An act of worship at home
Finding stillness
In a moment I’m going to read from Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of a few verses from Matthew 10, and I invite you to get comfortable and to close your eyes.
I invite you to put both feet on the ground, to rest your hands in your lap, and to take a couple of deep breaths.
I invite you to continue to breathe slow, full breaths as I read…
Reading Matthew 10 vv 40-42
Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “Don’t begin by travelling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighbourhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.”
Reflection
Travel Light.
Perhaps I should begin by explaining that this is more of a meditation than a reflection and has been adapted by me from a long-forgot source.
Let’s begin by remembering how all those of us taking part in this act of worship come to this time from different places. Some of us may have been busy, running since before the sun came up. We may not realize it, but maybe we haven’t paused for breath all day.
But, Jesus invite us to Travel Light.
As you take a moment to pause, and to listen, are there things from earlier today, or this week, or month, or from years ago that you are bringing with you that you need to let go of, in order to travel light through life?
Painful conversations, family stress, frustrations with people or situations?
Things that you can give to God, and let go of…if not forever, than at least, for a while… They’ll be there waiting for you when you have to pick them up again. Can you give them to God to hold, so that you can be present here? What are those things to hand off right now so that you can travel light?
Jesus invites us to Travel Light. As you take a moment to pause and to listen, is there anything here, in your home, that you are bringing with you to this time that you can let go of, in order to travel light? Conversations, a time you felt misunderstood, or alienated, or hurt, a time things turned out differently from the way you wished they had. Is there frustration or anger, sadness or pride that you would like to give to God and to let go of?
It doesn’t mean that what happened was right, or even okay, but is it time to put that weight down so that you can travel light again? How good would it feel to not carry that burden any longer?
Jesus invites us to Travel Light. I invite you to turn your thoughts now from inside yourself, towards others…
to those outside of yourself. To turn from the past and what has already happened and is finished – towards a future this is full of limitless possibilities, and God-given new life.
Travel Light.
Let’s continue in prayer.
Prayer
Loving Lord, thank you for the deep, cool stillness of this moment.
Thank you that we can come to you, each in our own homes and yet united in your loving presence.
Lord, we come recognising that for some of us it is difficult, or even unsafe, to physically travel far, or perhaps at all. And so we come to you and to one another in our thoughts and in our prayers, travelling as lightly as a gentle breeze of a summer’s day.
And in our thoughts we travel your world, praying for all those who are lonely, or afraid, or sick… burdened by the concerns of the present and weighed down by the past. Lord God, we pray for others and for ourselves that by the strength of your love you will take and hold our burdens, lighten them, and help us to let them go and be set free to travel this life filled with the light of new life as we walk with you and you walk with us.
Lord, in the stillness, we bring our prayers…
A time of stillness
Thank you, Lord, for hearing us, for holding us, and for never letting us go. In the names of Christ. Amen.
Hymn StF 248 – I heard the voice of Jesus say (Tune “Kingsfold” StF 231)
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad;
I found in him a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘Behold, I freely give
the living water; thirsty one,
stoop down, and drink, and live.’
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘I am this dark world’s Light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright.’
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk,
till travelling days are done.
Horatius N. Bonar (1808-89)
Tim Chesterton’s video on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkM3yABjPWQ
Blessing
May the Lord bless us and keep us this day and forever more. Amen.
