Morning Prayer Friday, 8 January 2021
Good morning Friends and welcome to Friday morning prayers on 8th January, the trailing end of the Christmas Season. I wandered round various Christian websites this week just to get my heart and mind warmed up for today and found some interesting ideas amongst our denominational partners. So, let’s greet today in prayer and get started on almost-the-end-of-Christmastide.
Lord, as we stand on the threshold of this new year, ready to set out into a future full of unknowns, dangers and uncertainty, walk beside us this day. Support our hope, strengthen our faith and give us courage to face with you anything life may present us today. AMEN
The reading for today in the Methodist prayer cycle comes from the story of Ruth. It’s when Ruth asks to gather the grain left behind to feed herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi. There couldn’t have been much to collect since the owner would have his own cutters and gleaners paid to gather it all in. Would it have been worth the effort for Ruth to seek out and collect the few handfuls left by others? If you follow the story, Ruth is rewarded for her stickability – she eventually marries the master and becomes grandmother to king David and ancestor to Jesus. It was very much worthwhile bothering over the small things!
Rev Geoffrey Clarke (URC East Midlands Moderator) commented on the “worthiness” of bothering with small things in his December Newsletter. When we are locked down – again – is it worth bothering with the little things like keeping a festive home or lighting a candle for prayer? Well, God bothered with this world of ours – so much so that his son took on our frailty and bothered with our small things: our sadnesses and sickness, our customs and the pain of our prejudices. In Epiphany tide, when we hear again the stories of God revealing himself in Jesus, may we be inspired to bother about the small things defining our humanity and demonstrating our love for each other.
Lord we lift to you today everyone we know who is besieged by life – people shielding and frustrated by a life confined; parents and children in need of resources, inspiration and a full measure of patience; people called upon to continue working in an increasingly dangerous world. May they enjoy your presence and know of our concern. In the name of Christ revealed we pray. AMEN
Lord we lift to you our Cornerstone Family, especially everyone working on ways to be a better church: Bible Study, Fellowship, Prayer and Worship. Help us stay connected, help us grow stronger, help us become a better reflection of you in the heart of our city. In the name of Christ revealed we pray. AMEN
Lord, we lift to you our elected leaders, landed with work totally alien to any they have known before. Give them wisdom to make good decisions, give them courage to make those decisions stick. Give them integrity to make and keep fair rules and give them hearts of justice burning with desire to end poverty and inequality in our land. May your loving hand guide them in the right way. In the name of Christ revealed we pray. AMEN
And now let us enter our daily round with a joyful heart and a welcome smile! AMEN!
Cheryl Montgomery
