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

Arise! Shine!

When the righteous die

Something to read

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous are taken away from calamity, and they enter into peace; those who walk uprightly will rest on their couches.
Isaiah 57:1-2 (NRSV)

Something to think about

Isaiah’s prophecy has been dominated by two great themes - the fact of a people who were unfaithful to God and oppressive to their fellow humans; and a vision of a future in which justice would be established forever and God’s forgiveness would cascade over the human race. These seesawing contrasts run all through the Bible, and occasionally crash into each other in huge questions about present-day life which echo down the centuries. And here is one of them: Why do good people die young?

Isaiah’s answer helps Christians grapple with the question in the light of their belief that life is eternal. Righteous people die unfairly - that is a fact of living in a world where people are oppressive to others. But see their deaths in the context of the timeless and glorious plan God has for the world - from the perspective of heaven it will look as if death simply sped their promotion from a place of suffering to a place of peace.

Something to do

Oscar Romero was born in El Salvador in 1917. It was a country he loved and served as a priest and then as a bishop. When he became archbishop in 1977 he used the position to speak out about the conditions of the poor and persecuted in his country. In particular the murder of his friend, the priest Rutilo Grande who had campaigned for better conditions for sugar cane workers, prompted him to call the Christians of El Salvador to unite against wrong. He documented the abuse of human rights, presenting seven files of information about injustices to the Pope, and tried to establish the truth in a country where men and women who drew attention to the gross inequalities of the way the wealth of the country was distributed simply disappeared.

Increasingly at odds with the government and attacked in the press, he was assassinated in March 1980 while celebrating mass in the chapel of the hospital where he lived. Among his final words were: ‘I must tell you, as a Christian, I do not believe in death without resurrection. If I am killed, I shall arise in the Salvadoran people.’ If you live near London, visit Westminster Abbey, where his statue is on the west front of the building. If not, see it and read his story here.

Something to pray

Oscar Romero: 'God's reign is already present on our earth in mystery. When the Lord comes, it will be brought to perfection.' Pray to glimpse the mystery. Look forward to the perfection.

Today in history

King Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry Mrs Simpson, today in 1936. It is of course impossible for the King as Supreme Governor of the Church of England to marry a divorced woman, despite the fact that royal divorce was the sole purpose for which the Church of England was created.

The reformer Ulrich Zwingli was appointed minister of the Great Church in Zurich today in 1518. He founded the Reformed tradition, going much further from Catholicism than Luther, e.g. stripping the churches of all ornaments, taking services in ordinary clothes, and denying that any change happened to the bread and wine at communion.

It is St Daniel Stylites’ Day. When St Simeon Stylites had to come down from his pillar on account of his death, Daniel kept up the good work, living 33 years in a hut on top of a pair of pillars.

Image of the day

Salima Mohammed in the paddy field with her son Swaley, age seven. Rice farmers in Ghana are struggling to against imports. The imports are supported by large advertising campaigns. The farmers admit that the imports are sometimes better quality, but they do not have the resources to improve their milling and noone will invest when the market is flooded with imports. Christian Aid/Penny Tweedie

Advent Calendar:
December 11

Looking for free Christmas resources for your church? Order online and download Christian Aid’s Christmas Hope Appeal resources. Look at Getting the Same Old Pants for 7 to 14 year olds.

Advent tip of the day:
Adult entertainment

The festive period can be expensive, Christmas parties and catching up with old friends. But it doesn’t always have to be! Why not consider holding your own Christmas party instead and ask your guests to contribute.

You, or they can use the Christmas Quizaid quiz. Want to go out? Check out your local church’s carol service or look online for free / cheap events in your area.

At home? Why not swap DVD’s and books with friends, get the family together for a game of charades or download a quiz from the internet. Print off online Sudoko puzzles/crosswords and play against each other to see who can complete it first.

Present Aid gift idea – 1000 saplings for £30

Present Aid – gifts that count. Christmas isn’t Christmas without a tree. Providing a Kenyan community with 1000 saplings for a tree nursery helps preserve the soil to protect crops, and provides shade. 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 – Imageo LED Rechargeable Candle Lights

For those quiet winter nights in – the Imageo LED Rechargeable Candle Lights provide a gentle flicker of candlelight that’s child- and pet-safe. Use the link to buy the gift and raise money for Christian Aid as well.

Eco gift idea – What's Rubbish Game

For the little eco-warriors in your life – the What's Rubbish Game. Go round the board collecting recycling and watch out for litterbugs. Use the link to buy the gift and raise money for Christian Aid as well.