Week 1: Unity The unity – the oneness – of the Christian faith is a key emphasis in Black Spirituality. However, from the earliest days, Christians have often lost sight of the God who St Paul declares “is above all and through all and in all”. We look this week at how all God’s people might grow in unity and wholeness. Prayer for the Week Holy and mighty Trinity, teach us of your oneness. Give us grace to see the ways in which we reject the unity you desire in favour of division and conflict. Amen. The oneness of God Week 1: Monday Reading Colossians 1.15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. Reflection The poetic language of Colossians 1 that describes the nature of Christ and the nature of God points to the deep truth of Christianity, also echoed in the other Abrahamic faiths, Judaism and Islam: God is one. God, alone, is God. Christianity has wrestled with this for the first few centuries of the Church’s life, and the ancient doctrine of the Trinity was developed: God is one God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our reading from Colossians brings us to the deep mystery that “in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell”. African and African Caribbean spiritual traditions always begin from this place of the oneness of God. God’s life is present in all of creation, God’s very image within every human being. Watch Be aware every person you meet today is loved by God, is made in God's image. ...and pray for God's Holy Spirit to dwell within you and guide you. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
Life-giving darkness Start of Lent – Weekend Reading Matthew 26.36-38 You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. People go out to their work and to their labour until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Reflection Psalm 104 celebrates the wonders of God’s world and praises God’s wisdom in creating and ordering all things – including darkness. As Selina Stone writes in Tarry Awhile, “Those of us who ever grew watercress at school will remember that it is in the darkness that particular forms of plant life grow … It is in the darkness that we rest, our bodies recharge and our brains restore themselves … Darkness is crucial to the development of particular species, which need space to hide away and hibernate. It is especially important for the young of various mammals (including humans) who grow in the darkness of the womb. “Darkness … is the exciting starting point of creation … It is like a stage curtain, keeping things hidden until the appropriate time. Darkness … is full of potential, expectation and anticipation. ” Watch Look out for examples of God moving in darkness to bring life and growth. ...and pray in the words of Psalm 104: "O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all ..." Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
God in darknessStart of Lent – FridayReadingMatthew 26.36-38In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.ReflectionThere is a long and unfortunate convention – in the Christian tradition and far beyond it – of associating darkness and hiddenness only with evil, fear and danger. Simplistic notions that light exclusively represents truth, holiness, goodness, and godliness – and darkness always their opposites – limit the wonderful ways in which we can encounter the beauty and majesty of God across the diversity of our world.At the start of Lent Christians often revisit the stories of God creating human beings “from the dust of the earth”. Today’s reading takes us back even further, to when – from “the formless void” – first the heavens and the earth are created, followed by human beings and all other creatures. This great work of God begins in the hidden and the unfathomable. Far from being bad, darkness is where God’s most mighty work is done.WatchBe open today to seeing darkness as somewhere God is at work....and prayThat you might discover God in new and unfamiliar places this Lent.Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.
ReadingMatthew 26.36-38And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’ Reflection Yesterday we explored the Black spiritual practice of “tarrying” (waiting) as a community to draw closer to Jesus and to each other. Combining exuberant singing, fervent prayer and quiet lament, such services typically take place at night and can last for several hours. Such “tarrying” services are rooted in today’s Gospel reading of the night of Jesus’ arrest, when he asks his sleepy disciples, “So, could you not keep awake [or “tarry” in older translations] with me for one hour?” “Tarrying” seeks to offer an undeniable “yes”. Through this practice, the faithful are able to write a new story. Rather than leaving Jesus lonely in his time of longing for spiritual companionship, he is met in the tarrying moment with a whole host of friends to accompany him. We are all called to “tarry” – watching and praying – with Jesus this Lent. Watch Re-read Jesus' request of his disciples today - and notice how you respond to it. ...and pray for all who are suffering alone, that they may be accompanied. Copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2024.