URC Daily Devotion 26 April 2024

2 Corinthians 6:1-3 

As we work together, with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, ‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’ See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,

Reflection 

We have read, in the last few days, about St. Paul speaking on the Areopagus. I have, through the years, valued the opportunities for sharing Jesus in an outdoor setting. Street drama in urban Salford in the 1980’s, leading a visiting American Gospel Choir to Speaker’s Corner and Covent Garden, walks of witness, open air services outside our church and in public spaces are a few of the highlights. Today, please take the opportunity to give thanks to God for being with you in such events in your experience even when, like me, you may have been terrified.

We are facing challenging times as the URC but there are still wonderful opportunities. There are ever new ways of doing evangelism, forming new Christian communities, pioneering, praying for our communities, street evangelism, drop-ins at church buildings etc and our current Church Life Review presents so many opportunities. Likewise if you are looking for some helpful stories, The Group for Evangelism and Renewal within the URC (GEAR) recently devoted one of their magazines to ‘enthusiastic Evangelism https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=aiXy6alK 

I often find today’s Bible reading a little troubling, the urgency to be co-workers with each other and in grace of God. I am challenged and encouraged in two ways, firstly to consider whether we might be putting obstacles in people’s way. We might only be doing this unintentionally through the spiritual baggage that we have amassed but perhaps we need to be ready to lay some things down and try some new things.

Secondly every new day is potentially a day of salvation, when it is over no matter how things have gone for you, there is another day as well. The good news for us is that, despite how we often may feel, NOW IS an acceptable time to share faith in Jesus with people.  Let’s do it by God’s good grace!

Prayer

Saving God, I thank you for your constantly unfolding story of salvation. Help me to move out from fear and cynicism and into deeper confidence and openness to your new ways and opportunities. Your call to us to be co-workers in your good news is such an awesome truth and I pray that I may live in this promise today and every day that I live and breathe. Amen