Prayers and Reflection based on John Chapter 14 by Gerry Ballard

Prayers and Reflection based on John Chapter 14 by Gerry Ballard

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise you as the great life giver; the one who created us and sustains us always;
the one who sees the way ahead; which to us is filled with mystery. Most of all we praise you that in
Jesus Christ, you have revealed to us the meaning and purpose of human life; that he is the way, the
truth, and the life. As the way, He is guiding us through the dark days of the pandemic. We thank you
for the doctors, nurses and carers who are helping people recover from the virus and we thank you
also for the scientists who have engineered the vaccine which at present is proving to be extremely
effective. We pray Lord that you will continue to hold us in your loving comforting arms. We offer this
prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.

Reflection

Have you ever arrived in a town that you don’t know, and you’re having lunch at the ‘Teapot and
Kettle’ café at 1:00 p.m.? You ask a passer-by where the café is, and he gives you about a dozen
directions. You thank him but after the first three you are lost, and you have to ask again, and then
again. Eventually you find the café, you’re late for lunch, and very hot and bothered.
Just imagine if the person you asked said “Teapot and Kettle café? That’s where I’m going, come on,
I’ll show you the way”. A very difficult journey has been made considerably easier. This is the role that
Jesus has undertaken. He is the way and will lead us safely through this life to life-eternal with him.
Many people find difficulty in finding relevance in what happened 2,000 years ago with what is
happening here today. When Jesus made his promise there was no time limit or geographical limit.
His promise was for everyone, everywhere, for all time.

Jesus told the disciples that they would do greater things than he had done. In the last 60 years, people
have been to the moon, the advances in medical science are outstanding. Eye, heart, liver, and kidney
transplants are common, as are knee and hip replacements. Some people are walking around with
hardly anything they started out with! Whether people know it or not, whether we accept it or not,
God is always working through us to promote his will.

What God has made possible is very exciting. Jesus taught that God loves us all, but with love comes
pain. If we never cared for anyone other than ourselves, there is little that would hurt us. Most of our
pain comes from seeing our loved ones hurt and suffering. Because God loves us all, he suffered when
he saw us hurting each other and doing wrong. Jesus suffered that pain on the cross to take away our
sins. He rose from the dead and returned to guide us. Think how blessed we all are. As the Way, Jesus
is the path to the Father, As the Truth he is the reality of God’s promises, As the Life he joins his divine
life to ours. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord we are travellers who often stray. Strengthen our will to walk in the way, to
live in the Truth and to take hold of the life, so that we may be held by you, now
and forever, Amen.