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Friday, September 19, 2014

our identity in Christ, friday

Friday, September 19

Come to Stillness:
Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.
         
Opening Prayer: O God, our Heavenly Father, who created us beautifully and wonderfully, may we always look to You for our value and worth, remembering that we are a unique expression of your infinite love, care, and creativity.  Help us, O Lord, to see ourselves as you see us in Christ—objects of your extravagant love and tender affection.  Amen.
                                      
Scripture Reading for the Day: John 15:1-11

Reading for Reflection:
 
     What kind of relationship do you think Jesus wants with you?  The first words that pop into my head are words like: obedient, reverent, and submissive—all of which are true.  But here, in the upper room, the night before he is going to die on the cross, Jesus gives us a much different picture.  It is a very intimate picture.  He gives us the image of a vine and its branches.  Almost as if to say, “I know you have certain ideas floating around in your heads about what I want this relationship between you and me to be, but let me tell you, you can never imagine how deep and close and intimate I really want it to be.  I want us to be closer than a vine and its branches. (Being with Jesus by Jim Branch)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself
                                  
Closing Prayer: Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought today be of Thee, let my first impulse be to worship Thee, let my first speech be thy name, let my first action be to kneel before Thee in prayer. Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)

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