International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland
Many years ago I spent an hour or so meditating on a short phrase from God’s word to his people as recorded in Jeremiah 31:3:
As I reflected on my life in relation to these words I was humbled and amazed. Truly, God had loved me, and protected and guided me. Also – maybe especially – in the dark times.
Meditating on these words will do you good too, I’m sure.
From the blog
Show me the way
Theme: Good news [prayer sheet]
Balm to heal the world
Blessèd be God, the only God,
three Persons in one eternity of love:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd be God, the lover of humankind,
our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd be God, the Fount of human love,
by whom all our common life is made fruitful:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd be God for all that He is:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd be God for all that He has done:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd in the fellowship of His Church
and blessèd amid the celestial host:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd by the chorus of all people,
and blessèd by the whisper of each single soul:
Blessèd be God.
Blessèd from everlasting,
blessèd now, and blessed for ever.
Blessèd be God.
Ancient ‘Agape’ Liturgy,
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #198
From the blog
Blessed assurance
Balm to heal the world
In the school of prayer with Brother Lawrence
From the blog
King of saints
I hear you
Evening prayer #2
Searching the Scriptures for a reference to “deep”, I stumbled on Daniel 2 and Daniel’s prayer after God gifted him with knowledge and wisdom and revealed to him “deep and hidden things” that saved many lives and brought God glory.
During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.”
May God give you knowledge and wisdom regarding the “deep and hidden things” you face, and may we all be faithful in following Paul’s “urgent” advice in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:
“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
From the blog
Stand still for a moment
Consider this
Small talk
Lord God, the source of all good things,
we pause in your presence and hold our day before you.
Still us, calm us, guide us as we enter this day.
~ posted on Third Space.
From the blog
More to come
Open ending
3 Prayers while waiting
We need off time.
We need thinking time.
We need slower time.
We need bored time.
We need mind wandering time.
We need time without the doing.
That time isn’t just a pause, or a break,
it is also the way onto whatever lies ahead.
by Anne Brones, from creativefuel.substack.com
From the blog
Theme for July 2020: Time
Open ending
Amazing to consider
“Prayer is not only a matter of saying the right sort of words to the right kind of God. Our being is involved, the way we are.”
by Eugene Peterson,
from Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer, p. 24
inspired by Psalm 1
King of all the earth,
Creator of the universe,
Holy Triune God,
from everlasting to everlasting,
you are Lord.
Your law brings life, O Lord,
and we meditate on it day and night;
Happy are we when we walk in your ways, O Lord.
You are a rich stream of living waters,
and we would immerse ourselves in you;
Happy are we when we walk in your ways, O Lord.
You bring forth fruit in due season
and establish the work of our hands;
Happy are we when we walk in your ways, O Lord.
Who is like our God,
the One whose ways are full of life?
Happy are we when we walk in your ways, O Lord.
This is our God, the Holy One.
Come before him with thanksgiving
and offer him the sacrifice of praise.
from Oratio Contemplativa, posted on re:worship
From the blog
In the school of prayer with Eugene Peterson
Lament
Continually curious
If your gift is prophesying,
then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving,
then serve;
if it is teaching,
then teach;
if it is to encourage,
then give encouragement;
if it is giving,
then give generously;
if it is to lead,
do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy,
do it cheerfully.
God you have given each of us many gifts,
but sometimes we cannot recognize
what gift we have to share,
so we hide it under a bushel.
God you remind us that all gifts are needed,
but sometimes we let ourselves be convinced
that some gifts are more special than others.
God you call us to work, to live, to love together as parts of one body,
but sometimes we decide that membership in the body
is limited by our understandings.
God, for the times we have ignored or mislabeled Your gifts,
for those times we have cut another off from the body,
We offer words of repentance,
we ask for forgiveness and grace.
… time of silent prayer …
God is the giver of MANY gifts.
God is the Creator of the ONE body.
God is slow to anger and quick to forgive.
God helps us to share and honour the gifts of all,
God helps us to heal the wounds and reunite the body.
We are forgiven, loved, and accepted.
Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Amen
~ by Rev Gord, posted on re:worship
From the blog
Open the door, open the window
We are a body
Circle me, Lord
View from Casa la Salle, Rome
from Papua New Guinea
Lord Jesus Christ,
you told the women of Jerusalem not to weep for you
but to weep for themselves.
Be with women who suffer violence in their homes
as they weep for their sons caught up in the violence.
Be with women and children trapped in prostitution and poverty.
Be with the women who live in domestic violence,
who have learnt not to weep for their own pains,
who have suffered so long they are numb.
Strengthen your Church in its care and support of all who are in pain.
Help us all to be sensitive and caring,
for you are the Lord who suffers and serves.
from A Procession of Prayers: Meditations and Prayers from Around the World by John Carden, p. 243
From the blog
I hear you
Roadside assistance
Windows on Holy Week (series from 2017)
4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.
9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
inspired by John 2:1-11
Eternal God of the ages, we would bow as empty vessels waiting to be filled but our minds and souls are busy with many things which impede our being filled by you. We become preoccupied with our worries.
Help us to divest ourselves of the cares and troubles which so daily beset us. Empty us of them now that we may be filled.
Empower us as we worship here and then enable us to impact your world for Jesus. Change the stagnant water of our lives to wine and touch us as you touched those people in Cana.
Be with our men and women in harm’s way and all those touched by the tragedy of war. Give them strength for each day as daily they must live with terror.
Give to the leaders of our world the resolve to wage war not on people but on poverty, injustice, hunger, disease, and all manner of human suffering. Give them the vision to shape a new world where self-interest is tempered and corrected by love and compassion and a hunger for justice.
Give to all the world the gift of being filled with new wine and new vision.
Amen
~ written by Richard Einerson, and posted on re:worship
From the blog
Quiet near a little stream
St Patrick’s Breastplate embodied
In the school of prayer with Anselm