Take time to be quiet, perhaps light a candle. Be still and know that I am God
Let us pray
Loving God, be with us as we join in fellowship in our own homes. Open our hearts to awesomeness of your love, made real for us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. May we never lose the wonder of the cross. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Hymn verse
Here hangs a man discarded,
A scarecrow hoisted high,
A nonsense pointing nowhere
To all who hurry by
Words from the cross
“I am thirsty”
(John 19:28)
Reflection
To so many people today, Jesus means nothing. He has been discarded, viewed as a nonsense. They hurry on, busying themselves with their own lives. They are thirsty for happiness and peace, but think that these can be found in the material things of this world—money, fame, the latest technology, transient pleasures. Like the ancient people of Israel wandering in the desert, they are thirsty for salvation, but they don’t realise that Jesus provides the most thirst-quenching water ever— the water of life.
What can we do to lead them from this parched desert, help them to drink from the cup of the water of life and find salvation in God’s kingdom?
Are we still thirsty for the water of life? Perhaps we, too, at times are guilty of crowding God out, hurrying on with our own lives and not taking time to be still and know God. Have we, to some extent, discarded him? Has our faith been reduced to a caricature (a scarecrow) hanging on the cross, where the rituals of prayer and worship are just dried up remnants of something that once meant so much more?
How can we inject the water of life back into our faith; find new wonder and joy in God’s love?
Christ is still thirsty. He is desperate for all people to know of God’s love and to find that peace and true happiness through him.
At this current time of coronavirus, the world is more thirsty than ever; more in need of a secure and steady base. The virus has shown us how fragile our stability is, and how unpredictable life can be. The only solid foundation we have is the love and faithfulness of God. So let’s drink from the cup of the water of life which Christ offers us, and pray that it will not only revive our own faith but, through us, will overflow and revive others who are thirsty.
Action
Look up a favourite psalm or Bible verse. Read it with fresh eyes and enjoy the wonder of God’s love for you and for the world. If you’re not sure where to start, consider Psalm 23, Psalm 121 or John 3:16.
Spend some time in quiet prayer. Ask God to fill you with the water of life. Be still and rest with him.
Think of a friend or family member who you know is struggling to find peace; who is thirsty, but doesn’t know what they are thirsty for. Pray for them. Look for opportunities where you can show them some love and support—in that way, through you they will taste something of the Christ’s living water.
Let us pray
Get yourself a glass of water. For each line of the prayer, take a drink from it.
Life-giving God, fill us with your living water.
Help us explore your Word with fresh eyes and feel your love within us.
May your Spirit fill every part of us with peace.
Help us, through the way we speak and act, to be cups of living water for others, that they might find salvation from the desert in the safety of your arms.
We offer these prayers through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
תגובות