Word for the day by Chrstian Education Forum

-

 

DIASPORA SUNDAY 

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2: 11-12 

Key Verse:  Verse: 12 Live such good lives among pagans that though they accuse you of doing  wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 


DEVOTION

It is the sunday in a year we celebrate to remember the abundant blessings  we the marthomite community  enjoyed in this part of the world as immigrants, as well as all christian immigrants   at large,  moved to different parts of the world leaving their native state of kerala, India, and union territories. It is a time to thank and worship for the grace the almighty  bestowed, and sustained us, thus far, in our stay in this adopted land. It is also the time to pray for the grace to keep us in steadfast faith and equip us to lead a God centered life. It is time  to pray to empower us to worship you in spirit and truth, and be able to preach the gospel  even in a limited capacity, wherever God  placed us.

      In this Bible portion Peter is trying to tell us that,God's people should live out their
heanvenly identity in the newly selected places of living as strangers or aliens, and to abstain from fleshly passions and keep the conduct and behavior  acceptable to God.   It is also important to keep our attitude excellent among gentiles so that  they praise you and me for our good deeds when they observe us, and glorify God, instead of  labelling us, as evil doers .   It is time to  ask pardon for our failures and weaknesses. We have  been insensitive to  to the needs of the community around us,  and avoided opportunities to proclaim  the gospel through our deeds and actions.  
Peter is writng to a large group of people  whom he never met, scattered throughout many roman provinces in asia minor ( modern Turkey) which included many diaspora communities. Apostle reminded the diaspora  community that, though we acquire  a new allegiance and  citizenship  in an adopted land,  we are not  to forget our  heavenly identity and responsibilities.

       Therefore,  let us confess our unfaithfulness , our neglected opportunities, our deafness to  your call, our unwillingness to help the poor and needy, our negligence in meditating upon your word and  follow a faith journey  acceptable to you.  Let us ask the Lord  to help us to lead a righteous life  and  guide us into life eternal.    
 

  PRAYER

 O Lord  Jesus, please forgive our neglect in areas you deemed  important in our life. Help us to lead a righteous life, and guide us to life eternal. Amen.
 

Thought of the day

   Problems diaspora community encounter  in a foreign land:  a sense of alienation,  cultural loss, identity crisis,  homeland memories, hybrid citizenship, issues of assimilation.   Let us face it with a steadfast faith and prayer.



 Dr. John K.Thomas Tabor MTC NY

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more