And Mary said,‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.His mercy is for those who fear him from generation […]
URC Daily Devotion 29th May 2019
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic […]
URC Daily Devotion 28th May 2019
Save me means very different things at different times. I’m sure the people trapped in Grenfell Tower meant save me in the same way that the disciples on the boat asked Jesus to save them. Yet the language of saving, being saved, salvation, has wider contexts in church, where we link it to eternal life. […]
URC Daily Devotion 27th May 2019
The prayer also teaches us that if we’re to be forgiven, then we can be forgivers. The one who has experienced forgiveness is the one best able to forgive. Our forgiveness begins as a response to our being forgiven. It’s not so much an act of generosity towards whoever has hurt us, as an act […]
URC Daily Devotion 26th May 2019
I feel that I have grown up with this Psalm, loving to ‘sing a new song to the Lord’ set to one of the great common metre tunes most typically St Magnus. Over time however I began to recognise that this was far more than simply a great sing and a grand hymn of praise. […]
URC Daily Devotion 25th May 2019
Some of us might wish that the prayer said something to God like, “teach us to forgive others, so that we might also be forgiven.” But it doesn’t, because that would put us in control. That would mean that we could be righteous, reaching out in love to those who had injured and wronged us. […]
URC Daily Devotion 24th May 2019
When we ask God to give us our daily bread it’s a daily reminder that our lives, like our bread, are gifts from God. In the middle of all the talk about heaven and God, the prayer now reminds us that we’re ordinary people who need food to eat, and it’s God’s gift to us. […]
URC Daily Devotion 23rd May 2019
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. […]
URC Daily Devotion 22nd May 2019
It seems like a story of rivalry and struggle within a troubled family, but it turns out to be part of a larger story of God’s purposes for the world. God hasn’t been thwarted by the brothers, and Joseph isn’t the hero, because the hero is God. It’s wholly understandable to feel fearful before nuclear […]
URC Daily Devotion 21st May 2019
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went […]