Dag 23 – Carry each other’s burdens
Morning prayer
Start you day with this prayer
Lord, You know that our burdens are heavy.
Sometimes it feels like our backs might break.
But we forget that we don’t have to carry them alone.
Take our hand daily through the love of others
and let us show your love to them in return
by carrying their burdens as well.
(Silence)
Amen
Prayer station
Use this symbol to lead you in prayer for the day.
Symbol: Leaf
Lord, we say thank you for the changing seasons: for the cooler days and longer nights of autumn.
You are the Creator and You hold the entire universe in your hands. Amen.
Reflection
Read this reflection on the text for the day.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ – Galatians 6:2.
In God’s family no one carries their burdens alone. Everyone helps others with their unique burdens. The burdens that Paul is talking about here literally refers to a heavy weight, but figuratively it refers to spiritual burdens, which means the sins that are threatening to let believers waver in their faith (v 1). Our sins, according to Paul, place a burden on us that can destroy us.
The Galatians, and us today, should help one another to carry these burdens. If one of us falls, another must help him or her up. However, we should be very careful that we don’t stumble and sin as well.
How do we carry each other’s spiritual burdens? By warning one another and by speaking against those aspects in our lives that are not according to the will of God. Paul says that if we do this, we will be living according to the law of Christ. After all, love is the fulfillment of the law and one way to show love towards someone is by warning them against the dangers of the sins in their lives.
In the light of Paul’s words it would be good to take a moment to think about the burdens you are carrying, and who could help you to lighten these burdens.
Thank You, Lord, for every fellow believer that helps me carry my spiritual burdens. Help me to help others carry their burdens as well. I honour You because You died for our spiritual burdens. Amen.
Liturgy for life
See the ordinary things you do in and around the house as signs of God’s care.
No one is an island… we need one another!
John Donne wrote in 1624: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.” These words mean not one of us can function without having an impact on other people. We are part of a bigger entity. If you ever doubted that before, then the coronavirus has made it very clear to us. An illness that began at the other end of the world now has a major impact here in our communities in South Africa.
The same goes for how we live in our homes. Our actions and behaviours have an influence on those around us. If one member of the family is suffering, the others will also suffer. If one member experiences joy, then everyone joins in and experiences it too. If someone in our home is carrying a heavy burden, then the rest of us can make the burden lighter by helping them carry it.
But how do we know about each other’s burdens? We must tell each other about them. Two questions we can ask each other every day are: What scares you? What do you need? Create an opportunity today to ask these questions and then answer them so that you can carry each other’s burdens. In this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Children’s activity
Play with your children.
Wow! 21 Days of isolation. 21 Days in which we’re only allowed to be in our homes (or gardens) and can only go out for the most essential things like food and medicine. It can be a little rough! All the things we usually do during the day, like school, sport, church … are not happening anymore. It can really confuse you and maybe even bore you a little. These daily readings will help you to spend some time with Jesus every day in a creative and fun way. You can do these readings and activities by yourself, with your siblings, or with your entire family. Ask one of the grownups to post your activity on Facebook so that others can enjoy it with you. Tag it with #solitudecalendar #churchtogether
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Have you ever felt something that is very heavy becoming lighter when someone helps you carry it? It also works like that with the things in our life that is bad and makes us sad. We call these things “burdens”. To love one another and care for one another means that we will also help each other in bad times and will help one another carry those burdens.
Which things are making you sad at the moment?
How can you help each other to carry these burdens?
Activity
Have a competition to see who is the strongest: See who can pick up the heaviest object. Then work together and see which heavy objects you can pick up together.
Picture this
Look at today’s illustration. What stands out to you? Talk to the people in your home or with your friends on WhatsApp about the illustration.
– Take note of the things you see, but also of the things that aren’t present in the picture that you would like to add. What are those things?
– How does this illustration connect with today’s Scripture, and how not?
– Create your own interpretation of the illustration through any medium: dance, photography, videography, music, poetry, drawing, painting or short stories.
Record it and share it with us on social media with the hashtag #countdowndoodles
Thank you’s and testimonies
Share your testimony with us! Use the online form below.
I want to thank rev Derick Claassen of DRC Rensburg in Heidelberg who told us about KiesKerk on our church group. Thank you for these 21 days. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that I could be part of these 21 days. I could not wait for each day’s piece and to do the countdown calendar with my dear friend, Elmarie Ferreira. We shared so much with each other.
Blessed are you who carried us through these 21 days. I really do hope that you will walk this road with us further while we are in lockdown.
– Karin-Louise Beukes
Bedtime story
Bedtime story by storyteller Ewald van Rensburg