Blog

It is finished

John 19: 30

Prayer is:

Faith asking, hope waiting, love embracing.

Cleans the mirror in which I look at myself.

I pray because God always intended to bring humans in on the act,

without letting them get proud in the process.

- Tom Wright-

 

 

Opening Meditation

 

But what was finished?

Here we are confronted

with the deepest of mysteries;

a crucified man,

helpless,

derided,

racked with pain,

cries out

as one in control of his destiny.

“It is finished!”

 

This cry defies all worldly wisdom,

it questions all worldly power;

the human intellect

cannot cope

with such foolishness.

Only the heart can know

that this was the folly of God

and that what here was finished

was the salvation of the world,

and from the heart we cry-

 

Glory to God,

in whom everything that is has its being.

Glory to Jesus, by whom

the loving, rescuing nature of God

has been revealed in a human life.

Glory to the Holy Spirit, through whom

God is at work in our lives today.

To the creating, saving,

ever-present God,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

 

 

To consider…

 

• Do I sense that I have a purpose in life that is linked to God who created me?
• Have there been times in my life when everything seemed ruined, but God worked things for our good?
• How is it possible to see light in spite of darkness? Have I been able to?
• When my life is finished, what do I hope people will say about me? Will I have cast a shadow, or reflected the light?
• What do I think these words of Jesus meant?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closing meditation

 

It is finished.

 

Now, Lord Jesus, you can let go of us.

You have convinced us of our sin

And you have forgiven it.

You have convinced us of your way

And have engaged us on it.

You have shown us a foretaste of heaven

And made us members of its commonwealth.

You can let go of us now.

Having overcome the sin of the world,

Death will be a small obstacle.

Just as you foretold that you would be handed over to be crucified and this has come true;

Also as you foretold,

On the third day you will rise again.

And we will be your witnesses.

Amen.

 

To think about:

 

• God is light. We place a shutter in front of the window; we open it and let the light shine through.  The task of generating the light and heat has been done by God.  Alister McGrath
• The first Christians were prepared to accept a range of beliefs and practices provided only that loyalty to Jesus, human and exulted, was secure. JDG Dunn
• Theology is about the ‘Why’ questions. Science is about the ‘How’ questions.  Agree?
• We make our own discovery of self in the company of others.

 

 

Filed under Cathedral Life \ News