It may be the hardest of all, but it all begins here!
Watch and listen to the on-line Service Here:
For many – most? – this is hardest of all. Blessed by the Spirit of God we can find incredible strength to forgive in cases of extreme injury and grievous hurt – to ourselves, to others, to God’s world. But too often we find ourselves incapable of extending that same blessing to ourselves. We know all the truth of us and in our failings and brokenness can find ourselves unworthy, irredeemable. Yet the truth is, our ability to live in the grace of forgiveness may well begin here.
Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings.
Let’s explore together the need to forgive ourselves, and how we might set ourselves – an others – free!
- Pr. Brad Highum
bhighum@abidinglove.org
PRAYER OF THE DAY ------------
God of all, you know the whole truth of us, yet love us still. Teach us to love and value ourselves, to extend the blessing of forgiveness to ourselves. For only from there can we begin to share that blessing with others. Amen.
READINGS ----------------------
First Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Psalm 51:1-4,6
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Second Reading: Romans 7:14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
