Morning Prayer Friday, 26 February 2021

Good morning to all of you who come to Christ the Cornerstone for prayer as February draws to a close,
as the time of seclusion moves on in slow stages towards increasing community.

Let us begin with thanks to God who has brought us safely to the light of day,
beginning with words from Psalm 22.

You that fear the Lord, praise him;
hold him in honour all you descendants of Jacob.
Revere him all you descendants of Israel.

For he has not scorned the downtrodden
nor shrunk in loathing from his plight
but he has listened to his cry for help.

Let the humble eat and be satisfied!
Let those who seek the Lord praise him!
May you always be in good heart!

Psalm 22: 23,24 & 26

Protecting God, you have blessed us with a new day, new light, a fresh start to life.
Give us a spirit of quiet gratitude that we may reflect your light and hope
in all we do and say today.

Amen

We continue to live in protective custody,
unless, of course, you are involved in doing the protecting;
unless you are part of the army of poorly paid and disregarded,
part of the ‘scorned downtrodden’, now largely silent, whose days are spent in dangerous service.
‘Let the humble be satisfied’ is not said in irony but in command.
There is no one around to lift them up but we who have a voice to say,
‘cherish the helpers, the servers, the drivers, the bin men who struggle to cleanse our streets!’

We must treasure the nurses and carers,
the keyboard masters who strive to ensure everything we need
is in the right place in the right order at the right time.

It’s so easy to be small when in protective custody, deprived of fellowship
to worship and pray alone with only a candle for company.

But faith is passionate in outcome.
Trusting in our redemption compels us to do things with it,
to identify injustice and push for change.
To give the downtrodden hope today because heaven tomorrow is too far away.

We are compelled to action, to create a louder voice for change,
to increase the power of the powerless;
to say to people in power, ‘it’s time to give more care to the lowly who keep you there.’

God of grace, we pray for those we know in need of care through sickness in body or mind, through want of necessity or kindness, through continuous loneliness. Sustain them today with our prayer and your great care.

Amen

Loving God, we pray that the people whose work is to meet our needs may be kept safe today.
Touch the hearts of those they serve with an overflowing gratitude.
Inspire us to seek equity, dignity and respect for people
whose service is blighted by low pay, exploitation or simple neglect.
Fire us up today with a spirit of fierce faith
that we may seek out opportunity to support the humble to eat and be satisfied at the table of equity.
Give us and our fellowship the good heart needed to speak and act in unity, in unison,
to the benefit of those less able to ease their burdens.
Give us ingenuity to shape and create a better community where everyone can be able to praise you.

Amen

Friends, as our shackles of protection begin to rust away
let’s get going on the making of a fresh tomorrow for us all,
beginning with bringing the people who are confined to the shadows into the light.

Cheryl Montgomery