Prayer Column - May 2021

Only if...

The conditional ‘if’ is a big part of our lives:
· If you’re good all afternoon you can have an ice cream
· If you finish the marathon you’ll get a medal and a T-shirt

Effort is rewarded, but effort is essential to get the reward! Obvious, but not always popular: the naughty child screams for the ice cream anyway; levelling lobbies want everyone to get a prize, even for just starting.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that we rejoice in all the benefits that God promises, but sometimes tend to overlook the ‘if’ bits, such as in:
· (Jesus will) present us holy and blameless and above reproach before God, if indeed we continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that we have heard (Col 1:22-23).
· You are my friends if you do what I command you (Jn 15:14).

Sometimes the ‘if’ is implied, as in:
· The one who endures to the end will be saved (Mk 13:12-13).

The rewards of ‘enduring to the end’ are vast and glorious, but the Christian road is demanding and calls for serious commitment. However, remember that we are not alone: we have the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance anytime and always by prayer; we have each other for mutual encouragement as we all go through the mill; and we can be strengthened by praying for each other on the way.

Roy Lorrain-Smith

A prayer for each week

Dear Lord, I praise you for calling me to faith, but please help me now: I get tired, I get tempted. I need to sense your presence, urging me on. Amen.

Dear Lord, it all seemed so plain: I believed, and I promised to follow. But now it’s not so obvious. Many argue against – please convince me afresh. Amen.

Dear Lord, the world declares that I am wrong to believe all you did and all you taught. Please give me courage to hold my faith firm to the end. Amen.

Dear Lord, ‘Count the cost,’ you said, and now I see why! I do still believe, but I feel I’ve hit a brick wall. Please can you show me the way through. Amen.

Dear Lord, thank you so very much for others in the faith I know. I am so cheered by their example. Please help me to encourage others likewise. Amen.

Your own prayers

Comments

Christmas Day Worship 2021

Today is the day - Christmas! The central candle is lit. The waiting is over. The child is born. As we celebrate the Feast and Holy-Day of Christmas, with the Psalmist (Ps. 98:4-6) we proclaim: Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Prayer Let us pray: Generous God, even as we praise you for the good news of today, and seek to shout for joy at the coming of the Christ-child, we acknowledge Mary’s mix of pain and joy, both today and in the days to come. As we do so, we face our own emotions on this difficult and delightful day, and ask your help to live it well. Amen. Carol You might like to sing, or reflect on the words of Geoffrey Ainger’s hymn at StF 193/H&P 95, Born in the night, Mary’s child, a long way from your home; coming in need, Mary’s child, born in a borro...

Pastoral Letter - 9 December 2021

Dear friends We have been through a lot together over this last 18 months since the pandemic first started, as households, as communities and as the people of the church. At times we have struggled, but we have also recognised the support we can offer one another in times of adversity. When things have been far from normal, we have adapted in new ways to continue the life and mission of the church. In the face of great hurt and great need, we have found the value of faith and hope. Since the summer we have seen signs of hope in the re-opening of buildings and the re-starting of some of our church and community groups. However, recent news of a new variant of the virus has once again raised the level of concern. Clearly, the pandemic is not yet over. Consequently, as I am sure you are already aware, the government has decided that there is a need for greater restrictions to be in place once again - see detailed guidance dated 8th December. In the light of this, the Methodist Church...

Prayer Column - January 2022

The turn of the year As a new year approaches we tend to wonder what lies ahead, hoping always to shake off the past’s bad record and for something better to come, as if hoping could make it so. We wonder about next year because of course we don’t know what lies around the corner (however great the store of human knowledge, and however thorough our Googling). Search as we may, and it’s a royal honour to do so (Prov 25:2), some things are known only to God: times and seasons fixed by his authority are not for us to know (Acts 1:7), for the future is his. This is a time to remind ourselves of God’s omniscience: he does know (Rom 11:33). He knows the plans he has for us – plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11). And it’s time to remember also that God is not far-off and aloof, but a loving, heavenly Father who wants a close living relationship with each of us, day by day and breath by breath – he sent Jesus to bring us back to him. So ...

Bradford North Circuit

Search This Blog