Consecration Sunday

At the moment it’s cold in Brisbane, comparatively.  It’s winter here and the sun is shining, but I had to wear a coat yesterday. Temperatures had dropped to around 6 degrees centigrade overnight, but during the day the sun was shining and despite the wind chill factor, it was warm enough to shed the coat and wear a jumper. We still haven’t had a heater on inside our home. Such is winter in Queensland.

I just had another birthday. Life has its seasons too. The financial year has started again. We humans impose our own dates and times on the calendar. We make New Year’s resolutions on January 1^st. We submit tax returns after July 1^st. All these things serve to remind us that time passes, and we mark its passing in various ways. As we mark time, we are also given the opportunity to evaluate what has gone and what we’ve done in the duration, and to make future plans.

Each year as the financial year draws to a close, our church gives thanks for all that God has done in the year gone, and plans for the coming year. Some of this relates to financial planning, but it encompasses far more than finances. We acknowledge that God has a plan and purpose for His church throughout this world, and for each one of us as individuals. We thank Him for His blessings and provision, and trust Him to lead and guide us, as a church and individually, throughout this year.

I’d like to share a prayer which was printed on a bookmark for everyone at my church community to take yesterday. Perhaps you would like to print it out for yourself and share in our consecration commitment:

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

I freshly commit myselt to the

role you have invited me to play,

as you are building your church in

this world. I am awestruck again

today that you include me in this

grand life-giving,

world-transforming endeavour.

So today I joyfully offer you:

MY LOVE

MY HEART

MY TALENTS

MY ENERGY

MY CREATIVITY

MY FAITHFULNESS

MY RESOURCES

AND MY GRATITUDE

I commit all of myself to the role

you have assigned me in the

building of your church so that it

may thrive in this world, and so that

more and more may see and hear

of the love of Jesus.

signed...................................................

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18,19.