Full Attention
Wednesday, January 28 • The Week of the Third Sunday after the Epiphany • Full Attention • John 5.19-29
"Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise.'"
Jesus does nothing by Himself. In John’s Gospel, even with all the “I am” statements, Jesus never acts out of anxiety or self-assertion. His perfect attention to the Father is almost alarming. He waits and watches the Father. Then, He does likewise. This is not subordination as diminishment, but communion as life. Judgment and mercy flow from the same source: our Father’s love, given wholly to the Son, and through the Son to the world, including you and me.
To hear the Son speak in John’s Gospel is already to pass from death into life. The hour is always now. Even in the graves of our habits, our shame, or our weariness, His voice finds us. Resurrection is not postponed. It begins wherever our attention turns to Him.
Bible for Life
Did you know the Book of Common Prayer provides a daily reading plan for the Bible? Check it out, starting on page 934. I’m happy to show you how to get started.
Here are some other helps with your regular Bible reading provided by Scripture Union.
Liturgy for Life
Did you know you can find a guide for daily devotions in the Book of Common Prayer? Check it out, starting on page 136. There are prayers for married people that would make for a quick devotion over coffee or on a walk (BCP 429). You can find a grace to say before birthday cake as well as meals (BCP 830, 835). You can find a prayer of dedication for newborns or adoptions (BCP 439).
Need a Prayer Book? We have them in the pews. You can borrow one. You can also find your own in All Saints Gift Shoppe. Don’t hesitate to ask any of your clergy how to use it.
