Monday 27 June 2022

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Today is Monday the 27th June, in the 13th week of Ordinary Time.

Eliza King sings, ‘Christ Abides’. Let the music carry you into Christ’s presence; into heavenly places.

In the crowded thoughts, You are an open space

And I hear Your voice, calling me to come away

Where the eagles fly, You're raising me high with You

To heavenly places, heavenly places

I have the mind of Christ

My portion is His perfect peace

For Christ abides with me

I'll seek You, Lord, and here in Your shadow hide

I won't dread the day, nor fear the terror of the night

Though thousands fall, I've been seated all along

In heavenly places, in heavenly places

I'm with you in heavenly places, in heavenly places

I have the mind of Christ

My portion is His perfect peace

For Christ abides with me

He's closer than a friend

He takes the weary by the hand

And says, "Come abide with me"

"Come abide with me

For my yoke is easy and my burden light

I will raise you up like an eagle into flight

You will not grow weary nor will you be faint

In your every weakness, I will be your strength"

I have the mind of Christ

My portion is His perfect peace

For Christ abides with me

He's closer than a friend

He takes the weary by the hand

And says, "Come abide with me"

Heavenly places, heavenly places

Heavenly places, heavenly places

Heavenly places, heavenly places

I'm with you in heavenly places, heavenly places

Heavenly, heavenly, heavenly places

Heavenly, heavenly, heavenly places

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 8:18-22

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’

What must it have felt like for Jesus to have great crowds around him? Let that image stay with you for a while.

With these great crowds of people around him, Jesus gives challenging answers to two people who promise they’ll follow him. How do you imagine Jesus saying these words? What tone of voice do you think he used? How does his face seem as he’s saying these things?

“….. Nowhere to lay his head.” Who are the people around you who have nowhere to lay their heads? Can you recognise Jesus in them?

As you listen to the passage again, place yourself in the crowded scene. Hear the words Jesus uses. Allow yourself to wrestle with what he is saying.

Speak with the Lord, quite openly and honestly, about what today’s passage has brought up for you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.