Devotions

Welcome Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be certain, or hopeful, or even very present today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. Hymn We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Just as I am, without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. — Charlotte Elliott Prayer Loving God, Thank you that you do not wait for us to deserve welcome before you offer it. Thank you that your arms are already open before we have finished our...

WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be healed, or feeling anything in particular today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Breathe on me, Breath of God, Fill me with life anew, That I may love what thou dost love, And do what thou wouldst do. — Edwin Hatch PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you do not wait for us to be well before you notice us. Thank you that in the middle of our years — in the middle of our waiting, our weariness, our half-lived lives — you are not absent. Revive us today, not in some distant future, but her...

    WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be hopeful, or certain, or even feel particularly faithful today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. — Henry Francis Lyte PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you walk beside us even when we do not know it is you. Thank you that you ask us questions and listen to our answers, and do not tell us off for getting things wrong. ...

WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be eloquent, or certain, or spiritually sorted. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Depth of mercy! Can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God his wrath forbear? Me, the chief of sinners, spare? — Charles Wesley PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you are the one who searches. Thank you that when we are lost — even when we don't know we are lost — you have not stopped looking. Help us today to hear the sound of that search reaching us where we are. And may we know that when we ar...

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here — He is risen!" — Luke 24:5-6 The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out — He needed no door. It was rolled away so we could look in and see that death had lost. The grave could not hold the Author of Life. Every fear, every failure, every Friday you have ever lived — He has conquered it all. The empty tomb is not the end of the story. For those who follow Him, it is only ever the beginning. He is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, so shall we. CÀISG SHONA DHUT / HAPPY EASTER "A-nis thog Dia an Tighearna agus togaidh e cuideachd sinne le a chumhachd / And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power..." (1st Corinthians 6:14)

"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10 The disciples did not know it was Saturday. They only knew their world had ended on Friday. They sat in grief too deep for words, with no idea that Sunday was coming. Sometimes we live in Saturday seasons — when the promise seems buried, the prayer unanswered, the tomb sealed shut. But God has never once been defeated by a Saturday. He is still working in the silence. Hold on. Image from Christians Unite

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." — Luke 23:34 They stripped Him, mocked Him, nailed Him, and watched Him die. And with the breath that was costing Him everything, He prayed for the ones doing it. This is not a story of defeat — it is the most audacious act of love in human history. The cross was not an accident or a tragedy. It was the plan. Heaven's Son absorbing the full weight of human sin so that not one soul would have to carry it alone. It is finished. And because it is, everything can begin. Image from  Christians Unite

"Do you understand what I have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done." — John 13:12,15 On the night He was betrayed, He did not reach for a sword — He reached for a towel. He washed the feet of the man who would deny Him, the man who would betray Him, and every one who would abandon Him before dawn. Then He broke the bread and poured the cup and said, remember Me. The greatest in the Kingdom is the one on their knees. Have we picked up the towel? Image from  Christians Unite

"She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial." — Mark 14:8 Scripture is largely silent about this day — and perhaps that is the point. Not every holy moment announces itself. Somewhere in the quiet, a woman broke open her most precious possession and poured it over His feet. The disciples called it waste. Jesus called it worship. Some of the most significant things we will ever do for God will go unnoticed by everyone except Him. Do not despise the quiet offerings. Image from  Christians Unite

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." — Matthew 22:37-38 All day the religious leaders came at Him — with trick questions, political traps, theological puzzles. And all day He answered with a wisdom that silenced every challenger. Then He turned it all into one breathtaking simplicity: love God, love people. Everything else hangs on this. In a world drowning in complexity, He hands us a compass. Are we still following it? Image from  Christians Unite

"My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." — Matthew 21:13 Jesus walked into the temple and turned over the tables — not in a tantrum, but in a declaration. Holiness matters. Worship cannot be reduced to commerce, and God's presence cannot be auctioned to the highest bidder. He still walks into the temples of our hearts today, looking for what we have allowed to crowd out the sacred. What tables need turning in us? Image from Christians Unite

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey." — Zechariah 9:9 The crowds spread their cloaks and waved their palm branches, expecting a conquering warrior on a warhorse. Instead, heaven's King rode in on a borrowed donkey — not with a sword drawn, but with arms open wide. This was no political revolution dressed in armor; it was a divine rescue mission wrapped in humility. The same hands that flung stars into the sky held no weapon, sought no palace, commanded no legion. He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Every expectation the world had of power and greatness, He quietly, deliberately turned inside out. No crown, no throne, no army — just a donkey and a King who came to give His life for the world. He still turns the world upside down. Will you? *Image via Instagram: @saltandlightwords Two w...

Summary:  In 1384 Wycliffe published a tract called The Seven Deadly Sins. Among the sins John Wycliffe examines envy, anger, and sloth as they corrupt the three parts of the Church — priests, noblemen, and common laborers. He argues that envy destroys love and unity within the Church, that sinful anger (rooted in pride) leads men to war and violence in direct contradiction to Christ's law of patience and peace, and that sloth in God's service opens the door to every other vice. Notably, Wycliffe takes a bold pacifist stand, contending that warfare under the New Covenant is unlawful unless directly commanded by God, and that Christ's kingdom advances not through the sword but through love, suffering, and the faithful preaching of the Gospel. Devotion:   Wycliffe wrote these words more than six centuries ago, yet they cut with startling freshness against our own age. He saw clearly what we so easily forget — that envy blinds us, anger enslaves us, and idleness em...

Summary:  John Wycliffe was known as the "Morning Star of the Reformation". The biblical background of the title "Morning Star" — is it was applied both to Satan in Isaiah 14:12 and to Jesus Christ in Revelation 22:16. Wycliffe had a historical role in restoring the gospel to the church in the centuries before the Protestant Reformation. Devotion:  The same title — Morning Star — belongs both to the one who fell in prideful rebellion and to the one who descended in humble redemption. What a striking contrast Scripture sets before us. Satan grasped at glory and was cast down; Christ, who possessed all glory, poured Himself out to lift us up. John Wycliffe, called the "Morning Star of the Reformation," was a man who pointed others toward that true Light in a dark age when the gospel had been buried under tradition and corruption. Like all faithful servants, his greatness lay not in shining for himself, but in reflecting the brilliance of the true Morning Sta...

Summary:  Written in 1849 by Rev. Amos Dresser, The Bible Against War is a thorough biblical and moral argument that all war — offensive or defensive — is incompatible with Christian teaching. Dresser contends that the Old Testament wars of Israel were not divine endorsements of violence but rather consequences of Israel's lack of faith, since God repeatedly promised to fight for his people if they would simply trust him and hold their peace. Drawing on the prophets, the teachings of Christ, the example of the early church, and the horrific human cost of war throughout history, Dresser argues that the gospel of peace, centred on Christ the Prince of Peace, leaves no room for Christians to justify taking human life under any military pretext. He also methodically addresses common objections such as Romans 13, concluding that submission to governing authorities does not require participation in war. Devotion:   "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called c...

The Context (1840) In 1840, a group of believers at Oberlin formed a society based on a radical interpretation of the Gospel. Their manifesto, the Declaration of Sentiments , argued that because Christ is the "Prince of Peace," His followers must totally abandon "carnal weapons." They believed that any government sustained by force, any military action (even defensive), and any legal retaliation (lawsuits) were "anti-Christian" and contrary to the spirit of Jesus. ​ The Scripture ​ "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also." — Matthew 5:39 ​ The Devotional Reflection ​ 1. Trading Force for Forbearance The Oberlin Society’s constitution was built on the belief that a Christian’s work is not to control others by force, but to "win them to the obedience of the Gospel by love." They argued that the only way to overcome the enmity of the world is t...

"The light shines in the dark, and the dark cannot put out the light." (John 1:5 Easy English Bible) In the cross reference and notes of the Easy English Bible it says "The Word (Jesus Christ) is like light. He shows us what is true. The dark means the power of God's enemy, Satan. Satan tries to hide what is true. God's light shines in the dark places and Satan cannot stop that light. Jesus said that he himself was the light of the world." It suggests two other verses:  [1] John 8:12 - "Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, ‘I am the light of the world. a. Those people who become my disciples will never walk in the dark. No, they will have the light that gives life.’" (a. Jesus said that he was the light of the world. The Jews lit a special light in the temple during the Festival of Tabernacles.) [2] John 9:5 - "While I am still here in the world, I am the world's light.’" In history and in our own lifetimes there has been both li...