Day 1 (Genesis 21:17-18) Firstly, let’s pause to acknowledge that Abraham—the founder of the Abrahamic faiths, central to Christianity through our heritage from Judaism—had a concubine. Further still, Hagar, Abraham’s concubine is asked to leave with her child because Sarah doesn’t want her around. She’s not needed now Sarah has borne her own child. Hagar becomes an outcast. Yet, what does God do...
God who calls us to take up our cross,
show us how to put the needs of our whole community
before our own individual needs:
how to take up our cross and live for others,
how to preach good news in word and action,
(Matthew 10:24-39) I knew someone once who would exaggerate about the things they did to make themselves look better. It took me a while to realise this is what they did. At first, I didn’t know them well enough to question what I was told, but then they started to say things and I’d think, hang on a minute, that’s not the case. They’d do something and then say, I always do this, but I knew that...
God of all creation:
of each human life, each sparrow, each plant.
You are the source of all that is
and yet you care deeply about each one of us,
counting the hairs upon our head.