January "Oh Almighty God, mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by Thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our Faith even unto death, we may glorify Thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen. -The Book of Common Prayer. 6 The Pilgrim's Staff January THE SACRED TEXT 1 Let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith. THE HELPFUL THOUGHT -Heb. 12: 1–2. The only true Faith is that which worketh by love. -Dean Hole. Grace provides, Faith receives, Love obeys. THE SACRED TEXT 2 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him. But let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering. THE HELPFUL THOUGHT —Jas. 1:5-6. It is of little value that we profess and call ourselves Christians unless we are indeed "led into the way of truth"; it is of little use to know the creed unless we live it; or to recite our prayers unless we translate them into action; it is of small moment to hold the Faith unless we hold it in unity of spirit and the bond of peace. THE SACRED TEXT 3 -W. Boyd Carpenter. They were counted Faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their THE HELPFUL THOUGHT It is one of the magnificent commonplaces of the Christian teaching of the time that, in obedience to the Divine Will and in self-sacrifice among men, Jesus is our supreme example. There is in Him a mighty, imitable, reproducible character. The imitation of Christ is the task of humanity. His followers are those who are seeking to become what He was; His disciples are the men who are trying to learn the art of right living from Him. This truth is now a commonplace of Christian Faith. -George A. Gordon. |