Words of Light and Hope from Sue Page, LLM

Words of Light and Hope from Sue Page LLM 

TRANSFORMED BY CHRIST: PASTORAL

Vision Hymn John 21

The charcoal fire, alight with love and welcome,

burned by his risen master on the beach;

and then three times, the soft, heart-stopping question,

“O Peter, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord, I do, you know I love you deeply,

you have my loyalty, my life, my all.”

“Then tend my lambs, the lost, the least, the lonely.

Let me transform you! Be a shepherd! Hear my call!”

Transform us too! O living Lord, inspire us

to turn our hearts towards a wounded world,

and with your Spirit’s blazing passion fire us

to bind the broken, feed, protect, enfold.

Teach us to find the pattern of our calling

in you, O Christ, our Shepherd and our Friend:

until like you, we lose ourselves in serving,

like you inclusive, tender, loving to the end.

Tune: Londonderry Air (O Danny Boy...)

Susanna Gunner, September 2022

 

Prayer By Ignatius Loyola

Teach us Good Lord

To Serve Thee as Thou deserves

To Give, and not to count the cost,

To Fight and not to heed the Wounds

To Toil and not to seek for Rest

All for the sake of doing Thy Will. Amen

 

Reflection

Conversation requires talking and listening.

As I talk to Jesus may I also learn to be still and listen.

I picture the gentleness in His eyes

and the smile full of love as he gazes on me.

I can be totally honest with Jesus as I tell Him of my worries and my cares.

I will open up my heart to Him as I tell Him of my fears and my doubts.

I will ask Him to help me to place myself fully in His care,

to abandon myself to Him,

knowing that He always wants what is best for me.

[Words from Sacred Space]

 

Quotations On Pastoral Love

Christian Service

The highest form of Worship is the worship of unselfish Service

The greatest form of Praise

is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless

Billy Graham

 

No man ever served God by doing things tomorrow

Charles Spurgeon

 

Prayer

Lord, Help me to care pastorally by

Reaching out and Loving others creatively and practically

Open my Eyes to see their need

Amen