Sunday 25 February 2024

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Today is Sunday the 25th of February, the second Sunday of Lent.

Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Come Thou Fount’.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise to Thee an altar

Hither by Thy help I'm come

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed his precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Here's my heart, O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Today’s reading is from the Book of Genesis.

Gen 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son.

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.’

Twice in this story, Abraham says “here I am”. Abraham might have regretted saying this later on… Do you ever feel like hiding when God calls you? Or do you find it easy to say, “here I am”, no matter what the call?

God says to Abraham “I will bless you”. And it is quite a blessing. Spend some time with God’s blessing over Abraham. How does it speak to you?

Now listen as the passage is read to you once more. Does anything really touch your heart here?

Finally, look back over this time of reflection; is there a thought that you might be able to put into words to offer a prayer to God?

You have given all to me

To you, Lord I return it.

Everything is yours

Do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace.

That is enough for me.

Amen.