Trinity 15
Collect
Adam and Eve left the garden – Genesis 3: 23-24
The LORD God sent Adam forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
Abram left home to create a nation – Genesis 12:1
The LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
A man left home to build a family – Ephesians 5:31
A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.
A King comes to us – Luke 1:30, 31
The Saviour left to be with His Father – John: 10-13
Matthew 28: 18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
Comings and Goings
Life is a process of continual change – some gradual, some more dramatic. Perhaps marriage, parenthood, retirement, serious illness, facing the inevitability of growing old. However excited and confident we may feel, deep down, there is always too a slight sense of uncertainty as we approach any significant lifestyle change. And this is the time of the year when many young people are stepping out into a new chapter of life – first day at school or college, perhaps a first job – and as parents, we try to disguise our feelings of concern as we realise that we have to trust them to the Lord and let go.
Scripture is full of stories of coming and going – life-changing journeys that affect each one of us everyday. We each have our own stories of departures – some joyous, some sad (Often both at the same time!). We learn that whenever we go to somewhere new, we run the risk of getting lost unless we take a map, and, like Theseus, make sure we have a way to find the way back home to security in case we’ve taken a wrong turning.
Fortunately, we do have a map. We have a compass We have learned from our experiences. We are taught by our memories. We have a home with the light left burning. We have our Bible. We have our counsellor. We have a home in Heaven. We have Jesus.
As we move on, we do so in In Him, with faith, hope and love. And thus all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
So, a song for all the Mothers, Fathers, Grandmas and Grandads who are waving a farewell and praying God speed as they watch their children step out in excitement and hope at their new beginning. May the Lord Bless them and keep them safe. And you too, in your journeys.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 10th August 2025
And while we think of the things we value most, do we remember that we are of such value to God, that His Son was prepared to go into the flames for us?
Praying Together 27th July 2025
In a word, it is all prayer, a rich sequence, choreographed in different moments of gathering, praise, listening and communion.
Praying Together 20th July 2025
Jesus comes to us in many ways and with many faces. Are we aware we may ‘entertain Angels without knowing it?
Praying Together 13th July 2025
May we never miss meeting your gaze,
in the eyes of our sibling, the stranger.
Praying Together 6th July 2025
Always remember that ‘success’ is simply doing His will – it’s not necessarily achieving the outcome we would ourselves consider to be ‘successful’. Leave that definition with Him.
Praying Together 29th June 2025
Jesus is looking for commitment. Absolute, unconditional, commitment. When I think of what that means, I’m always minded of Martina Navratilova’s remark: “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.”
Praying Together 22nd June 2025
As Christians, may we never regard mercy and compassion towards others as weakness, naivety or gullibility, but display the traits which demonstrate that we follow a Saviour who came to rescue those left behind.
Praying Together 15th June 2025
You couldn’t fly a kite inside a church building –for the Kite to fly you’d have to go into the windy street outside. Where does that place the need for the Spirit to act?
Praying Together 8 June 2025
Of all the strange things happening on the Day of Pentecost, perhaps the most puzzling is when God appears to have second thoughts. In Genesis 11, He makes it difficult for people to understand each other’s language
Praying Together 1st June 2025
The song by Mary Black, ‘Bless the Road’, while written as from a parent whose child is leaving home alone for the first time – maybe first day at primary school, going to college, beginning an independent life – always puts me in mind of the thoughts and blessing of Jesus as He prays for His disciples before His Ascension.
Praying Together 25th May 2025
‘Peace I give to you… do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.’
His peace is not remote and only there at the end of things – His Peace is with us now.
Praying Together 18th May 2025
So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.