Galatians 3: 23-29
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

With so many competing messages, rules, expectations, and demands, it is often hard to hear God’s voice clearly. It is also hard to find inner peace. At our most vulnerable times, the world’s competing expectations and rules can overwhelm us. Faith anchors us in God’s Truth and realm. God’s voice is a still point in the turbulent ‘noise’. God’s Hope is found in the midst of despair. Worldly expectations fade away in the reality that all people find a home with God, are known, and equally loved by Jesus, and are blessed with the fruits of the Spirit. Today’s readings each speak of ‘bonds’ that potentially bind us to worldly rubrics. Our God’s light shines even in dark ‘prisons’, ‘leads’ us on better paths, ‘drives out demons’ that haunt and pervert our thinking, and ‘refreshes’ us in desolate spaces. All of us find ‘home’. 

Prayer of Confession
Day and night, God of Light,
we are pulled and pressed by worldly ways.
Too easily, we comply to things that grate on us.
Dishonesty surrounds us, and false claims are taken as Truth.
In our shame, we often listen.
With sadness, we sometimes believe.
God of Light, shine in these shadowlands.

Forgiving God,
we seek your guidance.
We become bound by standards that judge people unfairly
and prejudice their futures.
We perpetuate rules in our workplaces
that are disrespectful and hurtful.
Forgiving God, fill our hearts with your grace.

Healing God,
many live with illnesses that affect their engagement with life.
In our ignorance, we interpret incorrectly
and layer their lives with much greater restrictions
than we have in our own lives.
Healing God, heal our thinking and being
when we do not love as you love.

Words of Assurance
Faithful friends,
seek God’s Light in the dark moments
for God is there before you.
Seek love and forgive each other
for when you turn to God, forgiveness washes over you.
Seek healing, and offer your pain to God
for woundedness is hard to carry alone.
Faithful friends, in God we find home.
 

© Rev Anne Hewitt 15/06/2022
This reflection & prayer may be shared as long as the original writer is credited.