Advent Reflection: December 12: Luke chapter 12

Read Luke Chapter 12 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

On this day when the nation goes to the polls, our reading takes us to “trust”. Who do we trust to lead, influence and shape our lives..?

Your answer may be different from mine… and the final paragraph in this chapter reminds us of the importance of settling differences before they become heated. A great gift to share is the ability to disagree agreeably…

Beyond trusting for our own sake… who do we trust to care for our neighbours? Who do we trust to create a fair and just society for everyone..?

Know of God’s blessing and presence from father, son and spirit… with you, and those you love, and those you should love… this Advent and always…

With love, truth and light…

Donald

Advent Reflection: December 10: Luke chapter 10

Read Luke Chapter 10 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

Luke Chapter 10 brings us back to a parable… a story that Jesus told… and perhaps the best known and loved of all the parables… the parable of the Good Samaritan. A story so familiar that you may in fact have noticed something as you read it today and thought… ah… I hadn’t noticed that before… It’s the text book short story… expectations reversed… and the hearer then and now has to conclude that the neighbour is the one who showed kindness.

Random acts of kindness will punctuate many advent intentions… and perhaps today you can rise to the challenge to “go and do likewise”, sharing God’s loving kindness in an unexpected way…

May this Advent be a time of prayer and reflection…

With love, truth and light…

Donald

Advent Reflection: December 9: Luke chapter 9

Read Luke Chapter 9 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

In the last chapter we had a parable in which Jesus describes something of the Kingdom of God. Today we turn to a miracle – where Jesus enacts something of the Kingdom of God. The feeding of the 5000 is a well known passage. 2 fish, 5 loaves, 5000 hungry people… and they all had enough and the left overs filled 12 baskets. Well, I have no idea exactly what happened, but I know it to be true – that when Jesus’ is offered little things they are blessed and become great big things.

The small things matter and may seem so much bigger to their recipients. Is there a little bit of time you could give to another today… or a little bit of money… or a little smile… or a little conversation…

As another week unfolds… may you sense God’s presence and influence in your life… this Advent…

With love, truth and light…

Donald

Advent Reflection: December 8

Read Luke Chapter 8 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

Chapter 8 bring us to the first of the parables of Jesus – the parable of the sower. The image is of the farmer sowing seed in the knowledge that only some of the seed with produce a good crop – some will fall along the pathways, some in shallow soil, and some among thorns. So too with the hopes and promises from God… not always heard, accepted, believed… So too with every act of kindness we offer… we never know in advance how it will be received.

A true story I heard many years ago tells of a young girl who answered the first 8 of 10 questions in a test at school and put her pencil down. When the teacher asked why she hadn’t answered question 9 or 10, she replied, “Well no one ever gets more that 8/10 – so why bother”.

Even when we know our attempts might fail… when the kind word, smile, hand reached out in reconciliation, offer of help… might be rejected…might fall on hard rocky pathways… we continue to love. We do bother… and we trust that some of what we sow shall yield a harvest.

May you continue to be blessed… and be a blessing… this Advent…

With love, truth and light…

Donald.

PS: aksm.org.uk/advent for details of all that’s on during Advent, including this evening’s Peninsula Carols – 7pm at Strontian Village Hall.

Advent Reflection: December 7

Read Luke Chapter 7 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

Chapter 7 tells us some more of what Jesus of Nazareth was doing 2000 years ago. Through it all is the question: Who is this man… who heals… and teaches… and is greater than John. Recently I came across my Certificate of Church Membership and was reminded that 39 years ago, I ‘joined the church’! 39 years ago today, I affirmed my faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. It was a significant step in the journey of awakening, developing and sustaining faith.

Recently someone spoke to me and was asking about how they could become more involved in the life of the Church. For each of us there are different next steps… starting to read the Bible regularly (ah, yes you are doing that!), praying for the first time… or praying in different ways… volunteering around the church or other organisations… maybe you’d like to know more about becoming a member of the Church…

Of course you don’t have to be a member to come along to Church… you are warmly invited to come along to any of the services… and on Sunday evening there’s the Peninsula Carols on Sunday – 7pm at Strontian Village Hall.

May you continue to be blessed… and be a blessing… this Advent…

With love, truth and light…

Donald.

PS: aksm.org.uk/advent for details of all that’s on during Advent

Advent Reflection: December 6

Read Luke Chapter 6 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

Jesus healed, and Jesus taught. In word and action he inaugurated new ways of being. Twelve disciples are chosen to share this ministry of love. The image here has been doing the rounds on social media, and powerfully illustrates the gulf between those who have, and those who do not. It may reflect the dichotomy between the Blessings and the Woes… yet ultimately who are the blessed? Jesus teaching recorded here in Luke is similar to that in Matthew from the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ (Matthew 5-7). You may want to read those words too… and perhaps re-read Luke 6… and take time to be thankful for the blessings in life… and to be challenged too in loving service with others.

This advent Strontian, Ardgour and Morvern churches, as so many others will do, will be having special offerings to support those who find themselves welcoming a little support in life… Lochaber Foodbank, Lochaber Hope, Lodging House Mission, Glasgow and Shelter Scotland are charities we will support in the coming weeks… as followers of Jesus continue the ministry of love.

May you be blessed and challenged this Advent…

With love, truth and light…

Donald.

PS: I hope you can make it along to the Peninsula Carols on Sunday – 7pm at Strontian Village Hall. aksm.org.uk/advent for details of all that’s happening.

Advent Reflection: December 5

Read Luke Chapter 5 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

‘Love God, Love others, and make disciples’: that’s the work of followers of Jesus in a nutshell. Jesus gathered around him a group of 12 disciples and from those small beginnings now some third of the world’s population are Christians. Disciples are learners… and at different stages of the journey. Three words have shaped much of my ministry, they are: Awaken, Develop and Sustain. In Luke chapter 5 we have the call of the first disciples – something was awakened in them that prompted a complete change in life’s direction. We hear of John the Baptist’s influence and questions about Jesus’ new way – a development in faith and understanding of God’s will.

For 21st Century followers of Jesus, we too are on a journey. It has been hugely encouraging to hear of so many rising to the challenge to read a chapter a day from Luke… for some an awakening, or re-awakening to the words, insights and promises of scripture… for some a development in the discipline (note the root of the word!) of regular Bible reading… and for some continuing sustenance in the journey of faith…

May this Advent journey be an adventure in faith…

With love, truth and light…

Donald.

December 4

Read Luke Chapter 4 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

After the high point of Jesus’ baptism comes the 40 days in the wilderness. It’s often like that isn’t it… that good times are followed by life’s challenges. The forty days has echoes of prior times including 40 days of rain for Noah, and 40 years journeying to the promised land for Moses and the Israelites. Forty often signifies a period of change and transition. Empowered by the Holy Spirit Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, preaching and teaching. In the Nazareth synagogue he reads words from 8 centuries earlier from the prophet Isaiah – the words in verses 18 and 19, Jesus says come true. Words that take on new significance in Jesus, words that speak truth to power… good news for the poor, the captive, blind and oppressed. There’s a bit of a theme emerging isn’t there… Jesus speaks of a Kingdom very different from the worldly Roman Empire… and brings hope to the poor, outcast and marginalised… and that’s precisely what those who will follow him are invited to do and join with Jesus in saying “I must preach the Good News about the Kingdom of God… because that is what God sent me to do”

May this Advent journey continue to bless, inspire and encourage you…

With love, truth and light…

Donald.

December 3

Read Luke Chapter 3 (you can use a Bible you have, or follow the link)

What do Winnie the Pooh and John the Baptist have in common? (They share the same middle name!). More seriously… and this is serious stuff… John the Baptist was preaching a way of repentance. He was preparing the way for one greater than himself. I once heard someone say that John gives us the gospel in black and white, while Jesus gave us the full colour version! In John we see the the call for justice for the poorest in society. ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none’. And the tax collectors who came to John were told not to collect any more than required. (We’ll come back to that on day 19 when we meet Zacchaeus the wee tax collector.)

Jesus himself was baptised by John – his Mum’s cousin’s son… so his second cousin. Now at around thirty years old, his baptism marks the beginning of his ministry.

His lineage through his earthly father, Joseph is traced from verse 24… back to King David, back to Abraham… back to Adam… reminding us that Jesus ministry is for all creation, all nations, all people.

May this Advent journey continue to bless, inspire and encourage you…

With love, truth and light…

Donald.