Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent: Year 1
Morning Psalms 95 and 88; Evening Psalms 91 and 92;
Jeremiah 11:1 to 8 and 14 to 20; Romans 6:1 to 11; John 8:33 to 47;
I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word.” (John 8:37)
I consider myself a spiritual descendant of Abraham. My prayer is that I do indeed have a space in my heart and mind for the Word of our Lord Jesus. Jesus preached the love of God in order that we might all be the children of God and in fact call on God as Abba, Father. In this way we may recognize ourselves as children of God and spiritual children to Abraham. Abraham was a strong man of faith who would even destroy his own biological son in his spiritual obedience to God. However, Jesus said to his critics, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.” (John 8:39 and 40) Abraham had a place in him for God’s Word.
Abraham left his father’s home and followed the voice of God and believed the promises of God about who he would become. He was blessed, and in this blessing he blessed the nations, and he blesses us today. The blessings we receive are not all for us. We too are blessed only in order to bless others. We bless others with some of our money, some of our time and some of our counsel. We should not take what God has blessed us with and hoard it for ourselves. God has given us that that belongs to those who are out there, some of whom, do not believe in, or know the love of God. But God loves them anyway, and God loves them through you. Keep and maintain a place for the Word of God in you and then go and be a blessing to others.
Today we also remember Gregory the Great (604)
Pope Gregory was an amazing Pope who considered himself, “a servant of the servants of God.” Gregory sent Augustine of Canterbury to the English people to further organize the Church there. In this way Gregory played an instrumental role in the history of our Episcopal and Anglican Church. He is a key figure for me in our Church History. Gregory was blessed and passed that blessing on in the tradition of Abraham.
Today is Friday. For this evening and tomorrow day my friends; Shabbat Shalom
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 