Daily Prayers Wednesday, 2 March 2022
Good morning, Cornerstone friends. We are now in Lent, a time to take a hard look at our lives.
Nature is now bursting into life with striving and energy so we must think about our growth as individuals and a community in the same way – striving energetically to grow.
Psalm 51 verses 1-5 and 10 -14
1 Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness;
according to the abundance of your compassion
blot out my offences.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my faults
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you only have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
5 So that you are justified in your sentence
and righteous in your judgement.
10 Turn your face from my sins
and blot out all my misdeeds.
11 Make me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
12 Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your holy spirit from me.
13 Give me again the joy of your salvation
and sustain me with your gracious spirit;
14 Then shall I teach your ways to the wicked
and sinners shall return to you.
Common Worship: Daily Prayer©
Take away, good Lord, the sin that corrupts us; give us the sorrow that heals and the joy that praises and restore by your grace your own image within us, that we may take our place among your people; in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
St Matthew chapter 6 verses 1-6 and 16- 21
“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
16 “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Treasures
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rustconsume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
RSV®
‘Make me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me.’ Is the message of the Psalm and that phrase has been a part of the daily liturgy for hundreds of years. A good thought for Lent too.
Chapters 5, 6 and 7 are referred to as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. It is the initial training given to the disciples after Our Lord had called them. This is teaching on fasting, praying and giving; all features of Lent which we will discover in our Lent Course.
(I have missed a bit out for the sake of brevity (verses 7 – 15). It is not because it is not important; it is the introduction to prayer that Our Lord gave his disciples; what we know as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, and that is a matter of more than one reflection on its own!)
Let us pray for the church throughout the world and particularly for the Christian church in Milton Keynes. We face big changes with the winding up of MK Mission Partnership and thoughts of making Christ the Cornerstone more of a focus for the whole city in an emerging wider inter-church and inter-faith background.
Heavenly Father, you have called us to be the Body of your Son Jesus Christ to continue his work of reconciliation and reveal you to the world; forgive us the sins which tear us apart; give us courage to overcome our fears and seek that unity which is your gift and will through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
What a difference can a week make! Our worst fears have materialised. Russian troops have invaded Ukraine, not an outcome wanted by the peoples of either country or the rest of the world. It will produce death and hardship for many in Ukraine and increase tensions and mobilisation of troops on either side of a new north south line across the continent dividing nations following a broadly democratic way of living from those under despotic governments. For the rest of the world it will limit freedom to trade and create increased prices of everyday needs such as food and energy.
God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all who fear tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort will draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war and peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all we pray for all your precious children at risk and fear, that you would protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cotterell
News of Ukraine eclipses from our news media all the other places where people are suffering from violence or lack of essentials for a peaceful and satisfying life. Let us pray for all who work for peace, justice, health and wellbeing of others.
Almighty God, you sent your Son into our world who chose the path of humbleness and service.
He prepared himself for by a time fasting in the wilderness before devoting his life to the poor and rejected and giving himself up for death upon a cross. We pray that you will prosper the work of those who seek to serve the suffering and rejected and as we begin our journey through Lent, help us to be among those who bring good news to the poor through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
May you all have a ‘Life on the Breadline’ time this Lent.
Don Head
