Romans 5:1-2 – By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us — set us right with him, make us fit for him — we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand — out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. (MSG)

I like now and then to visit one of the old Anglo-Irish stately homes — a big house with spacious walled-in parkland. There's a sense of ease and contentment just walking about, admiring the scenery, wondering at the wealth. Some times, I remember the sad history of such places, how this luxurious space was for the privileged few. How many suffered in poverty in squalid hovels, instead of dwelling in stately homes? For how many were the gates closed and the dogs set on anyone who dared scale the wall?

But God in Christ brings us into a spacious place where we may stand tall and shout our praise, no longer restricted, no longer excluded. Nor is it just a matter of a brief sight-seeing trip; Paul promises us "access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." (Romans 5:2b NIV) That means we have the right of living there permanently, and of course, the entrance is free.

Could we not extend the picture a little bit more to suggest that the Landlord's Son, instead of ordering the dogs to chase us out, takes us by the hand to show us personally more and more of the delights of this spacious place?

Prayer: Thank You, our Father, for righteousness, a new relationship of forgiveness, and acceptance not earned or deserved by us, but freely given through faith in Jesus Christ crucified and risen. Help us to see the wonder of peace with You through Jesus Christ. Help us to rejoice in the hope of Your glory which is for ever, and even in our troubles, which are only for a time. May we take Your Son's outstretched, nail-pierced hand, and with Him, realize more and more something new and fresh in Your wide open spaces. Amen.

May God's blessing surround you today as you trust Him and walk in His way. May His blessing within guard and keep you from sin. Go in peace, go in joy, go in love.

Having been involved in a church committee debate over the colour of paint, I was struck (and maybe stung) by Nan St. Louis' recent devotional, "Where are you?" which mentioned the negative effect on others of Christians who disagree over such things.

I completely agree with her desire for vibrant, caring, joyful churches which rise above petty squabbles. But I was struck recently by a comment that whereas conflict is inevitable in the church, God's challenge is to do conflict well. The issue is not that we quarrel over the colour of paint (or the music or whatever) but how we handle and resolve that conflict.

So often, our instinct is to run and hide from a conflict, and all the more because we hope that the church is the place of peace in an unpeaceful world. The important thing to remember is that disagreeing is not necessarily the same as disparaging or disrespecting. There is a way for Christians to disagree agreeably, to face into a conflict and work through it to a resolution — and very often a stronger relationship with those with whom we disagree.

A moving example is the recent "Larnaca Statement" by Israeli and Palestinian Christians. They don't agree on many deep differences, but they are trying to do conflict well.

Have a look at some of these passages:

Matthew 18:15-18 – Jesus laid out a step-by-step process for handling a difficulty between two Christians.

Acts 18:24-26 – Priscilla and Aquila brought Apollos into their home and explained the way of God more accurately.

Galatians 5:25-6:1 – The outworking of the fruit of the Spirit may gently and humbly restore an offender.

2 Timothy 2:22-26 – A kind, non-quarrelling approach may well bring someone to a knowledge of the truth.

2 John 1:12 and 3 John 1:13-14 – John was reluctant to write certain things down, not, I think, because he was running out of paper but because the things that he wanted to say were better said face-to-face than on paper. If he were writing today, he would have included social media.

As Nan remarked to me in our (cordial) e-mail discussion, "Do we love each other enough to push through to lovingly disagree? … May we care enough to talk face to face."

Prayer: God of peace, may we never fall into the trap of healing wounds lightly, crying "peace, peace" where there is no peace. Help us to handle conflict well with gentleness and respect, that there may be ultimately "sweet agreement at the meeting of our eyes" (cf. Graham Kendrick's song "Jesus stand among us"). May the main things (that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ) be the main things in our basic unity in the body of Christ. Teach us to be gracious and how to put up with it when the colour scheme or the hymns annoy us. Amen.

Why is it that when two Christians meet, perhaps for the first time, within five minutes they are chatting to each other as if they have been friends for years? It is because they have certain things in common. They share the same Father. They share the same Saviour. They share the same Holy Spirit. They share the same Book. They share the same Future. – Russell Birney

What do we do when we visit a strange place, for example on holiday, and are dismayed that there is no church there of our particular "brand"? Let us not settle for a walk in the woods or a quiet time in the hotel room. Instead, let us seek out people who love Jesus and find out how much and who we have in common.

Prayer: Lord, when we think we're all on our own, lead us to your people and help us to overcome the differences of culture and language, rejoicing in our shared inheritance. Amen.

How wonderful, how beautiful,
when brothers and sisters get along!

It's like costly anointing oil

flowing down head and beard,

Flowing down Aaron's beard,

flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. (MSG)

My teenage son has introduced me to the delights of hair gel. Fashions move round; I had always associated Brylcreem with World War 2 fighter pilots. But people have always used oils and ointments on their heads, not just to keep unruly hair in order, but to indicate something special. Olive oil for anointing is still used in different church traditions as a symbol of the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

What Psalm 133 is saying is that when we get together and agree, God is pleased. Have you ever felt something a bit special and better when you went to a service or meeting which was not just for your own denomination but embraced others? That "something more" could be the blessing of God on his people in unity.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 is Aaron's blessing. Let us use this to pray for God's blessing on another church or Christian group, and not just our own!

Prayer: Lord, bless your church, in all her branches, with peace and grace. Help us to embrace all our brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers for the wholeness and health of Christ's body. Bless all your people with peace. Amen.

Think of the people you worship with each Sunday. How many of them do you know by name? How many do you pray for regularly? Do you know anything of their real concerns? I wonder if our fear of or awkwardness with each other drives out the proper fear or reverence for the Lord of which Malachi speaks.

Methodist churches used to have "class meetings", small groups where the members got to know each other and were accountable to each other. Many churches are recovering the joy and the challenge of getting to know each other in small groups. And there is a special joy when we meet face-to-face with Christians from other backgrounds. Let us each set ourselves a target to pray for and get to know perhaps two people from our own church and one from another church in the district.

Prayer: Lord, when we go to church next, help us to see people's faces and not just the backs of their heads. Lead us into a quality of fellowship that is more than a smile and a greeting. As we talk with each other, may you listen and hear, in your mercy. Amen.

Samuel Hebich gives this very simple insight to Ephesians 4:

You and I cannot make a tub. It requires a good carpenter to make a tub, or it will hold no water, because it is not made of one piece of wood, but of many and they must be fitly joined together. There are four things to make a good tub:
• It must have a good bottom.
• Each of the pieces must be fitly joined to the bottom.
• Each one must be fitly joined to his fellow.
• Each one shall be kept close by the bands outside.

One piece may be narrow and the next piece wide, yet it shall be a good tub; but if a little stone or a bit of a stick come between the pieces it will not do at all. What is the small stick or stone between the pieces of wood? It is the little quarrel, the hard word, the dirty bit of money that keeps brother from being fitly joined to brother. What is the piece of wood that falls out of the circle? It is the proud unforgiving spirit that every one can feel is in the meeting and which causes the heavenly peace to run out. Oh beloved, be fitly joined together.

Prayer: Lord, show us the little things we do or say or think which cause the heavenly peace to run out. Amen.

A vision for Ireland was shared at the Christian Renewal Centre, Rostrevor. Someone saw in a dream the island of Ireland covered in flagpoles with different groups around each pole, their backs to each other, the flags representing different churches and parties. Somewhere in the middle was the cross of Christ, but small and obscured by the flagpoles. Gradually, people began to haul their flags down and to turn to join each other at the foot of the cross. The flagpoles grew smaller and the cross grew larger.

Human beings have always wanted to obscure the cross and assert their own "flag", whether it is pride in a country, a church, or even an individual personality. The simple truth is that, while we fly these flags, we cannot affirm Christ crucified, and we are divided from each other. But where Christians gather at the foot of the cross there is great hope.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore his sacred name!
O Lord, once lifted on the tree of pain,
Draw all the world to seek you once again.
– G.W. Kitchin and M.R. Newbolt

Prayer: Lord, unite us at the cross; show us the flags of personal pride, nationality, denomination and race that we have gloried in falsely. Help us to lower these flags and to rejoice in a secure and united identity in Jesus Christ, in whom there can be no divisions of race or gender or status. Amen.