Beginning the New Year

Tuesday, January 2, 2007-- Daily Office, Year 1

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 940)
Psalms 34 (morning) // 33 (evening)
Genesis 12:1-7
Hebrews 11:1-12
John 6:35-42, 48-51

What a wonderful way to begin the New Year. We begin at the start of the story of Abraham, the father of faith. What strikes me with great force as I read the opening of this great saga, is that it begins when Abram is 75 years old. God doesn't initiate the great work with Abraham until it looks like it is too late.

At that advanced and established age, Abram hears the invitation from God to leave his secure and comfortable homeland and to travel the road of faith. Abram seizes the moment and ventures forth trusting that God will lead and bless him.

Hebrews raises up for us the example of Abraham, Abel and Enoch as heroes of faith who trusted God's promises and endured faithfully. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

The beginning of the New Year is a good time to renew our faith and trust in God's blessing and promises, and to re-commit ourselves along the road of faith. The reading from John's Gospel is a good way to reframe that re-commitment. We hear the familiar words from Jesus reminding us, "I am the bread of life." His words are an invitation to let the life of Jesus be our food to nourish, sustain, and strengthen us along this road of faith. That divine food comes to us through these stories and wisdom which are our Biblical inheritance. The bread of life also comes to us in the community of belonging, the Body of Christ. And we reenact this journey sacramentally each time we receive the bread of life which is our communion with God in Christ's Body.

So at this advanced age, God begins again to work with each of us in the invitation to faith. Recommitting to that journey of trust is a good way to begin the New Year.

Lowell
______________________

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the "Morning Reflections" email list,
go to our Subscriptions page -- http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html

The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR