The following Bible passage, reflection, prayer and action are taken from Surefish's Daily Readings, which can be found here

Arise! Shine!

How lovely on the mountains

Something to read

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 52:7-10 (NRSV)

Something to think about

It has been four days since we first visited Isaiah, warning the government of Judah eight centuries before Jesus that if they pursued policies which compromised faith in God, catastrophe would follow. Today we leap forward 200 years and the disaster has happened. A new writer adopting the name and style of Isaiah picks up the same themes of judgment and hope (unless, of course, the orginal writer had astonishing powers of prediction).

The disaster? The north of the kingdom, Israel, had been conquered by Assyria. Then the south, Judah, was overrun by another superpower and an entire generation of its citizens forced into exile to become a captive workforce in Babylon. The temple in Jerusalem was ransacked. The Jews’ misery was compounded by the fact that they believed not only had they lost their homeland, but their God was also lost in the rubble of their temple.

However, Isaiah speaks words of rescue and restoration. Not only has God survived the collapse of the temple, he has come with them to Babylon. In fact, so powerful is he that he is everywhere to ‘the ends of the earth’ - not just surviving but reigning. We are so used to the idea of a God who is present everywhere that it doesn’t surprise us. But to the Jews it was unexpected and longed-for news. And they greeted it like the watchmen on a city wall greet the messenger whom they see on the horizon running from the battlefield, desperate and breathless, with the news that the war is over: ‘Peace has come. We are on the winning side!’

Something to do

Every year hundreds of feet run to bring good news to the poor in marathons and fun runs. Find out more here

Something to pray

Lord God, who walked this earth in Jesus, bless the feet of all who bring good news for the poor – those who journey in dangerous places, those who run the streets to raise money, and those who travel to educate others.
Step alongside them every pace of the way, I pray.
Amen

Today in history

Today in 1154 Nicholas Breakspear became the only English Pope yet, Adrian IV. He supposedly invented the papal title ‘Vicar of Christ’.s

The Council of Trent finally wound up today in 1563, having lasted on and off for 18 years. In the process it had relauched Catholicism, transforming it from a defensive, questioning, concilatory, corrupt ancien régime, to militant, single-minded superpower.

It is St John of Damascus’s Day, the leading opponent to the Byzantine Emperor’s eighth-century campaign to abolish icons.

Image of the day

The Anglican Diocese of Kigeme (EER Kigeme) supports farmers associations and gives seedllings, goats, cattle and seeds on a recycling basis. This area is the least fertile in Rwanda due to its acidic soils, so EER also gives out lime fertiliser.

Advent Calendar: December 4

Have you bought your Christmas cards yet? Order charity cards online or buy them from your local charity shop. Tomorrow is the last posting day for Airmail to South & Central America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Far East, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Advent tip of the day:
Give your time not your money

If you can’t afford to buy presents this Christmas, why not offer your services instead, a sort of IOU. Giving the gift of time can be as simple as offering to do chores around the house (ironing, cooking, cleaning, dog walking, and gardening) or perhaps some internet training for your Gran. Babysitting for a friend can save you money and the recipient up to £20 a night.

Present Aid gift idea – a doctor's monthly salary for £176

Present Aid – gifts that count. Having a doctor in a community, especially when environmental disasters strike, can make the difference between life and death. Help by paying a doctor’s salary for a month. If you want to hand over a gift on Christmas Day, add in a Christian Aid Calendar (or get one free if you spend over £40). Use the link to go to the Present Aid site and then search for the gift you want to give.

Amazon gift idea – Patchwork screwdriver

There’s always something that needs fixing at Christmas, so pre-empt things and buy a Patchwork screwdriver. Pretty – and Pretty Useful too! Use the link to buy the gift and raise money for Christian Aid as well.

Eco gift idea – Christmas Tree Decorations

Deck the tree with Christmas tree decorations made from recycled circuit boards and out-sparkle your friends. Use the links to buy the gift and raise money for Christian Aid as well.