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.
Jeremiah 31: 31-34 ‘The New Covenant’
31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt – a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah was a sensitive man who deeply loved his people and hated to pronounce judgement on them. He often spoke with deep emotion about the things he suffered because God called him to be a prophet. The word of the Lord was like fire in his heart, and he could not stop himself.
I have been thinking much this year particularly about different shapes, as I have taken up drawing, mainly pencil, which I last did in my teens. I have been reminded how some shapes are more difficult, and I seem to find this with chairs, and I do not see why! However, many times I try, it seems, using rubber many times, the paper is marked and I have to start the whole picture again.
Jeremiah was commanded to visit the potter’s house. The water, clay and the wheel can be worked again and again until the potter is pleased with the item. Watching a potter is quite amazing, moulding and remoulding until it is perfect, when no previous attempts show. Jeremiah spoke of the Lord speaking about the new covenant which would be written on the hearts of his people. He will no longer remember their wrongs, and he looked forward to Christ who through his blood brought the new covenant.
In other words, he remembers our sins no longer, as the slate is wiped clean because of his once and for all sacrifice on the cross. The One World week theme “It is our world, let’s make it better” gives us the opportunity through prayer and action to harvest the fruits of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. We need to remember, of course, that it is GOD’S world, given to us to look after through acts of beauty, service and how we treat others.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for those who work tirelessly
to bring the love of the Gospel into their community and around the world.
We pray that the fruits of the Spirit may radiate from our mouths and our hearts,
so that your world may be looked after and others come to know of your love for them.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask it. Amen.
Reflection & Prayer © 2020 Matthew Earl.
Images freely available online.
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All material within this order of worship is reproduced by permission under CCL 1226356