The Sacred Is Calling (Nov)

November 2021 (31 October - 27 November). See the Resource Pack PDF for information on the weekly subthemes and the daily prompts and Bible readings which shape our Daily Worship. See the Discussion Group Questions PDF to see the material adapted for small Connect groups or personal Bible study.

When does something become sacred?

When does a place, or a sign, or an action, or a gesture, or an object, or a sound temporarily become something more… something that points us to something bigger, a glimpse of divine justice, mercy and grace?

This month we are searching for the sacred. Where do we find it? How do we recognise it? How do we cherish it? And how are we changed by encountering it?

There are moments in our lives that have special value and meaning because they give us profound insights into God’s eternal reality. Jesus spoke about ‘the kingdom’ as a way of describing God’s ongoing divine project of peace and restoration for creation. In a sense the Kingdom has already arrived and yet it is still emerging and growing — coming alongside us to show us that another way of harmony and dignity and love is possible. As disciples of Jesus we follow in the footsteps of the Kingdom speaking sacred words and doing sacred things to remind one another of our calling to be part of God’s renewed creation.

We find the sacred in familiar places: in the words of the Bible and the actions of the sacraments, but the sacred also catches us off guard in a careless moment; for the Holy Spirit is always moving and transforming everyday life into lines of poetry or colour that speak of God’s endless love.

The sacred is something that is set apart from the normal run of things, something that bursts into everyday existence pointing the way to God’s kingdom of perfect mercy, justice and grace. It is not an escape from reality — it is an invitation to, and a deeper revelation of, reality as God has always created and intended it to be.

Our desire for transcendent truth, to experience the sacred, is not limited to a select club of Sunday morning worshippers. It is a heartfelt human desire that we all feel in our hearts, a deep longing for meaning and worth — for a way of making sense of it all. Without necessarily using the word ‘sacred’, this call is longed for and heard across humanity by people wanting to feel alive, connected, and valued.

So this month may we open our eyes, hearts, and souls wide as we search for, recognise, cherish and reflect on those moments when we encounter the sacred, that draw us evermore into God’s embrace.

The sacred is calling out to us.

Each week of the four week theme runs Sunday-Saturday and has its own subtheme, which contains daily Bible readings and prompts for thought (see the Resource Pack PDF for more information). See the Discussion Group Questions PDF to see the material adapted for personal Bible study or small Connect groups.