Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing Uqinisil’Ubaba: After travelling the whole world, I still come to the same truth that I left at home: God is truth! So why do you doubt? Don’t doubt, hold on to him and place your hope in him. Listen to God because he is truth.

Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s First Letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 3:14-16

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:

He was revealed in flesh,

vindicated in spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among Gentiles,

believed in throughout the world,

taken up in glory.

Does anything stay with you from these words you have just heard? You might like to imagine you are Timothy, having just received this letter from Paul.

Paul refers to 'the household of God’, the Church of the living God as the 'pillar and bulwark of the truth'? What does this mean in your faith life? What relationship do you have to the 'household of God'?

Now listen as the passage is read to you once more. Does anything really touch your heart about it?

1 Timothy 3:14-16

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:

He was revealed in flesh,

vindicated in spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among Gentiles,

believed in throughout the world,

taken up in glory.

Finally, see if you bring together now all the thoughts and prayers that have come to you during this time, and turn them into a prayer to God in your own words.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen