Thoughts for the Day

‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I spent much of my ministry working in rural villages, and there is a rule that all parishioners need to remember when autumn evenings arrive! It's no good going to church unless you take a torch because there are often no street lights! I frequently got caught out when travelling to some of the nineteen churches in the villages that hugged the coast in Suffolk, and later in the fifty square miles of Cumbria, but the worst was Manorbier in Pembrokeshire. Here the church has a big light overlooking the steep slate stairs to the car park and the last person out has to turn it off before descending the stairs to an inky black car park!

We have been looking at Saint Ignatius recently and here is another of his wise sayings: “We come from God, we belong to God, we are going to God.” Being ready for the autumn evenings in the countryside may be taking a torch but what does 'being ready' in life mean for a Christian? In the parable the slaves keep their lamps lit and are wide awake waiting for their master. What is our equivalent and for whom or what do we wait?

To the new Christians in the 1st century they would have taken it to refer to the return of Jesus, at His Second Coming and since this hasn't happened yet it can still be one meaning, but another clue is in the words of Saint Ignatius. He says we are travelling back to God. This parable also refers to the time when our Heavenly Father will call us home at the end of our life. It's not a subject we like to think about, but it's the only certain thing in life! Like the good servants we should be prepared whatever our age. We may feel we have more to do in this life, and we're not ready for the next stage, but it would be good to be able to meet our Saviour feeling that as Christians we have lived a good life and are ready, waiting for His loving judgement whenever this happens.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may we not get bogged down
in the day to day things of life,
but remember to be prepared
for Your return.
May we be able to give a fair account
of ourselves as good stewards
and as faithful Christians
when this time comes.
Amen.