Celtic Daily Devotions April 2016

God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin.
Having faith in him sets us in the clear. 
                 Romans 3 v 25 (The Message)

 

As we move onwards from Easter you are encouraged to take time each day and use the devotional guide provided online or in the church magazine – when we travel through ROMANS for this month. It is one of Paul’s great letters to other believers and full of truly great truths for those who are in Christ Jesus.

It is one way to feed on God’s Word in the morning, at midday and in the evening….. to Pray with Him continually through your day…

and even to share with others the treasures or hurdles you discover.

The Church website and Facebook page (even on a handy mobile) provide a fuller daily devotional page. However it all follows the pattern below which the information overleaf fits into, based on the Kirk’s origins of the Celtic and Northumbrian traditions.

Morning
Reading and Meditation on the theme
Prayer of response to the Word

Midday
Prayer – mostly for others

Evening
Verse(s) from the morning reading
Reflection on the day and Prayer

 

A Prayer for the Month

A Prayer for the Month of April 

God of Grace
God of Glory
Father God
Thank You 

Lord of Today
Lord of Tomorrow
Lord of Forever
We Trust You 

Spirit of Holiness
Spirit Of Truth
Spirit of Peace
Help us we pray 

Anon.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

 Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever
Amen.

The wheels on the bus

Here at Liberton we have adopted an annual rhythm comprising three seasons – upwards, inwards and outwards. These are reflected in our Sunday themes, as well as in our daily Celtic Devotions. Our first season, with its focus on drawing closer to God, ended with Easter, and now we are beginning our second season where we ask the question – “What does it mean to be part of the church family?”

Recently I’ve discovered that one of the blessings of turning 60 is that I now am fully equipped with my own bus pass, and this has encouraged me to rediscover the joys of public transport. In the course of the last few months I’ve spent a fair amount of time on busses, and as a result I have been able to observe bus culture first hand.

I’ve been struck by the huge variety of people that travel by bus, and by the huge variety of mannerisms and habits they display. These range from the open and welcoming folk, who like being with people and are quick to smile and include, to the closed, who spend most of their time looking at their phones. Then there are the considerate folks, who are sensitive to those around them and ready to help when help is needed, in sharp contrast to the thoughtless, who take up more than their fair share of room and won’t move unless asked to.

These next few months will give us the opportunity to ask ourselves one or two challenging questions about our own church’s culture. If the Christian faith is about being on a spiritual journey, then the Christian church is like travelling together by bus, where at every stop, there is the opportunity for new passengers to get on board. When they do, what will they find? Will they find a culture that is open or closed, considerate or thoughtless? Will they want to stay on board until the journey’s end, or get off at the next stop?

Our final season – that of looking outward, will begin in the Autumn, when we will be inviting others to join us in our travels. So, before they climb on board, let’s take the time to make sure their experience will be a good one.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13.14)

 Much love

John

Celtic Daily Devotions for March ’16

See what great love the Father has lavished on us,
That we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!           1 John 3 v 1

 

As we move through Lent towards Easter you are encouraged to take time each day and use the devotional guide overleaf – which is based on the Catching the Wave booklet for most of this month – and then we conclude by looking at 1 Corinthians 15. It is one of Paul’s great chapters to other believers and full of truly great truths for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Devotions are but one way to feed on God’s Word in the morning, at midday and in the evening….. to Pray with Him continually through your day…and even to share with others the treasures or hurdles you discover.

The Church website and Facebook page (even on a handy mobile) provide a fuller daily devotional page. However it all follows the pattern below which the information fits into, based on the Kirk’s origins of the Celtic and Northumbrian traditions.

Morning
Reading and Meditation on the them
Prayer of response to the Word

Midday
Prayer – mostly for others

Evening
Verse(s) from the morning reading
Reflection on the day and Prayer

 

A Prayer for the Month

A Prayer for the Month of March

 LORD God, Father God
As we journey on in life
May we know Your peace, Your love, Your hope
And the knowledge that You are holding us,
Encircling us, guiding us
This day and for ever.
Through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen

                                                                                      Anon.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
For ever and ever
Amen.