikanga Pakeha at St John’s College. Karen based her Masters Thesis on the theology of forgiveness found in Matthew 18.

Click here to listen to Karen speak about a Christian understanding of forgiveness.

Click here for the transcript of the audio file.

 

 

Wed

13 Mar

“God forgives you. Forgive others. Forgive yourself.” (A New Zealand Prayer Book, 458).

Miroslav Volf wrote, “If, rather than being troubled by my inability to forgive, I don’t want to forgive, there is a good chance that I haven’t in fact received forgiveness from God, even if I believe that I have.”

Spend some time noticing the beauty in God’s creation.  Take a picture of something in nature that will remind you of God’s love and forgiveness for you.

Post it to our Facebook page here and save that picture as your screensaver.  Leave it there for the rest of Lent.  Every time you see it, repeat to yourself the words of absolution above.

 

Thu

14 Mar

Sometimes we think that we have forgiven those who have hurt us. One thing that shows us we still have work to do is if we are maintaining a distance between us and the other person, or if we talk about them rather than to them.

Are there people you need to forgive? Ask God to show you who they are.

Record your thoughts in your journal.

 

Fri

15 Mar

In your journal write a letter to God about a person you feel has hurt you.

Once you have finished, read it out loud.

Remind yourself that God loves you, and God loves the person who has hurt you.

Hold yourself and the other person in God’s loving presence.

Record your thoughts in your journal.

 

Sat

16 Mar

We are called to “till the soil so that forgiveness can bloom.” (L. Gregory Jones)

One of the practices that forms a life where forgiveness is possible is gratitude.

Notice your life today. Are there things that bring a smile to your face?

Every time you notice something, give thanks to God.

 

Sun

Lent 5

17 Mar

Click here to be led through The Examen.

Concluding Prayer:

God, you call us to serve you with all the strength we have:
you are faithful to those you call;
may Jesus’ resurrection raise us if we stumble,
the Christlight beckon us if we lose our way,
and we shall have strength once more
to walk with you to the cross. Amen.

Today’s image is from Christ Church, Alfriston.