Daily Prayers Friday, 26 November 2021

Welcome to our Friday prayer time.

We begin today with a reading from Isaiah, Isaiah 45, reading verses 5 to 8.

⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
⁷ I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.

⁸ ‘You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.

Isaiah 45:5-8

This Sunday is Advent Sunday.  During Advent, many churches have an Advent Ring and at Cornerstone we have often lit an Advent Candle on each of the Sundays of Advent. On the first Sunday of Advent, we traditionally light a candle of hope. Many people throughout the world are finding life difficult at present. I am sure we all have experience of the difference it makes when times are hard when we are sure that things will improve.

Christ gives us hope in our lives, enabling us to face all that life brings in the knowledge that we are not alone. And so, we can thank God for the gift of Christ and look forward to his coming again at Christmas with confidence and trust.

Loving God, as the nights get darker and the coronavirus still impacts and restricts the lives of many people in this country and around the world, we thank you for the light which Christ brings into our lives. We pray that, as we move into Advent, we may keep close to you, continuing to seek your guidance and trusting in your love and mercy.

We remember all those who cannot go about their daily activities as they would like to do. Keep them safe and give them hope and courage to face the future.

We pray for ourselves. We reflect on all that has passed during the last year and look forward to all that you will offer us in the year to come.  Help us to use this Advent season as an opportunity to prepare ourselves for Christmas – not the commercial Christmas, not even the celebrations we may be able to have with family or friends, but the Christmas which reminds us that Jesus came into the world and remains with us, to guide our thinking and our actions day by day.

Amen

And now, a voice from the very heart of Bethlehem – Revd Mitri Raheb, Lutheran Pastor, theologian and author:

One important insight into the coronavirus is that we are all in it together. There is no difference between a Chinese, and Italian, a Palestinian, a German, an Israeli or an American [we might add, someone from Britain].

The whole world is one big village. Some countries are better prepared than others, some people more aware than others, but at the end of the day we are all equal. Walls don’t work, borders don’t help. Only close cooperation to build a common future can make a difference.

So let’s make a difference and light a candle in the darkness….

I couldn’t find a choral version of the hymn below, but I hope you can put together the melody and the words for yourself, if you click on the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMIoFyk-SwY

1 Light a candle in a darkened place,
in its flame see hope on every face,
Christ our Saviour will be born,
heralding a brand-new dawn,
so let it burn.

2 In the darkness, see the coming light,
Word of God speaks through the darkest night,
keep a watch, the time is near,
time for hope and not for fear,
so let it burn.

3 Stepping through each page of history,
prophets contemplate this mystery,
celebrate the coming King,
words of joy and hope they bring,
so let it burn.

4 In the desert now the waiting’s done,
make things ready for your King, says John,
see, his glory is revealed,
and the hope for all is sealed,
so let it burn.

5 Mary found true favour with the Lord,
yet she trembled at his strange reward,
knew this was the special One,
hope for many through God’s Son,
so let it burn.

6 Do not fear, today I bring good cheer,
Jesus Christ the Saviour now is here,
God has lit his flame of love,
Through bis Son from heaven above.
So let it burn.

Rosemary Kearsey