Photo by...Photo by Louise Sacré on Unsplash
I'm sharing this journal entry from one of our sheep / shepherds for your encouragement and invite you to share your stories to keep us connected David
Thursday April 2, 2020: A journal entry:
JESUS WEPT.
A Morning mist of low cloud wrapped soft around the hills.
I read John 6 and tried to ponder on Jesus the living bread. But the mist beckoned and drew me outside, quickly enfolding me in its clammy embrace.
There was no pausing to choose direction. I headed straight up the hill blanketed in the foggy stillness, only birdcall echoing the inner certainty – she’s coming to pray.
Pray up the hill. I haven’t prayed up there for a while. I’ve prayed. But not there on God’s hill, my place of retreat.
At the summit, as cloud drifted and lifted, it was my heart that rained out its anguished plea, the cry for help with COVID19: LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER. Help us Jesus.
That was it. No wordy waffle. I perched on the rim of the damp bench, poised in grief and need; heart, mind and spirit turned to God, “Yet still do I praise you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Living God.”
A lull then settled over me, like a mute button had been pressed to hush the turmoil of my distressed thoughts and wretched emotions concerning the plight of the world’s people. Wait. Be quiet!
Jesus wept. The words from last Sunday’s reading came to mind loud and clear.
33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Judaeans who had come with her crying, he was deeply stirred in his spirit, and very troubled. 34 ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Master,’ they said, ‘come and see.’ 35 Jesus burst into tears. (John 11:33-35 NTE)
I too burst into tears, and as I wept, there at the top of the hill, I knew he was weeping with me. Weeping with all the world. Weeping for us all.
Turn to me. And I, turning, vision all awash, could see clearly, he was there. Feed my sheep. To this I shook my head, and thought, I’m no pastor. You are a minister of my word. Therefore, speak my word to others. Speak my word to one another. And suddenly understanding dawned. “You aren’t just saying this to me, are you? It’s your call to all of us: Feed your sheep. The responsibility is ours collectively.” And I pictured the scattered sheep, isolated from one another but belonging together and needing creative new ways of being church and speaking grace and hope to one another and others.
I plunged, then, down the hill, not following the worn paths but winding down the steeper slope, weaving through knee high weeds, around rocky mounds and patches of slippery flattened grass, to emerge at the wider base track.
Now is the time to forge new paths. Jesus is still the Way, the “base track” of my faith remains the same. It’s the network of familiar paths that represent how we have lived out our faith, that have fallen away, not God’s word or his kingdom, or his love.
I am thankful for this love that comes to us where we are: scattered sheep weeping in the mist of uncertainty. I’m thankful that Jesus wept and that his way isn’t set in stone. That he comes and calls us to discover a new and living way, today and tomorrow and the next day. Hallelujah! This is a new day! And the Jesus who weeps with us in our distress will renew us and lead us on beyond COVID19.
JESUS WEPT.
The autumn sun filtered a pale ray through the drifting grey. A reminder that the God who weeps, also sheds light as well as tears.
Healing leading to a changed life
by Charles Bertelsmeier
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice (Luke 17:15).
Read Luke 17:11–19
Elias lived in Palestine about 2,000 years ago. You could say his life was going quite well. He had a happy family, with a wife and several children who were performing well in school. His grocery store was doing well, and he had plans to expand it. He believed in working hard and even pushing the boundaries of ethics just a little to get ahead. Whenever he wasn’t too busy, he would try to take his family to the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Then, one day, he was diagnosed with an infectious skin disease. This required him to be expelled from the community so that he wouldn’t infect others. What would happen to his grocery store now? Who would look after his family? Where would he live? What would he live on? Eventually, he found a group of men in the same situation and was invited to join them. They were an interesting group of men from diverse religious, political and social backgrounds; however, they were bonded together through their common sufferings.
Then they heard about an itinerant Jewish rabbi travelling around the countryside preaching and healing people. They went as a group to catch him while he was travelling near them and asked to be healed of their infectious skin disease. The rabbi advised them to visit the priest for a certificate that they had been healed, which was surprising since they hadn’t yet been healed, but they went anyway. But on the way, they found that all evidence of their infection had vanished. Elias was so thankful that he couldn’t wait to rush home to his family and his grocery store. He could now return to the life he had before and keep building up his business.
However, one of the members of this ragtag group of infectious men – a foreigner, in fact – was so intrigued by this Jewish rabbi that he went back not only to say thanks but also to find out more of what he was teaching. A new life of possibilities was opening up for him.
If we think about it, we are like this ragtag group of infectious people, deserving to be expelled from God’s family due to the very contagious disease of sin that we suffer from. Now that we have received our healing from this same itinerant Jewish rabbi, what will our response be? Will we return to living for ourselves, or will we leave our old lives behind and follow this itinerant Jewish rabbi, accepting his invitation to be part of his own ragtag group of people now motivated by his love, grace and mercy for all people?
Heavenly brother, Jesus, like the Samaritan in today’s reading, I want to say thank you for the healing you have given me. I also want to follow where you want to lead me as one of your ragtag group of followers. Thank you for the Holy Spirit, working in my life to achieve this. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering in the community and at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
Delight in God’s great works
by Janette Lange
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them (Psalm 111:2).
Read Psalm 111
When we think of people who study the works of the Lord, scientists might come to mind. Although many today might not acknowledge God as the creating force, they nevertheless marvel at our world and delight in his works as they try to learn more about them. However, many scientists are Christians, and I am sure their scientific studies only serve to deepen their awe and reverence for our Creator God.
But we don’t need to understand the mechanics or the science of it to delight in a beautiful sunset or to enjoy birdsong as a new day dawns. To rejoice in rain falling over parched paddocks. The majesty of snow-capped mountains and clear, running streams. The scent and beauty of the Australian bush. The amazing colours and immensity of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the surrounding country. Rainforests, cane fields, coral reefs, jarrah forests, station country and windswept, sandy beaches – these all speak to me of God’s great works. What is it for you?
The beauty and intricacy of our world give us an insight into the artistry, creativity, intelligence and sheer brilliance of our loving Creator God. It clearly demonstrates his care and love for us, his children. The earth supplies us with what we need to sustain our day-to-day needs. It provides us with employment and recreation. But God hasn’t given us a monochrome functional response to our needs. God has chosen to create a beautiful, amazing and awe-inspiring world for our enjoyment and our delight.
Praise God for his great work of creation. Drink it in, delight in it because this is one of God’s good gifts to you. Let it remind you of his unwavering, loving care for you and move you to praise him with all your heart.
And as others hear us acknowledge God for the beauty of his creation, it may open the door to conversations with them about God’s other great works: the incarnation of Christ, his saving grace, his redemption of us and his loving provision for us every day.
Wonderful Creator, thank you for your beautiful gift of creation that sustains and delights us. Help us to care for the earth and its creatures and to lovingly protect all human life. We thank you for sending Christ to live among us and for his saving work on the cross. Amen.
Janette is a member of Glynde Zion congregation, a vibrant multicultural faith community in suburban Adelaide. She works as an archivist and translator of German historical documents. In her free time, Janette enjoys reading, solving cryptic crosswords, learning languages, travelling, researching family history and relaxing in her garden. Thanks to her husband’s influence, she now enjoys watching Formula 1 and golf.
Listening to the right voice
by Janette Lange
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I feared the people and obeyed their voice (1 Samuel 15:24b).
Read 1 Samuel 15:24–35
How many times have I been guilty of this? Of fearing people and obeying their voice? Too many times to remember. Perhaps this is an issue for you also. I naturally shy away from conflict and desire to keep the peace. Obviously, it’s good to strive for harmony and peace in our relationships; however, it’s important not to be swayed from what is right by our own desires or what others think. But it can be hard, can’t it? Who wants to ruin a family get-together with difficult conversations? Who wants to risk being ‘cancelled’ by speaking out on moral issues? Who wants to be considered ‘uncool’ by not doing what ‘everyone else’ is?
When we pay attention to the voices of the world or to the desires of our own hearts, we end up compromised or led astray. That was certainly the case for Saul, and it cost him his leadership. That’s because those voices are contrary to what God is saying. We can let them drown out what he is saying to us.
By following their voices instead of God’s, we treat them as more important than him. God is asking us to take him at his word, trust him and follow him. He is asking us to be obedient. Not because he wants to spoil our fun or make our lives hard, but because he wants what is best for us and those around us.
As sinful humans, we don’t find it easy to obey God. The good news is that Christ, the fully obedient one, has saved us from the condemnation of our disobedience. Now, when we strive to be obedient to God, we’re not trying to earn God’s favour. God’s favour is already ours – as a freely given gift. And by his Holy Spirit, he actively helps us to trust and obey him. He empowers us to recognise God’s voice and follow what he says.
As we immerse ourselves in his word and spend time with him in prayer, we learn to hear his voice more clearly. And more and more, we become people after God’s own heart, rather than our own.
Good Shepherd, help me to hear your voice clearly and follow in your path. Help me to stand up for what is right and be a bold witness for you. Thank you for the freedom and new life I have in you, won for me by Christ’s obedience on the cross. Amen.
Janette is a member of Glynde Zion congregation, a vibrant multicultural faith community in suburban Adelaide. She works as an archivist and translator of German historical documents. In her free time, Janette enjoys reading, solving cryptic crosswords, learning languages, travelling, researching family history and relaxing in her garden. Thanks to her husband’s influence, she now enjoys watching Formula 1 and golf.