OzThoughts Tuesday 25th November 2008

OzThoughts Tuesday 25th November 2008

For a number of reasons, I have been thinking about a visit to a Catholic church for a christening some years ago. One of the things I noticed was the Priest was wearing sandals. They were not the leather sandals like Jesus wore or even a modern leather version of them. They were what we know in Australia as surf sandals which are made of (and I am guessing here) plastic and nylon and are fastened with Velcro.

The fact that he belonged to a Franciscan order probably had something to do with his clothing and sandals and the simple robes he wore. Certainly it was simpler and much less formal than the average Salvo uniform. As I thought about this I thought of the simple faith of many believers. St Francis in choosing Jesus chose to live a simple life. He called others to live simply as he lived and to reach out to those in need around them.

I think, too, of Jesus. In thinking of Jesus I thought again, as we did recently, of Isaiah who said:

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6: 1,2. New International Version.)

What a contrast there is in the picture St Paul describes:

Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2: 5b-11).

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father. Help me to live as Jesus would have me live today so that I might be useful for you. Amen.


O that in me the mind of Christ
A fixed abiding-place may find,
That I may know the will of God,
And live in him for lost mankind.

Chorus
Doing the will of God,
Doing the will of God,
The best thing I know in this world below
Is doing the will of God.

The suffering servant he became,
Yea more; in loneliness and loss
He bore for me in grief and shame,
A crown of thorns. a heavy cross.

O that in me this mind might be,
The will of God be all my joy,
Prepared with him to go or stay,
My chief delight his sweet employ.

More than all else I would become
The servant of my servant-Lord;
My highest glory his reproach,
To do his will my best reward.
Author: Edward Henry Joy (1871-1949)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 451

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