If You Stand For Nothing You Will Fall For Anything

By Lydia Preston 

A time has come
and it is now.
Will you take a stand
or bend your knee and bow?

Will you state your case?
Will you run this race
or turn in disgrace,
try to hide your face?

You’ve spoken the word,
and by many were heard.
Now what will you do
when it’s left up to you?

Will you act out your faith
in the midst of a trial?
Will you do what is right?
Will you put up a fight?

When you’re put at a cross-road,
what choice will you make?
Will you stand for the truth
for the Lord’s name sake?

Do what is right;
try not to lose sight.
make the right decision
amidst all the derision.

For when you’ve done all to stand,
take a hold of God’s hand.
he will lead you and guide you,
staying right there beside you.

Don’t try to please man
doing all that you can.
make time for the Lord;
you will reap a reward.

Be a blessing to others;
help your sisters and brothers.
Care for those in need.
Help multiply their seed.

Be gracious and faithful.
Be fair and be true,
looking not unto others.
Let the change come through you.

Good morning and welcome to Morning Prayer

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.

Amen.

Breathe in

Breathe out

Be still…

Spirit of Truth
who reveals to us the things of God
we praise your name.
Spirit of Wisdom
who inspires the words we ought to speak
we praise your name.
Spirit of Power
who grants the courage we need to act
we praise your name.
Spirit of Love
who knows our nature and loves us still
we praise your name.

Amen

Presence

Dear Jesus, as I call on you today
I realise that I often come asking for favours.
Today I’d like just to be in your presence.
Let my heart respond to Your Love.

Freedom

Lord, grant me the grace to be free from the excesses of this life.
Let me not get caught up with the desire for wealth.
Keep my heart and mind free to love and serve you.

Consciousness

In the presence of my loving Creator,
I look honestly at my feelings over the last day,
the highs, the lows and the level ground.
Can I see where the Lord has been present?

THE WORD OF GOD

Psalm 28:7–8  

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Isaiah 43:2  

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us
for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen;
for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

WORDS OF WISDOM

This capacity of waking up, of being aware of what is going on in your feelings,
in your body, in your perceptions, in the world, is called Buddha nature,
the capacity of understanding and loving. . . . It is with our capacity of smiling,
breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.
Many of us worry about the world situation.
We don’t know when the bombs will explode.

We feel that we are on the edge of time.
As individuals, we feel helpless, despairing.
The situation is so dangerous, injustice is so widespread, the danger is so close.
In this kind of situation, if we panic, things will only become worse.
We need to remain calm, to see clearly.
Meditation is to be aware, and to try to help.

I like to use the example of a small boat crossing the Gulf of Siam.
In Vietnam, there are many people, called boat people,
who leave the country in small boats.
Often the boats are caught in rough seas or storms,
the people may panic, and boats can sink.
But if even one person aboard can remain calm,
lucid, knowing what to do and what not to do, he or she can help the boat survive.

His or her expression—face, voice—communicates clarity and calmness,
and people have trust in that person.
They will listen to what he or she says.
One such person can save the lives of many.
Our world is something like a small boat.
Compared with the cosmos, our planet is a very small boat.

We are about to panic because our situation is no better
than the situation of the small boat in the sea. . . .
Humankind has become a very dangerous species.
We need people who can sit still and be able to smile, who can walk peacefully.
We need people like that in order to save us.
Mahayana Buddhism says that you are that person. . . .

The root-word “budh” means to wake up, to know, to understand.
A person who wakes up and understands is called a Buddha. It is as simple as that.
The capacity to wake up, to understand, and to love is called Buddha nature. [Christians would call this Christ nature, the Christ self, or the mind of Christ.] . . .
When you understand, you cannot help but love. . . .

To develop understanding, you have to practice looking at all living
beings with the eyes of compassion.
When you understand, you love.
And when you love, you naturally act in a way
that can relieve the suffering of people.

Fr Richard Rohr

PRAYERS AND INTERCESSIONS

We pray for the world…

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for the universal church of Christ…

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for one another and all those known to us…

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

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Silence…

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May God the provider
of green pastures
and quiet waters
be the peace in our hearts today

May Jesus our guide
on mountain top
and valley deep
be the hope in our hearts today

May the Spirit of truth
and knowledge
comforter and friend
be the strength in our hearts today

Amen

THE BLESSING

May the beauty of God
be reflected in your eyes,
the love of God
be reflected in your hands,
the wisdom of God
be reflected in your words,
and the knowledge of God
flow from your heart,
that all might see,
and seeing,  believe

Amen

Thank you for join us. Have a wonderful day!

Revd. Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga