God's New Covenant
Find a place to be present as a family.
Take in four deep breaths.
Give thanks to the Lord and pray.
Read Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
I wonder – Can I sit with the Good Shepherd … with my longings and emotions and be reminded of his heart for me?
Imagine Together
You are a part of a community that gets together for a big meal every week. Everyone brings a little something, even if it’s small. People gather in the kitchen, the living room, the hallway – Someone has a baby on their hip – another person helps calm a small child who’s bonked their head, a few people are crammed in the kitchen getting the last few things ready to eat – and you pause and look around… you take a deep breath – You’re just really grateful to be here with everyone tonight.
Have you ever felt this way? As you were reading, who were the people that came to mind? Did you have any emotions come to the surface… Can you name them?
Take a deep breath and stay with those thoughts, feelings, memories, and longings as you read the scripture below:
Read Acts 4:32-35
The company of those who believed had one heart and soul. Nobody said that they owned their property; instead, they had everything in common. The apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and grace was upon all of them. For there was no needy person among them, since any who possessed lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sale, and placed it at the feet of the apostles, who gave to each according to their need.
As you meditate on these “I Wonder” questions below, can you pause and make your heart quiet to receive what the Holy Spirit might be bringing to your attention?
I wonder…
- I wonder what it looks like for there to be “grace upon all of them” in my community right now?
- I wonder what would happen if I shared my need with the people around me?
- I wonder if there is anything in my heart or among my family/community, that needs to hear the powerful testimony of Jesus’ resurrection life?
- I wonder what hopes are stirring when I think about being in-person with my friends/family again.
- I wonder what God will do in my family and community as we give to each other differently during this time?
- What else do I wonder?
Let’s pray the prayer Jesus taught us:
Our father in heaven, May your name be honored, May your kingdom come, May your will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.
Give us today the bread we need now; and forgive us the things we owe, as we too have forgiven what was owed to us. Don’t bring us into the great trial, But rescue us from evil.