Lent 2023 – Day Nineteen – Luke 13 v 1-20

Welcome to our Daily reflections for Lent.

We have provided a number of ways of using these reflections.

• You can listen to it in podcast style by clicking on the first audio file. (approx 14 minutes);
• You can listen to the reflection and the prayers with a shortened length for personal prayer (approx 6 minutes);
• You can read your own version of the Bible and then listen to the reflection, play the hymn in the embedded YouTube clip and then listen to the prayer section;
• You can choose to just read through it and ignore the audio files; or
• any combination of the above.

However you choose to use them we hope you will find them helpful and thought provoking.

Full Audio of today’s reflection including Bible reading (approx. 14 minutes).

Audio of reflection and shortened prayer section (approx 6 minutes).

“I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.”

One of our cries of alarm or maybe it is one of despair, is that the needs of the world are far too vast for us to make any difference no matter what or how much we do.

To speak to these concerns, I have often used an illustration from an Amnesty International campaign of a good few years ago. The picture was of an opened prison door covered in the signatures of the thousands of people who had signed petitions demanding the release of those held for unjustifiable reasons. So do not be put off but be persistent. Shout out against injustice however you can, wherever you find it.

It is not easy and sometimes we feel like the fig tree in today’s lesson. We are active, present in the places we should be but we just cannot bring forth fruit. This Lent we ask God to be that careful gardener in our lives, the one who will stir the soil around us and fork into it the power of the Holy Spirit which will refresh and revive us so that we once more start to bring forth the fruit we were made to produce.

Of course Lent is also a time of personal reflection and so we take a moment to think of those times when we are called to be the good gardener. Wielding the fork and manure ourselves as we strive with our simple words and dirty hands to prepare the soil to feed those around us so that they will also produce fruit.

Our passage ends with that most encouraging of parables. The mustard seed and the yeast. Such little things but little things which bring forth such useful and valuable results.

God offers us the honour and responsibility of being that mustard seed or that small microscopic yeast, so that as we are spread into the world there will be a great harvest.

Hymn: Singing the Faith –  416 “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy”

Contemplation Words

“ …dig around it and fertilise it”

Let us pray together.

Contemplative Prayer

Think of the words in order to understand context and meaning, Feel the meaning of the words with and in your heart, Pray, using the words, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers. Listen for God’s voice in the quiet of your prayers. Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.

Twitter Prayer

Lord help us to be willing to have our roots disturbed and the nourishment of your Holy Spirit poured over us. So that we may be fruitful. Amen

Full Prayer

Lord, we know that we are always in need of your love and care in our lives. We know that we need to be fed with the good things which help us to bring forth good fruit.

But Lord, it feels so uncomfortable to have our fruitfulness questioned. To be asked to allow our roots to be disturbed, our branches pruned and even to allow the nourishment of your Holy Spirit to poured over us.  Help us to be willing to open our hearts and minds to the ways in which you wish us to change so that we can accomplish all that you have asked of us.

This Lent, we ask you to help us to look at the fruit we have produced. How we have loved others, how we have shared your word with each other and by doing so grown together as your disciples. What we have done and plan to do to help others to come to know you as their Saviour. Lord, we ask your blessing on all that we do so that our lives can be fruitful.

Copyright Notices

Reflections and Prayers

By Chris Hancock

Hymns

Hymn words where displayed are in the Public Domain. Hymn organ recordings where used are from Small Church Music. Copyright notice: Rev. Clyde McLennan, performer in this collection, has assigned his performer rights in this collection to Hymnary.org. Non-commercial use of these recordings is permitted. Other hymns are from YouTube and covered by YouTube copyright processes.

Bible Readings

Bible readings are from the New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Images

Images where used are from pixabay.com and free for commercial use no attribution required.

Background Music

The background music in today’s recordings is: Music from Pixabay Relaxing Music Vol.12 – Relaxing Time slightly edited by Chris Hancock as permitted by the Pixabay licence.