Scripture:‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy?’ (Isaiah 55.1-2)Reflection:As human beings we have both physical and spiritual needs. Jesus reminds us that ‘Man does not live by bread alone’, but when his 5000 hearers were hungry he gave them actual bread to eat. When we pray: ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ we pray not only for food (which most of us do not lack), but for all the resources we need to meet the tasks of each day.This prayer is not only for ourselves, but for all God’s people. One of the greatest scandals of our time is that so many people suffer poverty and hunger, not only in famine-struck countries far away but in our own society.‘Freely you have received’ said Jesus, ‘freely give’. ( Matt.10.8)May God help us to understand what these words mean for each one of us. Revd Rosemary
Scripture:‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13 45-46)Reflection:We are often too busy in our minds hankering after an imagined past or worrying about a receding future. Instead, if we can trustfully arrive in this present moment, in not too much of a hurry, with not too much on our to do list, we can recognise the precious treasure of God’s reign already offering itself to us.The insight from the merchant that sold everything to possess the pearl of great price is that we have to let go of a lot of unnecessary baggage, outworn attitudes, lesser priorities to recognise and enjoy the immense value of God’s kingdom, already here in front of our noses. The reign of God becomes visible when people find what is most precious and important and live out of that truth. Such joy and love are contagious and healing.Lyn Hayes ALM
