Faith Daily | 24 October 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p593

Almighty and everlasting God,

give to us the increase of faith, hope and love;

and, that we may obtain what you promise,

make us to love what you command;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 13: 10-17

10Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 15But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” 17When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Jan Crombie

The cycle of hope comes to us in the Weekly Collect. When we love who and what God is, hope literally ‘springs eternal’. The Exploring Faith group is tussling with faith, hope and love at present – how each needs the other to come into being, to be true. This reflection concludes with a prayer-poem that Rev’d Graham wrote for the group.

The Gospels reveal the living hope in not just the power of God, but also the intention of God. The combination of power and love (intention) is the definition of Christian hope. We are called not to be ‘hopeful’, but rather a people known as of hope. Hope as a living truth, that lives out in faith, being faithful. We believe all things are working towards the goodness of God (in ways we rarely understand); we believe that Jesus Christ will come again and the kingdom will be complete. These are the living hopes, the reality of faith.

FINAL PRAYER Rev’d Graham “HOPE”

The world still lives in hope; but yet it seems

this hope is lost when we perceive the pain

of those who face despair, and watch their dreams

fade very fast, ne’er to return again.

The news is full of wars, reports of crimes,

accounts of poverty, and loss of homes.

These are some things that make these troubled times

diminish hope right to the inner bones.

A child is born. Its cry shows that it lives

and brings new hope to those who now must care.

And if we search for hope we find it thrives

in places we would not expect to share.

Let’s not lose hope, no matter what our state.

God will take care to help us re-create.

Amen.