Daily Prayers Wednesday, 7 September 2022

Good morning Cornerstone friends.

Welcome back to our regular virtual gathering. Schools are returning and most people are now back home from their holidays. Let us join together for a short time.

Psalm 45 verses 11 to 17
(a psalm urging Israel to consider itself as a prince or as a princess to their father the King)

So shall the king have pleasure in your beauty; he is your lord, so do him honour.

The people of Tyre shall bring you gifts; the riches of the people shall seek your favour.

The king’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is embroidered cloth of gold.

She shall be brought to the king in raiment of needlework; after her the virgins that are her companions.

With joy and gladness shall they be brought and enter into the palaces of the king.

Instead of your fathers you shall have sons, whom you shall make princes over all the land.

I will make your name to be remembered through all generations;
therefore shall the peoples praise you for ever and ever.

Lord our God, bring your holy church as a bride with joy to the marriage feast of heaven,
and unite us with your anointed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(Common Worship Daily Prayer)

St Luke chapter 6 verses 20 -26

Then he (Jesus) looked up to his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you that are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you that are hungry now for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defile you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
But woe to you that are rich for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you that are full now for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

………………………………………………………………………..

Two readings with seemingly opposite messages. ‘You are children of God and will have the best of everything’ from the psalm and from the gospel; ‘Woe unto you if you are fully satisfied you will finish in despair’.
Like chapter 6 of St Matthew’s gospel this episode of teaching is part of training for the disciples at the start of their activities in Galilee. Scholars call the relevant chapters in Matthew the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. In Luke’s account it is not only disciples but many more who heard the discourse and Luke refers to ‘a level space’ so it is called the ‘Sermon on the Plain’. The two accounts clearly describe the same teaching and it is possible to find ‘a level place’ even up a mountain.
The message from both todays readings is however very consistent;

God is loving and merciful to those who are honest in their approach and seek forgiveness and we who wish to follow Jesus Christ must be loving and merciful not just to family and those we want to love but to others including those with whom our relationships are difficult.
Remember last Sunday’s message from Ernesto about letting go of family and another time when a lawyer who asked ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Jesus told a story about a Samaritan. The Jews felt Samaritans were outcasts and generally avoided any dealings with them.
We as Christians should be concentrating on the poor, the hungry, those worn down by problems they cannot handle and all those forgotten by everyone else.

Let us pray for the church.
It is not only a worshiping community. It has to be a serving community.
In Milton Keynes there is an ecumenical church community very active on weekdays;

Milton Keynes Christian Foundation.
Two of our congregation are trustees. It has some 30 paid staff and a team of volunteers as well.
It is highly ecological in its approach as well as theological and helps young people who have not done well at school by running different mini-business enterprises like the Urb Farm.
It is OfSTED rated as Good and valued by MK Council as a useful social asset.
It has 40-48 young people under instruction, many of them have difficulties arising from their home background such as poverty, lack of stability and guidance, even neglect.
There is a festival at the Urb Farm, Windsor Street Wolverton on Saturday from 11.00 to 2.00.
Information has been posted on our websites, do come on Saturday and find out more.

O God, you declare your almighty power most clearly in showing mercy and pity, giving your Son to be an example of your love; serving the poor, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and giving honour to the outcast, grant us by through your Holy Spirit to follow his example in our dealings with those in need in our time that we may bring honour to your name and reach at last that unity with you that is your will 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 forever.
Amen.
(An amalgam of two prayers on C of E daily prayer website)

Let us pray for the world
There are devastating floods in Pakistan, continued war in Ukraine. The UK has a new prime minister selected by less than half a million citizens and a looming cost of living catastrophe.
In Milton Keynes the Food Bank is registering a 27% rise in demand from levels last year and food donations are down by 30% on last year. Unless donations increase the current level will only cover a little over half of the need!

Grant us Lord a vision of your world as you would have it, a world where peace is built on justice
and justice is guided by love.
May we know your compassion for all who suffer and your courage to challenge complacency.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen.
(C of E daily prayer website and via Rosemary Kearsey)

Schools are back for a new year. Here is a prayer (from the C of E Oxford Diocese website) for young people starting a new school. Share it with younger members of your family and pray it on behalf of all children who feel under pressure.

Loving God let me feel strong today as I meet new people and places.
Make me brave when I am worried, show me how to learn from everyone around me and
help me do my best.
Amen.

Have a satisfying day. I hope to see some of you on Saturday at the Festival.

Don Head