Morning Prayer Wednesday, 23 September 2020
Morning Prayer
Good morning good Cornerstone friends and followers. I am enjoying a change of surroundings on the Suffolk coast, but have my phone to follow our daily prayers while away. However, I am told that the wi-fi connections where we are staying and in most of these parts of Suffolk are a little uncertain so I am posting this to the keepers of our web-site before last week-end. I hope it is not too off the mark by Wednesday morning.
By way of a change I have selected the lectionary reading from Isaiah, rather than a Psalm,
some verses from chapter 41
Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the people renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak, let us together draw near for judgement.
Who has roused a victor from the east, summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him, and tramples kings underfoot;
he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow.
He pursues them and passes on safely, scarcely touching the path with his feet.
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning?
I the Lord am first, and will be with the last.
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, ‘ You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’.
You shall seek those who contend with you but you shall not find them;
those who war against you shall be nothing at all.
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ’Do not fear, I will help you.
God, our deliverer, as you led our ancestors,
so lead us through the wilderness of this world,
that we may be saved through Christ our Lord. Amen
Matthew 18 verses 1 – 5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
‘Do not fear, I will help you.’ Is today’s message from Isaiah and the message from the gospel is that we have to ‘become like children’ to enter God’s kingdom. I take that to mean that we should be ‘humble before God’ and not tell Him what to do. It is a trap that I can easily fall for myself.
This prayer of Martin Luther seems to fit both of these strands
Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled.
My Lord, fill it.
I am weak in faith, strengthen me.
I am cold in love, warm me and make me fervent,
that my love may go out to my neighbour.
I am not strong and firm in faith;
at times I doubt and am unable to trust you.
O Lord, help me.
Strengthen my faith and trust in you. Amen
Let us pray for the church and particularly our ability to reach out to children and young people. Our Monday mothers and baby group is in suspense, but the nursery at Milton Keynes Christian Foundation ‘Childcare Pathways’ is operating every weekday. We pray that when this emergency is over Christ the Cornerstone will be able to renew its work with mums and toddlers and with young people on Sundays and with the youth choir.
God our Father,
you gave wisdom and insight to those who taught us
to fathom the depths of your love and to understand your design for the world you have made:
grant that by the help of the Holy Spirit the new generation of this time
may also come to a fuller knowledge of your purposes
revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ, our wisdom and our life. Amen
This is a significant week. It is the last Wednesday in 2020 when days will be longer than the nights. They will be roughly equal next week and thereafter we shall have longer nights. Oh yes! It’s that time of year. The colours of the trees are already changing and in our country the harvest of crops is proceeding fast so that these first shorter days can be used in ploughing and preparation for next year. Let us give thanks for the immense choice of food we enjoy and for wisdom to organise our economies so that we can continue to eat healthily while preserving the goodness of the earth and sharing its bounty with the rest of humanity more fairly.
Harvest by Lilian Cox
We dare not ask you bless our harvest feast
Till it is spread for poorest and for least.
We dare not bring our harvest gifts to you
Unless our hungry brothers share them too.
Not only at this time, Lord every day
Those whom you love are dying while we pray.
Teach us to do with less, and so to share
From our abundance more than we can spare.
Now with this harvest plenty round us piled
Show us the Christ in every starving child;
Speak, as you spoke of old in Galilee,
You feed or you refuse, not them but me.
Milton Keynes Food Bank is busier than ever and needs our support with contributions of food and/or funds.
My daughters taught me this prayer from the Girl Guide movement nearly 50 years ago
For food in a world where many walk in hunger,
For faith in a world where many walk in fear,
For friends in a world where many walk alone,
We give you humble thanks, O God. Amen
Proceed safely through your day good people, ‘do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God’ all through today and beyond.
(quotation from Micah chapter6 verse 8)
Don Head
