Email from Church of the Redeemer

Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost

September 5, 2022

Invitatory

The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.

Reading - 1 Peter 4:7-11

The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Meditation - Winnie Smith

“The end of all things is near,” no matter how young we are. Christians are members of a faith that not only does not fear death, but in a way, anticipates it with joy and wonder. How strange! I remember as a child my amazement the first time I heard someone say, “if you think about it, you start dying the minute you’re born.” Really? I thought. How can a baby already be dying? The idea astounded and frustrated me, but it opened my eyes to a different understanding of time and our place in it.

The reading today from 1 Peter works similarly. It gives us a glimpse of how God might see time. It is fleeting. It is brief. All things are fading away. In a way, the whole world as we know it is dying, just as we are. This isn’t a bad thing. But it does force us to view ourselves and the time we have a bit differently. It humbles us and reminds us that to treat others with anything but love and hospitality is really just a waste of that precious time. Further, part of our work as Christians is to represent Christ to all people, to act as “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Everything we do, ultimately, should be done “so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ.” That is what it really means to seek and serve Christ in all people, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is about recognizing the grace of God in our own lives - however fleeting they may be - and to spread that grace widely, to everyone we meet. It is a simple concept, a difficult task, and, if we really did it, would transform the world.

Said another way, by Henri Frederic Amiel, “Life is short. We do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So be swift to love and make haste to be kind.”

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory

for ever and ever. Amen.