Compline (night prayer) - Monday, 28 February 2022

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may rest upon your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Saturday, 26 February 2022

Jesus' glory is made visible on the mountain top. 

We pray that same glory will be present with the people of Ukraine to bring comfort, strength and hope.

Compline (night prayer) - Friday, 25 February 2022

Truly the Spirit of the LORD God is upon us: May this night the poor in spirit, captive, broken and in darkness know the indwelling and blessing of our God. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Thursday, 24 February 2022

Reflecting on our journeying: The pleasant path, the stony and difficult way, the slippery, the hard climb and descents into despair - may we at the end of the day find rest in You and strength for tomorrow. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Wednesday, 23 February 2022

Give us the courage to be witnesses to the Love of God made flesh for us that the world might know God's power to save. Amen.

Today (23 Feb) the Church celebrates the life and ministry of Polycarp and reflects upon his martyrdom

Polycarp (of Smyrna) is honoured as one of the first Christian martyrs. He had been Bishop of Smyrna on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor for over forty years when the persecution of Christians began. He was arrested and given the option to renounce his faith and so save his life.

His response was: ‘I have been Christ’s servant for eighty-six years and he has done me no harm. Can I now blaspheme my King and my Saviour?’ He was immediately burnt at the stake.

His remains were gathered together and buried outside the city; thus began the practice of celebrating the eucharist over his burial place on the anniversary of his death, a practice which also grew over the martyrs’ tombs in the Roman catacombs.

Polycarp died in the year 155.

Compline (night prayer) - Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Lord grant us the simplicity of heart and purity of nature to treasure those around us and, sensing Your heart's desire for all creation serve as Your people. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Monday, 21 February 2022

We pray for those we love, thankful that Jesus intercedes for us and with us to our loving Father who listens and responds.

Compline (night prayer) - Sunday, 20 February 2022

The voice of creation, heard in the throne room of heaven is the voice that calms wind and waves for Jesus' disciples. May that voice calm the storms in the lives of all with needs this night. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Saturday, 19 February 2022

Peace beckons us into the rest that is only known through Christ, so we lay down the burdens of the day and receive from Him whose yoke is easy.

Compline (night prayer) - Friday, 18 February 2022

Night falls and we lay ourselves in our beds asking forgiveness for all those we have hurt, and those who have hurt us this day. Help us to lay down the burdens and reside in your rest this night we pray. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Thursday, 17 February 2022

Reflecting on Janani Luwum and all 'modern' martyrs, we pray for those who in losing their lives have made true their faith. Lord, be will all who are oppressed this night. Amen.

The image is that of Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr, 1977,

Compline (night prayer) - Wednesday, 16 February 2022

As we celebrate the completion of another day, we head to our beds reflecting on all that has been and pray that tomorrow we would hear your voice and be Your people in all that tomorrow is. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Tuesday, 15 February 2022

When the storm comes, it's those things we cling to that bring us safely through - in Christ we have an anchor that will hold and see us safely through. Bring us peace this night we pray. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Monday, 14 February 2022

Lord as we go to our beds we pray that You give us the commitment and courage to stand for what is right in Your eyes, even when the world disagrees. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Sunday, 13 February 2022

God, who gives us the strength to cope with all things by the power of the cross and the resurrection which makes the hope of eternity real, give you rest this night. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Friday, 11 February 2022

Giving thanks for the closing day we reflect on all that has been and pray for the needs of those close and those far off; for those known and unknown and for all creation this night. Amen.

Compline (night prayer)-Thursday, 10 February 2022

As the day closes we lay all that has been, our thanks, our cares and concerns at the foot of the cross and head for our beds.

Compline (night prayer) - Wednesday, 9 February 2022

Though, through the busyness of the day we might forget God, we give thanks that God never forgets us and that regardless of what we've been, seen, done (or had done to us) - His love never leaves us. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Tuesday, 8 February 2022

This night we see prayer as a something of relationship rather than as a mere transaction.
Making needs known is an act of sharing in which we speak and are listened to (and vv) and so receive the dignity of belonging. Alleluia!

Compline (night prayer) - Monday, 7 January 2022

We come this night not to tell You what You know, but to learn those things we don't and, as we head for bed, to ask You to be God in the lives of those on our hearts and minds. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Sunday, 6 February 2022

Praying for others. Rejoicing in our Queen and remembering her loss,
we think the same for those we know - and pray for all people (and ourselves) as lay ourselves down to sleep.

Compline (night prayer) Saturday, 5 February 2022

Tomorrow, Queen Elizabeth II will have been the monarch for seventy years. Tonight as we go to our beds we reflect on all who serve their nation and pray for their protection and peace. Amen.

Compline (night prayer) - Friday, 4 February 2022

Tonight we prayed for ourselves, and others, and prayed that we, like Gilbert, would see past the confines and shackles of prejudice and seek to build faith and discover vocation in all we encounter. Amen.

Today (4 Feb) the Church celebrates the life and ministry of Gilbert of Sempringham, 1189

Gilbert  was born in 1083 (in Sempringham).

He was the son of the squire, Gilbert became the parish priest in 1131. He encouraged the vocation of seven women of the town and formed them into a company of lay sisters. A group of lay brothers also came into being and they all kept the Benedictine Rule.

Gilbert was unsuccessful in his bid to obtain pastoral guidance from Cîteaux for the incipient communities and they came under the ambit of Augustinian canons, Gilbert himself becoming the Master.

At Gilbert’s death in 1189, aged 106, there were nine double monasteries in England and four of male canons only. It was the only purely English monastic foundation before the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century.

Compline (night prayer - Thursday 3 February 2022

As we reflect on the plans held and the directions changed to bring us into new encounters and blessing, we pray for those facing challenge and change that the love and light of God may lead them into blessings. Amen.

Today (3 Feb) the Church celebrates the ministry and life of Anskar

Today the Church celebrates the ministry and life of Anskar - a native of Picardy, he was a monk of Corbie near Amiens who, after the conversion of the King of Denmark to Christianity, went to Schleswig and attempted to start a Christian school there. He was expelled by the locals but went on to Sweden, where he is reputed to have built the first Christian church. In 832 he was consecrated Archbishop of Hamburg and sixteen years later became Archbishop of Bremen.

He returned to Denmark to convert the King of Jutland. He preached widely throughout Scandinavia and was much-loved for his work with the poor and in mitigating the slave trade.

He is the patron saint of Denmark and was popularly known as ‘The Apostle of the North’. 

He died in the year 865.

Compline (night prayer) - Wednesday, 2 February 2022

Lord we pray this night to unselfishly look at others with kindness and love that they might come to know the peace of Your presence through the actions of Your people. Heal and help us we pray. Amen.

Giving envelopes - what do you do with yours?

I wonder how many churches find themselves left with unused giving envelopes? 

I had a few left from last year (more people switching to Direct Debit / Standing Order) and as there were some who wanted to keep to using the envelopes I came up with a cunning plan.

I printed off the Sundays for the year:

Then I found a box of unused envelopes:

And, being part of the Blue Peter generation, I cut out the date and stuck it on the unused envelope:

Now this didn’t take too long but it means those who want envelopes are happy - and I have a little more money to go towards the Common Fund (and got to chill for a few minutes and drink tea as I did it: Win / Win or what?).

Think I read somewhere that the Boss likes good stewards and I'm turning bin fodder into an opportunity to save money and help others who want to give by envelope do so.

:-)

Today (Feb 2) the Church celebrates The Presentation.

Forty days ago today we celebrated Christmas Day - the birth of Jesus - today we look at this as the day when Mary and Joseph took the child to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The requirement in Levitical law was for Mary to be ‘cleansed’, the completion of her purification following the birth of a male child. Until this act Mary could touch no holy thing nor enter the sanctuary. ('The Churching of women' a thanksgiving for the safe delivery of child and Mother) and a prayer of blessing on them).

As an aside: This was one of the most practical things there could be, for it meant the mother, separated from things for a bit, had time to recover and heal from the birth.

There are two additional characters in the Presentation story: Simeon, a man who was promised he would see the Messiah before he died. Who acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah - ‘the light to enlighten the nations’ in what we call the nunc dimittis (roughly; let us depart).

Anna, a prophetess who told the people around her who Jesus and praised and thanked God for the birth of Israel's redemption.

It is also called 'Candlemas' as Christ, being proclaimed as the Light gave the idea of it being the day when candles for use in the church and home were blessed.

The image of the Presentation dates back to the fourteenth century.

Compline (night prayer) - Tuesday, 1 February 2022

We come this night and gather up all the day has been (good, bad and ugly) and thanking God for our redemption pray that He would be God in the lives of all this night that His love and light might be seen. Amen.