Psalm of Praise: Psalms 123:1-2
I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-14
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!
Strive for perfection, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.
And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All God's people here send their greetings.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
A Reflection
Yesterday was Trinity Sunday, the day in the church calendar when we celebrate a concept we struggle to understand; how can God be both one and three!
Writing in his second letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul concludes what has been a difficult letter with a blessing, which we now refer to as ‘The Grace’, ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’
As I reflect on the Holy Trinity, I wonder whether I relate to each of the different aspects of God equally, or is there one aspect that I tend to go back to in prayer and worship?
For most of my childhood we had family holidays in Sutton on Sea, when I was a teenager we went as far as Pembrokeshire, and in late teens we once went to Spain. Since then we’ve been to many different places in the UK and abroad. Sutton on Sea is a good place, but there is more. And there is always more with God.
I wonder whether you relate to one aspect of the Trinity more than the others, whether you tend to go back to the same place in your prayers and worship, or whether you explore the different spiritual experiences that there are by relating to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s blessing for the Corinthians includes the love of God. I wonder how secure you are in the love of God for you, a love that is unconditional, a love that is always with you, whatever is happening around you.
The blessing is also that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will be with you; God’s abundant blessings, poured out on you and me when we deserve nothing at all.
And last, but definitely not least, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence with us every moment of the day, to encourage us, to guide us, to equip us and to lead us into truth.
A Prayer
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with me and with those I love
today and always.
Amen
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us.
Comentarios