Hello everyone

In the past week we have begun to see how difficult it is to come out of seven weeks of Lockdown.    The first prayer spells out the enormity of the task before all the world’s leaders and decision makers.     Last week our prayers were prayers of thanksgiving for all the support being given by family and friends, members of our local churches and community ventures in times such as these. It is in these times we need to pray in earnest.’ Extra Ordinary Need -Demands Extra Ordinary Prayer’.

Our second Prayer is an affirmation of our own trust in God. As you pray imagine you are at the centre of the Disciples, ask yourself what if feels like to be in their midst in the presence of Jesus. Trust Jesus who said that He and his Father are one.  We, through the Holy Spirit, are also one with Jesus and the Father who is always present with us and knows our needs and helps us to pray.

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.

Prayer for trust, despite appearances, that God is with us

You’re here, Lord, though we do not see it.

You’re here, though we do not feel it. 

You’re here, though it doesn’t seem it

You’re here, though our plight denies it.

You’re here, though we cannot grasp it.

You’re here, though we sometimes doubt it.

You’re here, though our dread obscures it.

You’re here, though we can’t believe it.

You’re here, Lord, as much in the night as in the day, the bad as in the good.

You’re here, You’re here

Amen

Scripture reading:
“Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Keep safe, keep praying.

Peter

Hello everyone

A prayer of Thanksgiving for the support of family and friends, and intercession for those on their own

Thank you, Lord, for family at this time; for loved ones, there to support us, to demonstrate love and care in action, to do what they can for us in time of need.

Thank you for friends; those to whom our welfare really matters, who seek to help us in whatever ways they can, showing their concern, compassion, and friendship, not just through words but through deeds.

Hear our prayer for those who do not have such support, who are truly alone – those for whom long days of isolation were already an all too frequent reality, and who now feel cut off from all: frightened, helpless, hopeless.

Reach out to them, assuring them that you are by their side, and help us too, in whatever ways we can, to reach out likewise, and show them they are not abandoned or forgotten.

Amen                                                                                                        

Nick Fawcett: For Such a Time as This

After a weekend of celebration for the 75^th Anniversary of the end of six years of war in Europe, we saw around us a demonstration of camaraderie and community spirit despite Coronavirus. We witnessed the same spirit that doesn’t give in despite the sacrifice and the cost.

In our time of prayer this week, our prayer is to God, giving our thanks to Him for the support we have experienced from those around us. We also give Him  thanks for giving us the opportunity we have had to support others with a reminder to  watch out and to see how we might be of help for the vulnerable people known or unknown to us, both in or outside our church communities.

Christine and I are working at reducing the amount of material stored in our study. Over the last weekend I decided to see if I needed a pile of old magazines – the first copy of New Wine came unexpectantly in the post for June 1970, Fifty years ago. –   So, do I – don’t I bin it?

It sits in front of me now as I type this message. I attempt to pass on just a couple of word of wisdom from that period in time. 

Fifty years ago people were stressed by the possibility of atomic warfare.   In an article on “Last Days” the writer wrote “At this time we need the Holy Spirit and his gifts as never before to defeat the menace of darkness before us.   The Apostle Paul asked the question of the first Christian church “Have you received the Holy Spirit .“    It is the same question asked of us!

The title of the next article in the magazine  “Extraordinary Prayer” states that  “Extraordinary Need Demands  Extra Ordinary Prayer”   Jesus sets the example to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane as he asked them to stay awake and pray with him.   Jesus, speaking with his Father God, demonstrated the agony of Extraordinary Prayer as he expressed sweat as droplets of blood. The disciples failed him!

Facing death Jesus is praying no ordinary prayer this was the heart of God battling against unseen powers for the salvation of the world.

As Christians there is a calling to pray for the world Jesus died for. We need the Holy Spirit and all His gifts more than ever in times such this. In the times we are living in there is a spiritual battle to wage. When you pray call out for the Holy Spirit to pray his words through you.

Scripture reading:
“Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Keep safe, keep praying.

Peter

Hello everyone

In a week when we have Celebrated the 100^th Birthday of Captain Tom Moore and Donald Trump has entered into a Conspiracy battle with China, people are asking the question how will Coronavirus change the way we live?  The weekly Clap for Carers, now in its sixth week, shows appreciation and care for Health professionals and other key workers and resounds across our village of Meltham.

Hearts were caught, cheered and warmed by the war veteran Tom raising £30m by the completing of laps in his garden. Monies raised for NHS charities. On his Birthday a fly past was organised and Tom was made Honorary Colonel and also became an honorary member of the England Cricket team.

Sadly we can also sense disquiet around which is understandable but we need to pray that we don’t allow our nation and ourselves to become part of a blame culture.

If nothing else, we will have been learning a little of how to live with uncertainty and deprivation of privilege – something that might bring us closer to the lived experience of a lot of people and a lot of Christians in this world.

We will be experiencing the reality of faith as we contemplate living and ministering in a changed world. So, we can either complain about what lies ahead or we can try to shape it for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Nick Fawcett in his book of prayers ‘For Such a Time as Now’ asks for lessons to be learned from this crisis

PRAYER   

Lord, it’s hard to see any good coming from the crisis we’re facing, this time that is bringing such anxiety, such heartache, and such hardship to so many.

Yet if one useful thing might come out of it, let it be this: that we learn – as individuals, as a nation, as a world – from the experience, and so be better equipped in the future should similar or worse threats to our health arise.

May lessons from these dark days equip us, if need be, to respond more effectively, provide more meaningfully, and help more swiftly in times ahead. Open our eyes to the best and the worst in all that is happening now, and enable us truly to learn from both.          Amen

You might also like to consider the following.

1. 

There is a Prayer App which can be accessed on all devices

PRAY AS YOU GO

A daily prayer session lasting between ten and thirteen minutes, it combines music, scripture and some questions for reflection.   It is produced by Jesuit Media Initiatives.

There aims are to :  become more aware of God’s presence, listen to and reflect on God’s word and grow in relationship with God
This App has been used in the past at Meltham Churches Together Wednesday Prayer Time and Christine and I both find it very helpful

2

The Church of England has launched a helpline called Daily Hope. This is aimed at those who do not have access to the internet and all the online resources. Using a freephone number (0800 8048044), it offers a hymn, reading and prayer.  It is completely free for the caller.     This has been advertised widely on the internet but will not have been seen by those without this facility.   Do you know anyone, without internet access, who might be interested and who you could contact to let them have this  number?

Keep safe, keep praying

Peter

Hello everyone,

Christine and I went into voluntary isolation on the 16^th March. This past weekend took us over 40 days and nights.

Jesus faced his 40 days and nights wilderness period alone and overcame by giving every trial he faced to his Father in Heaven. 

We still can’t believe it, that our world turned on its head so quickly, so unexpectedly.

One moment, everything normal, proceeding much as it had 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.

People have reached the stage where they are asking when will it end, when will this nightmare be over?

We were told things would get worse before they could get better; that the death toll would rise and the number of those infected continue to climb, despite every measure being taken to prevent it.  We are promised also that, eventually, this disease will peak, and that we can then slowly start picking up the pieces of our lives again.

As Christians we have been praying and showing compassion both in word and deed for family, friends and neighbours. We give thanks to God for the support Christine and I have received.

We thank God for the number of you joining with us at 11.00am each day. (or anytime for those who find 11am not possible.)  The temptation is to feel that our prayers are inadequate.  So we share with you another prayer for the coming week. You might like to add this prayer to the others you received.

When our prayers feel so inadequate

They feel so inadequate, our prayers, Lord, so small a response to so great a crisis. Even if we could find the words we seek to sum up our concern, express our fears, articulate our needs and entrust into your care the many we know to be at risk, even then, our efforts would seem lacking.

But we can’t get anywhere near that, our entreaties to you being muddled, halting, confused, disjointed. We do not know what to say or how to say it; what to pray or how to pray it, and we are left feeling we have failed ourselves, you and others.

Do not let that deter us, Lord. Teach us that you heed not only the words of our lips but also the thoughts of the heart, prayer not being an exam we must pass but an opportunity to embrace.

Help us, then, simply to share with you, as best we can, what we are feeling, so committing ourselves, our loved ones, and the world beyond, sincerely into your keeping. Amen.

Keep Safe.  Keep praying and like Jesus taking all your requests to God our Father.

Peter

Hello everyone

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, backed up by editing, both of which he continues with today, despite wrestling with myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood, that places him in the highest possible risk category during the current coronavirus crisis.  Like so many, he will be isolated at home to protect his health. His aim, increasingly, is to write material free of religious jargon that reaches out to people of all faiths and none.

Here in Meltham over many years now Christine and I have found his material both inspirational and easy to follow.

His response to the pandemic was to write a book of prayers ‘For a Time Such As This’

He asks are you struggling to pray at the moment? I am. 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. But prayer doesn’t come easily. 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 the 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, but we need simply to seek help and strength to get through whatever the months ahead may bring.

I suggest that we start by asking God what to pray for and then continue by using the prayers of intercession. 

PRAYERS

When you’re struggling to know what to pray for

Lord, what can I pray for?    What should I say?

I’m frightened, troubled, confused, –  everything in life having been turned inside out and upside down.

Whatever words I use in prayer seem inadequate, hollow, even trite.

Help me, hold me, hear me, and at this troubled time, encircle all – myself, my loved ones, the wider world – in the warm embrace of your love. Amen.

Intercession for those struggling with the crisis, both near and far

Reach out today, Lord, to the frightened, anxious about themselves or their loved ones.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the isolated, the lonely, the vulnerable

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the sick, those wrestling with the symptoms of coronavirus, those whose situation is complicated by underlying health conditions.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to those ministering to the afflicted, offering support, comfort and treatment as best they can, but hampered by limited resources and the scale of the crisis.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the bereaved, those already mourning family and friends, their love and companionship snatched away.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to those affected financially – those who have lost jobs and livelihoods, the future they took for granted now under threat.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out to the countries of our world most affected – Italy, France, Spain, Iran, China, Russia, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom – and the many places elsewhere in the world seeing an increase in infections, and facing imminent catastrophe in turn.

Hold them and help them.

Reach out, Lord, to a world in need, a world teetering on the edge of chaos, on the brink of disaster.

Hold us and help us all. Amen.

For all whose lives have been turned upside down by this crisis

I’m not praying for me today, Lord, but for others: young people meant soon to be taking exams, their future now in doubt;

Carers looking after loved ones, striving to keep safe those at risk;

Those suddenly finding themselves out of work, financial pressures added to fears over health;

Owners of small businesses, cafes, shops, bars and restaurants among many others, faced by the prospect of their livelihood collapsing in ruins, what had seemed a wise investment now a millstone around their neck;

Clergy, counsellors and chaplains, seeking to give succour and support to those reeling from recent events;

GPs, nurses, doctors, consultants, NHS staff, increasingly overwhelmed by massive pressures yet with limited resources to meet them;

Politicians and leaders in this country and beyond, trying to work out the best way forward – a way of safeguarding life as effectively as possible, while also limiting potentially devastating economic consequences for all.

Give help, Lord; give strength; guidance; wisdom.

In our hurting world, bring hope and healing, love and life. Amen.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Keep Safe.  Keep praying

Peter

Ladies Speaker and Supper Evening 7pm, Friday 27th March – St James’, Meltham Mills

Supper will be served from 7pm. Bolster Moor M&P pies with peas with a lighter vegetarian option available. Soft drinks provided. BYOB if you would like wine with your meal. Desserts and coffee will be served following the speaker.

Our guest speaker will be an old friend, Corrine Scandling. Her life has been full and varied, ranging from beginning as a very reluctant scholar to being a guest at Buckingham Palace. She has been recognised for her work in Further Education and it promises to be a fascinating evening.

These evenings are very popular and a good opportunity to bring along someone who may appreciate a nice evening out in good company. There is no charge but a small donation towards the cost is always appreciated.

We look forward to seeing you soon, Jenny Mathers Tel: 850839

The next Oasis Quiet Day at St James will be on Wednesday 25th March beginning at 10.30am. Coffee will be available from 10am. Please bring a packed lunch if you wish to stay all day. The day will be ended by 3pm.

If you haven’t been before, don’t worry. The time is for you to spend just as you like. Read a book? Sit and think? Pray? Draw? Write? Go for a walk? Do some craft? After a short reflective act of worship taking no more than 15mins, the time is just for you to spend in a safe, quiet space. Nothing is asked of you – no questions, no discussion, no singing, no rules, no expectations, no pressure – just relax and be at peace.

More information from Jenny 01484 850839

It looks like it is going to be fine on Sunday, so we are hoping for lots of people at ‘Carols in the Park’.  Please can as many people as possible provide some mince pies.  Thank you. 

I’ve just found out that the Meltham Shoebox Project kindly donated the funds from their stall to ‘Crisis’ for which we are very grateful. 

Thank you to everyone who supported the ‘Crisis’ coffee morning. You helped to raise £3,692 for ‘Crisis’ as well as funds for the Welcome Centre, the Meltham Shoebox Project and the Bloodwise charity.