Author: Bellshill Central

Day 7 Transformation: Changing our hearts and minds

• Acts 28:3-6

“Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.’ He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.”

• Psalm 119:137-144
• Matthew 18:1-6

Reflection

Monster!

The headlines tear

like shards of glass through

ripped reputations

and tainted talents,

to be heard no more.

Hordes!

Names, stories, lives, compacted

into an anonymised mass.

Contempt for care,

rejection made righteous.

When will we turn

and dare to see the sister in the surge

of displaced existence,

and the brother

in the monster’s shame?

Prayer

Almighty God,

we turn to You with repentant hearts.

In our sincere quest for Your truth,

purify us from our unjust opinions of others

and lead the churches to grow in communion.

Help us let go of our fears,

and so better understand each other and the stranger in our midst,

and dare to love the rejected.

We ask this in the name of the Just One,

Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

• Have you ever changed your mind about someone, for the better? Why?
• How has your church related to churches and congregations with very different theological ideas and/or cultures?
• Who are the outcasts in your community? How can your church better reach out to them?

Go and Do

(see www.ctbi.org.uk/goanddo)

Global: Find inspiration from stories of inclusion and overcoming prejudice in India.

Local: How are you as churches working with those on the fringes of society? Find out how you could be supported to do more.

Personal: Take steps to tackle prejudice or exclusion in your life and community.

Day 6 Hospitality

• Acts 28:1-2, 7

After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us round it … Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days”

• Psalm 46
• Luke 14:12-24

Reflection

I open my door

and welcome the newness of uncertainty.

The presence of possibility

resides in the unfamiliar received

with outstretched, vulnerable arms.

The gifts brought

are for sharing among us,

not trading equity.

This stranger and I,

we resolve to put warmth in the cold places,

compassion in the hard places,

hope in the dark places,

and peace deep within.

We kindle the fire together

and gather for warmth,

before the next pilgrim,

brings gifts

for us all.

Prayer

God of the orphan, the widow and the stranger,

instil in our hearts a deep sense of hospitality.

when You ask us to feed You, to clothe You and to visit You

those with ears to hear, listen,

those with eyes to see, look.

May our churches participate

in the ending of hunger, thirst and isolation

and in overcoming barriers that prevent the welcoming of all people.

We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus,

who is present in the least of our sisters and brothers. Amen.

Questions

• Share a story about a time you experienced hospitality in a meaningful way.
• Think about a time when you had to be hospitable that was difficult. In what ways has that changed how you welcome people? Where do you need to go the extra mile?
• Where have you recognised unusual kindness in your community?

Go and Do

(see www.ctbi.org.uk/goanddo)

Global: Find out about the united work of the Act Alliance responding to poverty and injustice across the world.

Local: How do we as churches begin or go deeper into a meaningful conversation with the voices we find difficult in society? What can we learn from these voices? Discuss together.

Personal: How might you show unusual kindness to someone in your community today?

Day 5 Keep Your Strength Up

• Acts 27:33-36

“Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.’ After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves.”

• Psalm 77
• Mark 6:30-44

Reflection

‘You need to eat something, to keep your strength up’

Paul exhorts them, breaking bread giving thanks, leading the way.

His words of reassurance that not a hair would be lost in the depth of the storm may be a hollow resonance for some.

I love coffee but lost my appetite for it

I love a good read of the bulky weekend paper

but my brain had no space for it

too busy processing and preparing

harnessing the little energy reserves I had

to face cannulas and PICC lines

and nauseating chemo.

Every hair from my head would be lost

but I’d be rescued from the storm, hopefully.

And when you can’t eat

to keep your strength up

because the chemo makes you sick

on a Wednesday

you chew on the words

that those who wait upon the Lord

will renew their strength

they’ll rise up on wings like eagles

run and not grow weary

trusting that one day

this broken body

might rise again

strong and supple

scarred and scared.

Every hair of my head was lost

but I’d be rescued from the storm, hopefully.

And as I look back

these ten years hence

there wasn’t one set of footprints

there were hundreds

of the friends and loved ones

who visited, listened, cried,

prayed and carried

the body of Christ

strengthening me.

Every hair of my head was lost

but I was rescued from the storm, thankfully.

Prayer

Loving God,

Your Son Jesus Christ broke bread

and shared the cup with His friends.

May we grow in closer communion

when we share our pain and suffering.

Encouraged by St Paul

and the early Christians,

give us strength to build bridges

of compassion, solidarity and harmony.

In the power of the Holy Spirit,

we ask this in the name of Your Son,

who gives His life that we might live. Amen.

Questions

• How does the reflection above make you feel?
• Have you had experiences of when          the promises of Scripture haven’t delivered as you’d expected?
• When have you most felt the pain over disunity in the body of Christ?
• How might sharing the body of Christ be a source of healing and unity between Christians?

Go and Do

(see www.ctbi.org.uk/goanddo)

Global: Work for the day when good healthcare is available for all.

Local: Hold a ‘bring and share’ meal together with the churches in your area where you have a conversation about what Eucharist/Communion/Lord’s Supper means to each church.

Personal: Visit, send a card or call someone who is currently unwell that you know.