Days 1-4: Seeking to live in and through the transforming presence and power of our Holy God and His active guidance in our lives
Days 1-4: Seeking to live in and through the transforming presence and power of our Holy God and His active guidance in our lives
We draw near to God and abide in His holy love and presence. He empowers, guides, and transforms us into the likeness of Christ as we connect with Him in prayer, His Word and remain in Him. We can actively seek His guidance in our decisions, actions, words, and relationships through worship, prayer, Scripture (the Bible), study, and community. Jesus invites us to anchor our hope and our lives in Him, to grow in relationship with Him as we lead others to a growing relationship with Him.
Invitation to Prayer
Invitation to Prayer
As we enter the next 21 days, we pray for His transforming presence, guidance and power to help us live as His light in our world. We gather and pray as His church, living out the mission and values He has given and together we draw near to God in relationship, prayer, community, and love. Loving God and others, radiating His light in the world around us. As we walk with Jesus, seeking God through Scripture passages that underpin each value statement, may He move in us with His mercy and grace, strengthening and empowering us, in our seeking and may His light burn brightly within us.
Let us wonder and pray together: What does it look like – or even mean – that God, our holy, loving, sovereign God, is active in our lives? That He is present, guiding, transforming? What does His guidance look like? How do we experience His presence? How does that empower our interactions with others? We will move through His word in prayer individually and collectively, trusting that He draws near to us as His word promises and with hope and expectation for all He will do in and through this time.
Day 1 | James 4:8a
Day 1 | James 4:8a
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
--James 4:8a (ESV)
For Reflection:
A welcoming promise. Imagine sitting in the quiet with God – maybe even crawling onto His lap as a child might do. In the new year, it seems natural perhaps to reflect on what has passed and what lies ahead—yet before we default into analyzing, reflecting, planning… let’s take this time to simply be in God’s presence.
To draw near. To be seen. As you are. Known fully. Hiding nothing. The good and the not so good; the holy and even the less holy. To be seen – and loved. You. As you are. Me. As I am.
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (NLT).
This beautiful promise is buried within a direct and challenging passage in James 4, written by Jesus’ brother. He reminds us that God provides His word to guide and help us, that there is clarity, grace, and power in humbling ourselves to Him.
James 4:5-8a: Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
James challenges us to trust God’s Word. His grace. His power. His way. He helps us see that the act of humbling ourselves and our way to His way makes the way for His power and grace to guide. Grace that frees. Power that enables us to resist temptation, making Satan flee.
Our nearness to God matters - in our decisions and actions, our relationships and lives. Reflect on your days, decisions you are facing or have recently made. How often do you pause to intentionally move toward God? To listen and seek? What might it look like to draw near to God?
God loves you and invites you to come close. However you are; wherever you’ve been; whatever you have experienced; whatever your questions… As you come close, as you move toward God, God moves toward you, comes close, draws near. He will empower, strengthen, and guide you.
Let Us Pray:
Praying moves us closer to God. We become more aware of His presence; we welcome Him in. Breath prayer is a practice of praying that uses our normal, rhythmic breathing as the foundation for short, repetitive prayers that invite God into the ordinary moments of our lives in meaningful ways. We breathe in, focusing on a phrase; then breathe out, quietly focusing on another related phrase, promise or invitation. Can be Scripture or your own words of prayer. Repeat, breathing in slowly, then out, slowly. 3 – 5 times…
One way of praying James 4:8a, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you,” might be:
[inhale] Here I am, Lord;
[exhale] draw close to me.
Other examples:
Psalm 27: [inhale] Lord, you are my light and salvation; [exhale] I will not fear.
Psalm 23: [inhale] The Lord is my shepherd; [exhale] I have all that I need.
Now take a moment to draw near through praying a breath prayer. Sit quietly with God. Draw near. Breathe in and out, praying as He draws near to you. Slowly. Repeat 3-5 times.
Lord, there is joy and strength in your presence; renewed hope and peace. Thank you for your word and your love, for seeking me even as I seek fulfillment in other places. Lord, Help me lay down my ways, crawl into your lap, and allow you to hold me and breathe into me… Fill me with your presence, as our breathing becomes one. Here I am Lord, draw close to me. In Your holy name and presence, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder how I can be more aware of God’s presence in the moments of my days?
I wonder what keeps me from drawing near?
Day 2 | John 15:4,9-12
Day 2 | John 15:4,9-12
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me…—John 15: 4 (NIV)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ——John 15: 9-12 (NIV)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. —John 15: 9 (ESV)
For Reflection:
Sitting beside Dad in the hospital ER—his bed and its tangle of tubes and wires, monitors beeping, I gain a new perspective on abiding; I experience this longing to remain near. I watch him sleep, hear him breathe; it is hard to see him weak. Tears well in my eyes as I look to God, reluctantly releasing my control of Dad’s care to those trained to do so, and trusting God has the outcome. Still, I stay close. I sit and I watch him, grateful to be near; wanting to stay close, within reach – a touch – wanting not to leave his side, I remain. For a time. I recall similar feelings when we brought home each of our newborn sons.
Maybe you’ve experienced this longing to remain near someone you love, rush to their side, stay close: a newborn child; a friend or family member who moved away – or one who is sick; family when you’re away at camp, or college. Or separated by conflict? Maybe you’ve experienced someone staying by your side in a time of vulnerability.
I wonder how our experiences longing to remain near people we love might give us a taste of God’s desire to abide in and with us. His deep, promised abiding. A prayer of Jesus’s echoes in my mind:
“Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us ...” John 17:21b
I think about the invitation and promises of God’s presence in and with us always, His active guidance in our lives; His transforming presence and power. As I remain with Dad, I’m aware of my connection with God, who actively infuses peace amid worry. His way influences mine. He guides our experiences and interactions: providing grace and patience that overflow to people around us. In God’s presence, my instinctive impatience with the delays and disturbances were diminished; His grace makes way for growing compassion toward each of them. My frustration and discouragement with the cruelty of illness are overshadowed by emerging gratitude as I recognize the gift of being with my Dad as he rests, for access to care. I am grateful for perspective, attitude, and feelings somehow graciously transformed by Jesus. He fills us with His joy and invites us to remain in Him–through prayer and His word. He helps us keep His command to love Him and love others – including those who we don’t instinctively love, who frustrate or oppose us, even those not meeting our expectations. As we abide in His love, we find true joy.
Let us Pray:
Lord, thank you for your abiding presence, with us and in us. Help us to remain in you. To trust you. To receive your love and perspective and allow your love and joy to reframe our experiences, transform our mindset and responses to flow toward others we encounter. Would you shine your light amid darkness for us all. In your holy name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder how much deeper and true the joy of Jesus is, than the joy I can extract from my circumstances?
I wonder what the completeness of joy that Jesus promises looks and feels like?
I wonder what Jesus would have me release in order to fully experience His abiding love and joy?
Day 3 | Romans 12:1-3
Day 3 | Romans 12:1-3
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:1-3 (NIV)
For Reflection:
I somehow am constantly amazed by God’s word. I shouldn’t be surprised that the God who created us knows us so well, but here I am once again awakened to his intimacy with us. This passage not only points us to God’s mercy, but invites our whole being to participate in his activity among us. What an incredible life he invites us into! Reading this passage he addresses our doing with our bodies, our thinking with our minds, and our connection with God’s will in our souls - he knows we are all of these things - a whole being.
The passage right before this describes God’s abundant mercy and ends with this doxology, “For from him (God) and through him and for him all things are made. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Rom. 11:36)”. Then, our passage starts with “Therefore…”. Because God made all things from himself and through himself in mercy and love - because of this our whole being - mind, body, soul - is made to worship him and align with his good, pleasing and perfect will. What we do and the way we use our bodies is worship. What we fill our minds with and the way we choose to think changes how we see God in the world. The way we humble ourselves and approach our faith matters. As we build faith, as we are more and more deeply immersed in God’s loving ways in what we do and think, the more we are transformed in our whole being, the more we sense his promptings in our soul, the more we practice God’s way, worshiping him with our physical lives, the more we recognize our little part in God’s great will. All the parts of us are connected in Him and through Him and from Him and for Him.
The passage goes on after these verses (v.4-8) to broaden beyond our own selves into the body of Christ, the church, having different parts and each person having a unique part to play. When we are living our unique lives as worship with others who are living their unique lives as worship… just imagine an entire humanity using our entire beings - our bodies, our minds, our spirits - as one, to give thanks and worship to our creator God in all of his great mercy, by living in Him and through Him and for Him here in this physical world He has given us. Our beings long for this and we pray Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.
Let us Pray:
God, thank you for caring about all of us. Not just our belief system or our rights and wrongs, but our whole being. Thank you for your mercy that you pour on us and for inviting us into participation in your will. Thank you that we get to be a part of your creation and a part of the body of Christ. Continue to transform our whole beings - mind, bodies and soul. Bring us into more awareness of who you are and away from that which doesn’t end in your good, perfect and pleasing will. We worship you with our whole lives. Let us live out the role you have given us to play in your kingdom here in our real lives today. Amen.
Question:
I wonder how my doing, thinking and feeling are pointing towards God’s mercy today.
Day 4 | Ephesians 3:14-21
Day 4 | Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)
For Reflection:
When I think of God, it is often through the lens of wondering what He is requiring of me or wanting me to give up or change or do. God is Almighty and Savior; why wouldn’t he require my absolute obedience and devotion. And yet, this passage takes my logical understanding and flips it onto its head. Just as Jesus came to preach what’s often known as the “upside-down kingdom”, this message from Paul portrays an upside-down understanding of what God actually wants from us. Does God want our obedience and devotion? Absolutely. However, this passage takes a step back and grounds us in where it needs to start.
So where does it begin? Verse 17 expresses the idea of Christ followers “being rooted and established in love.” The definition of rooted is to be established deeply and firmly… so we as followers are established deeply and firmly in God’s love. What a counter-cultural idea for it to start with God loving us. Contrary to what might feel logical, it’s not about what we can do for God… it starts with what God has done for us.
In Acts chapter 2, we see the beginning of the Apostolic ministry starting with Pentecost which was when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ followers and equipped them with His power to go out and minister to the world. Just as Jesus’ first disciples were given power through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, his power lives in each of us as well. Christ dwells in our hearts when we trust in Him.
It starts with Christ’s love being rooted in us and continues with the belief, understanding and acceptance of His love on our part. Verses 17 and 18 continue “you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” It’s not about what we are doing… it’s about embracing and receiving Christ’s power through His love. Unlike this world where we need to earn or deserve what we receive, Jesus came to fill us with His love, with no strings attached, so that His power would flow through us and spread to those around us.
Let us Pray:
Dear God, thank you for your gift of love. For dying on the cross and sending your spirit to live in each of us. Help me to recognize your gift and power in my life and to truly be a vessel of your love to those around me. Help me to relinquish control and instead embrace your free gift of love. Allow me to recognize and know just how very wide and long and high and deep your love truly is. Fill me with your fullness and strengthen me with your power. Amen.
Questions:
How can I realize today that nothing I do will ever “earn” me Jesus, and instead recognize the love of Christ that lives inside of me already?
What, if anything, is getting in the way of me saying “Yes” to Jesus and his free gift of love?
Days 5-9: Actively engaging in Community, in Authentic Life-Giving Relationships
Days 5-9: Actively engaging in Community, in Authentic Life-Giving Relationships
We connect and engage in community, with compassion, kindness, grace, humility, and patience in Christ. We cultivate relationships bound by love, sharing in joys and burdens, encouraging one another in Him, praying, bearing with and forgiving one another, making peace, and seeking unity and wholeness through the Holy Spirit.
Day 5 | Colossians 3:12-17
Day 5 | Colossians 3:12-17
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. Colossians 3:12-17 (MSG)
For Reflection:
God’s outfit for us, comprised of compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline and most importantly love, is truly ideal. Clothed in this wardrobe, we can be even-tempered, extend forgiveness and develop a lifestyle of gratitude. If I’m honest though, sometimes forgiveness feels just out of reach so I attempt to ignore or minimize the need for it. It rubs up against a vulnerable place I want to protect. So perhaps it almost feels safer to not forgive and just live with the weight of it. Hmm… and yet, Jesus tells us and Paul reminds us of the work of forgiving. What is the cost of unforgiveness? One word surfaces for me, unrest.
When I carry the unrest of unforgiveness, I maintain distance from God’s peace. As I dwell on this offense, rehashing it over and over it consumes all my thoughts. From this place, I certainly can’t “sing sing sing my heart out to God” as scripture suggests. Unforgiveness drives a wedge, perhaps disguised as protection, between God and me. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:14-15: “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”
Nevertheless, in my mind, I begin to protest. But God, this person doesn’t deserve my forgiveness. Have you ever felt this way too? It’s as though there is justifiable anger that gives us the right to harbor these feelings, right? Somehow, the feeling of being right offers a slight measure of comfort for the hurt. But that doesn’t last long. All too soon I find myself stoking this fire by replaying the wrong, hoping one painful feeling will soothe another. And maybe what I really need to focus on is connection with God, which feels like peace. What if forgiveness is the pathway back to the peace of God?
Forgiveness is not forgetting, dismissing or even rushing the process of healing. Perhaps it is just the first step towards healing… As I loosen my grip on this pain, I can open my hands and ask God to meet me in this uncomfortable place, to see my hurt, and walk with me through each step which can deepen my experience of trust in God… if I let it. Depending on the gravity of the wound, forgiveness can take time, and it always includes actually feeling the feelings. Being present to them with Jesus near. Jesus promises to be with us. We can welcome Him in or push Him away, yet His promises remain.
If anything is coming to the surface for you with the topic of forgiveness, make some space today to sit with God and allow Him to show you the way back to His peace.
Let us Pray:
God, thank You for your wardrobe of compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline and most importantly love. Please give us your wisdom to keep in step with You and attend to anything that pulls out of sync with you. Let us be aware of your presence amid the fullness of life and strengthen us for the journey ahead. Thank you for first loving us and most importantly, continuing to love us each and every day! In Jesus Name, AMEN.
Questions:
I wonder what I am afraid will happen if I forgive? I wonder if peace is waiting for me on the other side of forgiveness?
Day 6 |1 Thessalonians 5:11
Day 6 |1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
For Reflection:
The “therefore” in this verse is worth looking into. It refers back to 5:1-10. Paul is talking to the Thessalonians about not losing hope, while living in tumultuous times and awaiting the Lord’s return. Paul knew much about persecutions and living in chaotic cultures. According to my NIV Study Bible, the Thessalonians who Paul addressed in this letter were “thriving despite persecution”. The study Bible says the theme of I Thessalonians is Paul praising the believers for their “spiritual maturity and perseverance," and he “encourages them to further growth in view of Christ’s imminent return.”
Throughout all of human history there have been difficult times. But the good news of the gospel points us to something better. When we spend time in community with other believers, we are reminded of the future hope that awaits us when Jesus returns. And it makes the present that much sweeter.
We can sometimes be an encouragement without even realizing it. I have had the experience of a friend telling me how some brief thing I said to them, years ago, had stuck with them, and meant so much. And I didn’t even recall the conversation - God used it anyway! I have been on the other side of that blessing too. I have received little notes in the mail from a Christian friend that arrived at just the right time. Even just seeing each other at Sunday church services can be a reminder of how we are in this together.
Ephesians 4:29 exhorts us to speak, “only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Our words are powerful and can do so much to remind others of the hope we have. Proverbs 16:24 says that our gracious words are “sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” What amazing influence we can have for God’s kingdom!
Let us Pray:
Thank you Lord for the potential we have to bless others everyday. Remind us of how powerful our words and actions can be, even if we can’t see it… Shine your light and truth and hope through us with everyone we meet.
Questions:
I wonder how I might be a blessing to someone this week. How many times have I been able to make a difference in someone’s life by my words, facial expression, tone of voice? Have I ever thought about how simply faithfully showing up blesses others?
Day 7 | Galatians 6:2-3
Day 7 | Galatians 6:2-3
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT)
For Reflection:
Share each other’s burdens. Sometimes it feels as if there are too many burdens to even keep track of. If you or your family are not currently experiencing something particularly burdensome, chances are someone close to you - a friend, a co-worker - is going through something. We are particularly aware right now of those who are struggling with food insecurity and energy costs to heat their homes. Scroll your social media and you’re bound to run into a GoFundMe page or plea for prayer for a tragic story. Listen to the news and we can find plenty to feel burdened for. Sometimes the idea of taking on more than my own acute burden in front of me feels like too much. Sometimes the amount of need leaves me feeling defeated before I even want to start. I can put up barriers, of “not my problem”, “I have enough on my plate”, “I can’t do it all”, and work hard to hold up my own burdens as I go.
I wonder for a minute about what these verses say about this. Is this verse saying to do it anyway, that it is the law if I am to be a Christ-follower, that whatever feelings of overwhelm or excuses I have are not important because I am not that important and can be used up for the sake of carrying other’s burdens? It is easy to feel like I am never doing enough. But what if this is saying something else? What if it is saying that Christ’s way is a completely different way? In Christ's way, we can share one another’s burdens. In Christ’s way, I am not too important or too judgmental to help those around me. In Christ’s way, I am sharing my burden with those around me too. In Christ’s way, the burdens of the whole world do not rest on my shoulders, but his. I am not the Savior, I am the saved. I am not too important or too busy with my own agenda to point to the Savior. I am not too important or prideful to share my burdens with others. I am not responsible for saving the world, and this frees me up to stay present in the face of burdens, to do my small part in coming alongside others and together lifting the burdens of this broken world up to the Savior who saves us all.
Let us Pray:
Dear God, our world can feel like it’s drowning in burdens. We can feel like we’re drowning in burdens. It is too much for any one person, and we just know so much these days. But it’s not too much for you. We give every burden that crosses our paths to you. We lift up every heavy thing that we see in this broken world. You are with us every step and you can handle it. Even when it’s easier to shut it all out or to hide above it all in our privilege, we pray that you keep us awake to the burdens. Keep us aware of the brokenness and of ways to bring your light to the darkness. Keep us from hiding in judgement or becoming self-important, and keep us looking and pointing to you. I pray for one particular burden that you bring to my mind. I pray for restoration, for your presence, for the next step I can take in sharing in this burden. We trust you are making all things new, let me see it and join in your will today. Amen.
Questions:
Is there one person, cause or situation that I feel particularly burdened for?
Is there one thing I can do to share in that burden today?
Is there a burden I am carrying that would feel easier if I shared it?
Day 8 | Ephesians 4:1-6
Day 8 | Ephesians 4:1-6
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)
For Reflection:
These are strong words of encouragement coming from Paul who is in prison. Words, tasking each brother and sister in Christ, to stay humble, gentle, and patient as they live with love. Words emphasizing the importance of maintaining unity in His Spirit. I wonder about the people of Ephesus who were receiving these entreaties. They were part of the church… an integral piece of spreading the gospel. Why was Paul stressing so intently the importance of living in peace with one another?
The Message version of these verses say, “In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. 4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.”
As I read these verses, I’m struck with the realization of what Paul is really communicating in his letter. I wonder again about the church in Ephesus. I wonder about our church today. Both the church, North Harbor, and also the Church, Global. Do we walk or better yet, run, on the road God called us to travel? Do we travel together, in the same direction permeated with Oneness in Christ; or are each of us on our own individual journey strolling down some path that suits our fancy and may lead us away from God instead of closer as He desires? I wonder about the Global Church, comprised of man-designed denominations, traditions and structures. Is our concern for rules and structure or even on the flip side, for individuality, helping draw us closer to Christ; or is it possibly dividing us and causing us to wander in different directions? Are we heeding Paul’s advice to travel together steadily with humility and discipline, alert at noticing when our focus is shifting away from Christ and quick to come alongside each other in community?
While his entreaties are powerful and exude urgency, it’s important to understand that Paul is not urging us to be identical people… that differences or individuality are wrong; but rather that Christ’s desire is that we were created to exist in oneness in Him. Looking both inward and outward, let’s ask ourselves whether we are living in patience and humility, loving those around us, and moving through life in unity in Him. As Paul encouraged, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Let us Pray:
God, I naturally tend to cringe at the concept of unity and oneness with those around me. The words make me feel boxed in and like I have no autonomy. Help me to see that unity does NOT mean sameness… instead recognizing the beauty that exists in having the same purpose and goal of furthering your kingdom through our love for others. The same purpose, uniqueness in how we accomplish or go about this. Thank you for your promises. Amen.
Questions:
As I engage with the community around me, how might I be encouraged by Paul’s words to the Ephesians?
What might oneness in Christ look like in my family? In my church? In the Global Church?
Day 9 | Luke 6:37-42
Day 9 | Luke 6:37-42
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
Luke 6:37-42 (NIV)
For Reflection:
Over the past 5 days, we have been praying through passages that guide us in forming and engaging in authentic, life-giving relationships in Christian community. Today, Jesus illuminates how we notice, think about, and engage with one another as we journey and grow in community together. In His tell-and-show way, Jesus challenges our natural, human tendency to judge others; to clearly see others’ faults and shortcomings and passing judgment, while readily looking past our own. Ouch. Do I? Pause and let Jesus bring specific examples to light.
He reminds us that true love does not judge others or withhold forgiveness. Jesus sees that when we are judging, we elevate ourselves and fail to reconcile our own thoughts and behaviors. We no longer see and love others as He sees and loves them – and us.
Is He saying not to pay attention to right and wrong? No. He is challenging us to look first at ourselves, then with humility and compassion, we can more lovingly support one another from a place that acknowledges our shared need for the grace, guidance, forgiveness and love Jesus so freely offers. Grace upon grace: “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17).
Jesus shows us how to live in life-giving relationships, in Community, growing alongside one another, encouraging one another. He guides us to live as His disciples, not like Pharisees—who were so quick to judge and condemn, elevating themselves over the people God had called them to help draw near to Him; shaming them away instead. In love, Jesus takes the compassion and love we offer each other and multiplies and returns it to us. A generous promise. I reflect on my attitudes, words, and actions toward the people around me, in His church and our world. I open my heart and mind to what He observes and reveals to me.
Let Us Pray:
Lord, I thank you for your love, grace, presence, and word for us. Would you guide me? Help me, help us as your children to connect and engage with one another in community—to do this with compassion, kindness, grace, humility, and patience in You as you demonstrated and still teach us, as you dwelt among us and dwell in us. Gracious God, would you help me cultivate relationships bound by love, to share in the joys and burdens we all experience. May we encourage one another in You, your life-giving Word and love, praying, bearing with, and forgiving one another…making peace as we go. Would You help us to love and see clearly, to work toward unity and wholeness in Your body, through the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus, as we grow together in relationship with one another and with You, learning together from You and your word and collectively with each another, may we grow to be more and more like You--our teacher, our love, our Lord. In Your holy and precious name, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder what “log” is in my eye as I notice a small speck in someone else’s?
Who am I listening to above Jesus, and am I moving toward God or away?
Are my words and actions toward others life-giving? Do they draw people closer to Jesus or push them away?
I wonder what Jesus sees when He looks at me?
Days 10-15: Valuing All People and Recognizing God’s Image in Each One
Days 10-15: Valuing All People and Recognizing God’s Image in Each One
We see God’s image in each person and seek to build unity and harmony in His church. We demonstrate this in the way we engage with people, our community, and other churches. We welcome and share God’s peace and love with every neighbor. We seek His power to bring the peace, grace, light, and love of Jesus as we serve, work, learn and live.
Day 10 | Genesis 1:27
Day 10 | Genesis 1:27
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1: 26-31 (NIV)
For Reflection:
The creation story; one we can all practically recite by heart… how God created the world day by day… first the light and darkness; then the sky; land and seas; plants and all vegetation; the sun, moon and stars; birds and sea creatures; all animals who move on the ground; and God made all of these things and saw that they were good. And then comes the part we all like to boast about… the part where God said that all of creation was good… but mankind that was created on the sixth day… we were very good.
Creation is incredible, immaculate and stunning. The woods, trees, mountaintop experiences and water is where I often turn to see God when I’m struggling to see Him anywhere else; and yet, it was mankind that God emphasized as His greatest creation. His greatest… because “God created mankind in his own image, In the image of God he created them.” Made in His image. Not as demi-gods… not to be God… but to resemble Him. Mankind, as God’s greatest creation, were made in His image to mirror his likeness… and to display, reflect and communicate who He is to the world.
Sometimes I wonder, when God created us in His image, what specifically was He trying to portray? I like to think that He wanted mankind, as God’s image bearers, to portray His character to the world. We still have free will and mess up each and every day, however by carrying His image in us, I believe we possess and are capable of expressing His compassion, love and mercy.
I am God’s image-bearer, as are others around me. I think that often our “human” qualities tend to pervade our being and dominate what is visible to us. My character often seems to shove down the character of God which existed first in me… and when I look at the world and people around me, I struggle to see God’s character at the forefront. If I was created in God’s image and my neighbor was created in God’s image and my enemy was created in God’s image; then each of us is capable of reflecting God’s character in our lives. Each of us is capable of extending love and mercy and compassion.
Let us Pray:
Dear God, thank you for creating the world and loving me so much that you wanted me to be your image bearers. Not your slave… or your pawn… but a true picture of your character to those around me. Help me to recognize your presence in me and be a light to the world, spreading your love, compassion and mercy to all who will hear and accept. Thank you for choosing mankind to be your “very good”… your greatest creation. Amen.
Question:
Where and how can I recognize the creation that was considered ”very good” in and around me today?
Day 11 | John 13:34-35
Day 11 | John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35 (NIV)
For Reflection:
Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room, having finished their last supper together before He goes to the cross. He has just washed their feet, a concrete, visceral example of His love and humility. Soon He will be giving them final words of instruction that will encompass three more chapters, followed by the beautiful prayers in chapter 17. There are powerful words of encouragement, hope and challenge. Just before this “Farewell Discourse,” Jesus tells his friends that He is going away, and presents them with this charge. He calls it a “new commandment.” They are to love each other as He has loved them.
Of course, the disciples would have been very familiar with the idea of loving others, from studying the Old Testament. What makes it new is that it is taking love to a whole new level. Jesus has just spent three years showing them what servant love is like. It goes beyond simply loving your neighbor, to including loving your enemies.
In John for Everyone, Part 2, N.T. Wright says, one needs to be careful not to “define ‘one another’ so tightly that it means only the people who reinforce your own sense of who you are.” Some people are easy to love. Others, not so much. But we can remind ourselves that ALL are created in God’s Image, and have immeasurable worth in God’s eyes. He continues, “Love is all about the other person. It flows into service, not to show off how hard-working it is, but because that is its natural form. (Love) is to be the badge that the Christian community wears before the watching world.”
And we don’t have to do this on our own strength! Jesus also told His disciples in his talk that night that He was going to send the Holy Spirit. What a gift to know that even as He asks us to do as He did, to follow in his footsteps and model our lives after Him, we are also given His Spirit. He is with us and equips us.
Let us Pray:
Jesus, thank you so much for the incredible gift of Your words to the disciples and to us. Help us to follow after You, loving others, and embracing the truth of how You equip us to love like You do. Let the world see Your love through us! Amen.
Questions:
I wonder who I might show God's love to, even today?
Who might God unexpectedly put across my path?
Can I take some moments today to thank God for the fellow believers that I’ve been privileged to have in my life?
Day 12 | Mark 12:30-31
Day 12 | Mark 12:30-31
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)
For Reflection:
Love. Just love. A commandment that is so simple, yet so complicated at the same time. There are infinite possibilities and nuances and intricacies to love, how am I to know what to do? So, I turn to God and ask. What does this really mean? What does it mean for me today? What does it mean for humanity? What does it look like to love God with my whole self? What does it feel like to love others as myself? What about in that particular relationship or that particular situation? I turn it over in my mind, I test it out in my actions, I sense it in my soul. I discuss it with others also trying to figure out what it means to love the Lord our God. We pray about it, we talk about it, we practice it, we feel it. Sometimes it seems clear and most of the time murky. Sometimes my heart, soul and mind feel in tune with this love and other times I hardly want to find it at all. But each time I turn myself towards this love, I sense that maybe this very act of searching is what it’s about; this pursuit of love for God leads me to the very connection with God that allows me to love. When I look for opportunities to love others, my connection with them deepens as I see them as God does, as innately lovable. In order to love, we are constantly turning towards God, others and ourselves. By commanding us to love, He was inviting us to connect. As if the connection within God himself - Father, Spirit, Son - is also in my capacity to love with my - heart, soul, mind - and also in my relationships with - God, others, self. This commandment is not merely an order to do the right thing, it’s an invitation to connection, to the weaving back together of what was broken, in love.
Let us Pray:
Dear God, You love so abundantly and you invite us into this love. I love so imperfectly. Sometimes, I don’t know what it really means to love You or others or myself, and other times I don’t even want to. Forgive me for my unloving ways. I praise You for the way that You love and I long for more love for You, for others, for myself. As I spend time turned towards You, reveal to me what it means to love You with all my mind, heart, soul and strength. Reveal to me what it looks like to love others as myself. Keep me here with You, connected to You, turning to You, the source of perfect love and show me opportunities to connect with others in love. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder what it might look like to love God with all of my heart, mind and soul today?
I wonder what it might look like to love others as myself today?
What habits and practices do I already have that keep me connected to love and moving toward it?
Day 13 | Luke 10:25-37
Day 13 | Luke 10:25-37
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall we do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly, do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three do you think, proved to be the neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10: 25-37 (ESV)
For Reflection:
This story is one we’ve heard time and time again. The Parable of the Good Samaritan; where the righteous men who were expected to care for the sick and poor because of their societal roles passed by the broken man lying bruised and bleeding on the side of the road, while a Samaritan man put his own agenda aside and at great cost of both money and time to himself, overlooked societal norms in order to care for and help the man that society said he had every right to ignore and move past. The Samaritans in Jesus’ time were a people group, descendants of ancient Israelites who had intermarried with foreigners, leaving the Jews to view them as “half-breeds”. The man who the Samaritan stopped to help was Jewish and would have been raised to feel prejudiced towards the Samaritan people. The story of the Samaritan stopping to help his “enemy” is a clear picture of Jesus’ new kingdom where His desire is for all people to live in unity in Him and to love others as ourselves. Jesus came to challenge societal norms and remove stigmas; people were no longer to be considered “clean” or “unclean”… no more “chosen” or “half-breed”; instead He chose all people to be His “neighbor”. And us, being followers of Christ, are also called to love as He did. If Christ considered all people as His neighbor, what would it look like for us to view and treat every person around us as our “neighbor”?
I think about the world we live in today. The varying socioeconomic statuses surrounding me. My own socioeconomic status… that of friends… of neighbors… of others. The reality of my existence is that I have the comfort of a roof over my head with the surety that there will be food on the table when I want it and a fireplace to keep me warm. I think about the homeless person I saw sitting huddled with their meager belongings outside the grocery store struggling to stay warm and unsure of when their next meal would be. About the couple living on a fixed income, keeping the heat as low as they can bear to ensure the oil lasts until they can afford the next delivery. About the single mother working two jobs so their child can have a warm coat and shoes and be fed so they can experience life with a little less hardship than is reality. I wonder again; who is my neighbor? According to Jesus, everyone is my neighbor. The person who wants for nothing as well as the person who has nothing. The healthy and the sick. The believer and the unbeliever. The seen and the overlooked. They are all my neighbors.
I think of the question following the parable,” ‘Which of these three, do you think, proved to be the neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’” Do I know how to be the “neighbor” to those around me? Show mercy to all who enter my path? Not just the ones who are like me and I find easy to serve or who are convenient for me to help in the moment… but everyone? I hear Jesus’ words echoing through my mind, “You go, and do likewise.”
Let us Pray:
Dear God, help me to truly learn to recognize and see those around me. You are a neighbor to all… help me to also be a neighbor to others… especially when it’s hard and I feel like it’s an inconvenience or I don’t have the time or just don’t want to. Reframe my mindset and allow me to recognize all people as your people. Amen.
Questions:
What might it look like to be the “neighbor” to those around me?
When have I ever been in need of a neighbor and been able to experience the love of God through others?
Day 14 | John 4:1-42
Day 14 | John 4:1-42
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) John 4:9 (NIV)
For Reflection:
This is now the second passage we have explored which involves a Samaritan. As a child, the pastor of my church would often say, “Everything in the Bible is important. But if the Bible says something twice, then it must be quite important, and if it says it three times, then it is extremely important.” Here we find the Samaritans have reached the level of quite important, so let’s try to see what it is about them.
Samaritans and Jews do not get along. But why? It is difficult for us in 2025 to grasp the depth of this animosity, but it is crucial for our understanding. By the time of Jesus’s ministry, the twelve tribes of Israel had become quite fractured, and like any family, have their share of infighting. But the Jews and Samaritans have it the worst. An intractable divide. An ironclad grudge. A rift so deep, that those involved have even forgotten what it is about. Notice how the parenthetical–for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans–gives us no concrete reasons why, nor any exclusions. It is abstract, yet absolute. And it is across this yawning chasm that Jesus reaches.
The Jewish people cannot get past the categorical hatred they have cultivated for the Samaritans. It’s a dangerous thing to hate someone categorically, because it’s a trap. When you hate someone for what they have done, they may well repent and be reconciled. When you hate someone for who they are, they have no chance. What can they do? It is a dead end, a black hole. Jesus chooses not to see the Samaritan woman through the lens of her heritage (real or alleged) or what the world says about her. Instead he sees her as God does, created in His image, with a story all her own. And because of this, not only did she come to faith herself, but so did many others on account of her testimony.
Here is an exercise which frequently proves useful for me: when I am angry at or critical of someone, I say to myself, out loud if possible, “<name> is created in the image of God.” It is such a powerful statement. It is simply not possible to both believe that someone is created in the image of God, and to harbor hatred or anger toward them. When the cognitive tension finally snaps, more often than not I find myself in a place of compassion and love, better able to seek understanding and reconciliation.
Let us Pray:
Lord, you are the Great Redeemer. You delight in bringing people to yourself. I confess that I am quick to cast aside people as “Other” purely out of convenience, selfishness, and pride. Thank you for the example of Jesus in this story. Help me to see each person as you see them: a child of your own. Help me to move towards others in a spirit of healing and reconciliation. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder who might be a Samaritan in my life? I wonder what it looks like to view them as created in the image of God? I wonder what new things I might discover about God when I view people in this way?
Day 15 | John 9:5,35-38
Day 15 John 9:5,35-38
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (v5)
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
John 9:5,35-38 NLT
For Reflection:
A Sabbath day that began like any other for this man suddenly turned extraordinary, then flipped upside down as he was confronted by the Pharisees, deserted by his family and neighbors, then thrown out of his synagogue by its leaders. What happened?
This man had been born blind was accustomed to living on the margins of society. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus noticed him sitting in his usual place, a beggar on the side of the road, no longer seen by those who pass by him every day. Depersonalized: a blind man. Jesus saw him. He went to him; and restored his sight. When the Pharisees caught news of this happening on the Sabbath, suddenly the miracle of gaining his sight was overshadowed by judgment, accusations, and rejection.
As this man newly experiences seeing faces, images, and sights to go with the familiar voices, pathways, sounds all around him, he abruptly finds himself isolated—from family, community, his synagogue. What is Jesus’s response to this injustice? He seeks him out. He goes to him—again, bringing mercy and justice, spiritual healing and wholeness. Face-to-face, Jesus invites him to know Him; He gently, lovingly affirms his value and worth as He reveals Himself as the Lord, saying “he is the one speaking with you…” The one speaking to him. On purpose, with purpose. Jesus is saying he is worthy of love and attention. This man who has been ignored and now abandoned by those close to him, was being truly seen and spoken to by Jesus. In response, he believed and worshipped Him.
Do I have blind spots as I look at or pass by others? Do I speak life? I ask Jesus to restore my sight and give me words of life to speak.
Let Us Pray:
Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us, for seeing us, coming to us, speaking to us. Would you restore my spiritual sight and help me to truly see and love others as individuals – neighbors, enemies, and those who are outcast or ignored. Lord, would you help me to walk in your light, by your light, with you, as you enable me to live as your light in our world. Would you help me value every person, seeking and seeing your image in each one and following your example demonstrated so clearly through Scripture. Would you help me to notice my blind spots, and to see you and others more clearly through your vision. Help me to notice those who are overlooked, to help them to see and know you—our true source of life, light, hope, peace, wholeness, and freedom. In love, would you help us all to cultivate harmony and peace, speaking life, hope, truth, peace, justice, and love into the world around us. I love you, Lord, and trust you will guide. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.
Questions:
I wonder what Jesus invites me to see, believe, and do through this passage?
I wonder who I tend to overlook? Are there individuals or groups of people I am judging as less-than?
I wonder how God might use me to help others see their value in His eyes?