Intercessions 20 May 2012

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, you promised through your Son, Jesus Christ, to hear us when we pray in faith.

We pray for ourselves, Your church: we long for a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit  that we may  grow in our experience of your love, forgiveness and healing.   Challenge our contentment to stay as we are; renew our vision of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ that, through our words and the way we live, others may be drawn to Him. Keep us ever mindful of the task Your Son has set us - to spread your Gospel of love throughout the world.

In the Shrivenham and Ashbury Benefice (Oxfordshire, UK), we pray for Richard, Edwin, Anne and all the Ministry Team.   We thank you that we can come to church openly and without fear; and we ask you to comfort and encourage Christians and those of other faiths in foreign lands who do not enjoy such luxury.

Strengthen all bishops, priests, deacons and lay workers in the service of Christ, that all who confess your name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.

We thank you, Father, that you have been pleased to bless us with Elizabeth our Queen, and Philip her loyal consort.  In this year of Jubilee, we pray that you will grant her your gifts of love and joy and peace as she continues in faithful obedience to you and in devoted service to all her people.

Give wisdom to all in authority. At this time of financial crisis we pray that you will guide the leaders of all nations to make wise and fair decisions.

Direct this and every nation in the ways of justice and of peace, that we may honour one another and seek the common good.

Father, give grace to us, our families and friends, and to all our neighbours, that we may serve Christ in one another, and love as he loves us.

Here in Shrivenham we thank you for all those who take so much trouble and give so much time and money to the churches and village organisations, and who help to make it such a pleasant place in which to live.   Guide us to seek out and bring happiness to neighbours who are lonely or unhappy.  

Abroad, we pray for the troubled people of Greece...Syria...Iran...Afghanistan...and wherever there is discord.   As the Olympic flame arrives we pray that the Games will be a time of community and sportsmanship and will lead to peace between nations.

Father, we pray for the sick - those who are ill in mind, body or spirit, that knowledge of Your love will comfort them; and that You will bless and encourage all who care for them.   We think particularly of  those whose sickness or disability is regarded as incurable.

In our village family we pray for ....... and others of whom we know.   Give them courage and hope in their troubles and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Hear us as we remember those who have died in the faith of Christ ....... and others known to us. According to your promises grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom.

In a moment of silence we bring our private joys and sorrows to you, our loving Father.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of  Mary & Joseph, Andrew and all your saints we commend ourselves and the whole creation to your unfailing love.

Riots

The Archbishop of Canterbury seems to blame us for the riots because we have let down those who felt the excitement of the call to riot.   But what about the Church?   Does not the Archbishop share the blame?  The Church exists solely to spread the Gospel of Love throughout the world - has it failed in England?  When we moved house 35-odd years ago, our first visitor was the Vicar.  He welcomed us to his Parish and hoped we would join his congregation but put no pressure on us.  I look at the pictures of the rioters and wonder into how many of their homes a priest has entered - to what extent do our priests and ministers reach out to the uncommitted?  Week after week I listen to wonderful sermons in church, but the priest is preaching to the converted - how does his words reach the outside world?  Visiting may be out of the question nowadays but the Christian message must be heard : surely it is the job of the Archbishop and his colleagues to devise the ways and means.

Trees

An addendum to 28 November: At Colin's funeral we suggested that, instead of spending money on flowers, people might like to make a donation in his memory to The Woodland Trust.   Subsequently we discovered amongst his papers a cutting of the poem "Woodland Burial" by Pam Ayres -


   Don’t lay me in some gloomy churchyard shaded by a wall
   Where the dust of ancient bones has spread a dryness over all,
   Lay me in some leafy loam where, sheltered from the cold
   Little seeds investigate and tender leaves unfold.
   There kindly and affectionately, plant a native tree
   To grow resplendent before God and hold some part of me.
   The roots will not disturb me as they wend their peaceful way
   To build the fine and bountiful, from closure and decay.
   To seek their small requirements so that when their work is done
   I’ll be tall and standing strongly in the beauty of the sun.


It seems that our suggestion would have met with our brother's whole-hearted approval!

Goodbyes

We've had a spate of funerals in the past three months - my brother Colin on 19th September, Cathy's mother-in-law Marian on 18th November (Colin's birthday!) and our friend from Kennington days, Bert Brown on 25th November.   Colin having professed himself to be a non-believer, his service was somewhat muted: conducted by Revd Talisker MacLeod from the church my sister Margaret attended for many years, she steered a delicate path between atheism and Christianity.   Some commented on her unusual Christian name but the history of the MacLeods shows it to be entirely appropriate.   Marian's was even less religious - no prayers except the Lord's Prayer, no priest but an "Independent Minister", who spoke very well about the way Marian had enriched the lives of so many people and will live on in our hearts.  Bert's was the most "orthodox", conducted by Deacon Beverley Miles.   Bert was a World War II veteran and two poems reflected this: at the start of the service -

"When you come to the end of a perfect day and you sit alone with your thoughts,
While the chimes ring out with a carol gay for the joys that the day has bought,
Do you think what the end of a perfect day  can mean to  tired heart ?
When the sun goes does with a flaming ray and the dear hearts have to part?
Well, this is the end of a perfect day, near the end of the journey, too,
But it leaves a thought that is big and strong with a wish that is kind and true.
For memory has painted this perfect day with colours that never fade,
And we find at the end of a perfect day the soul of a friend we’ve made."

And at the end .......

“Miss me, but let me go.......”

"When I come to the end of the road and the sun has set for me,
I want no tears in a gloom filled room - why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long, and not with your head bowed low,
Remember the love that we shared - miss me but let me go
For this is the journey we all must take and each must go alone
It’s all part of the Maker’s plan a step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart, go to the friends that we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good works - miss me, but let me go."

May they all rest in peace.

All Saints 2011

A lovely service on 30 October in a small, ancient country church seating about 75 - there were about 80 of us! How appropriate that it falls so near Remembrance Sunday - we all sang lustily "For all the Saints" which I always confuse with "O Valiant Hearts".
Next is All Souls - but I will not be praying FOR my loved ones, I will be asking them to pray for me, and to forgive all the opportunities I missed to demonstrate my love for them whilst they were still with us.   My brother Colin was my most recent loss: he was exactly a year and four days younger than me and we grew up almost as twins.   He was heartbroken when I had to leave him to go to school, so Mother had a word with the headmistress and he was allowed to start with me.   Later that first morning Mother heard a tapping at the front door and there was Colin - he had walked home from school, only about a quarter of a mile, no busy roads, but Mother was surprised to see him.   "What are you doing here?" she asked.   "I've finished" said Colin.   "What do you mean, 'finished'?"   "I've learnt everything" he said with confidence.   He was like that: he used to say - in fun of course - "If I had a fault, which I haven't, it would be modesty".   May they all rest in peace.

Intercessions (Bidding Prayers)

After age 80 I thought I'd "done my bit" so I withdrew into the shadows, but I was badgered into leading the prayers so eventually I agreed.   I thought I just had to read out what the Vicar had written - but, no - "It's your job to  write them".   Oh, my - what have I let myself in for?   In spite of war and public service I was almost voiceless the first time but I'm getting bolder.   In fact, the Vicar has to remind us that we're talking to Abba (Michael Wenham once addressed him as 'Daddy' to show the true relationship).   So last Sunday I prayed first for the Church - "We pray for ourselves, Father - your Church - keep us ever mindful of the task your Son has set us - to proclaim your Gospel of love throughout the world.   And as you have called us to your service, make us worthy of that calling."   And so it went on, to "current affairs" - Norway was much in mind but I wanted to convey to Our Father that it wasn't His fault.  "Abroad, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Norway: we know,  Father, that you have taken into Your loving arms those who have died in that terrible man-made disaster; please comfort those who mourn, heal those who are sick or in any way distressed and bless those who care for them."   It amazes me how calm I feel AFTERWARDS!

The Church Militant here on Earth

I tend to think of the "Daily Telegraph" as the "Daily Catholic Herald" because they are so Papist in their views - which, I suppose, is why they don't publish my letters unless I am praising the Pope!   So here's the latest one:      
"I can assure "Anglican leaders" that the Church of England will NOT be dead in 20 years (Article, July 13): we have Christ's own promise; hopefully, though, many of those "Anglican leaders" will be - and we might then have younger, more dynamic bishops (including women) who will fight tenaciously for the Church Militant here on Earth."

I think of the pathetic way the Archbishop of Canterbury appeared on a platform with the Archbishop of Westminster and did not point out that, just at the Church of Rome welcomes Anglicans, so the Church of England welcomes EVERYBODY.   Now I feel better.