I watched the film, Philomena, today. It's one of those films that relate to the 'Magdelen Laundries' and the actions of various members of the Catholic Church relating to the care of young 'fallen' and/or 'unrukry and wayward' young women.
The film featured harsh and bitter treatment of the young women at times but that want the worst bit, for it also pointed to the results of these young women's sin, the children, being effectively sold off to adoptive couples.
In 1952, Philomena Lee (played by Judi Dench) gave birth to a son in a 'mother and baby home'. Three years later that same child was passed on for adoption (with another child) and money changed hands. The institution was legal led allowed to do this because the mothers were made to sign a document passing all rights regarding the child to the order of nuns and the Catholic church. Seems to me that, having read other books on the subject, this was a nice little earner - but that's not the bit that causes me distress (even though it is distressing).
What gets my goat is the institutional corruption and deceit that saw all paperwork, save the legal transfer of rights, destroyed by the nuns. Add to this the fact that the organisation denied access to information that would have enabled morhter and son to be reunited when they came looking and you have sprinkles on the cake already bedecked with the cherries of sexual immorality and abuse. Is it any wonder that people distrust the Church (all and every brand of it) when our recent past is held up to scrutiny.
Add to this the remarkable film 'Spotlight' and the exposé of the sexual abuse covered up and buried, and the institutional suppression of the truth and the oppression aimed at those who sought to find it: and you have a picture of something extremely wrong in terms of Church and the discharge of the Gospel.
This is not a Roman Catholic issue alone, as happenings in the CofE and other denominations and groupings clearly demonstrate. Wherever there is power on offer, there are people who will abuse that power for their own gain and pleasure. What is tragic (and that's a polite word) is the fact that the Church (universal) has looked the other way and so permitted wrong to have happened and then covered it up - lying, using its institutional power and the pressure its members can impose on friends and family should they be rocking the boat - and so compounded their sin.
The Church is made up of flawed, fallible and potentially awful people. But evil does triumph and Jesus, the Christ, falls from the cross onto the floor impotent as the Church, stumbling and falling seeks to cover things up. The triumph is that there are good people doing good things and standing against evil inside and outside of Church.
The good (should that be 'amazing') thing is that there are people like Philomena Lee who maintain their faith in God, seeing past the flawed and fallible representatives of the church before them, to Worship God. A most uncomfortable and angst-filled, Anger-making film indeed.
Worth a watch,
Friday, 5 May 2017
Morning Prayer - Friday 5 May 2017
Easter Season
Psalm 107
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Some went astray in desert wastes and found no path to a city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul was fainting within them. So they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He set their feet on the right way till they came to a city to dwell in. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. For he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound fast in misery and iron, For they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed down their heart with heaviness; they stumbled and there was none to help them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. For he has broken the doors of bronze and breaks the bars of iron in pieces.
Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, and were plagued because of their wrongdoing. Their soul abhorred all manner of food and drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, and saved them from destruction. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.
Those who go down to the sea in ships and ply their trade in great waters, These have seen the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. For at his word the stormy wind arose and lifted up the waves of the sea. They were carried up to the heavens and down again to the deep; their soul melted away in their peril. They reeled and staggered like a drunkard and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were calmed. Then were they glad because they were at rest, and he brought them to the haven they desired. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
The Lord turns rivers into wilderness and water springs into thirsty ground; A fruitful land he makes a salty waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell there. He makes the wilderness a pool of water and water springs out of a thirsty land. There he settles the hungry and they build a city to dwell in. They sow fields and plant vineyards and bring in a fruitful harvest. He blesses them, so that they multiply greatly; he does not let their herds of cattle decrease. He pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes. They are diminished and brought low, through stress of misfortune and sorrow, But he raises the poor from their misery and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep. The upright will see this and rejoice, but all wickedness will shut its mouth. Whoever is wise will ponder these things and consider the loving-kindness of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 7.12-end
If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; he will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock, in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you. You shall be the most blessed of peoples, with neither sterility nor barrenness among you or your livestock. The Lord will turn away from you every illness; all the dread diseases of Egypt that you experienced, he will not inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. You shall devour all the peoples that the Lord your God is giving over to you, showing them no pity; you shall not serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?’ do not be afraid of them. Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the pestilence against them, until even the survivors and the fugitives are destroyed. Have no dread of them, for the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you, and throw them into great panic, until they are destroyed. He will hand their kings over to you and you shall blot out their name from under heaven; no one will be able to stand against you, until you have destroyed them. The images of their gods you shall burn with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them and take it for yourself, because you could be ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God. Do not bring an abhorrent thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction like it. You must utterly detest and abhor it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Ephesians 3.1-13
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
The Collect
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Psalm 107
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Some went astray in desert wastes and found no path to a city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul was fainting within them. So they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He set their feet on the right way till they came to a city to dwell in. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. For he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound fast in misery and iron, For they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed down their heart with heaviness; they stumbled and there was none to help them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. For he has broken the doors of bronze and breaks the bars of iron in pieces.
Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, and were plagued because of their wrongdoing. Their soul abhorred all manner of food and drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, and saved them from destruction. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.
Those who go down to the sea in ships and ply their trade in great waters, These have seen the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. For at his word the stormy wind arose and lifted up the waves of the sea. They were carried up to the heavens and down again to the deep; their soul melted away in their peril. They reeled and staggered like a drunkard and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were calmed. Then were they glad because they were at rest, and he brought them to the haven they desired. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children. Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
The Lord turns rivers into wilderness and water springs into thirsty ground; A fruitful land he makes a salty waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell there. He makes the wilderness a pool of water and water springs out of a thirsty land. There he settles the hungry and they build a city to dwell in. They sow fields and plant vineyards and bring in a fruitful harvest. He blesses them, so that they multiply greatly; he does not let their herds of cattle decrease. He pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes. They are diminished and brought low, through stress of misfortune and sorrow, But he raises the poor from their misery and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep. The upright will see this and rejoice, but all wickedness will shut its mouth. Whoever is wise will ponder these things and consider the loving-kindness of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 7.12-end
If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; he will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock, in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you. You shall be the most blessed of peoples, with neither sterility nor barrenness among you or your livestock. The Lord will turn away from you every illness; all the dread diseases of Egypt that you experienced, he will not inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. You shall devour all the peoples that the Lord your God is giving over to you, showing them no pity; you shall not serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?’ do not be afraid of them. Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the pestilence against them, until even the survivors and the fugitives are destroyed. Have no dread of them, for the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you, and throw them into great panic, until they are destroyed. He will hand their kings over to you and you shall blot out their name from under heaven; no one will be able to stand against you, until you have destroyed them. The images of their gods you shall burn with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them and take it for yourself, because you could be ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God. Do not bring an abhorrent thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction like it. You must utterly detest and abhor it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Ephesians 3.1-13
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
The Collect
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Thursday, 4 May 2017
Journal: trying to live the stuff
This being a Christian thing isn't as easy as one might expect or hope.for Church is a bit like some of the parties I've attended: It would be great if it wasn't for the people!
It's not that they drive me mad, they just don't help me to stay sane, and that's where the problems arrive by the lorry load. After all there's so many challenges to one's sanity in the shape of malformed liturgy, misread Bibles, unread Bibles, weird theologies and basically weird, infrequent, attenders. And that's the good side of the event before me!!!
As much as God is blessing (because that's what He does) stuff that surrounds me, the reality is that people are working (albeit not hard) at confounding and confusing what otherwise can only be assumed to be right stuff in so many ways. There's so much to be grateful for (and I am) but there's so much that causes me to ask what is going on to the extent that I can understand why a hermits life is so appealing.
People energise me, which is right for someone doing the stuff I do. But they also drive me round the bend at times as they work so hard at staying the same and doing Church on their terms. Regardless of the way remedy is attempted we all cling to self and selfish, self-serving, ambitions and attitudes. If you speak out you're regarded by some as grumpy old wotsit and the eventual tack to be taken is to merely smile and let the world pass you by on the way downhill and to let the lunatics attempt to run the asylum.
Discussing this elsewhere, a wise friend encouraged me to step back and merely smile on the grounds it's what they've done for years and it serves them well. "Do this and everyone thinks you're a really nice person," they said, "And although you get frustrated, you just tell God it's all His and do something nice!"
"But what about when it goes wrong and you've done nothing?" I asked them, "What then?"
"Well then I do something and people see what a nice person I am again," was the reply.
Lord, I struggle to say nothing when things around me look at odds with the things You call us to be and yet one around me tell me that the answer is to be honest and silent and yet this doesn't seem to be the hallmark of living like Jesus. Help me to be a man of integrity without frightening the sheep or compromising myself. Help me to step back and leave things to You if this is the right way forward - safe in the knowledge that people will become stronger if they get through it in their own!
Lord, give me Your heart and the wisdom to make it real in the lives of others.
And for all the party poopers out there - help me to find different parties to attend ;-)
It's not that they drive me mad, they just don't help me to stay sane, and that's where the problems arrive by the lorry load. After all there's so many challenges to one's sanity in the shape of malformed liturgy, misread Bibles, unread Bibles, weird theologies and basically weird, infrequent, attenders. And that's the good side of the event before me!!!
As much as God is blessing (because that's what He does) stuff that surrounds me, the reality is that people are working (albeit not hard) at confounding and confusing what otherwise can only be assumed to be right stuff in so many ways. There's so much to be grateful for (and I am) but there's so much that causes me to ask what is going on to the extent that I can understand why a hermits life is so appealing.
People energise me, which is right for someone doing the stuff I do. But they also drive me round the bend at times as they work so hard at staying the same and doing Church on their terms. Regardless of the way remedy is attempted we all cling to self and selfish, self-serving, ambitions and attitudes. If you speak out you're regarded by some as grumpy old wotsit and the eventual tack to be taken is to merely smile and let the world pass you by on the way downhill and to let the lunatics attempt to run the asylum.
Discussing this elsewhere, a wise friend encouraged me to step back and merely smile on the grounds it's what they've done for years and it serves them well. "Do this and everyone thinks you're a really nice person," they said, "And although you get frustrated, you just tell God it's all His and do something nice!"
"But what about when it goes wrong and you've done nothing?" I asked them, "What then?"
"Well then I do something and people see what a nice person I am again," was the reply.
Lord, I struggle to say nothing when things around me look at odds with the things You call us to be and yet one around me tell me that the answer is to be honest and silent and yet this doesn't seem to be the hallmark of living like Jesus. Help me to be a man of integrity without frightening the sheep or compromising myself. Help me to step back and leave things to You if this is the right way forward - safe in the knowledge that people will become stronger if they get through it in their own!
Lord, give me Your heart and the wisdom to make it real in the lives of others.
And for all the party poopers out there - help me to find different parties to attend ;-)
Morning Prayer - Thursday 4 May 2017
Easter Season
English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era
Psalm 136
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who alone does great wonders, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who laid out the earth upon the waters, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who made the great lights, for his mercy endures for ever;
The sun to rule the day, for his mercy endures for ever;
The moon and the stars to govern the night, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, for his mercy endures for ever;
And brought out Israel from among them, for his mercy endures for ever;
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who divided the Red Sea in two, for his mercy endures for ever;
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for his mercy endures for ever;
But Pharaoh and his host he overthrew in the Red Sea, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who smote great kings, for his mercy endures for ever;
And slew mighty kings, for his mercy endures for ever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his mercy endures for ever;
And Og, the king of Bashan, for his mercy endures for ever;
And gave away their land for a heritage, for his mercy endures for ever;
A heritage for Israel his servant, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who remembered us when we were in trouble, for his mercy endures for ever;
And delivered us from our enemies, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who gives food to all creatures, for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his mercy endures for ever.
Deuteronomy 7.1-11
When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and occupy, and he clears away many nations before you—the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations mightier and more numerous than you—and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for that would turn away your children from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But this is how you must deal with them: break down their altars, smash their pillars, hew down their sacred poles, and burn their idols with fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him. He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject him. Therefore, observe diligently the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that I am commanding you today.
Ephesians 2.11-end
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.
The Collect
Merciful God, who, when your Church on earth was torn apart by the ravages of sin, raised up men and women in this land who witnessed to their faith with courage and constancy: give to your Church that peace which is your will, and grant that those who have been divided on earth may be reconciled in heaven and share together in the vision of your glory; 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.
English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era
Psalm 136
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who alone does great wonders, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who laid out the earth upon the waters, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who made the great lights, for his mercy endures for ever;
The sun to rule the day, for his mercy endures for ever;
The moon and the stars to govern the night, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, for his mercy endures for ever;
And brought out Israel from among them, for his mercy endures for ever;
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who divided the Red Sea in two, for his mercy endures for ever;
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for his mercy endures for ever;
But Pharaoh and his host he overthrew in the Red Sea, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who smote great kings, for his mercy endures for ever;
And slew mighty kings, for his mercy endures for ever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his mercy endures for ever;
And Og, the king of Bashan, for his mercy endures for ever;
And gave away their land for a heritage, for his mercy endures for ever;
A heritage for Israel his servant, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who remembered us when we were in trouble, for his mercy endures for ever;
And delivered us from our enemies, for his mercy endures for ever;
Who gives food to all creatures, for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his mercy endures for ever.
Deuteronomy 7.1-11
When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and occupy, and he clears away many nations before you—the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations mightier and more numerous than you—and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you must utterly destroy them. Make no covenant with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for that would turn away your children from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But this is how you must deal with them: break down their altars, smash their pillars, hew down their sacred poles, and burn their idols with fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him. He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject him. Therefore, observe diligently the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that I am commanding you today.
Ephesians 2.11-end
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.
The Collect
Merciful God, who, when your Church on earth was torn apart by the ravages of sin, raised up men and women in this land who witnessed to their faith with courage and constancy: give to your Church that peace which is your will, and grant that those who have been divided on earth may be reconciled in heaven and share together in the vision of your glory; 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.
Journal: tempest fugit!
No, not a typo - just a recognition that the passage of time can cause a storm!
I spent four hours this week in a coaching scenario - and I enjoyed it!
We looked at work/life balance and the things that energised me.
We looked at the things I wanted to do and the things I was doing and asked some difficult questions.
The interesting thing to note was that peaks came after a week off, reduced week and, in the case of the highest, Holy Week as preparation, services and home visits crowded in.
My lowest week this year (thus far) arrived when a 'flu bug hit the family.
Watch this space as I work at reducing life to something below the forty-five hour mark.
I have to say that, and I'm writing this at 04:00 having woken at 02:35 and finding myself unable t o sleep, that I enjoy what I do and do what I enjoy, but as the organist keeps telling me, "It's long hours, not hard word, that kills you!"
So I'm looking to live a lot longer :-)
These are the scores on the doors that outline work area averages for a week
And (knowing you like pictures) here are the same areas depicted graphically:
So, let's see where this coaching thing takes me. I've already made sleep a 'protected area' (unless there's a crisis that is ;-) ) and will now be looking as seeing how I can raise the bar with study and prayer and growing as a Christian (A colleague says better to have a healthy cleric than a knackered one - wonder if this is the model for 2017?).
The winds of change are flying through the boondocks and life is, as the Chinese curse never said, about to cause me to live in interesting times!
Prayer and encouragement will be most welcome over the coming day.
AV, FE, NMA, E&O, SD, VocA, RF, StaffsPol,ATC, SCC,RNA, FC
I spent four hours this week in a coaching scenario - and I enjoyed it!
We looked at work/life balance and the things that energised me.
We looked at the things I wanted to do and the things I was doing and asked some difficult questions.
The interesting thing to note was that peaks came after a week off, reduced week and, in the case of the highest, Holy Week as preparation, services and home visits crowded in.
My lowest week this year (thus far) arrived when a 'flu bug hit the family.
Watch this space as I work at reducing life to something below the forty-five hour mark.
I have to say that, and I'm writing this at 04:00 having woken at 02:35 and finding myself unable t o sleep, that I enjoy what I do and do what I enjoy, but as the organist keeps telling me, "It's long hours, not hard word, that kills you!"
So I'm looking to live a lot longer :-)
These are the scores on the doors that outline work area averages for a week
The winds of change are flying through the boondocks and life is, as the Chinese curse never said, about to cause me to live in interesting times!
Prayer and encouragement will be most welcome over the coming day.
AV, FE, NMA, E&O, SD, VocA, RF, StaffsPol,ATC, SCC,RNA, FC
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Dying - in the Ditch
Next week (May 8th -14th) is 'Dying Matters' Awareness Week.
There will be a presence on the streets of Tamworth with representatives from the local hospice and clergy, funeral directors and the like giving people the opportunity to talk about dying, death and bereavement and things that affect them personally.
As part of this we will be launching a new venture: Dying - in the Ditch.
A regular monthly evening in a micro pub where conversations on death, dying and bereavement and some good company are on offer.
Not a 'church' thing but a response to the needs in our town. Something for people of all faiths or no faith.
So if you have a question, a concern relating to death and dying, or have lost a loved one and are seeking answers - or a friend and a safe place - Why not come along?
Monday 8th May - 7:30 pm onwards
There will be a presence on the streets of Tamworth with representatives from the local hospice and clergy, funeral directors and the like giving people the opportunity to talk about dying, death and bereavement and things that affect them personally.
As part of this we will be launching a new venture: Dying - in the Ditch.
A regular monthly evening in a micro pub where conversations on death, dying and bereavement and some good company are on offer.
Not a 'church' thing but a response to the needs in our town. Something for people of all faiths or no faith.
So if you have a question, a concern relating to death and dying, or have lost a loved one and are seeking answers - or a friend and a safe place - Why not come along?
Monday 8th May - 7:30 pm onwards
Morning Prayer - Wednesday 3 May 2017
Easter Season
Psalm 105
O give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises, and tell of all his marvellous works. Rejoice in the praise of his holy name; let the hearts of them rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face continually. Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgements of his mouth, O seed of Abraham his servant, O children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the earth. He has always been mindful of his covenant, the promise that he made for a thousand generations: The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath that he swore to Isaac, Which he established as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel, Saying, ‘To you will I give the land of Canaan to be the portion of your inheritance.’
When they were but few in number, of little account, and sojourners in the land, Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, He suffered no one to do them wrong and rebuked even kings for their sake, Saying, ‘Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.’
Then he called down famine over the land and broke every staff of bread. But he had sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They shackled his feet with fetters; his neck was ringed with iron. Until all he foretold came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free. He appointed him lord of his household and ruler of all he possessed, To instruct his princes as he willed and to teach his counsellors wisdom.
Then Israel came into Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; he made them too many for their adversaries, Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people and dealt craftily with his servants.
Then sent he Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen. He showed his signs through their word and his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and it grew dark; yet they did not heed his words. He turned their waters into blood and slew all their fish. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in their kings’ chambers. He spoke the word, and there came clouds of flies, swarms of gnats within all their borders. He gave them hailstones for rain and flames of lightning in their land. He blasted their vines and their fig trees and shattered trees across their country. He spoke the word, and the grasshoppers came and young locusts without number; They ate every plant in their land and devoured the fruit of their soil. He smote all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their strength.
Then he brought them out with silver and gold; there was not one among their tribes that stumbled. Egypt was glad at their departing, for a dread of them had fallen upon them. He spread out a cloud for a covering and a fire to light up the night. They asked and he brought them quails; he satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out and ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy word and Abraham, his servant. So he brought forth his people with joy, his chosen ones with singing. He gave them the lands of the nations and they took possession of the fruit of their toil, That they might keep his statutes and faithfully observe his laws.
Alleluia.
Deuteronomy 6
Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.
Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.
When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.’
Ephesians 2.1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
The Collect
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Psalm 105
O give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises, and tell of all his marvellous works. Rejoice in the praise of his holy name; let the hearts of them rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face continually. Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgements of his mouth, O seed of Abraham his servant, O children of Jacob his chosen.
He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the earth. He has always been mindful of his covenant, the promise that he made for a thousand generations: The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath that he swore to Isaac, Which he established as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for Israel, Saying, ‘To you will I give the land of Canaan to be the portion of your inheritance.’
When they were but few in number, of little account, and sojourners in the land, Wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, He suffered no one to do them wrong and rebuked even kings for their sake, Saying, ‘Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.’
Then he called down famine over the land and broke every staff of bread. But he had sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They shackled his feet with fetters; his neck was ringed with iron. Until all he foretold came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free. He appointed him lord of his household and ruler of all he possessed, To instruct his princes as he willed and to teach his counsellors wisdom.
Then Israel came into Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; he made them too many for their adversaries, Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people and dealt craftily with his servants.
Then sent he Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen. He showed his signs through their word and his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and it grew dark; yet they did not heed his words. He turned their waters into blood and slew all their fish. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in their kings’ chambers. He spoke the word, and there came clouds of flies, swarms of gnats within all their borders. He gave them hailstones for rain and flames of lightning in their land. He blasted their vines and their fig trees and shattered trees across their country. He spoke the word, and the grasshoppers came and young locusts without number; They ate every plant in their land and devoured the fruit of their soil. He smote all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their strength.
Then he brought them out with silver and gold; there was not one among their tribes that stumbled. Egypt was glad at their departing, for a dread of them had fallen upon them. He spread out a cloud for a covering and a fire to light up the night. They asked and he brought them quails; he satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out and ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy word and Abraham, his servant. So he brought forth his people with joy, his chosen ones with singing. He gave them the lands of the nations and they took possession of the fruit of their toil, That they might keep his statutes and faithfully observe his laws.
Alleluia.
Deuteronomy 6
Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.
Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.
When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.’
Ephesians 2.1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
The Collect
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Morning Prayer - Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Easter Season
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, 373
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His own right hand and his holy arm have won for him the victory. The Lord has made known his salvation; his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of Israel, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; break into singing and make music. Make music to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sound praises before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, the world and all that dwell upon it. Let the rivers clap their hands and let the hills ring out together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 99
The Lord is king: let the peoples tremble; he is enthroned above the cherubim: let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion and high above all peoples. Let them praise your name, which is great and awesome; the Lord our God is holy. Mighty king, who loves justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before his footstool, for he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among those who call upon his name, they called upon the Lord and he answered them. He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies and the law that he gave them. You answered them, O Lord our God; you were a God who forgave them and pardoned them for their offences.
Exalt the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 100
O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know that the Lord is God; it is he that has made us and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Deuteronomy 5.22-end
These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly at the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and he added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders; and you said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live. So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive? Go near, you yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do it.’
The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken. If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.” But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances, that you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess.
Ephesians 1.15-end
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The Collect
Everliving God, whose servant Athanasius testified to the mystery of the Word made flesh for our salvation: help us, with all your saints, to contend for the truth and to grow into the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, 373
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His own right hand and his holy arm have won for him the victory. The Lord has made known his salvation; his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of Israel, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; break into singing and make music. Make music to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sound praises before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, the world and all that dwell upon it. Let the rivers clap their hands and let the hills ring out together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 99
The Lord is king: let the peoples tremble; he is enthroned above the cherubim: let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion and high above all peoples. Let them praise your name, which is great and awesome; the Lord our God is holy. Mighty king, who loves justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before his footstool, for he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among those who call upon his name, they called upon the Lord and he answered them. He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies and the law that he gave them. You answered them, O Lord our God; you were a God who forgave them and pardoned them for their offences.
Exalt the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 100
O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know that the Lord is God; it is he that has made us and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Deuteronomy 5.22-end
These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly at the mountain, out of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and he added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders; and you said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live. So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive? Go near, you yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do it.’
The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken. If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.” But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandments, the statutes and the ordinances, that you shall teach them, so that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess.
Ephesians 1.15-end
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The Collect
Everliving God, whose servant Athanasius testified to the mystery of the Word made flesh for our salvation: help us, with all your saints, to contend for the truth and to grow into the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)