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Spreading Love & Hope...
Welcome to today's devotion created for your use at home during these days of physical social isolation and virtual social connection. We connect as Church through telephone & technology, so important during this time of Coronavirus. May this devotion and the links provided help you stay connected to God and the wider community.
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If you have items to share -- news, a prayer, song, Bible verse, reflection, photo -- please send it by email (just click on the blue envelope-icon) so we can share them.
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Blessings & peace, Ana & Tod
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Music
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The Busokololo Choir's songs of praise raise the roof! They often win choir competitions in the Lusaka Presbytery of the United Church Of Zambia Lusaka. Here they sing at the Presbytery Music Festival held at St Mark's UCZ. The above photo was taken at their gala fundraiser I attended in September, at which they raised several thousand pounds for the Church.
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The following two items on YouTube are two other United Church of Zambia choirs performing in Lusaka -- worth a listen.
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Send in your favourite music links to share.
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It connects people, in ways no other medium can. It pulls heartstrings;
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it acts as medicine.'
— Macklemore
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Noah's Advice to us today
by Donna Schaper
God said to Noah, “Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.” … At the end of the forty days,
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Noah opened the window of the ark.
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- Genesis 6:14 and 8:6 (NRSV)
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Noah’s ark is the boat God uses to spare Noah, his family, and a bunch of animals from the stormy torrent. It’s not just a children’s toy or fantastical book, but a profound memory of a deluge. The story of Noah’s ark is told, with variations, across Abrahamic traditions. The tale of a great flood is found in the oral tradition of many ancient civilizations.
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In other words, it ain’t the first deluge and it won’t be the last one.
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When children play with their toy arks, they lose pieces along the way. Just one giraffe remains. The monkeys disappear, only to turn up years later under the bed. Today we have lost more than our toys. We have lost a lot.
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We are desperate for a forty-day calendar invite – and none is forthcoming. We are counting the days one “slice” of toilet paper at a time; those paper perforations let us laugh at how scared we are.
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We so want to come out of zombie zoom and unmute ourselves. We want to touch or be touched. For now we are all untouchables and very touchy.
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I miss the future. And from within the ark, all I can see is a different future. The end of the office. The end of school. The end of church. The end.
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Advice-givers say, 'Lower your expectations.' So, I will. I will make this journey without a suitcase, without a map, without guides. I’ll travel itinerary-free. Noah probably did too, until the dove and the rainbow changed his mind.
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Prayer
God of flood and ark, calendars and eternity, draw near. Future us in new ways. Amen.
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United Church of Christ 'Still Speaking Daily Devotionals' have been a part of our daily faith journey for many years. They are available here.
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Praying together
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Join Christians around the world praying daily at 12:00 noon, making each day a World Day of Prayer.
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A Psalm a day: Psalm 8
'When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers...'
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Reading the Psalms in order gives one an appreciation for their order. After a series of fairly gloomy, even desparate, psalms, Psalm 8 is the first hymn of praise in the Psalter. It reminds us that the God to whom our prayers are directed is sovereign of the entire universe.
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Psalm 8 also reminds us that we have a role in this divine creation, to care for the creation.
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'You have given them [human beings] dominion over the works of your hands.'
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For many this Coronavirus-shut-down has opened up conversations about changing how we care for our earth. Watching water clean itself, birds return to singing and air rid itself of our pollutants, how can we not shout for joy? As stewards of God's creation, may we be mindful of the lessons we are learning while our world slows down and starts to breathe fresh air and fresh ideas.
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Cosmic sovereign, open our eyes to the lessons our earth is teaching us today. Instill in our hearts a commitment to become better stewards of your creation.
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Click on the blue button above to read all the Lectionary Readings designated for this week of Lent.
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In case you missed it...
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Yesterdays' Daily Home Devotions
Missed a Daily Devotion? Find it here.
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Virtual Zoom Worship
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in the midst of the congregation
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Psalm 22:22 and Hebrews 2:12
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'It was good to see so many faces.'
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'It felt like a true community.'
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'It felt as if we were together.'
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'And we didn’t even have to find a parking space!'
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What a wonderful experience, to gather as a congregation to praise God. Who would have thought that an on-line worship service could bring us into 'true community'? It was a blessed gathering of spirit. The technology (called Zoom) created a powerful worship-in-the-round experience, with everyone sitting comfortably in the front row/pew! True spiritual unity and equilibrium. We're already looking forward to next Sunday!
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Progressive Voices Magazine is full of thoughtful articles, poems and theological reflections for the thinking Christian. It is the regular publication of the Progressive Christian Network of Great Britain. Click on the button above to read the complete March edition. Look for the poem by Ana Gobledale (page 23).
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Subscribe to Daily Home Devotions
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To receive this Daily Home Devotion in your inbox, please click on this www icon and subscribe on the Salisbury United Reformed Church website.
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Contact us by email and visit (and join) Salisbury United Reformed Church on Facebook and our website.
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