Day 25 – Protection

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6: 10-13)

 There are tough realities to be faced in this world. One of them is the presence of evil. Evil powers are active in the world and while their final defeat is assured, until that day we must stand firm and know the weapons of our faith. The word ‘evil’ attaches to some things quite easily, such as child abuse, terrorism and war. But it is not limited to the extreme and disordered. It can also exist in the seemingly respectable and reasonable. We must be fully equipped for what we are facing. God’s ‘armour’ is our protection. In the presence of evil and its destructive grip on so much human living, Christian presence in the world is offensive.

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

Armour of God (DS)

 

Prayer

Prayerfully imagine putting on the armour of God (Ephesians 6: 14-17) and take confidence in it.

 

Remember in your prayers

People and places affected by the evil actions of others.

Day 24 – Holy

Montserrat, Spain

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3: 1-5)

 The shepherd turns aside, wanders over to a burning bush that catches his eye – and finds himself face to face with God. So begins the story of the journey of God’s people from slavery and the revelation of their God as saviour and liberator. Jesus often taught that the things that matter in life are not on the surface or planted on the path in front of us. They are hidden. We need eyes open, senses alert to encounter the holy. Real faith is inquisitive and adventurous. The challenge is to let life inconvenience us. We must be willing to break our routines and go wandering. Who knows what might be waiting for us to notice?

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

 For Reflection

The next time you are out and about in a familiar place, look for something you haven’t seen before.

 Prayer

Lord, distract me so that I may catch sight of your holiness in unexpected places.

Day 23 – Humanity

 

Helensburgh Pier (DS)

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25: 37-40)

 One of the core obligations in the Bible is to welcome the stranger – because God does it. But this welcome is much more than a greeting or a meal. It is a commitment to the needs of a whole society. Nor is this welcome offered on any preferential terms, such as race, gender, social class, wealth or influence.  God does not just care for the stranger and call us to do the same. The stranger is where we meet him. The face of the stranger is his face so to reject the stranger is to reject him. The people in today’s passage did not recognise their king. Their welcome and care for those in need were not offered out of self-conscious service to a religious creed or ideology. Perhaps they weren’t even trying to be good. They were just being human – like God.

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

 Prayer

Jesus, help me to see you in those I meet today.

Day 22 – Exclusion

 

Closed shops in Helensburgh

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” (Luke 13: 1-5)

This is an unexpected response to a story of atrocity. Jesus is expected to take sides here and he will surely vindicate the innocent victims. Isn’t it clear who is good and who is bad? But Jesus refuses to take sides and instead issues a blunt call to repentance. How would we react if Jesus spoke to us like that? Repent means ‘turn’ or ‘change direction’. We must turn, surrendering again all our attempts to understand things simply from our own viewpoint. We must continue to search for meaning and purpose in the events of life, and we cannot but seek God in all of it. The warning here is about where we look and the conclusions we are tempted to draw. Jesus is not indifferent. It’s just that the story he is telling is so much bigger.

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

 For Reflection

Who do you ‘exclude’ because of their actions, appearance, culture or life choices? Try to see the bigger picture.

 

Prayer

Lord, I repent of all my attempts to use you for my own ends and needs. I turn towards the bigger story of your love and inclusion.

Day 21 – Peace

 

Collared Dove (JH)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14: 27)

Peace that is ‘not as the world gives’ may not be easy to recognise. It may feel contradictory. The peace of Jesus disturbed comfortable people when he confronted ways of living that were based on privilege, exclusion or avoidance. Praying for peace is not about seeking a quiet life. It may actually be the peace of Jesus that is doing the disturbing. For the peace of Jesus to reach us, he must break through all our self-created securities and refuges. The peace of Jesus is also a comfort to the disturbed. When we are invited to ‘go in peace’ it doesn’t mean going home peaceful. The invitation is to something so much bigger, more wonderful and altogether more challenging.

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

For Reflection

When and where have you felt God’s peace?

Prayer

Lord, lead me into your shalom.

Day 20 – Wisdom

 “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16)

 Christian faith is for living with open eyes. We are to be nobody’s fool. In these contradictory images, Jesus is reversing our familiar assumptions of power and vulnerability. As followers of Jesus, as sheep among wolves, we are to live in this world with innocent cunning and cunning innocence. We are not abandoned in the wilderness of this world. Jesus is the good shepherd. We are here at his bidding. We can trust him. But there is no safe living on offer. Christian faith is for living in the wild.

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

 Prayer

Lord, teach me to walk through this world with innocent wisdom that remains innocent – and innocence that is wise.

Day 19 – Healing

Communion at Gowanbank - Church weekend away

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20: 19-22)

There has been a tendency in the indexes of church hymn books to separate Good Friday and Easter. When that happens, suffering/death and victory/risen life are easily separated too. If there are no marks on the risen Jesus, then resurrection is only for the unmarked. But when we see him, his hands open towards us, scarred, we may dare to celebrate that we are risen too. This is our humanity that we see before us. In his wounds we recognise our own. Christ is one with us, sharing and bearing our story into new life.

(Extract from Dust & Glory by David Runcorn)

Prayer

Come to us, risen Lord. Find us where we are locked in with our fears, elaborately guarded with bolts, chains and secure defences. Seek us with the story we have heard but are still unable to understand or trust.

Remember Today

Those who seek Christ’s healing touch in our communities – the sick, the vulnerable, the frightened; those locked down alone and lonely.