Mapperley Monday Mail, 10th June 2013

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Loving God | Loving Each Other | Loving our Community

Good Morning!


Yesterday, Brian and Dom started us off in a short series looking at the first few chapters of the book of Joshua. One of the big themes of the book is that Joshua is called to lead the nation in a military campaign. We might expect him to be called on the basis of being a great leader or tactician or even a fighter, but actually Joshua is called first and foremost to be someone who is committed to studying and following God's Word. God says to Joshua:


Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Josh 1:7-8)


Joshua's success comes through his dependence on God and his word. And that ties into our forthcoming Church Day of Prayer and Fasting on June 29th.


Some people have been asking me about fasting. Fasting is choosing to go without food for a time to devote ourselves to praying for something. It shows that we recognise that "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." - that we know that if St Jude's is going to grow, and if it is going to make an impact on the community of Mapperley, it isn't going to be through our strength or wisdom, but through God's power. I find that every time I feel hungry (every minute or so), it reminds me that I'm meant to be praying, which helps my mind not to drift off!


Fasting isn't meant to be something that is done for show or for trying to look extra humble. Jesus told people off for fasting for those reasons and said that they had received their reward in full (Matt 6:16-18). Nor is fasting something that should be compulsory – there are all kinds of good reasons for not fasting. God doesn't command it in the New Testament, but Jesus does assume that we will fast from time to time (Matt 6:16). I'm not commanding us to fast on June 29th – I'm asking that those of us for whom fasting might be appropriate consider it.


Here's a pray for today (it's one of the set collects for yesterday:)

Faithful Creator,

whose mercy never fails:

deepen our faithfulness to you

and to your living Word,

Jesus Christ our Lord.


Have a good week!

God bless,

John

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