New Testament

Living puzzles and the Kingdom of God

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
 
All praise to you, Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
    who Spirits your church into being,
    making us members one of another.
It is a great mystery that we are your body.
But we praise you for it,
    for otherwise we would be alone – 
    condemned to live alone, to die alone.
But you have given us one another in all shapes and sizes.
 
We do not fit together all that well,
    but we pray that the puzzles of our lives 
    may please you and entertain you,
  so that in the end we add up to be your kingdom.
Help us to live with the confidence of that kingdom,
    in light of your Son’s resurrection,
  so that when all is said and done, this may be said:
“They were a strange lot, but look how they loved one another.”
Amen
 
Stanley Hauerwas, 1940- , American ethicist and theologian
____________________
 
 
Together, we are his house, 
    built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. 
And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 
We are carefully joined together in him, 
    becoming a holy temple for the Lord.  
Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling
    where God lives by his Spirit.

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Pieces of wood . . . to build one cross

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
Pieces of wood,
broken and burnt,
stained with blood of family,
derelict in the smouldering heap.
The smell of death
in dusty roads,
sounds of weeping,
darkness and gloom.
 
Pieces of wood
pierce the wounded side,
lightning and thunder,
shots of gunfire,
rending cries of
mothers and daughters
in the sleepless houses
waiting for the first light.
 
My God, my God, why have you abandoned us?
why have you forgotten us,
forsaken us?
 
Cry rage and revenge,
slaughter and destruction.
How long will this be,
terror in the faces of children,
hatred and fear,
over a wilderness of shacks,
the other side of the city wall,
longing for peace?
 
My God, my God, why have you abandoned us?
why have you forgotten us,
forsaken us?
 
Come,
let us carry these pieces of wood,
once part of the same ancient tree
used to build houses, proud and sturdy,
now charred ruins of dwelling places,
scattered and aloof.
 
Bind piece with piece
to build one cross.
 
Cross of Bhambayi
shelter me,
hide me from the
pain and agony
as the blood,
like justice,
flows from the cross.
 
From the soil
sprouts a new year of freedom and healing
for captives
maimed in body and
maimed in hope.
 
Sacred mystery
on the holy ground,
tree of redemption,
the flowering tree which withers
and blossoms again
from Eden to Calvary
to Easter . . .
to Bhambayi . . . 
 
Devarkshanam Betty Govinden, South African academic, author and poet
 
________________________
 
 
Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God 
    by means of his death on the cross, 
    and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
 

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grace for the day

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
Father, thank you for the grace that has preserved my life to this moment. 
 
Now give me enough love for this day—
    a sense of love from you (so I’m not scared or driven), 
    a welling up of love for you (so I’m not proud or selfish), 
    and a resulting love for others (so I am not cold or distracted). 
Let your Spirit illumine my mind and enlarge my heart for that. 
 
And because it means nothing to begin well if one does not persevere, 
    I ask that you would continue and increase your grace in me
    until you have led me into full communion with your Son 
        Jesus Christ our Lord,
    that I may see his beautiful and great glory. 
 
And as I laid down in sleep and rose this morning only by your grace,
    keep me in a joyful, lively remembrance that whatever happens, 
    I will someday know my final rising—the resurrection—
    because Jesus Christ laid down in death for me, 
    and rose for my justification. 
 
In Jesus’s name.
 
Tim Keller, 1950-2023, NYC Presbyterian Pastor and author
 
____________________________
 
 
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 
he saved us, 
    not because of works done by us in righteousness, 
but according to his own mercy, 
    by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 
    whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 
so that being justified by his grace 
    we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

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to see what joins us together

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash
 
 
Lord Christ, help us to see what it is
    that joins us together, 
    not what separates us.
For when we see only what it is that makes us different,
    we too often become aware
    of what is wrong with others.
We see only their faults and weaknesses,
    interpreting their actions as flowing from
    malice or hatred 
    rather than fear.
Even when confronted with evil, Lord,
    you forgave and sacrificed yourself
    rather than sought revenge.
Teach us to do the same
    by the power of your Spirit.
 
William Breault, SJ, 1926-2015
 
__________________________
 
 
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, 
    if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, 
    if any tenderness and compassion, 
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, 
    having the same love, 
    being one in spirit and of one mind. 
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. 
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 
    not looking to your own interests 
    but each of you to the interests of the others.

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O God, create through me

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
image via pxhere
 
 
O God,
who out of nothing
    brought everything that is,
out of what I am
    bring more of what I dream
        but haven’t dared;
direct my power and passion
    to creating life
        where there is death,
    to putting flesh of action
        on bare-boned intentions,
    to lighting fires
        against the midnight of indifference,
    to throwing bridges of care 
        across canyons of loneliness;
so I can look on creation,
    together with you,
        and, behold,
            call it very good;
through Jesus Christ my Lord.
 
Ted Loder, born 1930, American Methodist minister
 
_______________________
 
 
For we are his workmanship, 
    created in Christ Jesus for good works, 
which God prepared beforehand, 
    that we should walk in them.
 

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Give me a steadfast heart

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

 
 
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, 
    which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; 
give me an unconquered heart, 
    which no tribulation can wear out; 
give me an upright heart, 
    which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.

Bestow on me also, O Lord my God, 
    understanding to know Thee, 
    diligence to seek Thee,
    wisdom to find Thee, 
    and a faithfulness that may finally embrace Thee. 
Amen.
 
Thomas Aquinas, 1225 – 1274, Roman Catholic philosopher and theologian
_____________________________
 
 
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, 
    for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, 
    which God has promised to those who love him.
 

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prayer for humility in light of future glory

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
image, Alberto Fernandez Fernandez, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
 
 
Grant, Almighty God,
    since you have not only created me out of nothing,
  but intend to create me again in your only begotten Son;
    and since you have taken me from the lowest depths,
  so that you may raise me to the hope of your heavenly kingdom:
Grant, I pray,
   that I may not be proud or puffed up with conceit;
  but may embrace your favor with humility,
    and submit myself to you in simplicity,
  until at last I become a partaker of that glory
    your only begotten Son has acquired for me.
Amen.
 
John Calvin
_________________
 
 
We all, with unveiled faces, 
    are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord 
    and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory;
 this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
 

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the way of resurrection

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
The Last Judgment, Fra Angelico, Google Cultural Institute
 
 
You, O Lord, have freed us from the fear of death.
    You have made the end of this life the beginning to us of true life.
For a season, you rest our bodies in sleep,
    and awaken them again at the last trumpet call.
You give our earth, which you fashioned with your hands,
    to the earth to keep in safety.
One day you will take again what you have given,
    transfiguring with immortality and grace 
    our mortal and unpleasant remains.
You have saved us from the curse and from sin,
    having become both for our sakes.
You broke the head of the dragon that had seized us in his jaws,
    in the yawning gulf of disobedience.
You have shown us the way of resurrection,
    having broken the gates of hell,
  and you have brought to nothing the one who had the power of death
    – the devil.
You have given a sign to those who fear you
    – the cross,
  to destroy the adversary and save our lives.
Amen.
 
Gregory of Nyssa, c 335-395 Cappadocian Father, Bishop of Nyssa
 
___________________
 
 
Listen, I tell you a mystery: 
    We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 
    in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, 
    and we will be changed. 
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, 
    and the mortal with immortality. 
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, 
    and the mortal with immortality, 
    then the saying that is written will come true: 
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

  “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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You who are unchangeable in love

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
You who are unchangeable, whom nothing changes!
You who are unchangeable in love, 
    precisely for our welfare, not submitting to any change:
  may we too will our welfare, 
    submitting ourselves to the discipline of your unchangeableness,
    so that we may in unconditional obedience find our rest 
    and remain in rest in your unchangeableness.
You are not like us;
    if we are to preserve only some degree of constancy,
    we must not permit ourselves too much to be moved,
    nor by too many things.
You on the contrary are moved and moved in infinite love, by all things.
Even that which we human beings call an insignificant trifle,
    and pass by unmoved, 
    the need of a sparrow, even this moved You;
    and what we so often scarcely notice, 
    a human sigh, this moves You, 
You who are unchangeable!
 
You who in infinite love do submit to be moved,
    may this our prayer also move You to add Your blessing,
    in order that there may be brought about such a change in us
    who pray as to bring us into conformity with Your unchangeable will,
You who are unchangeable!
 
Soren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Danish philosopher and theologian
________________________________
 
 
So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise 
the unchangeable character of his purpose, 
he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, 
in which it is impossible for God to lie, 
we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement 
to hold fast to the hope set before us.

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loving Jesus, come into my soul

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
image via pexels
 
O most gracious and loving Jesus,
    my Lord and my God,
    fountain of all grace.
  come into my soul with the fullness of your grace.
Jesus most patient, too long have I made you wait for me,
    yet come to me:  
        endure me a sinner, and make me, through your patience, 
        to endure all things, and to be patient with all.
Jesus most humble, make me through your humility so humble,
    that I may never lift up myself, 
    for anything against anyone, as to any one.
Jesus most loving, come with all your love into my soul,
    that I may love you with a burning love,
    and love each and everyone with your own love.
 
E.B. Pusey, 1800-1882, English churchman and leader of the Oxford Movement
 
_____________________________
 
 
This is how God showed his love among us: 
He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us 
    and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, 
    God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

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