{"id":20712,"date":"2023-03-30T06:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T05:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotionthursday-30-march-2023"},"modified":"2023-03-30T06:15:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T05:15:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-thursday-30-march-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-thursday-30-march-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion\u00a0\u00a0Thursday 30 March 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
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inspiration in your inbox<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Thursday 30 March 2023 St Matthew 25: 1 – 12<\/strong><\/span>
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\u2018Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, \u201cLook! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.\u201d  Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish said to the wise, \u201cGive us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.\u201d  But the wise replied, \u201cNo! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.\u201d  And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, \u201cLord, lord, open to us.\u201d  But he replied, \u201cTruly I tell you, I do not know you.\u201d  Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.<\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the first of a series of parables Jesus tells whilst talking about the final time God will send the Messiah and call time on the world as we know it – they relate to the future and describe different aspects of the kingdom of heaven.<\/p>\n

This one starts happily enough \u2013 there is going to be a wedding and we are to be ready to welcome the bride groom.  Who doesn\u2019t love a party!  We are all cast in the role of the bridesmaids, traditionally girls or young women.  Everyone thinks they are ready \u2013 but some have only prepared for the arrival, whilst some have also prepared to wait should there be a delay.  I grew up a Brownie, Girl Guide and Ranger \u2013 with the motto \u2018Be Prepared!\u2019 ringing in my ears and taken to heart.  I remember part of the challenge of parenting was to be prepared for my child\u2019s needs when away from home.  At different stages this meant taking with me nappies, a change of clothes, snacks, drinks, toys, books, colouring pencils and paper \u2013 particularly to help my child endure an unexpected time of waiting. <\/p>\n

The surprise in this parable is that Jesus doesn\u2019t want us to \u2018be nice\u2019 and share our oil (if we are one of the wise) but rather to \u2018be prepared\u2019 for the big moment when it comes, AND the wait in the meantime.  So we will be ready to join in with the celebration banquet when it starts.  The consequences for the foolish and unprepared seem harsh \u2013 they are too late and unknown, forever on the wrong side of a closed door.<\/p>\n

Keep awake\u2019 we are urged (yet both wise and foolish bridesmaids fall asleep in the story). Perhaps \u2018Be Prepared\u2019 is more helpful \u2013 be ready in body, mind and spirit \u2013 we truly never know when or where we might be called to respond to God\u2019s presence and invitation.  So we are left waiting in readiness\u2026.<\/p>\n

Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Give me oil in my lamp \u2013 keep me burning
Give me joy in my heart \u2013 keep me singing
Give me love in my heart \u2013 keep me serving
Give me peace in my heart \u2013 help me keep waiting
Waiting til the break of day
Ready to join in the heavenly wedding feast.
Amen<\/p>\n

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Today’s writer<\/span><\/h2>\n

Dr Sam Richards, serving as Head of Children\u2019s and Youth Work, Messy Church team, Chalgrove<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright \u00a9 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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inspiration in your inbox Thursday 30 March 2023 St Matthew 25: 1 – 12  \u2018Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “URC Daily Devotion\u00a0\u00a0Thursday 30 March 2023”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20712\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}