Psalm 61:5 NLT

'For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.'

Here in St Cuthbert’s Oratory we follow the Benedictine vows. These are: Obedience, Stability and Conversion.

This means is that we are obedient to God in fulfilling our responsibilities as a Home of Prayer, as well as committed members of a local church. We are committed to nurturing the Oratory vision and so spend the majority of our year within it welcoming pilgrims for retreats, quiet days and for coaching. Finally, we are consistently looking to encounter God afresh so that our lives are ones of continuous conversion – or journeying deeper into his heart.

A vow, in its ancient meaning, is dedicating myself to God. This is what each of us is called to. How we express it will vary greatly.

While the world in which we experience life is immaterial, we can have hope and confidence in God’s promise that our lives are safe when hidden with Christ. So, although never having been a biological father, I have been adopted by my daughter (yes, she actually invited me to be her daddy) as well as having numerous children who I have parented in part throughout their lives. My prayers from childlessness for children were always to be answered, if not in the way that many would describe as “normal”. God is far more playful if we have eyes and a willingness to join in.

QUESTION: How much of yourself can you give to God?

PRAYER: Take what I commit to you and build it into the pathway that leads to the fullness of your forever kingdom.