Welcome to this two and half month journey of preparation and prayer across the diocese leading up to the Electing Convention on May 5. We currently have over 2 dozen who have signed up to get the weekly meditation online, and others who have requested a hard copy. I’m sure there are some who have downloaded their own copy and will be checking the Women’s Ministry website for the meditations. Please invite friends to join you in prayer for the diocese, even if you do not do anything more than read the meditation and pray the prayer in the study guide.
Today’s Bible citation is from Matthew. It is a familiar one. Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you; and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30)
Even though it is a familiar Bible verse, we aren’t very familiar with yokes in 21st Century America, so this may not be an easy image to relate to. I like to look at the root of words because sometimes that offers an insight you don’t get from the basic definition of a word. “Yoke” traces back to a Latin word jungere which means ‘to join’. So, a yoke is something that joins things. Usually it is 2 animals, generally oxen, but it can also join the top of a piece of clothing to the rest of the garment and even (this I didn’t know) be the soft iron between the poles of an electromagnet.
Jesus was referring to the common usage of yoking 2 oxen together. In Bible times oxen were used for farming. They were very useful for plowing the, often rocky, ground of Israel because they are strong and able to work long hours pulling a plow or other farm equipment. There is, I understand, an art to yoking 2 beasts together. In fact, oxen typically are trained to be either the nigh (left-side) or off (right-side) ox and don’t do well with switching sides. When training oxen, a younger one is yoked with a well-trained ox. When the youngster tries to take off on his own, the old and wiser ox keeps him in place and moving forward. Generally, the farmer directs the oxen with voice commands while walking beside them.
Jesus invites us to ‘take my yoke and learn from me’. We are invited to be joined to Jesus on our Christian journey. As the wiser One, Jesus can keep us on track when we want to go off on our own. Jesus promises, “you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Sharing the job with Jesus means that we don’t have to do it all ourselves. Being yoked with Jesus means we don’t have to be ‘carrying heavy burdens’. We can trust that God is in control because God is walking beside us giving direction.
As we prepare for the election and welcome of our next Bishop it is the perfect time to look at how we as individuals, congregations, and a diocese can be yoked to Jesus and find joint ministry with God.
Over the next several weeks we’ll be looking at what we are currently doing; and think about things we might do better or change as we prayerfully prepare for our new chief pastor.
This week, I invite you to identify some concerns you may have about the life and ministry of the Diocese of the Rio Grande. You can share your thoughts with others in your small groups; or start a conversation here on the Women’s Ministry website or on the Facebook page.
If you want to download the study guide, you can do it here. You will also find the suggested activities and prayers below each week.
Even though it is a familiar Bible verse, we aren’t very familiar with yokes in 21st Century America, so this may not be an easy image to relate to. I like to look at the root of words because sometimes that offers an insight you don’t get from the basic definition of a word. “Yoke” traces back to a Latin word jungere which means ‘to join’. So, a yoke is something that joins things. Usually it is 2 animals, generally oxen, but it can also join the top of a piece of clothing to the rest of the garment and even (this I didn’t know) be the soft iron between the poles of an electromagnet.
Jesus was referring to the common usage of yoking 2 oxen together. In Bible times oxen were used for farming. They were very useful for plowing the, often rocky, ground of Israel because they are strong and able to work long hours pulling a plow or other farm equipment. There is, I understand, an art to yoking 2 beasts together. In fact, oxen typically are trained to be either the nigh (left-side) or off (right-side) ox and don’t do well with switching sides. When training oxen, a younger one is yoked with a well-trained ox. When the youngster tries to take off on his own, the old and wiser ox keeps him in place and moving forward. Generally, the farmer directs the oxen with voice commands while walking beside them.Jesus invites us to ‘take my yoke and learn from me’. We are invited to be joined to Jesus on our Christian journey. As the wiser One, Jesus can keep us on track when we want to go off on our own. Jesus promises, “you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Sharing the job with Jesus means that we don’t have to do it all ourselves. Being yoked with Jesus means we don’t have to be ‘carrying heavy burdens’. We can trust that God is in control because God is walking beside us giving direction.
As we prepare for the election and welcome of our next Bishop it is the perfect time to look at how we as individuals, congregations, and a diocese can be yoked to Jesus and find joint ministry with God.
Over the next several weeks we’ll be looking at what we are currently doing; and think about things we might do better or change as we prayerfully prepare for our new chief pastor.
This week, I invite you to identify some concerns you may have about the life and ministry of the Diocese of the Rio Grande. You can share your thoughts with others in your small groups; or start a conversation here on the Women’s Ministry website or on the Facebook page.
If you want to download the study guide, you can do it here. You will also find the suggested activities and prayers below each week.
Activities and Prayers
- Discuss the points of interest to you, and your group.
- Make a list of what you, and your group, think are the major cares and/or concerns of Diocese of the Rio Grande. Have each person identify no more than 3 concerns that weigh heaviest on your heart.
- Activity: Give each person a 6” length of string or ribbon. Tie a knot for each of the three concerns you identified. Pray for these three things every day this week.
The Knots Prayer (revised):Dear God, please untie the knots that are in the minds and hearts of the men and women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande. Remove the have nots, the can nots, and the do nots that we have allowed into our mind. Erase the will nots, may nots, might nots that can find a home in our hearts. Release each of us from the could nots, would nots, and should nots that obstruct our life as a diocesan community. And most of all, dear God, remove from our minds, heart, and lives all of the ‘am nots’ that we allow to hold us back. Amen (original author known to God)
- Share one or 2 of the concerns you, or your group, identified as important Share one or 2 of the concerns you, or your group, identified as important-if you want to do so via the website or Facebook page.