Hello Everyone
A TIME OF TRANSITION
Isaiah 26: 7-9,12,16-19
The way of the righteous is level ; O Just One, you make smooth the path of the righteous.
In the path of your judgements, O Lord we wait on you;
your name and your renown are the soul’s desire.
My soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you
For when your judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness…
O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us ….. O Lord, in distress they sought you, they poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them.
Like a woman with a child, who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near her time,
so were we because of you, O Lord;
we were with child, we writhed, but we gave birth only to wind.
We have won no victories on earth, and no one is born to inhabit the world.
Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise.
O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a radiant dew, and earth will give birth to those long dead.
The message from Isaiah was written during a time of transition when people were struggling in the gap between what had happened and what was yet to come. The people cry out a lament as they seek God –holding on to faith and trusting that God’s promises will be fulfilled, even though the present time is difficult.
We need to ask ourselves in what ways are we yearning for God to be revealed?
Where do we see the Holy Spirit working in our world?
This time of pandemic has been– and still is—incredibly challenging for many.
What do you long to see change in your life?
What do you hope the future will look like?
Speak now to God about your hopes.
Thinking about the level path what does your path look and feels like?
Make time to ask the Lord Jesus for strength and courage to let go of the past, and journey with you as you move into God’s future.
PRAYER- St Francis de Sales.
Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow; the same Everlasting Father who cares for you today, will take care of you tomorrow and every day.
Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings. Amen
Thank you Val White for sharing this prayer with us.
Keep Safe, Keep Praying
Peter
Hello everyone,
Very quickly after the Coronavirus hit the UK, there were two books written about God and the Pandemic. Theologian John C Lennox – “Where is God in a Coronavirus world” & a book of prayers by Nick Fawcett from which we have been selecting, using, and benefitting over the weeks – “For Such a Time as This”
More recently Tom Wright, wrote ‘God and the Pandemic.’ Tom Wright is a Research Professor of New Testament & Early Christianity at St Andrews & Wycliffe Hall Oxford, prior to which he was Bishop 0f Durham (2003-2010) and will be known by those of us who attended the York Course MCT Lent Groups as over the years he was a contributor.
In the final chapter – Where do we go from here? Tom Wright tells us that roughly one-third of the psalms are complaints that things are not as they ought to be. The words they use question why, – Sorrow, Anger, Regret, Frustration, Expressing grief, Mourning, Bitterness. Perhaps you have experienced your own feelings and have your own questions.
Some Christians have been turning to the book of Revelations looking for signs of the End Times but in these uncertain times Tom Wright cites the Lord’s Prayer as our ‘Norm’
Are we looking for signs of the end times?
No. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray ”Thy Kingdom come on Earth as in Heaven” and we know that this prayer will be answered because of what we know about Jesus.
Are we looking for fresh, sudden calls to repent?
No. We pray every day, ‘Forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us’. We know that this prayer will be answered because of what we know about Jesus.
Tom Wright goes on to say : ‘We need Jesus – His Kingdom-bringing life, death and resurrection; his ascended sovereignty, the promise of his coming to bring heaven & earth together in glorious final renewal. Any attempt to add new ‘signs’ to this narrative diminishes it.
For this week :- may I suggest praying for your concerns and for the uncertainties that relaxing the lockdown brings and spend some time praying the Lord’s Prayer.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Keep Safe -Keep Praying.
Peter
Hello Everyone
CHAOS & ORDER
Matt 8:23 -27 tells of the disciples’ angst and fear whilst, out in their boat in a storm, Jesus was sleeping.
Whatever noise and distractions there are around us, whatever worries and concerns are vying for our attention, when we begin to pray we need to find that centre of stillness within, settling into a moment of peace, asking for the peace only God can give.
Jesus was surprised that his disciples didn’t feel safe with Him in the boat.
The sea and the storm around them were symbols of the chaos from which God created the world. If we seek Him, Jesus has the same power to create and bring order to our lives.
This story is well known but you may wish to open the bible as you consider the following questions.
How do you react to crises that come into your life? Do you panic like the disciples? Put up your defences? Resign yourself to the inevitable? Or do you put all your trust in the Lord?
Remember Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
Let us focus our prayers this week on :-
Open Doors is an organization that works in over 60 countries providing support and emergency relief and supporting Christians who suffer for their faith. Across the world, the spread of coronavirus is having a devastating effect. Open Doors is reaching some of those affected and they are highlighting that:.
Christians are facing discrimination in the distribution of aid in countries which include Nigeria, India and Bangladesh.
Christian nurses are given COVID-19 patients to care for and denied PPE in the Gulf region – “because it is dangerous… We are dispensable.”
In Somalia, Religious minorities are blamed for the pandemic. Somalia is a very dangerous place for Christians.
Extremists are exploiting vulnerable Christians in lockdown. In Nigeria, 32 Christians were killed in one opportunistic attack.
For many the situation is overwhelming: “People have become so desperate that they are forced to trade their religion in exchange for food.”
Our Prayers are much needed.
Keep Safe & Keep Praying
Peter
Hello Everyone
The National Health Service came into being on 5 July 1948. 72 years ago this coming Saturday. During post-war reconstruction, improving the healthcare of the nation was seen as crucial to the nation’s recovery. Beveridge, the architect of the NHS, identified “five giants” that had to be slain: want, disease, squalor, ignorance and idleness. The cataclysm of war provided the stimulus for radical reform.
The NHS was based on principles unlike anything that had gone before. It was financed almost entirely from central taxation. That the rich paid more than the poor for comparable benefits was regarded as a crucial part of the scheme. Everyone was eligible for care, even people temporarily resident or visiting the country. People could be referred to any hospital, local or more distant. Care was free at the point of use, although prescription and dental charges were subsequently introduced.
During the current pandemic, there has been immense national and local support for the NHS and its front- line workers. The emergence of the Thursday ‘Clap for Carers’ was a significant experience in the lockdown. Thanksgiving binds communities together, turning ‘I’ into ‘we’. The contribution of carers and key workers who have given of themselves sacrificially needs to be honoured. Sharing stories of people and events during the crisis is likely to form the kernel of any community celebration. Unsung heroes need to be applauded.
Everlasting God,
at this time we lift to you
those from all nations and backgrounds
who work on the front line in healthcare.
Give them skill and wisdom in their work.
Be their strength and their shield
as they give of themselves in the care of others.
Amen.
Prayers in relation to Covid-19
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake. Amen.
Collect for St Luke
Almighty God,
you called Luke the physician, whose praise is in the gospel, to be an evangelist and physician of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord ,who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Personal Prayer
How generous is your goodness, O God,
how great is your salvation,
how faithful is your love;
help us to trust you in trial
and praise you in deliverance;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
KEEP SAFE –— KEEP PRAYING
Peter
Hello Everyone
Over a number of years, Meltham Churches Together Prayer Group met in each other’s buildings on Wednesdays at 10 – 10-30am following a Rota. It was good to pray in our places of worship. More recently, for a number of reasons, it was decided that it made more sense to meet at St Bartholomew’s, due its centrality, especially in the winter months. Leadership of each session being shared following the Rota from the different churches and including our Quaker Friend.
I remember well a prayer meeting where one of our Baptist members, was in charge. George Mellor opened his Bible and shared the prayer below, a prayer which he had glued to the inside cover of his Bible. You will recognize it as a confessional prayer. In most worship services we have a prayer of Confession and Absolution (Forgiveness) early on to re-establish our relationship with God and to set us free to worship, praise, adore and thank Him.
Gracious God, forgive me for those things I should have done but have left undone: the acts of kindness I never found time for, the thoughtful word never spoken, the message of encouragement or concern never sent, the helpful deed never attempted. Forgive me for all the opportunities I have missed: the plans I never made, the dreams I never brought to reality, the possibilities I never even imagined, the gifts I never used. Forgive me for my failure to serve you as I promised: the prayers I never offered, the sacrifices I never made, the faith I never had, the commitment I never gave. Forgive me for so often having time only for self: for being self-centered, self -important, self- righteous, self-interested., self-indulgent, self-opinionated. Forgive me for forgetting my friends, my neighbours, and, above all you. Gracious God save me from being a person of unfulfilled intentions. Help me to translate my thoughts into actions, to put my preaching into practice and so to turn my good intentions into good deeds, to the Glory of your Name. Amen
I trust that through the Holy Spirit you might find this prayer helpful. It is a prayer worth meditating on. Where do you see yourself in the words of this prayer?
As a confessional prayer it is written by someone who desperately wants to love and serve Jesus. Someone who understands repentance as openness to the will of God and the way to forgiveness.
If you have other prayers that work for you, I would love to receive a copy to share on these pages of prayer.
With UK’s Covid 19 Alert level being reduced, the virus is now in – ‘General Circulation’ which gives us a gradual relaxation where possible. The general populous might well ask how this is to be managed? Newsflashes appear several times a day informing us of things where we have ‘No Power’ to change but to heed and follow the advice we are given by our Leaders, experts. and scientists. What we do have, when we are open to God through his forgiveness of us, is the Power to intercede for those who are struggling to get through the chaos of our times and for those who are giving of themselves to help others. We also have an opportunity to pray for the whole world and its needs. In our prayers let us open ourselves to the Holy Spirit that we might pray according to God’s Will listening in silence and using our imagination to express what we hear from God who has the answers to all our needs.
When there seems no end in sight to the problems caused by the crisis.
When the clouds are heavy, Lord, and the storm seems to last forever;
when the night is dark, and the morning proves long in coming;
though rain is constant, and sunshine feels a distant memory;.
though the winter continues despite spring having also begun;
teach us to trust, to keep faith, to believe that day will dawn again
that the clouds will lift, and life will blossom once more;
that after tears will come laughter, after despair, joy,
after chaos, order, after sickness health, and after death, life. Amen
Keep Safe & Keep Praying
Peter
Hello Everyone
We have been on lockdown for over quarter of the year since the first shock waves of the Coronavirus Pandemic which was travelling rapidly throughout the world, hit us. A chance conversation between Liz Noble from the Methodist church and Judith Powell, Anglican, and the publication of Nick Fawcett’s book of prayers “For a time such as this” set the pathway for the daily 11 o’clock Prayer time with some sense of solidarity as we stop to pray apart at the same time as others. Members of our Meltham churches have been praying at home following a prayer sheet distributed weekly Via email through Meltham Churches Together. Our thanks to Liz & Judith and all who, although unknown, stop to Pray around 11 am or for some at a more suitable time to suit lifestyle.
Prayer doesn’t come easily. You want to bring your fears before God. You want to commit yourself and your loved ones into his keeping. You want to pray for the innumerable people facing unimaginable difficulties and hardship at this time due to the pandemic that has descended so swiftly upon us. We feel almost numbed, almost lost for words, almost as though our own little concerns (however huge they may feel to us personally) are relatively trivial in relation to the scale of the crisis now facing our world. Yet we need to pray, today, more than ever. Not that prayer will guarantee our safety or that of our loved ones, or that it will miraculously put everything right. We need simply to seek help and strength from God to get through whatever the months ahead may bring , as now we relax the disciplines we have had to exert , to keep people safe.
Listen For gods Voice Psalm 25:4—10 ……….Both Scripture & Prayer
4 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past.7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord.8 The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
The concern of the Psalmist is to know God’s will, He wants to be on the right pathway. So for that reason he prays to God for guidance.
The prayer for guidance begins with a period of waiting. You come before the Lord
In the quiet. You are trying to hear. Have you been in a place where there is just a faint sound? You even stop breathing so you can hear better. We need to get quiet before our God. We need to get quiet inside and out and this takes some doing. You are astonished to discover how much noise is in you mind, in your whole being, how full of noise you are. If you want to hear God’s voice you have to get quiet.
May these prayers calm your anxiety and strengthen your faith. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in the way of truth and glory of God.
In Scripture, we are reminded of God’s guidance in our lives.
Jesus is our good Shepherd who leads us and desires that we follow the path that leads to joy and peace. As we pray for God’s guidance and for discernment through the Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that God will bestow us with wisdom and the inspiration to live within His will!
Trusting in God to transform what seems hopeless
Hold on to us, Lord, through this troubled time. Where there is sickness, may there also be health. Where there are tears, may there also be laughter. Where there is despair, may there also be hope. Where there is fear, may there also be trust. Where there is hardship, may there also be help. Where there is doubt, may there also be faith. Where there is weakness, may there also be strength. Where there is defeat, may there also be victory. Where there is chaos, may there also be calm. Where there are problems, may there also be solutions. Where there is distancing in body, may there also be a coming together in spirit. Where there is death, may there also be life. Come, Lord, and work your miracle of love, out of darkness bringing light. Amen.
Putting our trust in God rather than ourselves
We thought we were in charge of our destiny, Lord; that we had all the answers, all the solutions to our problems, nothing being beyond our wit to solve. And no doubt in time we will beat this virus, as we have beaten many others, human ingenuity triumphing again over adversity. But this crisis of recent months has reminded us that we’re not quite so much in control as we like to imagine; that life is less secure, less certain than we sometimes think, and that much of what we take for granted can be swept away in an instant. Help us to recognise our limitations as well as our achievements, our vulnerability as well as our strengths, and may we find in you one whose promises endure beyond the changes and chances of this fleeting world, enfolding us, and all things, in your eternal, unchanging love. Amen.
A plea for God to reach out and help us
Show us that you’re listening, prove to us you care, come and bring us healing. Father hear our prayer. Show us that you’re with us, help us know you’re there. Offer strength and comfort. Father hear our prayer. Show us that we matter; in these trials we bear, give us help and wisdom. Father hear our prayer. Show us there’s a future, save us from despair. Grant us hope and courage. Father hear our prayer.
Keep Safe, keep praying, and keep listening for the voice of God and His guidance for you!
Peter
Hello everyone
Greetings – from the word of God.
Philippians 4:4-7 New Living Translation
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
These words appeared in an early chapter of a Christian book, “Nine o’clock In The Morning”, written by Dennis J Bennett © 1970 first British Edition 1971. The author writes about his experience of Renewal in the churches through the Holy Spirit at work in people of all Christian denominations in USA circa 1960.
I was to experience a life changing encounter in 1969. Dennis Bennett’s Book was one of the first Books on our bookshelves tackling the reality of “Baptism in the Spirit “and” Speaking in Tongues.” There after followed a plethora of books from the US which were soon followed by our own authors from the UK. We were well served by the “Fountain Trust “and the Rev Michael Harper who edited “Renewal Magazine” and organised Conferences around Great Britain.
These were exciting times when there was a real sense of God’s Holy spirit working in his church. But the Holy Spirit hasn’t changed, and we need to continue to pray that He will bring about a new change in His church in these changing days, equipping his people to go into the world to demonstrate the love and power of God.
As we pray today spend a few minutes taking in the above passage from the Apostle Paul to the Philippians-
And as we pray let us seek God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit
A Prayer in times of Crisis
I can’t believe it, Lord.
The world turned on its head so quickly, so unexpectedly.
One moment, everything normal, proceeding much as it has always done before,
and the next, chaos and confusion, everything overturned in an instant, institutions teetering on the brink, certainties crumbling into dust, lives descending into mayhem. I’d thought I could plan ahead, fashion what the future held in store, but now I realise how wrong I was:
that though we can control much, we cannot control everything, our ultimate destiny lying not in our hands but in yours. Grant your guidance, show us the path to take, and lead us through this crisis. Amen
PRAY AS THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS YOU – USE THE THOUGHTS THAT COME INTO YOUR MIND
Keep safe, keep praying
Peter
Hello everyone
On the day of Pentecost Jesus’ disciples experience being filled dramatically with God’s Holy Spirit, the culmination of many centuries of waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promise, made known through Old Testament prophets. Acts 2.1-21
Long before the Holy Spirit became an article of the creed, He was a living reality in the experience of the early Church. Edward Schweizer
The whole (ecumenical) enterprise is the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of love, working in us, uniting us in love and building us up in the truth. Those are the things that matter. We must avoid binding the Spirit by our stupidity and narrowness and lack of faith. Archbishop Michael Ramsey
On Sunday 31 May Christians all over the world celebrated the day of Pentecost.
Disappointed followers of Jesus were locked-down in an upper room filled with more perspiration, than inspiration. The disciples were afraid they would suffer the same fate as their master. They listened and prayed that no one would discover their hiding place and the world would leave them safe in their isolation. Yet the Holy Spirit is not stopped by locked doors or locked hearts. the Spirit comes, not like a spring breeze passing gently through a room, it is more like a hurricane, flattening all the protective barriers against it force. The Holy Spirit takes this group of disappointed followers and on the day of Pentecost completely transforms them.
Try and place yourself in this scene.
What similarities do you see in the short account of Pentecost with effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic in our world today?
Please allow the Holy Spirit a few minutes to guide your thoughts and knowledge to pray for our world.
Gaps are left for personal thought to be expressed and you can add to the list
Heavenly Father hear my intercession for ……..
All Nations of the world…. our own nation……our own communities …our township.
For our families ….friends….neighbours ….those alone….. giving thanks for them.
Giving thanks for those who are selflessly serving others at this time.
For those supporting the Crossroads project and its food bank….
Help us Lord in the midst of our own weakness and anxieties, to be able to help others….
This week marks the start of a rolling programme for getting staff and children back into school starting with Early Years, Reception and Year 6..….our leaders are also relaxing some of the measures in place in the world of business, commerce and manufacturing from 1st June.
We need to pray earnestly for our Leaders….. It will have not passed notice this week that there has been confusion and a great deal of anger from all quarters of leadership
A week after the celebration of Pentecost…. we give thanks for the virtual services…online.
We ask that the Holy Spirit will increase our trust in God’s presence and His same transforming power…. Alive and with us now AMEN
Keep safe. Keep praying
Peter
Hello everyone
“If you look at the world – you’ll be distressed –
If you look within – you’ll be depressed
If you look at Christ – you’ll be at rest ”
Corrie ten Boon
Often when we pray, we ask God for things we want or need, and there is nothing wrong in that. But sometimes prayer is not about asking for things; sometimes prayer is more like this;
just enjoying God’s presence and saying, ‘I have you, Lord, I have enough.’
Remember His words – ‘Be Still and know that I am God.’
The first prayer of intercession for this week spells out what a difficult task is set before all the leaders of the nations. Here in the UK, our leaders are tentatively allowing or relaxing some of the measures in place at present in certain categories in the world of business, commerce and manufacturing.
We might focus our prayers for the re-entry of certain Primary School children on the 1st of June.
We need to support the teachers and all auxiliary staff in the difficulties they are about to face.
So we start with a comprehensive prayer that we have been using over the past week as it is so inclusive in its structure.
Prayer for those taking decisions for the future that will shape the lives of us all
So much, Lord, is in the melting pot –uncertain, unsure.
It’s not just risks to health, though that’s scary enough; it’s the very fabric of our society: our schools, colleges and universities, our shops and stores, our arts, sport and leisure facilities, our businesses, factories, financial institutions, economy.
Everything, everywhere, is under threat, and though governments across the world are doing their best to limit the damage, desperately trying to keep the plates spinning, the balls somehow still juggled, there’s a danger that it will all come crashing down, leaving hardship in its wake such as we can scarcely begin to imagine.
Give wisdom, Lord, to those who must take decisions, those who must formulate plans, those who must weigh up the options and decide on the path least painful for all. See us through this difficult time, we ask you, but see us also through the time beyond that, and the challenges it will surely bring. Amen.
Our second and new prayer for this week starts us thinking about the work of our scientists.
For scientists seeking to develop a vaccine against coronavirus.
Hear my prayer, Lord, for scientists, for all involved in seeking a vaccine against coronavirus, a way of releasing us from its stranglehold, and from the threat it poses to the elderly and vulnerable.
Guide them in their research, in their experiments, in their early trials with volunteers, and keep them and all who work with them safe.
Give them insight in to the nature of this disease – into the way it develops, the way it spreads, the way it affects the human body, and help them to unravel its secrets so as to find solutions affectively to combat it.
Grant that through their efforts, we may look forward soon to a time when this pandemic is consigned to history, and it presents a danger no longer. Amen
Scripture Reading – Numbers 6 : 24-26
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Keep Well, Keep praying
Peter
