Bulletin 1.5.24

For it is necessary that things that have come into being have received the origin of their being from some great cause; and the origin of all is God, for He Himself was not made by anyone, but everything was made by Him. And therefore, it is proper, first of all, to believe that there is One God, the Father, who has created and fashioned all things, who made that which was not to be, who contains all and is alone uncontainable. 

— St Irenaeus of Lyons; On the Apostolic Preaching (Page 42) 

To concentrate on service and activity for God may often actively thwart our attaining the true goal, God Himself. At first sight, it seems heroic to fling our lives away in the service of God and of our fellows. We feel it is bound to mean more to Him than our experience of Him. Service seems so unselfish, whereas concentrating on our walk with God seems selfish and self-centered. But it is the very reverse. The things that God is most concerned about are our coldness of heart towards Him and our proud, unbroken natures. Christian service of itself can, and often does, leave our self-centered nature untouched.

— Roy and Revel Hession; We Would See Jesus (Page 22) 

"Depart from me, all you workers of evil, 

for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping."

— King David, Psalm 6, v.8

St Paul’s Letter to Rome 11.33ff

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 

How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?

Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 

To Him be the glory forever. 

Amen.

(Prayer)