Starting Over - January 11

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM Psalm 4, 7 ; Isa. 40:12-23; Eph. 1:1-14; Mark 1:1-13

There have been more than a handful of times in my life wherein just a matter of seconds, I realized how profoundly life had changed.  Usually, it happens when I say something that I can’t take back that changes the nature of a relationship.  It’s also has happened when I have typed something and hit the send button and regretted it for longer than the person on the receiving end could ever have imagined, although I am sure that the relationship is still different today.  I am betting I am not alone in carrying the guilt of what has been done and what has been left undone. 

I didn’t realize until preparing for this morning that we have once again hit one of those moments when we “start over.”  We begin working through the Psalms again starting with Psalm 1.  I think this is the fifth or sixth time since we begin this practice of daily prayer and reflection.  We begin working through the beautiful letter to the Ephesians with an ancient baptismal prayer.  And then we also begin working through the Gospel of Mark which tells the same story we heard at church the day before.

Starting over is important, but only because it points us to a much deeper truth – God’s grace is always available.  It’s the grace that is promised through the Gospel of Mark, a spirit we receive at baptism.   

One of the gifts of Morning Prayer has been reading the Lord’s Prayer multiple times a day.  I keep hearing the words of Jesus, “May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”    This is not only what we long for, but what we strive for as Christians.  We work for the kingdom to be on earth as it is heaven.  But to do this work, we must not only know God’s grace, but be willing to profess it for others as well. While there are always consequences for our actions, there can also be grace in the love that we feel from God and each other. May today be a day to start over for us all.

Faithfully,

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Where in your life do you need God’s grace?  Are there things you have said or done that you wish you could take back?

Daily Challenge:  It can be equally challenging both to receive grace and extend it.  Pick one event in your life in need of grace, and one person in your life and commit to working on extending grace today.