Podcast Link

August 20, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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Link to Podcasts

Dear Friends,

the link to the Podcast has been missed off the Devotions for the last couple of days. We’re looking to correct this but if it is missed off in future please go to

devotions.urc.org.uk

and you will find it there. On a computer the link is at the top of the page on some phones and tablets you have to scroll down to the bottom!

best wishes

Andy

URC Daily Devotion 19th August 2019

August 19, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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Paul’s boldly proclaims that he is unashamed of the Gospel. “Gospel”, of course, means Good News. Why would anyone be ashamed of Good News? When we receive our own good news, don’t we long to tell others about it, so that they can share in our excitement?

However, Paul is eager to share this good news with the people in Rome. He wants them to be excited about a Jew, a common carpenter (as they might have seen Him), and one who suffered the indignity of crucifixion, the form of execution for the lowest and worst of criminals. What is more, Jesus was killed in Jerusalem, an insignificant capital of an insignificant and remote Roman colony. How could this possibly represent good news to the fine people of Rome?

In these two verses, Paul sets out a summary of all he is about to explain at length and in detail. The Gospel is the power of God to save all people who have faith – Jew, Gentile, citizen, slave, conquerors and vanquished alike. We are all within God’s reach through faith in Jesus.

URC Daily Devotion 18th August 2019

August 18, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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1 The LORD said to my Lord:
“Sit here at my right hand,
Until I make your foes a stool
on which your feet may stand.”

2 The LORD will make your reign
extend from Zion’s hill;
With royal power you’ll rule among
those who oppose your will.

3 When you display your power,
your people flock to you;
At dawn, arrayed in holiness,
your youth will come like dew.

4 Unchangeably the LORD
with solemn purpose swore:
“Just like Melchizedek you are
a priest for evermore.”

5 The Lord’s at your right hand;
there he will ever stay.
He on his day of wrath will crush
the kings who bar his way.

6 The nations he will judge;
the dead in heaps will lie.
The mighty of the earth he’ll crush—
all who his rule defy.

7 A brook beside the way
his thirst will satisfy;
And, thus refreshed, he will with joy
lift up his head on high.

You can hear a Free Church of Scotland congregation sing this to the tune Selma here.

URC Daily Devotion 17th August 2019

August 17, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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I’ve lived ‘in community’ a number of times in my life. Just like a family situation, you occasionally find yourself getting under each other’s feet, getting on people’s nerves, being frustrated with someone’s behaviour, unable to find a compromise, or even being angry about how someone’s behaved. Of course, as well as being the recipient, we too do our fair share to aggravate, frustrate or annoy. Community life can be a rough ride.

But community life can be inspiring. People encourage one another or give each other support. You can feel down and yet find yourself inspired by the wisdom and generosity of others. People can share a perspective on life that you’ve never seen, or offer a solution to a problem you’re struggling to see. And just as others can inspire, we too play our part in guiding and encouraging. Community living can open our eyes.

Church life is community living too. We may not live in the same house as others who share our Christian life, but when we gather in community (as our congregations tend to be ‘gathered’) we share together in the communal living of the Church. We should long to share with one another in spiritual gifts to strengthen each other. We should long to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. We should long to take part in mission to share our faith with our local communities.

Yet we must remember that our Churches are not always places where people feel able to step over the threshold and be part of the community. Church life is difficult for people for a variety of reasons. While this restricts, we know that when we share communally, when we meet and build each other up, the life of the Church is enriched and strengthened and we can live God’s mission for the Church. We must break down barriers in our Church so we can all be encouraged and inspired by the common faith we share.

URC Daily Devotion 16th August 2019

August 16, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

Recently I was at a meeting where people were asked to introduce themselves by sharing an experience in their life that still shaped who they are today. One person had grown up in a single parent household when that was still unusual, another had become the carer for an elderly parent at age 11, yet another had lived in a war zone. All these events had deeply shaped their identity and how they viewed the world.
When the apostle Paul introduced himself to the Christians in Rome, there is one event that had deeply shaped him. That is his encounter with the risen Christ. That shaped his identity and his entire outlook on life.
Paul is writing to a Christian community of Jewish origin. A community he did not establish and had never visited, so introductions matter!
His greeting is striking. He used only his own name – no co-sender – and called himself a servant of Christ, who was called to be an apostle and who was set apart for the gospel. Scholars think that how Paul describes the gospel in verses 3 and 4 are not his own words, but a Jewish Christian formulation that would have been known to the Roman Christians. It may be that he was trying to show that what he had preached agreed with what the Romans believed.
But perhaps it was simpler. Perhaps Paul was merely trying to express that even though they had never met, they had one thing in common: a new identity in Christ. They were God’s beloved, called to belong to Jesus Christ and to be saints: people of grace and peace.
There are many things that shape our identity. Our life stories; our relationships with family, partners and friends; our work and our interests; our goals in life. To what extent have your life experiences been shaped and challenged by the encounter with Christ? When asked to introduce yourself, what story would you tell?

God of love,
called by you, may we know who we are:
you call us beloved,
you call us to belonging,
you call us to follow,
you call us to be holy,
you call us to be saints.
In all that we are,
in all that we say and do,
may we share your grace and peace
and by our love may the world know that we are yours. Amen.

Today’s Writer

Francis Brienen, Deputy General Secretary (Mission), URC

Bible Version

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Bible: © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved

The Letter to the Romans

August 15, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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Dear <<First Name>>

Congratulations for persevering with the Book of Daniel – I hope, despite the length of some of the passages, you’ve found it rewarding.

We now turn to something rather different. The Epistle to the Romans is the longest of Paul’s letters and, in summary, was written to explain that salvation is offered to humanity through Jesus. Much of the letter is a complex argument, aimed at Jewish converts to Christianity who were brought up to see themselves as morally superior to licentious gentiles. Paul turns the tables on them showing that both Jew and Gentile needed to have faith in Christ. The letter also has lots of practical instructions around Christian living.

Over the next few weeks we work through this Epistle together and I hope you find it rewarding.

with every good wish

Andy

Andy Braunston
Coordinator, Daily Devotions from the URC Project

URC Daily Devotion 15th August 2019

August 15, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be running back and forth, and evil shall increase.’

Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others appeared, one standing on this bank of the stream and one on the other. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was upstream, ‘How long shall it be until the end of these wonders?’ The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, raised his right hand and his left hand towards heaven. And I heard him swear by the one who lives for ever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be accomplished. I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?’ He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. From the time that the regular burnt-offering is taken away and the abomination that desolates is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Happy are those who persevere and attain the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. But you, go your way, and rest; you shall rise for your reward at the end of the days.’

Reflection

Daniel is writing in the midst of terrible suffering. People are running to and fro searching in vain for a word from God, the wicked are acting wickedly and evil is on the increase. Where will all this end?

He is given a vision – a remarkable prediction of resurrection and judgement that is unique in the Old Testament. Now this is not a theological teaching, a dogmatic statement, but a splendid flight of imagination, Biblically based. Daniel envisages human life on earth in the light of eternity. People who were faithful but lost their lives will awake and be vindicated; those who were wicked but seemed to triumph will be exposed to everlasting contempt and shame. The discerning leaders who set people right may have been despised, may even have lost their lives, but would have a special place of honour in the new Jerusalem.

There is only one problem. Daniel is to close up these words, keep them secret and seal his book until the final crisis comes. The time is not yet. In the interim, Daniel’s readers are challenged to be steadfast and faithful and encourage others to join them.

The vision crosses generations. It shapes the way we see Jesus, the wise leader who died a martyr and rose from the dead to strengthen and encourage his followers. It affirms that God’s justice and righteousness will ultimately have the last word – even if this is beyond the limits of our human experience and imagination. In the end, we are to remain faithful to the heavenly vision. And the last words of the book are not of striving but of peace. Go your way, says the man in linen, go your way and rest.

Living God,
you are the source of all wisdom.
Make me wise to see all things against the background of eternity, and make me brave to face all the changes in my life which such a vision may entail,
through the grace of Jesus Christ my saviour,
Amen.

Today’s Writer

The Rev’d Dr Susan Durber is the minister of Taunton URC.

Bible Version

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Bible: © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved

URC Daily Devotion 14th August 2019

August 14, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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At the time of the end the king of the south shall attack him. But the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. He shall advance against countries and pass through like a flood. He shall come into the beautiful land, and tens of thousands shall fall victim, but Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites shall escape from his power. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the riches of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall follow in his train. But reports from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to bring ruin and complete destruction to many. He shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.

Reflection

As visions often are, there is something poetic about this one; the beauty of the writing almost throws you off the scent of the horror of this apocalypse. As you read through it, however, the formula is familiar, and it’s almost obvious that the last line is going to read “yet he shall come to his end, with no-one to help him”. I often wonder about despotic leaders today –can they not see how things are going to end for them?

Someone once told me that a prophet is someone who ‘tells it like it is’. Sometimes for us all, despotic leaders or not, we have missed the truth of our own story, and we need the voice of a prophet telling it like it is, reflecting it back to us, so that we may see it in truth.

Who might be speaking into your life or church with a prophetic voice?

I, like the kings who sought Daniel’s interpretation of their dreams, would have trusted him. There’s something about him and the way he lived, a prophet of impeccable qualities, not just a seer of visions, but a servant of God, through whom Gods’ power shone, whilst he was seemingly at the mercy of ruthless kings.

Are we as church a prophetic voice? It’s surely something we should be concerned with, but do we have the same impeccable qualities that Daniel did. Are we a humble and vulnerable enough community for God’s power to shine through us?

Perhaps we need to see our own truth in a new light. Listen out today for the voices who ‘tell it like it is’. Those whose experience of racism, sexism, disability, poverty, the ‘hostile environment’, the benefit system, hatred and abuse, speak challenge to our privilege. Is there an obvious conclusion to our story?

Challenging God,
speak truth to our lives,
through those we meet, live and work with.

May we also ‘tell it like it is’.
Give us courage to speak our own truth,
that it might influence others to examine their stories.

Then give us the wisdom, humility and courage
to live that truth together as your church,
no matter how hard or life changing it may be.
Amen

Today’s Writer

Liz Kam, Church Related Community Worker, Levenshulme Inspire, Manchester.

Bible Version

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Bible: © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved

URC Daily Devotion 13th August 2019

August 13, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to support and strengthen him.

‘Now I will announce the truth to you. Three more kings shall arise in Persia. The fourth shall be far richer than all of them, and when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a warrior king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and take action as he pleases. And while still rising in power, his kingdom shall be broken and divided towards the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go to others besides these.

‘Then the king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his officers shall grow stronger than he and shall rule a realm greater than his own realm. 6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to ratify the agreement. But she shall not retain her power, and his offspring shall not endure. She shall be given up, she and her attendants and her child and the one who supported her.

‘In those times a branch from her roots shall rise up in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall take action against them and prevail. Even their gods, with their idols and with their precious vessels of silver and gold, he shall carry off to Egypt as spoils of war. For some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north; then the latter shall invade the realm of the king of the south, but will return to his own land.

‘His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall advance like a flood and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. Moved with rage, the king of the south shall go out and do battle against the king of the north, who shall muster a great multitude, which shall, however, be defeated by his enemy. When the multitude has been carried off, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall overthrow tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, larger than the former, and after some years[a] he shall advance with a great army and abundant supplies.

‘In those times many shall rise against the king of the south. The lawless among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfil the vision, but they shall fail. Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siege-works, and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, not even his picked troops, for there shall be no strength to resist. But he who comes against him shall take the actions he pleases, and no one shall withstand him. He shall take a position in the beautiful land, and all of it shall be in his power. He shall set his mind to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of peace[b] and perform them. In order to destroy the kingdom, he shall give him a woman in marriage; but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage. Afterwards he shall turn to the coastlands, and shall capture many. But a commander shall put an end to his insolence; indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. Then he shall turn back towards the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

‘Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an official for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he shall be broken, though not in anger or in battle. In his place shall arise a contemptible person on whom royal majesty had not been conferred; he shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom through intrigue. Armies shall be utterly swept away and broken before him, and the prince of the covenant as well. And after an alliance is made with him, he shall act deceitfully and become strong with a small party. Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province and do what none of his predecessors had ever done, lavishing plunder, spoil, and wealth on them. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. He shall stir up his power and determination against the king of the south with a great army, and the king of the south shall wage war with a much greater and stronger army. But he shall not succeed, for plots shall be devised against him by those who eat of the royal rations. They shall break him, his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall slain. The two kings, their minds bent on evil, shall sit at one table and exchange lies. But it shall not succeed, for there remains an end at the time appointed. He shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. He shall work his will, and return to his own land.

‘At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but this time it shall not be as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall lose heart and withdraw. He shall be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay heed to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces sent by him shall occupy and profane the temple and fortress. They shall abolish the regular burnt-offering and set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with intrigue those who violate the covenant; but the people who are loyal to their God shall stand firm and take action. The wise among the people shall give understanding to many; for some days, however, they shall fall by sword and flame, and suffer captivity and plunder. When they fall victim, they shall receive a little help, and many shall join them insincerely. Some of the wise shall fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed, until the time of the end, for there is still an interval until the time appointed.

‘The king shall act as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and shall speak horrendous things against the God of gods. He shall prosper until the period of wrath is completed, for what is determined shall be done. He shall pay no respect to the gods of his ancestors, or to the one beloved by women; he shall pay no respect to any other god, for he shall consider himself greater than all. He shall honour the god of fortresses instead of these; a god whom his ancestors did not know he shall honour with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall make more wealthy, and shall appoint them as rulers over many, and shall distribute the land for a price.

URC Daily Devotion 12th August 2019

August 12, 2019 / ichurch / Daily Devotions

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In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The word was true, and it concerned a great conflict. He understood the word, having received understanding in the vision.

At that time I, Daniel, had been mourning for three weeks. I had eaten no rich food, no meat or wine had entered my mouth, and I had not anointed myself at all, for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris), I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the roar of a multitude. I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; the people who were with me did not see the vision, though a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone to see this great vision. My strength left me, and my complexion grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a trance, face to the ground.

But then a hand touched me and roused me to my hands and knees. He said to me, ‘Daniel, greatly beloved, pay attention to the words that I am going to speak to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.’ So while he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. He said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days. For there is a further vision for those days.’

While he was speaking these words to me, I turned my face towards the ground and was speechless. Then one in human form touched my lips, and I opened my mouth to speak, and said to the one who stood before me, ‘My lord, because of the vision such pains have come upon me that I retain no strength. How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For I am shaking, no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.’

Again one in human form touched me and strengthened me. He said, ‘Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous!’ When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’ Then he said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I am through with him, the prince of Greece will come. But I am to tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth. There is no one with me who contends against these princes except Michael, your prince.

Reflection

I am amazed by how you can control satellites from command centres on earth. Spiritually, we can have a huge impact on what goes on in this heavenly realm; more impact than we can see and are even aware of.

This reading emphasizes that Daniel’s faith and faithfulness influence the deployment and ministry of angels and archangels. The same promise is made to all of us. I wonder what made him have such an impact in the heavenly realm? Daniel, humbled himself, sought understanding, and prayed.

Firstly, he approached the throne of grace with the right attitude: humility. Such humility can involve exalting God. The Lord’s prayer begins with worship. Likewise, it is good practice to always start praying by humbling ourselves in worship and thanksgiving, however much we itch to utter petitions and hurl our needs.

Secondly, his humility did not lead him to offer a comprehensive shopping list, but to fast and seek understanding. This requires taking time to listen to God as we pray. This also involves the Spirit who helps us to pray (Rom 8. 26-27) and can even take over on our behalf.

Finally, Daniel prayed in such a way that Archangel Michael, who must be very busy, is deployed by Jesus to rescue the angelic messenger sent to Daniel. How amazing it is to know that Christians can influence the deployment of angels from heaven to earth. This revelation should only encourage us to pray with humility, discernment and persistence.

That is probably why, John Wesley once argued that lay or ordained preachers, who ’ fear nothing but sin, desire nothing but God … they alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer’

Prayer-answering Lord,
give us a fresh awareness of the power of persistent prayer.
Faithful Lord,
help us to be discerning you at work even while we are praying.
Mighty God,
dazzle us with your glory.
Lord our friend,
by your grace, help us stand where even angels fail to tread.
Lord of the heaven’s army,
send down your messengers to bring us your life-changing and hopeful Word.
Amen.

Today’s Writer

The Rev’d Bachelard Kaze, Marlpool, Eastwood and Langley URCs in Northamptonshire

Bible Version

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Bible: © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved