Please come and do some Christmas shopping whilst supporting 3 charities.
Mandy’s gift baskets, Caroline’s craft stall and lots of other gift sets and decorations will be raising funds for ‘Crisis’.
The Meltham Shoebox project will have a stall and all the other items sold will support the Crossroads project. There are lots of Christmas jumpers and sparkly clothes to bring some Christmas cheer!
Hello Everyone
We continue with the Senior church leaders Call to Prayer. We are in week 3 of Lock Down and we will continue with the set prayers. There is a new prayer for week three and we will be following the set focus prayers to be used each day.
PRAYER FOR WEEK 3 – 23rd -29th
Lord Jesus Christ, in these dark and difficult days, we turn our hearts to you.
In ages past, you have delivered our nation from disaster.
Do it again, we pray.
Give wisdom beyond human wisdom to our leaders,
Give strength beyond human strength to the NHS and all our frontline workers.
Give comfort beyond human comfort to the elderly and all who grieve.
Lord Jesus Christ, in these dark and difficult days, turn your face towards us, have mercy upon us, and heal our land, we pray.
Amen.
A PRAYER FOCUS FOR US TO USE 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
Next Sunday sees the beginning of the Church’s Calendar- Advent – so we pray –
A PRAYER BEFORE ADVENT from St Augustine of Hippo
Lord Jesus our Saviour, the One who is to come, we come to you now.
Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them by your selfless love.
Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood.
Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with Your joyous Spirit.
Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence.
Come, Emmanuel: enter our lives, possess them always and only for yourself.
And let us give thanks for all the progress the scientists have been making in their search for a vaccine. Let us continue to pray that God will continue to be at work in all the research they are doing.
KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING
‘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.’
Peter
Hello Everyone
16 NOVEMBER MCT PRAYERS
RACHEL SPENCER-HENSALL Director of Public Health has been in contact with each household in Kirklees during our first week of Lockdown with an urgent and important update on the Covid-19 figures which are rising. Firstly, she offered thanks for everything people have been doing to keep themselves and others safe. She acknowledges how difficult the lockdown period is for us all, the efforts we are going through and the sacrifices we’re making which are a key part in our fight against COVID-19.
FROM THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE
Prayer changes things.
From Abraham’s plea to save Sodom to Jesus’ cry for forgiveness of others on the cross, we see the willingness of God to listen. God invites us to talk to Him, to share with Him our fears, worries, struggles and heartaches, because when we do, God tells us He will act.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left no life unscathed in the UK. The national health crisis caused by the severity of illness for many has pushed our healthcare system and those who work within it to breaking point. The consequences of the resulting lockdowns are wide-ranging and, for many, catastrophic.
Many businesses are unsustainable. Unemployment is booming. Children’s education has been severely impacted. Families have been separated. The vulnerable have been left exposed. For many, experiencing isolation and uncertainty, has led to an overwhelming sense of hopelessness as we see statistics indicate the rise in divorce, domestic abuse and suicide.
We need things to change. We need to pray.
STEPHEN COTTRELL THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF YORK SAYS –
“Prayer changes things. It changes things by inviting God into the room.”
A CALL TO PRAYER FROM SENIOR CHURCH LEADERS
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.
A PRAYER FOR WEEK 2 of LOCKDOWN
Loving Father God be with us in our distress; be with our families, friends, and neighbours, our country and our world. Give health to the sick, hope to the fearful, and comfort to mourners. Give wisdom to our frontline and key workers, insight to our Government, and patience to us all. Overcome disease with the power of your new life,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
A PRAYER FOCUS FOR US TO USE 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.
A PRAYER FOR ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING
‘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.’
Peter
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 11th 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 1st 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 15th 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 7th 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
