Skip to main content

Prayer Column - December 2021

Image
By

Is it tomorrow yet?

Advent, and the church calendar countdown to Christmas 2021 is on. Some say, with a knowing tolerance, “Christmas is for the children”, ie, let them enjoy it while they still believe. And certainly childish excitement mounts as decorations appear in shops and streets and homes, and the air is filled with carols and stories about baby Jesus, donkeys, stables, innkeepers, angels and shepherds. A wonderland, crowned on the day by family gatherings, stockings and presents under the tree. Waiting!

But Jesus said emphatically that we can only enter the kingdom of God if we receive it like a child (Lk 18:17), so Christmas really is for the children. We adults have to abandon superior attitudes and enter afresh the world of wonder with childlike eyes: accepting the Bible stories as true. God really did come to earth as a baby, born of Mary, cared for by Joseph, long-foretold by the prophets of old. And we are right to celebrate, marvelling at all God does, and looking forward in trust to the new world he promises when Jesus comes again to complete his saving work.

But how can we ready ourselves, when we can’t know when it will be? Answer: by active anticipation. There is to be new life then: so live it out now – with Christian virtues of love, joy, peace, self-control and all the rest. There is to be universal harmony: so strive for inner integrity, with truth as our guide. Practice makes perfect, and we’re not there yet: so draw close to God and simply ask for the help we need, accepting with childlike open hearts and hands all the rich gifts he so generously gives.

Roy Lorrain-Smith

A prayer for each week

Father God, thank you for Christmas and Jesus, and thank you also for the written records. Please help us take it all in, and celebrate as we should. Amen.

Saving God, loving the world too much to leave it alone but sending Jesus to the rescue. Please open us to his living word, doing what he tells us. Amen.

Mysterious God, doing what seems impossible to our earthbound eyes, please help us believe all you say, and let it affect the whole way we live. Amen.

Steadfast God, keeping your word however detailed and personal or even cosmic in scope, may we each trust and obey, and find happiness in Jesus. Amen.

Your own prayers

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

April 2014 Prayer Column

By
Prayer for Bradford City and Surrounds What are we all doing for our contribution for the p4b Lenten prayer, on your chosen day – Monday or Tuesday 14-15 th April ? Here are some ideas Get a picture of the place, or the bit that matters most to you: ·          Look at a map: see where you are, and your neighbouring areas ·          Collect some photos: places, faces, events, memories ·          Stand at a viewpoint over the area you want to focus on ·          Take a walk through the area, or a bus, or even drive Listen to what’s going on in the area: ·          Scan the T&A or freebie local paper, Look North, Calendar, radio ·          Listen to what they’re saying  at bus stops, shop queues, etc. ·  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

July 2014 Prayer Column

By
Prayer and trafficking In prayer (as in all discipleship) we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the ‘powers of darkness’ led by the devil (Eph 6:11-12).  He always deceives to destroy (John 8:44), and we can use this knowledge in our praying.  Take human trafficking, for example: Deception :  ●Riches are used as a lure, offering a better way of life (we’ve been similarly hoodwinked for a long time) but you can’t serve God and money (Mt 6:24).  ●There’s often corruption of officialdom by bribery.  ●Blatant lies are told to victims, and probably to ‘customers’ – ●who’re duped to  see sex as a god of satisfaction, ●and who’re obviously cheating on their wives, to whom they have made marriage vows.  Marriage is a gift of God, to be honoured (Gen 1:24; Mt 19:15; Heb 13:4).  ●You may be able to add other points. Destruction :  ●Prostitution is doing for money what should be done for love, and the commercialisation of sex ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Virtual worship - 15 November 2020

By
Service sheet (pdf) Welcome to our Service of worship this morning from the Bradford North Circuit. I am Ruth Kerr, a worship leader at Baildon, and today we are pleased to welcome the Chair of our Yorkshire West Methodist District, the Rev. Kerry Tankard who will be preaching on parable of the talents in Matthew’s gospel. As a scattered group we can nonetheless know that we meet together in spirit, to worship our God. In these extraordinary times we no doubt come today with a variety of emotions, fear, confusion, anxiety but we can be thankful that we have a God who is for us, who loves us and will not abandon us.  Reading Psalm 62, v. 1,2 and 5 – 8 .  Hymn Come people of the risen King, who delight to bring Him praise. Come people of the risen King, who delight to bring Him praise. Come all and tune your hearts to sing to the Morning Star of grace. ...
Post a Comment
Read more