Hello Everyone

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing: ‘Keep praying; ask the Lord for help. For he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’

A Call to Prayer

A prayer call has been made with the support of senior church leaders –  Churches Together in England, Evangelical Alliance, RC Archbishop of Westminster, Leader of the Pentecostal Church, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Pete Grieg of 24.7 Prayer International, and the Church of England House of Bishops.

This week we have had several emails from various churches and organizations all pointing to the need for prayer.     There are many different suggestions – i.e. Prayer on specific days, or on each day, prayer at specific time, fasting along with prayer, using bells as a call to prayer.   So many ideas, so many thoughts but no matter how, when or where you pray or possibly fast  the key thing is to take on board the words sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo ‘Keep praying; ask the Lord for help for he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’

Words from Stephen Cottrell the new Archbishop of York says – “Prayer changes things.  It changes things by inviting God into the room.”

YOU MAY LIKE TO USE THE FOLLOWING PRAYERS

As we have entered a second period of National lock down, let us pray in earnest that people will honour the guidelines set.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

Loving God,
at this time of crisis
when so many are suffering,
we pray for our nation and our world.
Give our leaders wisdom,
our Health Service strength,
our people hope.
Lead us through these parched and difficult days
to the fresh springs of joy and comfort
that we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

On Wednesday 11^th November let us take a moment to remember all those who laid down their lives in the two great wars and for all lives lost in the wars since the end of the second world war.

YOU MAY WISH TO USE THIS PRAYER FOCUS FOR EACH DAY

MONDAY

SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

We pray for all those involved in the shaping of young lives.   We give God thanks for the sacrifice and commitment of teachers and all those involved in serving children and young people in education.

TUESDAY

ELDERLY, ISOLATED ABD VULNERABLE

We echo God’s commitment to those most at risk of this virus by praying for those who are particularly vulnerable and isolated.   We pray for their deliverance protection and comfort.   We hold before God those who care for them – that they would be strengthened and encouraged in this work.

WEDNESDAY

BUSINESSES, THE WORKPLACE AND ECONOMIC WELLBEING

In this time of great challenge, we pray for the economic wellbeing of the country.   We remember before God those who face great uncertainty in their work.   We lift before God those who have lost their jobs and face an uncertain and difficult future.

THURSDAY

NHS AND OTHER KEY WORKERS

Our God is the great healer – and the agent used more than any other is the NHS.   Today we voice our gratitude for those who serve this country in the National Health Service and pray that God would prosper the work of their hands – that they would be encouraged in their continued work of sacrifice and care amongst  us.

FRIDAY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

We pray for those who are in positions of authority with responsibility for decision making at national and local level at this difficult time.   We ask that God would give great wisdom, deep commitment to all and right judgement.

SATURDAY

ALL WHO ARE GRIEVING AND ALL SUFFERING WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILL-HEALTH.

‘Lord the one you love is ill.’   John 11.v3

We bring to God all those who suffer in body, mind spirit or with grief.   We ask that in God’s great loving kindness they might know God’s sustaining presence amidst their pain.

SUNDAY

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES

We lift to God those we hold in our hearts – praying for their healing. their well-being and their sense of hope.   We pray that even when loved ones cannot physically be together, they would not feel apart.  We ask for God’s help in our communicating, our connecting and our caring.

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter  

Hello Everyone

On Sunday 1^st November, the Church at large celebrated the feast day of ‘All Saints’.  

Today as we circulate our weekly prayer sheet, it’s Monday 2nd November, the day we pray for departed souls.

May I suggest we make time to pray for all the saints and all souls throughout the week, holding them in our minds eye.   A good way to Start is with thanksgiving and praise to God our Father.

Spend a while in quiet. Invite the Holy Spirit into the space you are creating. Become aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit, with you now… the Spirit who works in you…

A Reading from Ephesians 1:11-14

¹¹ Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. ¹² God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. ¹³ And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. ¹⁴ The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Why do you seek God in prayer?

What are you looking for? . . .

Would you like proof that you are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit?

When you spend time: listening, seeking, desiring God, this is evidence that the Holy Spirit is in you and at work in you . . .

This Spirit invites you to be a person of hope.

How is Christ inviting you to hope?

If at times you find yourself with diminished hope, you’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you’ve lost the Spirit. It means you’re alive and life involves struggle.

Speak to God about the challenges of holding on to hope… Read the scripture again, see if you can catch something of the bigger picture. God can see and invites you to glimpse hope through the merits of the saints and souls gone before us.

Ponder the presence of God’s Holy Spirit within you: the pledge of your inheritance!

A Prayer for All Saints Day

By Jan Richardson 

God of the generations,

when we set our hands to labour, thinking we work alone,

remind us that we carry

upon our lips, the words of the prophets,

in our veins, the blood of martyrs, 

in our eyes, the mystics’ visions, and

in our hands, the strength of thousands.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

As I am sending this email out I am reminded that the first one that was sent was at the beginning of the first Lockdown and it was on the suggestion of two members of Churches Together that we could pray daily at a specific time knowing that others would be praying with us.  Obviously this time is not always possible for some but these prayers can be used at any appropriate time during the week.  As we enter into a second lockdown let us take with us the words from a song sung by Ladysmith Mambaza ‘Keep praying; ask the Lord for help. For he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter  

Hello Everyone

Thursday the 15 October, was the feast day of St Teresa of Avila.

“Pray as you Go” a short daily offering of worship can be followed online and it offers an introduction, Bible reading, Thought for the Day followed by a conclusion and prayer.

So, on the 15^th Christine and I heard the Community of Taizé singing in Spanish, ‘Nada te Turbe’. The words are taken from  one of St Teresa of Avila’s most famous sayings: “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience wins all things. They lack nothing who possess God. God alone is enough.”

This saying of St Teresa is worth keeping in mind as we pray today. It is worthy of holding before us as we go about our daily lives.

A  reading  from the Letter to the Ephesians.     Ephesians 1:3-10

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

This is beautiful prose and an astounding message. We know God loves every person and even ‘all things.”

God loves everything in the Universe. God loves every star, every planet, every rock, every tree, every animal, every person. God loves you. You are utterly loved by God. You are so loved that God wants to spend eternity with you . . .

This can seem too good to be true and therefore difficult to take in.

Let this God look at you now with love

Consider how God loves all of Creation and wants to “gather up all things in Christ” …

Note how in the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul speaks of God’s Plan for those He loves, and wants to share Eternity with.

REFLECTION

In the quiet read through the sheet again and try to appreciate what is being claimed here.

What do you want to say to this God who loves all things and who loves you?

Let the Holy Spirit lead you into your conversation with God the Father.

Give thanks for all His Love and all His Spiritual Blessings that He pours out on us.

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience wins all things. They lack nothing who possess God. God alone is enough.”

A PRAYER PLEADING FOR HELP AS THE COVID VIRUS AFFECTS MORE AND MORE LIVES AS WE TRY TO GAIN CONTROL 

Show us that you are here Lord, that you have not abandoned us to our fate.

Show us you are not blind to our needs or deaf to our entreaties.

Show us that, though everything seems to suggest otherwise, you are with us in this crisis we are facing- that we are not alone.

Show us, above all,  that we matter to you; that you care about what so many are going through; that you are hurting with us, weeping with us and reaching out to us, seeking to help, to hold and to heal. Amen

Let us Pray for our community and all the good will in supporting one another.

Also let us Pray for those involved with the Food Bank, and pray for those known to us who need our prayers.

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter  

Some information about ‘Crisis’ this year.

 As you will have guessed, we are unable to hold the ‘Crisis’ coffee morning in St. James’ Church this year.  However, we know that some people have been preparing for it from January. So, at the Crossroads pop up shop on November 7th we will be selling handmade crafts and Mandy’s gift baskets and sweets. 

Additionally, we have set up a ‘Just Giving’ page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-whiteley4. You could have coffee and a slice of cake on November 28th (you may even be able to meet up with a friend) and have a virtual coffee morning and donate or you can, of course, donate at any time.

Jean Burhouse has kindly made the following offer to raise money for ‘Crisis’:

Box containing a rich fruit Christmas loaf and a dozen mince pies for £15. Happy to take up to 10 or 12 orders. 

Also 3 tray bakes (each of 12 pieces) to be delivered at intervals of choice for £20 happy to take up to 5 orders. 

Mandy Taylor has kindly made the following offers to raise funds for ‘Crisis’. 

TayTrans Ltd will donate 12 Bottles (5 Orders)

3 Bottles of Red, 3 Bottle of White, 3 Bottles of Rose, 3 Bottles of Prosecco  

All good quality wines = £60.00 per 12 bottles (5 orders)

TayTrans will donate  6 Cases (5 Orders)

3 Cases of Lagers, 3 Cases of Beers

All good quality = £30.00 per 6 Cases (5 orders)

If you would like to order some baking or alcohol, please email me at alisonwhiteley@ntlworld.com

Thank you for your support.

Alison

Hello Everyone

TESTING TIMES  –   A reading  from the Book of Job.

Job 19:21-27     New International Version

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.²² Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?²³ “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll,²⁴ that they were inscribed with an iron tool on^] lead, or engraved in rock forever ²⁵ I know that my redeemer^] lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth^]26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;²⁷ I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another.   How my heart yearns within me!

Job is the richest of all the peoples around, with family, herds of animals, servants.  He was fair and just in all his dealings, and righteous in the sight of God. In the story the accuser Satan has patrolled the earth watching all that is going on. The Lord asks Satan “have you noticed my servant Job he is the finest in all the world. He is blameless – a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. Wiley Satan gains access from God to remove His protection and allow Satan to test Job in a whole series of calamities.

Job loses everything but remains Righteous. At the loss of his family Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worshipand said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
  may the name of the Lord be praised.”In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Job is suffering, even though he knows he has done nothing wrong. Yet he doesn’t lose his trust in God’s loving care.

REFLECTION

Does what we have read about Job recall any testing times that we might have experienced in our own life? 

The name that Job gives to God, “my Redeemer” literally means – something like the one who releases hostages or lets those in prison go free.

Where might you, or those close to you, need a Redeemer like this?

Job speaks of a God who is on His side in his discussion with those who sought to help him. Do you know that feeling at all; the feeling of having God on your side? What’s that like?

Think also about the Testing Time the world is experiencing at present remembering all the disruption and loss through the Coronavirus. Add to your thoughts the fact that there will possibly be no Trade agreement with Europe in the New Year.

A Prayer by Thomas Merton – Sent in by Daphne Green.

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will, does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the Shadow of death: I will not fear, , for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

A word from the book of Job

“ I know that my Redeemer lives”

Job 19.23

Let us continue to pray for the work of the Crossroads Shop, Crossroads Centre and Meltham Food Bank.

Let us also continue to pray for the work of Teams4U and Meltham Shoebox volunteers as they prepare to send Shoeboxes to children in Eastern Europe.

And let us remember the work of CRISIS – the national organization for the homeless.  As mentioned previously we cannot this year hold our CRISIS coffee morning due to Covid but gifts will be on sale in the Church Hall at the Crossroads Pop Up Shop on 7^th November.   If you would like to donate to the work of CRISIS there has also been set up a giving page where you can give your donation     https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-whiteley4

Keep safe, keep praying

Peter

Hello everyone

Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice; seek the Lord and be strengthened, seek his face always.

Entering prayer today, we seek the Lord, seeking his face, looking for the signs of his presence in our lives. Looking for His gentle hand guiding us into truth, peace and love.

Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “

Jesus spent a lot of His time with unpopular people. A good example can be seen in Luke’s gospel where a woman anoints the feet of Jesus with precious oil and wipes them clean with her hair. This, and other events recorded in the gospels, scandalised onlookers – it did not accord with how they thought God should work, with how the Messiah should behave. During the Pandemic the majority of us conformed whilst others blatantly broke the set rules.

God is looking for men and women to whom He can communicate what needs to be done to rescue humanity.  Like Moses we must spend time with God before we can communicate the Heart of God to those around us and to the world. 

So, Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” If sometimes your thoughts dwell on the past, regretting that you did not do this or that, or on the future, speculating or worrying about what the outcome will be like, is there a message here for you?  A message to attend to the present, to the now.

If you sometimes think that God is somewhere else, and that you could really do God’s will if only you were somewhere else, if only you had made different life choices, if only you weren’t living among such impossible people…. is there a message for you here? That God is not somewhere else, but where you are now?   

Read the passage from Isaiah 55 again, notice the balance between the nearness of God and the transcendence of God. God is not like us, yet God is close to us.

Your path to God is the one you are on right now, and there is no other. You cannot start, or move on, from anywhere but here. So perhaps now would be a good time to ask God for the help you need to get closer to him.

A PRAYER FOR OUR TIMES

God of compassion,                                                                                                                                                                                                              have mercy on this Nation and our world in this time of fear and confusion:                                                                              

We bring before you those who are struggling and those who tend to their needs;                                                                                                                                                          may those in isolation know your comfort and company                                                                                                                      and may neighbours show your love in works of care, kindness and prayer;                                                                        

we pray for the National Health Service and all engaged in scientific research                                                                                               and we pray too for those  upon whose shoulders                                                                                                                                          the yolk of leadership rests                                                                                                                                                                                                                 that in their conversation and communication                                                                                                                                                                                your still small voice may be heard;                                                                                                                                                                                                 We ask this in the Power of the Holy Spirit,                                                                                                                                                            through to the One who stretched out His hands to bless and to heal                                                                                                                      even Jesus Christ our Lord Amen                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING 

Peter  

PS from Peter –  I confess to looking back to those outstanding moments where God chose to seek me out – rather than seeking Him out, listening to the still small voice, and watching to see where God is in the here and now.

Hello Everyone,                MCT PRAYERS.  

EPHESIANS 5:15-20

‘…..Making the most of the time’ (v16)

TIME. Our relationship with it is one of the great stresses of our age. There is never enough of it. Our obsession with finding faster ways of doing things makes no difference. ‘Time Management’ is one of the most frequent searches on the internet. But ‘making the most of the time’ suggests something different. There is certainly a call to live wisely and responsibly here, but rather than a call to improve our organisational skills, we are being invited to live in time’s fullness. This is not about the quantity of time managed so much as the quality of time lived.

If we are to make the most of the challenges and opportunities of life, we will need a trusting relationship with time. Without it, our best intended activities will tend to be anxious, driven, reactive and increasingly lacking in depth.

What might it mean to live as if there really is time enough?

Time is God’s gift. So the first response might be to develop a habit of gratitude in relation to it. God allows time to be time. Time gives life its priority and direction. There is gift in the constraints time places upon our activities. Without time, nothing would have any more significance than anything else. Time is not working against us or denying us our truest vocation.

Therefore, thank God for time.       From a Reflection by David Runcorn

A PRAYER FOR OUR TIME

Spirit of All Creation: May our faith in you and one another guide us

as we cannot yet see our way through this time of crisis.

May our hope in you and the goodness of our neighbours

strengthen us as we endure our discomforts and fears.

Give comfort to all who are emotionally, physically, and spiritually distressed.

Bless our healthcare providers and all who are taking care of those who are ill.

Grant wisdom and discernment to those who are researching and searching                                                                                                                      for medicines to combat our diseases, the coronavirus, and other illnesses.

Help us to reassure and comfort our children and protect them from harm and danger.

Grant, O God, to those who lead our governments, institutions, and hospitals,

our schools and local organizations, safety, and emergency services, and ourselves,

wisdom beyond our own wisdom to contain the coronavirus,

faith beyond our own faith to help us to fight our fears

and strength beyond our own strength to be resilient

and sustain all our vital institutions through this time of turmoil.

Although we are physically separated from one another help us,                                                                                                                

Eternal One, to maintain our social connection to one another by our

creatively and ethically using social media.

Help each of us to know that there is something in us stronger than fear.                                                                                                                             

Birth in us a new sense of hope that will help us to rise above the clouds of despair.

Grant, Eternal Love, that we emerge from this time of crisis a more loving people                                                                                                                 who are more committed to the welfare of all and the earth that sustains us.

Amen

Reflection by Rev. Frederick J. Streets senior pastor of

Dixwell Congregational Church, New Haven, CT.

Issue Title: Hard Times, Gospel Values Issue Year: 2020

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter

Hello Everyone

‘Christ be near at either hand’. Let me make these simple words my prayer today.                                                                                                Let me know Christ’s presence in my life, Christ’s closeness to me in every moment of this day and let me welcome that presence with an open heart.

St Paul often seems over-confident, but his confidence in God is not something he has created.  It was his gift from God at the time of his conversion.

As you read this reading from St Paul’s letter to the Romans, put yourself with Paul in this gesture of faith and availability.  

No matter what, we are the Lord’s… Romans 14:7-9      We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

We hear a lot these days about self-help. Bookshops are filled with guides to achieve this or that target. People in the media claim that they are self-made successes. There are countless memes, (a meme is typically a photo or video) about ‘doing it for yourself’. Motivational speakers encourage us to be self-aware, to be filled with self-esteem. Perhaps you have engaged with a self-help programme? Did it satisfy or leave you wanting something more…? Perhaps it left you desiring God to step in… Of course, taking care of yourself is a compassionate, mature, adult thing to do. But self-help is not easy. There is a phrase, ‘you cannot pour from an empty cup’. Have you heard this phrase? What do you think it means for you? Where might you be filled again? As Christians, we are vessels, like those made by Jeremiah’s potter. Gathered and shaped, spoiled and made over by an attentive, loving God.  Our life, and our death, are grace filled by the Father’s hands, given over by his Son’s death and resurrection. In all that we are, we are the Lord’s.

Ponder on the Questions asking do they resonate with your own experience.  

Keep your thoughts in mind and re-read the reading from Romans 14 again…

In thirty-six years in Ordained Ministry Romans 14:7-9 must be the scripture I have leaned on most. It has been most helpful with the bereaved whether it was used in the funeral service or not. For me personally it gave me confidence simply to know that I belong to the Lord and it has been a comfort and assurance to those I have shared that knowledge with.

Some months ago, In a rare bout of feeling down and struggling with confidence, a number of faithful Christians were a great support and help to me. I was given a book on mindfulness. I would probably say that the visit of the giver was more of a tonic than the book itself. I must say that it’s a good book, and I read it, but it made hard work of regaining confidence. I ought to have remembered that the answer to my problems lay waiting for me in Romans 14. And like the pot in the potter’s hand I needed to be reshaped and refilled with Gods Holy Spirit.

PRAY
‘Christ be near at either hand’. Let me make these simple words my prayer today. Let me know Christ’s presence in my life,

Christ’s closeness to me in every moment of this day and let me welcome that presence with an open heart.

You alone, O God, are infinite in love. You alone can speak to our condition.

You alone can search the mind and purify the heart. You alone can flow over our darkness with the ocean of eternal light George Fox 1624 -1691

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING         Peter

Hello everyone

On Sunday 22 March CHURCH leaders in Britain and Ireland urged Christians to take part in a National Day of Prayer and Action about the problems caused by coronavirus. People were asked to light a candle in their window at 7 p.m. that evening “as a visible symbol of the light of life, Jesus Christ”.

A chance conversation between Judith Powell and Liz Noble sparked off the idea to set a time in the day to join with others to pray.

The Churches Together in Meltham welcomed the idea and 11-00am was adopted as a time we might pray knowing that others who could manage the time would be praying alongside each other. Others may wish to join in solidarity at a time more suitable 

 for them. This week’s Prayer sheet is our twenty-eighth.

Our first Prayer in March was as follows: —

Dear God,

I need your peace now.

Silence my thoughts of confusion.

Silence my thoughts of anxiety.

Silence my thoughts of grief or despair.

Silence my thoughts of hurt or anger.

When there is chaos and turmoil surrounding me, shelter and protect me with your peace and loving, powerful presence.

As I take this time to stop and pray, fill me with your peaceful presence.

With each breath I take, I breathe in your peace that surpasses all understanding.

Help me to focus on peace instead of unrest.

I surrender my unrest to you so that I may receive peace. Help me to be a spark that ignites peace in others.    Amen

By week seven Nick Fawcett’s book of prayers ‘For a time such as this’ proved well. Nick Fawcett served as a Baptist minister for thirteen years, and as a chaplain with the national charity Toc H for three, before deciding to focus on a writing ministry. His book of prayers touches almost every aspect of praying in the face of the Pandemic that we are living through. His book contains 52 prayers “one for every week of the year”. Quick off the mark getting his book published. His words are almost prophetic.

Here are a few of his headings for prayer:- ‘When you are struggling to know what to pray fo’r – ‘For Those struck down by coronavirus’ –‘When our prayers seem so inadequate’ – ‘For scientists seeking a vaccine’ – ‘ Trusting that God is with us however it seems otherwise’ –‘When it seems there’s  no end to the crisis’.

From the list of his prayers I have chosen today:-

Learning from this crisis.

LEARNING FROM THIS CRISIS –Nick Fawcett

We thought we were in control,

But find we are not.

We thought we were strong,

But find we are weak.

We thought we had all the answers,

But find ourselves now beset by questions.

We thought we were ready,

but find ourselves unprepared.

We thought we had life mapped out,

But find instead that the future is uncertain.

We thought that we could deal with anything,

But we find ourselves struggling to cope.

Lord, we are confronted by awkward                                                                                                                                           uncomfortable truths.

And we do not like to face them,

but face them we must.

Help us to pause and take stock,

to reflect and through adversity

to learn and to grow. Amen

Recently we have also been using John Bells book “Living with the Psalms”. John is part of Wild Goose and Iona Community. He is a musician and song writer and an authority on the Psalms.

Almost half of the Psalms deal with life gone wrong. The Psalms are a testimony of a people who seek God in every aspect of daily living.

The Psalms are a wonderful resource for us to use in our prayer times. They can help us join in the symphony of Praise to our creator God and they also contain joy and lamentations, hope, and salvation.

This Monday we enter the ”rule of six.”  We have observed Government guidelines including Lockdown. People overall have been creative in adjusting their lives and helping both the community and their neighbours.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that we are entering a new academic year a time of renewal of purpose and vision. The past year has held unimaginable moments for many during the pandemic. As Christians we need to be steadfast in prayer as we see the potential for things to get worse if we don’t follow the government guide lines.                                                                                                                

Psalm 5 Teaches us how to pray.

PSALM 5 v1—3

O Lord, hear me as I pray;
    pay attention to my groaning.
² Listen to my cry for help, my Lord and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
³ Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter

Hello everyone

The Shape of things to come      –      The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah 18:1-6

 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² ‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ ³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. ⁴ The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. ⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁶ Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 

As a child, our family did not own a television set.  So, on Saturdays we visited my aunt and uncle along with some of their friends for our entertainment watching TV.  Supper was made and served during the Interlude.  No Social distancing!  During the interlude there were large Angel fish swimming back and forth, or a potter’s hands shaping the clay.

To watch a potter at work, it can look almost like magic.  A lump of wet clay turns swiftly into a shapely vessel.  In your mind’s eye take a moment to watch that happening.                                                                    

But if the clay if off-centre, the vessel will quickly collapse. The potter can only start again.

Watch that happening too, in your imagination.

This, Jeremiah is told, is how God works with us.  Each of us is moulded and re-shaped by God. Where do you recognise that pattern in your own life?

Read the Jeremiah passage slowly a couple of times and ask yourself what God is saying to you by showing Jeremiah the Potter at work.                                                                                                                                                                      

Respond in your own words to the Lord who is shaping your own life into something beautiful for God.

Prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola

A wonderful Prayer of surrender to God

You have given all to me. 

To you Lord, I return it.  

Everything is yours, do with it what you will. 

Give me only your love and your grace,

that is enough for me.    Amen

The Prophet Jeremiah was aware of Gods design to reshape the house of Israel, they were to be like clay in His hands.  St Augustine, in his Prayer, is responding to the love, mercy and grace of God after living a wildlife.  As an individual he was placing himself into the hands of God to be reshaped.

In the case of Jeremiah and the house of Israel, God is seen taking the initiative.  St Augustine on the other hand was responding to God and was willing to be reshaped by placing himself into the hands of God.

On a worldwide scale, humanity has had a wake-up call due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  2020 will be recorded in world History in every language and has been dubbed as the “New Norm”.   As Christians we would hope for more than that as our Creator God takes us in His hands and reworks us like the clay that is off centre and collapsed on the wheel.

We look to and pray to the One who can re-centre and re-shape us as individuals and as nations.

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING      

Peter