Daily Scripture:‘I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good.’ (Matthew 5.44-5)Daily Reflection:How are bitter divisions to be healed? How are warring forces to make peace? How are we to cope with conflict? ‘Love’ says Jesus; be as generous as the Father. Pray for your enemies.Prayer: Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. David Harmsworth
Daily Scripture:‘The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Psalm 23:1-3)Daily Reflection:Surely these are words of the most well-known of Psalms; some of the best known words of scripture that most people can recite? But do we live our lives by these words? A shepherd cares, protects, nourishes and provides; a shepherd leads and guides the sheep in his care. This shepherd guides his flock along the right path…. leads them the right way, so that they lack absolutely nothing in their lives.Is the Lord your shepherd? He can lead you in a life where you lack nothing. Listen for His voice.Revd David Prayer: O God, our sovereign and shepherd, comfort us with your protecting presence and your angels of goodness and love, that we also may come home and dwell with him in your house for ever. Amen.
Daily Scripture‘Forget about what’s happened….don’t keep going over old history. See, I am doing something brand new!’ (The Message Bible: Isaiah 43, v18-19)Daily Reflection It’s not always good to keep looking back at the past, reliving things that have hurt us, or made us sad. Hope stays alive as we look forward, not back. When we place our hope in God, we take a step up – out of the swamp of our worries and our fears. God, who is able to, so much more than we can ever imagine, is doing something brand new… right now. The Bible tells us that there is a season for all things, and seasons will pass. The old will be replaced with the new, just as winter is replaced with spring - new life and new hope each year. Let hope stay alive in your hearts. Vicki Young
Daily Scripture‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord,or who can rise up in his holy place?’‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,nor sworn an oath to a lie;'Daily ReflectionJoe Biden has been declared the victor in the American presidential election and soon he will ascend Capitol Hill and take his place in the White House. The hill that the Psalmist refers to, is Zion, the hill in Jerusalem where the Jewish temple once stood. To ascend this hill was to draw near to God. I don’t know if President-elect Biden has clean hands and a pure heart, and somehow I expect not, as politics in any country is quite a dirty business. But let us hope that this middle-of-the-road Catholic has a better grasp of the truth, something that seems to have been singularly lacking in his predecessor, and that he has not lifted up his soul to an idol, at least not too often. Time will tell….Revd Ylva
