Morning Prayer Wednesday, 30 September 2020

Good morning on this last day of September. It is Michaelmas, a church feast with a secular marking of the end of a quarter of the year and a traditional time for paying agricultural rents and preparing for winter. It feels a bit like winter after the warm weather we have had earlier in September.

As the deer longs for the water brooks,
so longs my soul for you, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God;
when shall I come before the presence of God?
My tears have been my bread
day and night,
While all day long they say to me,
‘Where is now your God?’
Now when I think on these things,
I pour out my soul:
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God.

Why are you full of heaviness, O my soul,
and why are you so disquieted within me?
O put your trust in God;
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42: 1–5

Come creator Spirit, source of life;
sustain us when our hearts are heavy and our wells have run dry,
for you are the Father’s gift, with him who is our living water,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

And just then some people were carrying a paralysed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’

Then some of the Scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’

But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is it easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and walk.”? But so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ – he then said to the paralytic – ‘Stand up, take your bed and go to your home,’ When the crowds saw it they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Matthew 9: 2–8

The healing of the paralysed man took place in our Lord’s ‘home town’ in Galilee. He could well have known the man and his carers. The Scribes were concerned that their social standing was being undermined by this ‘carpenter preacher’ who was not going to be bound by the rules created to keep the scribes in unfounded privilege; but the crowd got the point and praised God for the miracle. Was one of the crowd a tax collector called Matthew?

The next thing in this gospel is the account of Matthew being invited to join the disciples. It appears that Jesus was showing a way of life that people had not expected, including his choice of followers.

That gives hope to us ordinary people in the twenty-first century that we too can be empowered.

The psalm is a familiar one with a familiar message ‘O put your trust in God’, but it also has the question which comes to us when we are troubled: ‘Where is now your God?’

I came across this anonymous little verse a week or so ago entitled ‘I found all three.’

I sought my soul and the soul I could not see.
I sought my God and God eluded me.
I sought my brother and I found all three.

Let us pray this morning for the followers of Jesus in our world today.
Yesterday was the feast of St Michael and All Angels. This is an unusual day in that Michael is an archangel warrior, not a human person. He is the guardian of the church and instrumental in the defeat of Satan. Many churches established at this time of year are dedicated to St Michael, including Coventry Cathedral. Thinking of this reminds me of the work of peace bringing and reconciliation done in my lifetime from Coventry Cathedral. We are all called to be peacemakers if we claim to be children of God. St Michael helps us to defeat Satan. A good way to overcome evil is to lose ourselves in showing God’s love to others and not being bound up in our own concerns.

God, who in your mercy sent your Holy Spirit upon your church
in the burning fire of your love;
grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that,
always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service,
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

The world is in need of peacemakers and people of encouragement in these troubled times. Over a million people have been killed by this pandemic virus with few counties free of infection or danger. The prevailing mood is to look to others for blame and to feel that we are victims from one or another conspiracy. Let us pray that those people seeking peace will be heard and followed against the louder shouts of those who seek division so that the prevailing mood will change to one of togetherness.

We pray that God will lead us into a safer, fairer world where we can move more freely and associate with family and friends more closely. A world where we all seek to help those who are struggling and to care for the wonders of creation better than we have done in the past generations.

Eternal God, in whose perfect realm no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
and no strength known but the strength of love:
so guide and inspire the work of those who seek your kingdom
that your people may find their security in that love which casts out fear
and in the fellowship revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen

Having thought about today’s prayers I have in my mind the anthem by John Rutter based upon an ancient blessing with these words:

[The Church of England reserves the right to give blessings only to ordained priests. I am not one, so will say these words addressed to myself and will leave you to repeat them for yourselves and with John Rutter’s music in your mind, if you are familiar with it.]

Go forth into the world in peace, be of good courage, be of good courage. (repeat)
Hold fast that which is good, render to no one evil for evil.
Strengthen the faint hearted, support the weak,
help the afflicted,
honour all people rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost
be among you and remain with you for ever.

Amen
Numerous times to rising and falling notes of harmony]

Don Head