(image:Larry F. Lamb at www.flickr.com)

Matthew 25:40   NIV
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Gracious God, we pray once more for a situation that does not appear to be easing, as record numbers of migrants crossing the channel is recorded. We pray for all those who find themselves forced to flee their homelands in order to find safety and security, for those who are so desperate to find peace, that they are prepared to risk their lives crossing the channel in unsuitable and unsafe sea vessels. We pray that policies, instigated by those in positions of authority, will ensure and prioritise the safety and welfare of all asylum seekers. We pray for an end to human trafficking and slavery. Lord God, may we as communities extend hands of support and friendship to those who seek refuge in our homeland. May we be a people who hear the voices of the vulnerable and respond with empathy and understanding. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

2021-07-21T09:13:23+01:00

(image: S.L.Guenault)

PSALM 46:10
‘Be still and know that I am God’.

Gracious God, as we approach the middle of the week, and the sun comes out to shine and brighten the landscape, we take a moment to be still in Your presence, to bask in the warmth of Your love.
I invite you to reflect upon a prayer written by Margaret Langdon. Thank you Margaret.

BE STILL
BE STILL
Oh I wish I could be!
But there’s so much to do
BE STILL
I would like to be calm
But I get so uptight
BE STILL
I really ought to rest more
But I can’t find the time
BE STILL
How I long for some peace
But life’s clamour just goes on
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
NOT YOU. LET ME SHARE YOUR BURDENS
COME AND BE STILL

BE STILL AND KNOW
If I’m still I know I am surrounded by your presence
Help me to be still
If I’m still I know God is really in charge of everything, not me
Help me to be still
If I’m still I know that peace that passes understanding
Help me to be still
If only for a moment!

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
Wow! That’s a bit mind blowing! We can really know that God exists!
Even when we doubt. Even when we can’t understand things
GOD IS GOD!
We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t always have to be in control
We don’t have to be perfect. We are allowed to be human.
HE IS GOD

(Margaret Langdon October 2018)

2021-07-14T09:57:53+01:00

Holy Week – Good Friday

Mark 15:22-25, 37, 39
‘The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, which means “Place of a Skull.” There they gave him some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain, but he refused to drink it. They nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes.  It was about nine o’clock in the morning when they nailed him to the cross. Jesus shouted and then died. A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!”

Gracious God, as we reflect on the events of Good Friday, we come to You overwhelmed by the depth of Jesus’ love for us. We give thanks for His commitment to defeat evil, even at the cost of His own suffering and his own death. In his willingness to restore the relationship with humankind, he poured himself out to death, even death on a cross. And so, this Easter time, help us to respond to such love and sacrifice, help us to re-commit ourselves in devotion to Him as we pray for a world free from all that brings violence, conflict, suffering, injustice and oppression. As we approach Easter Sunday, may we know the joy and the hope of the love of our risen Lord, in whose name we pray, Amen.

2021-04-02T10:36:07+01:00

Holy Week – Maundy Thursday

Mark 14:22-25
During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.” Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God’s kingdom.”

Gracious God, as Good Friday approaches, we reflect upon the events in the upper room. On the night before He was betrayed, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an act of humility and servitude and so may we respond and commit to serving others. On the night before He was betrayed, Jesus spoke of reconciliation between God and His people, so may we continue to nurture relationships rooted in God’s love for us and may we follow His commands and be the people He would have us be. And on the night before He was betrayed, Jesus asked us to remember Him, and so this day we give thanks for His sacrifice upon the cross. As Jesus suffered rejection and persecution, may we support all those who feel rejected, oppressed and unloved. Living God, give us the courage and the strength to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, for it is In His name that we pray, Amen.

2021-04-01T09:26:23+01:00

Romans 15:13
‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ‘

Gracious God, as a new week begins and we continue to journey through Lent, we bring You before decisions that will be made today by those in authority, decisions that will effect our plans for the future. Give wisdom, Lord, to all those tasked with mapping out the next stages of dealing with the pandemic. As we prepare to potentially move into a new phase of restrictions, we thank You for Your assurance that You are always there to support us when life is difficult, to encourage us in times of doubt and uncertainty, and to strengthen us when we are weak or vulnerable. Lord God, teach us to have the faith to place our trust in You with the confidence that You will continue to journey with us, whatever the next stage of this current health crisis. May we be assured of Your love and your comfort surrounding us this day, through the power of Your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

2021-02-22T10:43:06+01:00

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path’.

Gracious God, as International Book Giving Day was celebrated yesterday, we give thanks for the gift of literature and reading. We appreciate that words have the power to inspire us, to cheer us, to thrill us and to engage and inform our enquiring minds and so we thank you for all the different genres of writing and for the creativity of all authors, poets and publishers. So too, we thank you for the artistic skills of illustrators and photographers who bring the books to life. Lord God, we know that the ability to read is empowering and so we pray that all peoples across the world will have access to books and the opportunity to learn to read.
Living God, as we celebrate the gift of books, we give thanks for the gift of Your Word as found in scripture. Help us to share this gift with others and use it to guide, inform, enable and equip us to be Your people. Help us to be living witnesses to Your truths, in our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

2021-02-15T15:22:06+01:00

Light a Candle

Tonight, on Holocaust Memorial Day, we light a candle and pray for all those trying to “be a light in the darkness”.
If you would like to hold someone in the light, you might want to add their name to the comments or a praying hands or candle emoji.
Or you might like to light your own candle at home.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Light a Candle2021-01-27T20:29:08+01:00

1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.

Gracious God, as the first full week of the new year draws to a close, we reflect upon its highs and its lows, its challenges and its achievements. We have witnessed covid cases rise, civil unrest overseas, amidst vaccines given, new treatments discovered and great acts of kindness in the community. There may have been times when we have felt very alone and other times when someone has reached into our solitude. There may have been times when we have felt anxious and times when we have felt reassured. But amidst all the emotions and events of the week Lord, we know that You have been present with us, at all times and in all places. We have witnessed Your love in the world in the compassion shown to others in their hour of need. We have witnessed the beauty of Your creation as the sun has shone through to shine upon the ice and snow, a symbol of warmth amidst the cold. We may have put the Christmas lights away this week Lord, but the message of Your Son Jesus, the baby who brought hope into our world through His death and resurrection remains ever present. Through His life we are given the hope that continues to affirm Your everlasting love for us, whatever the tribulations and challenges of daily living. And so, we take a moment once more to pause and give thanks for the gift of Jesus. May He be a living presence in our lives and may our hearts be filled with the hope and peace that He gifted to us, as we continue to walk with Him, this day and in the days to come, Amen.

2021-01-08T10:12:55+01:00

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Gracious God, today we lift before You all those working tirelessly to care for others within our NHS, remembering especially those dealing on the frontline with Covid 19 patients. We acknowledge their exhaustion, their concerns and the challenges they face on a daily basis. We give thanks and acknowledge their skills, their self-giving and the compassion they carry with them each day into the workplace. God of healing, we ask that Your presence be felt with all those in need of energy and assurance this day. May the power of Your love infiltrate every corner of our hospitals today.
So too, we pray for all patients in our hospitals and lift them into Your loving care. May they feel the assurance of Your healing power and Your presence with them. And finally Lord God, we pray for the families of loved ones, unable to visit, waiting anxiously at home for news. Give them courage and strength Lord, as You sit alongside them in their waiting. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

2021-01-07T11:44:34+01:00

We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy Perfect Light

Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia, Earth to heav’n replies

(John Henry Hopkins Jr 1857)

Matthew 2: 10-12
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

Gracious God, as we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany and remember the precious gifts brought by the Magi; gold, frankincense and myrrh, gifts fit for a King, we reflect upon the majesty of Jesus, our Saviour King. Through the gift of Your son Jesus Christ, through His living, His teaching, His words and His acts of love, you have assured us of a world where peace and hope may become a present reality for all people, where love can bring light into our lives. And so, as we put away our Christmas lights on this most difficult of Januarys, help us to remember that the light of Your Son, Jesus, continues to shine, and that His light and the gift of His love cannot be extinguished. On this 12th night of Christmas, as we gaze upon the star that shone over the place where Jesus was born, may we feel the assurance of Your presence with us this day. May we feel the assurance of Your light shining brightly to guide us and to shine light into the dark places of our world. Lord God, this Epiphany may you reveal to us Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.

2021-01-06T17:13:08+01:00