Sundays with CWM (26 Sep): Created for Life

by CWM Communications Team

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29; Psalm 19:7-14; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50

The creation stories suggest that God’s purpose for creating the universe, all that exists therein and humankind was to bring beautiful life in its various forms into the world. God also created an ecosystem to sustain this life and entrusted us with the responsibility of taking care of all God created.

Regrettably, through disobedience, sin entered into the hearts of humankind resulting in destructive habits. Humankind’s destructive behaviour has not ceased to cause pain and suffering and death among God’s creatures and the environment. God’s love, though, for all of creation has not ceased!

Through Jesus, God made the ultimate sacrifice to restore us to God’s intention of goodness, fullness and flourishing life. Even though we continue to persist in rebellion, God is not giving up on us. But we need to turn, to repent, to change our ways that rob the fullness that God desires. God is life and all God’s creation is imaged in that way – for life. The death and rising up of God’s beloved, Jesus, affirms and signifies the restoring to life with God.

For us to experience this new life, God desires of us to walk in faith and faithfulness in God’s way of fullness of life. Habits like trust, obedience and praying are very important. With a spirituality of praying there are no electricity outages, no internet inaccessibility nor device failure. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV).

Around us it may seem that the more things change the more they remain the same. Let not our hearts be troubled. We cannot lose hope. We must stand firm as the salt of the earth (Mark 9:50), articulating full and flourishing life for all through God in Christ.

-Faithlyn Stephens, CWM Partner in Mission (Caribbean)

Prayer Points

Presbyterian Church of Korea

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerable reality of gender-based discrimination in South Korea, particularly in the labour system. Female-majority industries like nurseries, aged care, and call centres have been weakened due to the virus. In the face of this catastrophe, the aspect of inequality underlying the hierarchical labour system worsens gender discrimination. We genuinely value the works of women for society and the ecosystem. Please pray for the recovery and building of a new inclusive society concerned with the improvement of the Korean labour system.

Pray for the Presbyterian Church of Korea’s migrant ministry: With the rapid increase of migrants since the 1990s, 2.5 million migrants currently reside in South Korea for various reasons. Korean society has been undergoing demographical changes over the past 30 years and the migrant ministry of the Korean church is experiencing new challenges as a generation passes. As groups of migrants diversify, new approaches are needed. In particular, it is necessary to recognise that there are many vulnerable people among them, including women and the aged.

Pray for the people of the world experiencing natural disasters:

Prayers for the people suffering from loss of family, friends, living and working places due to severe natural disasters. May God’s mercy, comfort, healing, and guidance be with them to stand up again for their life.

Prayers for realising humankind’s humility towards nature, the creation of God.

Prayers for encouragement and wisdom to build a new space of life from the ruins after natural disasters.

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