Morning Prayer Wednesday, 31 March 2021
Good morning, Cornerstone friends on this Wednesday of Holy Week.
We have had our weeks of self-examination and preparation;
we now have three solemn days ahead to remember what our Lord suffered for us;
then the celebration of what he achieved in his time on Earth
and through his disciples in each generation since.
O God make speed to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion;
let them be turned back and disgraced who wish me evil.
Let those who mock and deride me
turn back because of their shame.
Let those who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation say always,
‘Great is the Lord.’
As for me, I am poor and needy;
come to me quickly, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord do not delay.
Psalm 70
O God our helper and defender, deliver us in our weakness,
answer our longings and vindicate our faith,
that we may see your glory in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Common Worship
A description of events at the Last Supper:
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’
The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples – the one whom Jesus loved – was next to him. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
He asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’
Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13: 21–26
The psalm begins with familiar words for those who are used to Morning Prayer
in the Book of Common Prayer.
‘O Lord make speed to help us.’ and the response ‘O Lord make haste to help us.’
I have cut the full gospel reading for this morning for brevity.
If you can, read from your own Bible through to verse 35.
It goes on to describe Jesus giving his disciples a ‘new commandment’: ‘Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this will everyone know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’
Let us pray for the church in those different parts of the world as well as our own.
Easter is a major part of the church’s liturgical year
and will be celebrated in many different climates,
in the southern hemisphere it is autumn, not spring
and neither is it the spring awakening we are thinking of in the tropics.
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross;
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility
and also be made partakers of his resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Let us pray for all people in those different parts of the world,
for their needs, for security and justice, for food and shelter,
for opportunity to learn and receive health care,
for economic stability and a meaningful stake in their society.
With faith, love and in union with Christ, let us offer our prayer before the throne of grace.
Have mercy on your people, for whom your Son laid down his life:
Bring healing and wholeness to people and nations, and have pity on those torn apart by division:
Strengthen all who are persecuted for your name’s sake and deliver them from evil:
Look in mercy on all who suffer, and hear those who cry out in pain and desolation:
Bring comfort to the dying, and gladden their hearts with the vision of your glory:
Give rest to the departed and bring them with your saints, to glory everlasting:
Let us commend the world for which Christ died, to the mercy and protection of God.
Amen
Common Worship
Don Head
