Morning Prayer Friday, 4 June 2021

Welcome to yet another sunny dawn!
Welcome, friends and strangers to our morning prayer on this first Friday
of what has been, thus far, a beautiful, flaming June.

Receive my gratitude Lord for the beauty of this day and the unfolding promise of fresh vistas,
new thoughts, bright colours, good words and lively music to ignite my curiosity.
May I use all these wonderful resources today to mark your glory and echo your praise.
I pray in the light of your loyal love.

Amen

Let us begin with Psalm 138:

I will give you thanks with all my heart,
before the assembly I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your temple
and give thanks to your name
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.
When I cried out for help you answered me:
you made me bold and energised me.

Let all the kings of the earth give thanks to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.
Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds
for the Lord’s splendour is magnificent.

Though the Lord is exalted he looks after the lowly
and from far way humbles the proud.
Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,
you revive me.

You oppose my angry enemies
and your right hand delivers me.

How quickly the half-term has gone by when children could play in the park
and teenagers gather to chat – and to flirt – on the corner.
Our kitchen window looks out onto both
and I feel privileged to have watched a generation go from push chairs to bikes to work and college
and home again with children of their own, all observed with my hands in the sink!
This week has been so lovely it was easy to be an observer of the neighbourhood
rather than an enthusiastic participant.
When my list of jobs to be done goes fully to the bottom of the page
it would be easy to sit in the shade and just turn over the page, ignoring all but the most urgent.

Lord, you give me courage, make me bold, you energise me.
Fill my day with your strength that I may face my daily tasks with enthusiasm.
Give me energy to reach out in my neighbourhood to be a useful contributor to this community.
Be with me in my speech, that I may use it to embolden and uphold others.
Revive me as I reach the heat of the afternoon and when I pause for breath
help me to see the glory that is in your world today.
I pray in the light of your loyal love.

Amen

Over this past year of Friday morning prayers I have often shared the joy of tending the allotment.
This week we ate the last beans from the freezer and onions from the store.
The last potato was eaten at Easter just as we were planting anew.
The corn is in the ground and the pumpkins are sprouting. I will really need the Lord’s energy now! Kneeling, bending, weeding, cultivating – a good time to think on loyal love,
faith revived and delivery into safe sleep at the end of the day, comfortably tired.

Though exalted, Lord, you look after people brought low and answer their cries for help.
Look after Joy and Sue and Eric and Joan and Charlotte
and all we know through friendship and fellowship who need your right hand of deliverance.
Protect them as they walk through today.
Enliven their vision with the majesty of your beautiful world and give them joy in time’s passing.
Renew our commitment to supporting our common life.
Lord, cool and calm the angry enemies of ordered society
and help us preserve this fragile earth for the benefit of us all.
In the light of your loyal love we pray.

Amen

Let’s go out and enjoy the day as we carefully and safely venture beyond the kitchen window.

Blessings to everyone!

Cheryl Montgomery