Faith Daily | 21 January 2023

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p528

Almighty God,

by whose grace alone we are accepted

and called to your service:

strengthen us by your Holy Spirit

and make us worthy of our calling;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 3: 20-21

‘and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Rev’d Sandra

I believe it is worth noting that the disciples are shown working alongside Jesus and experiencing the costs of ministry with him (not even able to eat), and this is further evidence that Jesus is pointing to them as his new family (Mark 3.35). In this short passage of scripture, Jesus was being described by the people he was serving as being ‘out of his mind’. Even his own family came out to try and restrain him – in other words his family were so concerned at what they were hearing that they came to try and protect Jesus.

Sometimes like Jesus, and the disciples, we too may feel heavily burdened as we pay the price for our faithfulness to Jesus. However, we are also invited to realise that as his followers, we are given the wonderful privilege of being in such a close personal relationship with Jesus, that we share in his life.

FINAL PRAYER Opening Worship of 6th Assembly of World Council of Churches (Vancouver, 1983)

You have called us to be one,

to live in unity and harmony,

yet we are divided:

race from race,

faith from faith,

rich from poor,

old from young,

neighbour from neighbour.

O Lord, by whose cross all enmity is brought to an end,

break down the walls that separate us,

tear down the fences of indifference and hatred;

forgive us the sins that divide us

free us from pride and self-seeking,

overcome our prejudices and fear,

give us courage to open ourselves to others;

by the power of your Spirit make us one.

Amen