Day 3 Theme: Witness through
Awareness
Text - Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who
does not know the things that
have taken place there in these days?
(Luke 24:18)
Readings
1 Samuel 3:1-10 Speak, Lord, your servant is
listening
Psalm 23 The Lord is my
Shepherd
Acts 8:26-40 Philip proclaimed to him the Good News
about Jesus.
Luke 24:13-19a …their eyes were kept from
recognizing him
Commentary
Growing in faith is a complex journey. Many people
in our world today lead busy lives and have
lots of pressures and
responsibilities. It is easy to miss God’s revealing
love to us in our everyday
life and experiences. The more
pressure and activity we surround ourselves with, then the greater
the possibility of overlooking what
is in fact before our very eyes. Like the two disciples in the
gospel, we sometimes think we know what
is real, and try to explain our view to others, yet we
are not aware of the full truth. In
our world today we are invited to be aware of God in the
surprising and unlikely events of life.
In our Old Testament reading, we hear how God calls
and invites Samuel to bear witness. Samuel
first of all has to hear this word.
Hearing requires an open disposition and a willingness to listen
to God.
This desire to hear God’s Word is also experienced
by both Philip and the Ethiopian in the
reading from Acts. They witness to their
faith by responding to what is asked of them at that
precise moment in time. They listen
attentively and respond accordingly.
The psalm of the Good Shepherd reflects the quiet
trust of the one who is aware of the tender care
of God, Who gathers the flock and
leads them to green pastures.
During this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we
seek to be aware of God in our everyday
events and experiences. We meet people
who are familiar and others who are strangers. In these
encounters we learn from each other’s
spiritual experiences and so get a new view of God’s
reality. This awareness of God’s
presence challenges us to work for Christian unity.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd, You encounter us and
remain with us in everyday life. We pray for
the grace to be aware of all you do
for us. We ask that you prepare us to be open to all you offer
us and bring us together in one
flock.
Reflection questions
1. When have you been aware of God’s presence in
your life?
2. Are you aware of global celebrations and
tragedies, and how might our churches together
respond to these?
3. Is being aware enough, or is there something more
that you might do in order to give
witness to your faith?
4. How do you make yourself aware of God when the
reality of God’s presence does not
correspond to your expectations?