Exhort One Another Every Day

Today’s Epistle is from the Letter to the Hebrews and it picks up where we left off yesterday:

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Now who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? But with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Heb. 3: 12-19).

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews understood the power of lifting one another up, and so he calls us to exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, in others words—always. Sin hardens; it isolates us because sin is based in selfishness. If others lift us up daily, and we do the same, we live in a community of faith where it is harder for sin to take hold especially if each one of us is looking out for the good of the other.

Let us pray: O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

LENTEN PROJECT: NETS FOR LIFE! NetsforLife® works to eliminate malaria in some of the most remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Churches are often the only functioning institutions in these communities located “at the end of the road.” Episcopal Relief & Development is a key part of this program. Their presence and power unite people to bring about lasting change for the whole community. By drawing on this trusted delivery system—churches and faith-based groups— vulnerable people are reached with life-saving nets and other services. NetsforLife® serves people in need regardless of faith affiliation.

We at St. Augustine’s can help. Each net only costs $12.50; it is a small price to pay to help save someone made in the image and likeness of God. Let’s work toward a goal of 500 nets during this Lenten season and help God in healing the world.

Tonight is the first session of our Lenten Program and it begins at 6:00 p.m. with Stations of the Cross, followed by the Eucharist. We will then have a light meal and begin the teaching. Please come!

We will have a pot luck lunch for Easter so begin thinking about what to bring.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially the people of Japan.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550