Thoughts for the Day

My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

'Samuel Azariah was born in 1874 in a small village in South India. His father, Thomas Vedanayagam was a simple village priest and his mother Ellen had a deep love and understanding of the Scriptures. Samuel became a YMCA evangelist at nineteen, and secretary of the YMCA for South India a few years later. He saw that, for the Church to grow and attract ordinary Indians it had to have an indigenous leadership. He was ordained priest at the age of thirty-five and bishop just three years later, and he began to search for more Indian clergy. He was an avid ecumenist and was one of the first to see the importance to mission of a united Church. He died on January 1st 1945, just two years before the creation of a united Church of South India.' (From 'Exciting Holiness')

Today's reading comes from the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. The prophet has been accusing the powerful order of priests of corruption. In Chapter 2 he reminds them of the covenant that God made with Levi their ancestor, and He praises Levi for his integrity and uprightness and for his life-long work. Incidentally we have no mention of this particular covenant in the scriptures.

Today Samuel Azariah is an example of the life-long work that God calls each one of us to do. He doesn't just call men and women to be priests, but He calls each one of his people, giving them different tasks. God writes His words on our heart, and although our path will be different from Malachi, Levi, and Samuel, it is nevertheless a call to lifelong worship and work in the situation where God has placed us. We must be open to God's call this New Year, and then deal with the challenge.

Collect
Lord God,
shepherd of Your people,
whose servant Samuel Azariah revealed
the loving service of Christ
in his ministry as a pastor of Your people:
awaken within us the love of Christ
and keep us faithful to our Christian calling.
Amen.