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Sunday Devotion: 17 November 2019, Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday Devotions

The time is near

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Main readings: Isaiah 65.17-25; ‘Song of Isaiah’ (APBA p.391); 2 Thessalonians 3.6-13; Luke 21.5-19 [Malachi 4.1-2a; Psalm 98]

Supplementary readings: Psalm 62; 1 John 2.18-28; Zephaniah 3.14-20; Psalm 98; Luke 21.29-36

“The time is near.” (Luke 21.8)

As my years at school are coming to an end, I am preparing for my departure by cleaning out my locker, preparing for Speech Day, planning for the school formal and…making gifts of rocky road. I hope that my road after high school is smooth and that my path is straight, but we all know that every road has speed bumps – whether we hit them at full speed or at a leisurely pace, some things will inevitably get knocked about.

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the ‘signs of the end’, preparing the disciples for what is to come. Most of us can identify with how the disciples must have felt when hearing Jesus’ words – apprehension and fear of the unknown.

There is always a waiting period before endings, where anxiety and uncertainty invade our thinking. Jesus promises that amidst the turbulent times, that he will provide the words and wisdom that are needed, reassuring his people. Such periods can be times of new beginnings, and more often than not a bumpy road can lead to a beautiful destination.

We just need to place our trust in Jesus and his protection.

Katherine Chicalas is a Year 12 student at the Glennie School, Toowoomba.

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