Thoughts for the Day

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

* Image of St Paul from Zemen Monastery, in Bulgaria.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The city of Philippi was a Roman colony, initially made up of retired soldiers and their families whom the Emperor Augustus had allowed to live there after they had supported him in a battle in 31 BC. St Paul and Silas, together with Timothy and Luke established the original church there, and St Paul visited them a couple of times and was very fond of this group of christians who, although not wealthy, support Paul and also poor Christians in Jerusalem with their money.

The words above from the letter to the Philippians are very special. We are not to worry (what does that achieve but an ulcer or heart trouble?), we are to pray and to thank God for everything (do we ask, but forget to thank?), and that will give us God's peace!

We are still thinking about Rogation today, and after three days of thinking about the problems of the world and how we might act, perhaps now we need to stop worrying about our world, but to pray, and thank God. Finally we are to be at peace.

Heavenly Father,
teach us to ask for help,
when we are concerned
about the natural world,
and to do our part to
put things right.
Having acted encourage us
to thank You for Your help
and to stop worrying.
Amen.