Create a peaceful space to pause, and allow yourself to feel God’s presence alongside you, as near to you as your own breath. In following the reflection below, as a church we will draw closer to God and to one another as we grow in faith and deepen our sense of belonging to God.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 ‘Being Content’
6 Of course, Godliness with contentment is great gain;
7 for we brought nothing into the world,
so that we can take nothing out of it;
8 but if we have food and clothing,
we will be content with these.
Do you have a favourite or memorable motto? A maxim adopted as a result of conduct? An inscription expressing appropriate sentiment or aspiration? For me the above words: ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ reminds me of Great Walstead School in Lindfield where Pat and I worked for twenty years.
The motto suggests a positive assurance that God has supplied one’s basic needs. So often we suffer from the ‘must have’ of unnecessary desire and lose the freedom of contentment. The Christian spirit of contentment follows the fundamental commandment against covetousness and avarice. The teaching of Jesus often rebuked the discontent of material possessions to the neglect of God. I think Jan Struther has the right idea in the hymn I’ve chosen for today: we are all so taken up by present circumstances dictated by movement curtailment that we lose sight of the contentment referred to in the last verse.
Let us all be encouraged to seek contentment on a permanent basis!
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‘Lord of All Hopefulness’
Jan Struther (Joyce Placzek) (1901-1953)
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Prayer:
Loving heavenly Father,
we thank you for being Lord of all hopefulness and Lord of all joy.
We pray that the present difficulties will soon be resolved
and your will be done. Amen.
Reflection & Prayer © 2020 Derek Scott.
Images freely available online.
Hymn from Singing the Faith: © From Enlarged Songs of Praise. 1931, Oxford University Press.
A printable version of this Daily Devotional can be downloaded from here
All material within this order of worship is reproduced by permission under CCL 1226356