Daily ScriptureFrom the Thanksgiving Prayer (Isaiah 53.3)‘As a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, your only Son was lifted up the He might draw the whole world to Himself’Daily Reflection <span style="font-size: 1rem;">We are used to speaking of Jesus as 'light of the world', 'hope for our salvation', and other positive, uplifting phrases. Perhaps these are easy to believe when things are going well for us and life is good. But they aren't always that easy to believe when life takes a turn for the worse, are they? In this verse, we see a different depiction of Jesus - a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, loss and pain. Here is the human Jesus - the God who rolled up his sleeves and entered into the middle of all of our mess, the God who loved us all so much, that He wanted to be with us and draw us close to Him, whatever the cost. The wonder of the human Jesus, is that, in Him, we see a God who has walked in our shoes, who has experienced the joy and the pain of being human - a God we can relate to. Jesus, man of sorrows, gentle and accessible friend. As we enter Holy Week next week, let's take time to think of our Saviour, who has surely "borne our grief, and carried our sorrows and pain" with Him, all the way to the cross.</span> Vicki Young
Daily Scripture:21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,22 I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast before you.23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you receive me with glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. (Psalm 73:21-26)Daily Reflection:It is easy, when we feel beleaguered, to think that others have it better, or that our fate is particularly cruel. The writer of Psalm 73 sees the “baddies”; everything seems to go well for them! That’s why he, or she, is embittered. What about me, Lord? Do I not count? But our Lord does see. In fact, he is right beside us. He holds our hand in the storm, he guides us if only we would listen to him, and he will receive us in his house at the end of our days, having walked with us all the way. Sometimes it is hard to remember, but God really is the strength of our hearts, in bad days as in good. You just have to remember to look up and notice. He is always with us. Revd Ylva
Daily Scripture‘And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself’ (John 12.32)Daily ReflectionIn this part of John’s Gospel, Jesus’s speaks of his forthcoming death, when he will be ‘lifted up’ on the cross.Preaching on these words in Pasadena in 2005 the incomparable Archbishop Desmond Tutu said the following:‘When Jesus said these words, did he say “I will draw some - and tough luck for the others”? No. He said “When I am lifted up, I will draw all.” All! All! All! - Black, white, yellow; rich, poor; clever, not so clever; beautiful, not so beautiful. All! All! It is radical. Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden ... Gay, lesbian, so-called “straight”. All! All! All are to be held in the incredible embrace of the love that won’t let us go’.And that includes us. Revd Rosemary
