Advent – the call to service 2

Philippians 2 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man …
9 Therefore God exalted him …

At Christmas we remember that Jesus, who is essentially God, became man – the mystery of the incarnation. He lived among us as an ordinary human being and showed people God. He cared for the sick, the disabled, the hungry, the grieving. But he is no longer with us physically – he is now back in Heaven. So he has left us to be his representatives, to do his work, to be his body – to be Jesus in the modern world, to act like him, and to reveal God to the people around us. At HHI we carry on his healing, caring, feeding work as best we can in India and Zambia through people who “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus”.

Lord, we marvel that you have called us to be Jesus in the modern world, and yet we quake at the responsibility. We pray for those that seek to continue his work in India and Zambia, that they will always be mindful of the wonderful task that you have called them to and ever reliant on the power of your Holy Spirit to carry out this work. In Christ’s name Amen.