Thursday 11 May 2023

Today is Thursday the 11th of May, in the fifth week of Easter.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing Ngaza Ngambona: ‘They are blessed who keep his commandments; they will have their eternal place. Come in, all of you, so that you may be happy and be able to say, I’ve seen him on the cross, the one who loves me. Teach me, Father, to love you, praise you and pray to you.’

(Lyrics currently unavailable)

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John.


John 15:9-11

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

Abide in God’s love. How might I do that today?


Pause for a moment, breathe in the word “abide”, and let out “in God’s love”.


Abide. In God’s love.
Abide. In God’s love.
Abide. In God’s love.

“Keep my commandments”. Where might I need to return to God’s commandments? Perhaps there is someone I need God’s help to love.

Love and joy. Love is patient, kind …. we know the words. Love is sometimes gruelling. It’s sometimes hard work!

(Remember Jesus has just washed his disciples’ feet, and has just stressed that serving and tending is something we have to let him do for us. We cannot be his disciples without it.) We need to let ourselves be deeply loved. Know that we are deeply loved.
Imagine your day transformed by recognising the love - and joy - of God in you. Deep within you.
As you hear the passage again, let God speak to you about His love.
In these closing moments I bring to our compassionate God whatever is on my heart. If there is something that stops me from accessing God’s love, I can bring that to God, the very Maker of heaven and earth, the Maker of you and me.


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.