Consider the
Word, June 18, 2020
The General Synod established the National Indigenous Day of Prayer on
the 21 June in the Calendar of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Readings:
-
Isaiah 40:25-31
-
Psalm 19
-
Philippians 4:4-9
-
John 1:1-18
Collect
Creator God, from you every family in heaven and
earth takes its name. You have rooted and grounded us in your covenant love, and
empowered us by your Spirit to speak the truth in love, and to walk in your way
towards justice and wholeness. Mercifully grant that your people, journeying
together in partnership, may be strengthened and guided to help one another to
grow into the full stature of Christ, who is our light and our life. Amen.
John 1:1-18
The Word Became Flesh
In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him
not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all
people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all
might believe through him. 8He
himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him;
yet the world did not know him. 11He
came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he
gave power to become children of God, 13who
were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but
of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen
his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and
truth. 15(John testified to him and cried out,
‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because
he was before me.” ’) 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon
grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who
is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Reflection Questions
-
In what ways is “light”
used in familiar images and metaphors?
-
What is the “grace”
that came through Jesus?
Closing Prayer
Draw
your Church together, O Lord, into one great company of disciples, together
following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving you
in your mission in the world, and together witnessing to your love on every
continent and island of your creation. We ask this in the name of the Risen
Christ in whom we are one. Amen.
The Message
The Life-Light
1 1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was
created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
6-8 There once was a man,
his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to
show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light;
he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was
the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
14 The Word became flesh
and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
15 John pointed him out
and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in
fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first
word.”
16-18 We all live off his
generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993,
2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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