Tag Archive for: come follow me

The Welcoming Table

We took a trip over to Edinburgh last night, to visit a Vietnamese Restaurant, Pho.
Unlike many other restaurants, 98% of the menu is gluten and dairy free.
The welcome was warm, and friendly with excellent service too. ๐Ÿ˜Š
So, for those who have any kind of allergies or intolerances, there were no difficult conversations to navigate about what you can or canโ€™t eat.
Anyone who lives with allergies or food intolerances will know the quiet strain that comes with eating out, the apologetic tone and the constant awareness of what could go wrong.
None of this requesting something special or feeling like an exception for anybody at our table, or any other for that matter.
The menu had removed the worry, with a wonderful choice of dishes, and desserts that were delicious.
You simply sit down, and the menu meets you where you are.

Gospel Reflections

Reflecting this morning, the whole experience reminded me about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Saviour created a โ€œmenuโ€ that already fits all of us.
Including our struggles, our weaknesses, our limitations and our deepest needs.
We donโ€™t have to apologise for who we are or explain why we fall short.
We donโ€™t have to ask for special accommodations.
In His gospel, the table is already set in a way that welcomes every soul, exactly as they are.
His table is set with grace, mercy, healing and hope.
It is a place where every soul, with all of their fears, flaws, questions and longings will find something nourishing, prepared precisely just for them.
We donโ€™t need to explain why weโ€™re struggling or ask for a separate option on the side.
The meal has already been prepared, the chair is already pulled out, and the welcome is already extended.
All He asks is that we come, just as we are and let Him feed our souls.
The Saviour simply saysโ€ฆ โ€œCome unto meโ€ฆโ€ Matthew 11:28
Come and worship with us this morning at your local service of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
What part of His gospel โ€œmenuโ€ can bring you the most comfort today?

The Great Physician

All week long I have been working with some very busy people.
Giving them a few days to pause and reflect has been a wonderful opportunity to provide them with some time to think.
It got me thinking about busyness and how it can play into a lot of things in our lives.
In our day, we live in a time of constant noise.
Various demands fill our minds, drain our hearts and can leave very little room for stillness.
A recent example and frustration I hear repeatedly for many, is trying to get an appointment with a GP can sometimes take days or even weeks.
We sit on hold, wait for callbacks, refresh an app, or try and figure out the booking system on the surgery website and hope for a free slot to arise.
Sometimes, even healing can feel just out of reach.
And yetโ€ฆ
So many of us treat the ๐‘ฎ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’• ๐‘ท๐’‰๐’š๐’”๐’Š๐’„๐’Š๐’‚๐’ the same way.
Our lives are preoccupied with seemingly โ€œmore importantโ€ things, such as deadlines, messages, errands, pressures, noise and perhaps for even some, doom scrolling.
We keep meaning to make an appointment with Him, but somehow the day fills up, and the week disappears.

Availability

But unlike our earthly physicians, the Great Physician is never unavailable.
In a GP surgery, we ๐’˜๐’‚๐’Š๐’• for ๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’Ž.
With Christ, He ๐’˜๐’‚๐’Š๐’•๐’” for ๐’–๐’”.
No queue.
No waiting list.
No reception desk.
Just a standing invitation.
He heals overstretched minds, weary hearts, troubled spirits, and busy burdened souls.
The gospel is the Great Physicianโ€™s unfailing prescription for troubled souls, a remedy of peace, rest, forgiveness, purpose, and stillness in a noisy world.
We need the Great Physician to heal our busy lives and overscheduled souls.
His invitation is a simple oneโ€ฆ Come Follow Me.
We donโ€™t need to book a slot.
We only need to make space for Him.
Come and worship with us today and allow Him to speak peace to your soul.
What needs to shift in your life, so the Great Physician no longer becomes your last appointment?