Read: Genesis 22
From this Thursday onwards the news agencies have reported that Starbucks, the
coffee giant in the US, a cafe that most of us visit to have strong coffee or
chai tea latte like me, have decided to introduce reusable cups. This
move comes when it was known that Starbucks itself produces coffee cup waste of
about 4 billion cups each year globally. Hence the company effort to get these
reusable cups and also get more of its cups recycled as their effort to be more
caring and just to the environment. But then these cups will be of course made
in China, and will have fill line inside denoting "tall",
"grnade" and "venti" sized drinks. When I thought of
reusable cups, what came to my mind was what about reusable and recycling meditations.
This was because for the last one week I took a break from writing my regular
devotions title "The Journey". Looking back the one Last one year was
a thrilling experience for me working in the Lord's ministry. I have been
working as the Youth Chaplain of the South East Region of the Diocese of North
America and Europe. One of the vision that our diocesan bishop, Theodotius
Thirumeni, gave to us the clergy, was to make our ministry relevant, meaningful
to the times, especially mindful and relevant to the people that you are entrusted.
Since I was a youth chaplain, my focus was the youths and the young families of
this region of the diocese. This was also a dream and a passion that I used to
carry. My dream about my ministry is that wherever I am placed I should be a
blessing to others, making difference in people's lives, helping them to
encounter our Lord, through the regular meditation of the Word and thus able to
lead transformed lives. It was this quest in ministry that made me wonder
as to how I can make my ministry relevant especially to the youths and other
families of this region of the diocese. The passion and dream to make to make
my ministry relevant, resulted into the beginning of daily devotional
tilted "The Journey". Writing this devotional was an amazing
experience. I never felt that I could write everyday of the year, because I
used to think, how do you get new thoughts every day, and moreover to write it
in an organized form takes time and effort, discipline and dedication. But
looking back to the year that passed I need to thank the Lord for enabling to
work every day, spend time in His presence daily so as to come out with some
random thoughts that He gave me. I don't consider the thoughts and devotions
notably worthy, but it was a humble effort to discipline myself, to spend time
in prayer and meditation and to relate the truth of the word of God with
the current events and the challenges that we all face as we live our Christian
life. At this time I really want to thank the Lord for His grace and wisdom that
he gave me daily to undertake this devotional journey. I need to specially
thank my diocesan bishop Theodotius thirumeni who has been instrumental
in seeing me though this arduous task of writing the devotion every day. He
would always encourage me to move forward and do everything so that the
ministry in the diocese is fruitful and relevant. Youths and families and
also members from the different parishes, my friends in the social network
especially on Facebook, would always give me good suggestions and encouragement
and it was all these aspects that helped me to keep my devotional journey
going. On 31st December, when I finished writing 365 devotions, I felt that the
hand of God leading me daily in my life, throughout the last year through
the outpouring of his wisdom and grace. As I began to relax and slow
down, Theodotius thirumeni started speaking about his next dream and vision,
and it was all about continuing to write the devotional journey. I
was bit reluctant in the initial stages but in the last one week after prayer
and meditation, and with my friends and the community of believers encouraging
and supporting me to write again, I felt that though this is going to be very
tough, still I should continue my devotional journey, because more than others it
would be a blessing to me personally as I discipline myself and consciously
spend time in meditation and reading of the Word of God. So here I am
continuing my devotional journey for the glory of God and a humble effort to
understand and transmit the truths of the Word of God and also in the process
of making my ministry relevant to the times and to the community that my Lord
has entrusted me.
I have titled this year devotional as "The Musings'. Musing is all about
contemplative thoughts, thoughts that come to our mind as we reflect upon God's
word in relation to the contemporary events. Contemplative thoughts that help
us to make our life a witness to others. As I write these devotions I
sincerely seek your prayers for me, my family and my ministry. It is the
prayers of the community of faith that keeps clergy like me going and
empowering us to minister unto you all. As we begin the new year the thought
that came to my mind is about letting go and letting God to work in our life, through
the regular re reading of the Word of God and in daily reinterpreting the Word
of God to discern the truths that our Lord want to communicate to us. I have
heard a story about a man who used to climb mountains. One day as he was
climbing a mountain, it became pitch dark and he could not see the route that
he was climbing . He slipped and started falling down. As kept falling he
suddenly caught hold of rope. Whew he thought he escaped certain death. But
because of the darkness he could not see anything. He started shouting
"God help me". Suddenly he heard a voice which said ' Leave the
rope". But the man was reluctant to let go the rope. He did not what to
do, and the voice again said "let go the rope". But the man refused
to let go the rope. Next day morning the rescue team found the lifeless body of
the mountaineer holding on to a rope, cold and dead. He was holding on to the
rope just 5 feet above the ground. If only he had let go the rope........ In
Genesis 22 we find, God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son. I think for
Abraham though it was painful, he decided to let go his son as this was a
blessing that he got very late in life. But that did not stop Abraham from
holding on to the blessing and on the contrary when he let go that which he
thought was precious and best, God blessed him with a greater blessing. I
think we all are holding on to some kind of blessing or something that is
precious in our life. Until we let go that which we consider as precious, God
cannot work mightily in our life nor can he achieve his desired plan in our
life, nor will be blessed greatly by God. It is imperative in Christian life
that we need to let go of the rope so that we can let God work in our
life. Which is the rope, or the blessing or the security that you held on
to in the year 2012?. In this new year can you leave or let go that security
and blessing so that God can work in your life, so that our life is more
blessed than last year?..