Morning Prayer Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Good morning, Cornerstone people, on this spring morning.

Be joyful in God all the earth;
sing the glory of his name,
sing the glory of his praise.
Say to God, ’How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great strength
your enemies shall bow before you.’
All the earth shall worship you,
sing to you,
sing praise to your name.’

Come now and behold the works of God,
how wonderful he is in his dealings with humankind.
He turned the sea into dry land;
the river they passed through on foot,
there we rejoiced in him.
In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations;
let no rebel rise up against him.

Psalm 66: 1–6

How generous is your goodness, O God,
how great is your salvation, how faithful is your love;
help us to trust you in trial and praise you in deliverance;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me and anyone who comes to me I will not drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, but raise it up on the last day. This indeed is the will of my Father that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’

John 6:  35–40

Jesus here is not talking to his disciples but to a crowd who came because he had fed many people
and they were just looking for a spectacular event.
They were looking for bread and he said ‘I am the bread.’
There are some great claims in these verses and many who heard them were shocked by them
and joined those who worked to destroy him.
We too can find some of the claims our Lord are difficult to take in,
but we learnt from recent sermons that doubt can be a useful spur to faith.
That takes us back to last week’s message, ‘O taste and see that the Lord your God is gracious.’

‘All the earth shall worship you, O Lord.’ is the message of the psalm.
As we move about in our city and see the trees bursting into leaf,
we have such an affirmation of God’s love, in the creation of the natural world,
so that it is easier for us to make those leaps of faith and grow in our spiritual life.
On Sunday Ernesto talked about mindfulness as an aspect of open mindedness
so that we do not miss what God may be telling us through his care for creation
and how we should take his example.
The other aspect of the Easter message is how our Lord was ready to receive those who came to him
even after deserting him, denying him and doubting his resurrection.
We, for our part’ should be tolerant of one another
and seek to be loving, open and humble toward one another
within our ecumenical partnership and in our relations with the world.

Let us pray for the church:

The church on earth does not walk in silence or neutrality,
but she sings in a clear voice the song of victory and liberation.
A hymn that shakes the evil powers and pulls down all destructive schemes and ideologies.
A hymn that lifts up the oppressed, poor and despised people from the dust
and brings down the mighty from their thrones.
A hymn that calls the whole universe to Jesus Christ.

Zephania Kameeta, Namibia

Let us pray for guidance so that the church may find a voice to sing out as one
as we and the country come out of seclusion into the spring of new opportunities.

When I am down and helpless, when lies are reigning,
when fear and indifference are growing,
may your kingdom come.
Into our churches, into our praying, into our singing, may your kingdom come.
Into our hearts, into our hands, into our eyes, may your kingdom come.
Today.

Amen

Iona Prayer Book: A prayer from Chechnia

Let us pray for the world
The news media is full of stories of greed and selfishness,
of great numbers of people oppressed and suffering. It needs our prayers.

We share one gospel which effects reconciliation
between God and humankind, between nations and peoples.
Travelling as pilgrims on a journey that has already started
and which will lead we know not where,
we are pleased to place our trust in God in whose hands the future lies
and In order to proclaim the gospel by common witness
and service in the community and the world.

Covenant signed by the Church of Christ the Cornerstone: 16 September 1990

Let us pray that we will each live up to all that is in those words.

Lord of the morning, I awake to this new day with all of its possibilities,
its uncertainties, its many faces and its underlying mystery.
May I be able, in your strength, to move through this day free of anger or bitterness,
so that when I meet my neighbour or encounter a stranger, I may recognise your face.

Amen

Iona Prayer Book

O God, help me to rejoice in your revelation in nature.
May I recognise my interdependences on all life of our planet.
May I discover an earth filled with song and landscapes of beauty.
May the music of the mountains and rivers and the artistry of skies and seas
enter into my praise and thanksgiving to you, creator of all beauty.

Amen

Marcus Braybrooke

Don Head