Previous Reflections

Gracious God, as the lockdown decreases, we acknowledge that there are  many people who are still unable to leave their homes and whose loneliness continues. There are many too whose feelings of loneliness are not eased, simply by stepping outside or being with other people. And so we lift them before You this morning Lord. May they be assured of Your love and Your presence with them. May Your Holy Spirit flood their hearts and their homes with the warmth and companionship that comes from being loved by You. Amen.

Gracious God, we pray especially this morning for parents who are under financial pressure and are concerned over the welfare of their children. We give thanks for the tireless work of Foodbanks, and other agencies, who have continued to ensure people are fed during these difficult times. As a society, may we ensure the protection of the most vulnerable in our communities, especially children and young people. We place all families into Your safekeeping and may each home feel the presence of Your love, Amen.

A prayer from ‘All we Can’ at the start of Refugee week.

God, Creator of all, For people who are displaced;  may they find a safe refuge.
For people who have lost control of their lives; may they know a sure foundation.
For people who live in fear; may they be given a strong fortress.
For people who are disillusioned; may they have hope in a future.
Loving Father, in times of crisis, sorrow and uncertainty; we ask that you draw near. Amen.

Photo – Syrian refugee children participate in an art mural drawing workshop  in northern Iraq. This project is implemented by AptArt through ACTED, funded by ECHO and UNICEF. Photo credit: AptArt/Samantha Robinson. 2014

Gracious God, we thank you for creating a world of ethnic diversity and yet too often we do not honour that diversity. We thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to preach a message of justice and equality for all people, and yet too often we fail to heed that message. Loving and forgiving God, we ask for forgiveness for the times when we have not allowed the voices of our brothers and sisters to be heard, for the times when we have failed to speak out and allowed prejudice to hurt and destroy the lives of others. God of Grace, we pray for all those whose lives are disadvantaged simply because of the colour of their skin. We come before you in the name of Jesus Christ who taught us to love, honour and respect all people equally, regardless of ethnicity, gender or social status.  May we as a Church, seek to bring restoration, justice, equality and healing into our communities, and may we commit to a vision of a world where ‘your kingdom come’, the coming of a Kingdom where the voices of all your people are heard. Amen.

Gracious God, as we begin to re-emerge from our homes, we remember the millions of people, here and across the world, who do not have a safe place to call home; people displaced from their homes due to war and conflict, or natural disasters, people who have lost their homes due to financial issues, people who have experienced breakdowns, conflict or abuse within the family home. Lord God, as the difficulties these people face are compounded by the current health situation, we pray that the voices of these people will be heard. We pray that all those in positions of authority will remember and respond to their plight, that charitable organisations will receive the support and funding they need to respond and that, as a Church community, we will do what we can to reach out to show Your love to our neighbours. God of compassion,  be with all those in need of Your love and assurance this day. Amen.

Gracious God, as we wake up to the falling of rain, for the first time in many days, we are reminded of Your living water that refreshes and renews our souls. And so today Lord, we pray for your sustained energy and resolve to continue to place our trust in You, to hold true to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As the deer pants for the water, our souls long to be close to You. May Your Holy Spirit fill us and sustain us in the day ahead. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Gracious God, as lockdown eases we acknowledge the anxiety and insecurity felt by many people this morning, particularly those who have been shielding, and for whom the opportunity to leave their homes is a very daunting prospect. May we as a community seek to support them through this time of transition. So too, we remember those young children, who will return to school for the first time this morning and walk into a school environment that is somewhat unfamiliar to them. We remember their teachers, endeavouring to reassure them and keep them safe and their parents making the decision whether or not to let their children return. We remember too the education authority and teachers in our local community,  still trying to discern when they feel will be the right time for their schools to reopen. And we acknowledge those who are continuing to nurture and educate the children of front line workers. God of love, we need Your assurance and Your strength to navigate through the days and weeks ahead. And we ask for wisdom for those in power as they steer us forward. As we celebrated the gift of Your Holy Spirit yesterday, on the day of Pentecost, we ask for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit across our nation, to guide and to comfort and to assure us of Your presence, in every home, every school, every workplace. Lord God, in You we place our trust. Amen

Reading: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4.7
Reflection: What would the world be like if everybody loved each other? Imagine that! Of course love is difficult because our human nature, although capable of great love, is imperfect. Our selfishness keeps getting in the way.
I think that the evidence that we actually know God is the fact that we have the ability to love everyone unconditionally. All the commandments are fulfilled in this, that we would love one another. That’s it. God is asking us to love one another in our words and in our deeds. It’s not necessarily easy, let’s be honest! It is only possible with the Father’s love, Christ’s example and the Spirit’s power. And God teaches us to love as we pray. To pray is to love.
Prayer: Loving God, help me to know you more. Through knowing you, may I show you more and love as you love. Please show your love to my  friends – through me and others who love you.

Love is lived out. Love is not just a declaration. It is commitment in action. That God feels love for us is absolutely amazing. It is humbling. God is always patient and kind with us, seeking to shape our lives by love.
One thing that God can really challenge us on is whether our Christian lives show something different, which is worth living for. If there’s nothing that looks particularly necessary or attractive about being a Christian, then what’s the point? What if we went out of our way to try to demonstrate God to as many people as we could, not just in our prayers but in our actions and in our praise? What if we were loving people, full of God’s goodness, joy and grace? People would notice: they might not call it ‘God’ at the time, but there would be something special about us – our relationship with God. The fruit of that relationship is a loving nature.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the way you love us. Please help me by the power of your Holy Spirit to love as you love, so that  people may come to know you.

For the next 11 days our prayers have been written by Thelma Commey, Methodist Youth President 2019/2020, for the global prayer initiative ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.

Reflection:
John 3.16 is one of the best-known verses in the Bible because it emphasises God’s love for everyone. Jesus didn’t just love those who are easy to love, he loved the people who hated him, who despised him; he loved the people that others looked down on. He didn’t just love some people – he loved the whole world.
This speaks about the action that God took to show us love – it shows us how love is an active word. God loved us so much that God sent Jesus for us. Not because of anything that we did, not because we deserved it; but because God is a loving God. God’s love is selfless and sacrificial and shows us what we are worth. If God can love anyone, the least we can do is to do the same.
Prayer:
Loving God, thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus, for me and for all people. Help me accept the love that you showed me in sending your Son. I pray for my  friends. Please open their hearts to your love. And teach me to love more truly. Amen

In Psalm 107:29  we read, ‘He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed’.
God of Peace, whatever our emotions this week, whatever high or lows we may have experienced, we come before You this morning and ask for Your peace. Help us to hear Your still, small voice speaking to us today assuring us of Your presence with us. So too, we ask for peace for our family, our friends and our neighbours in whatever situation they find themselves this day. May You calm our thoughts and fill our hearts with the knowledge of Your infinite Grace and Love. Amen.