RCL Readings Sunday 24 January 2010
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21

Psalm 19 could be used to structure your prayer times this week.

It begins with a sense of marvelling and wondering at the beauty and eloquence of the created order (verses 1-6) – a reminder that creation itself bears testimony to God. Though that is less easy in the light of the earthquake in Haiti and the images of desolation that fill the media. While it cannot be denied that creation has been and is for many of us a source of amazement and wonder that draws us to a sense of the divine we must not romanticise creation for it can be a source of utter terror as well as amazing beauty.

For many they sense something of the mystery of God in the created order around them but they do not enter into a relationship with God, consequently when that same creation reveals a very different character their faith falters.

The psalm goes on to delight in “the law of the LORD” and its effect upon those who heed it (verses 7-13). Allow creation to be a stimulus for your prayer but don’t leave it there – take time to reflect upon “the law of the LORD”.

The reading from Nehemiah 8 recounts how, after the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, the prophet Ezra reads “the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel”. As Ezra opens the book the people stand and Ezra and the people respond in worship (verses 5-6). In some Christian traditions standing for the reading of Scripture is still used as a symbolic act of reverence for God’s revelation in Scripture. Psalm 19.8 might give the impression that understanding is easy and almost automatic, however, Nehemiah 8.8 “So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” reminds us of the vital ministry of interpretation – in your prayers pray for those who exercise this ministry: Preachers, Junior Church leaders, House Group Leaders, writers of Bible and Daily Study Notes.

1 Corinthians 12.12-31 is a timely reminder that we are called to be “one body” (v13) – “the body of Christ and individually members of it” (v27). This one body is rich in its diversity and in its interrelatedness. The hard challenge is that there should be “no dissension within the body” (v25a) – the Greek word is ‘schisma’ literally meaning ‘to divide in parts or tear in pieces’. In the passage there is a call to ‘honour’ and to ‘respect’ the different parts of the body and especially those “that seem weaker” (v22). This is not always easy as at times within the Church we struggle with differences of “interpretation” (Nehemiah 8.8). Especially at such times the words of Paul are even more apposite, that “the members may have the same care for one another” (v25b). A timely word in the midst of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity and a timely word when some of the major Christian denominations are in danger of tearing themselves apart as they wrestle with contemporary issues.

The teaching of Jesus is not comfortable and it challenges people’s attitudes, lifestyle and prejudices (Luke 4.18-21) so much so that people want to exclude him and his teaching (4.28-30). There is a temptation to think “we wouldn’t behave like that”, but I think we do, though usually a little more subtly! Pray for courage to wrestle with the hard challenges of the Gospel in our contemporary world to “bring good news to the poor … release to the captives … recovery of sight … the oppressed go free” – this will cost us in more ways than one!

Try living each day and approaching each activity within the day with the prayer: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Ps 19.14).