Thought for the Week - 10th September 2023

Dear Friends, 

Sunday 10th September is Education Sunday, a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education, and it coincides with the beginning of this new academic year in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities. We are invited to pray for students, teachers, support staff and all those involved in education that they might find this coming year fruitful and rewarding. This year’s theme comes from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans and is entitled The Armour of Light (Romans 13:11-14). It uses the imagery of armour, which is there to protect its wearer, but the resource material highlights that the amour of light is quite different. ‘Instead of shutting its wearers off to protect them from the world, it brings light and warmth to the people. It is not armour worn out of fear, it is worn to give hope.’ Now we know that there are many challenges in life at the present time which are affecting us all, and particularly our children and young people, and for some hope is in very short supply. But as Christians our hope depends not on the things and processes of the world, but on the faithful and dependable nature of God as seen in the person of Jesus Christ. Again, from the Education Sunday material, ‘If we take seriously that we are indeed a people of light and hope in Christ, how can we bring this light and hope to the children and young adults in education? Even if it does take us a whole generation or more to resolve the problems we are facing now, lets make a start on this Education Sunday to think about ways in which we can journey together with the children and young people in education, so they can find hope, light and a place in which they can flourish.’ We all most likely know someone who is a student, teacher or who works in education in some way – lets pray for them that God would bless them as this new academic year begins. 

Grace and peace,

Neil

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