The days between Ascension Day and Pentecost are designated days of prayer for the building up of God's Kingdom. Below is a form of daily prayer to help you pray during the next few days.

Thy Kingdom Come

A global wave of daily prayer from

Ascension Day to Pentecost 21st - 31st May 2020

Send your Holy Spirit upon us, and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.

Blessed are you, creator God, to you be praise and glory for ever.

As your Spirit moved over the face of the waters bringing light and    

life to your creation,   pour out your Spirit on us today that we may walk as children of light and by your grace reveal your presence. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever. Amen

Psalm 103

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, •

  and all that is within me bless his holy name.

  2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, • and forget not all his benefits;

  3 Who forgives all your sins • and heals all your infirmities;

  4 Who redeems your life from the Pit •

  and crowns you with faithful love and compassion;

  5 Who satis es you with good things, •

  so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.

  6 The Lord executes righteousness •

  and judgement for all who are oppressed.

7 He made his ways known to Moses • and his works to the children of Israel.

8 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, • and his kingdom has dominion over all.

9 Bless the Lord, you angels of his, •

you mighty ones who do his bidding and hearken to the voice of his word.

10 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, • you ministers of his who do his will.

11 Bless the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion; •

bless the Lord, O my soul.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

Daily Readings

As you read the passages from the Gospels take time to ponder on the words and to listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say to you.

Thursday 21st May

Luke 1:26-35

Friday 22nd May

Matthew 2:13-18

Saturday 23rd May

John 6:1-15

Sunday 24th May

Matthew 8:23-27

Monday 25th May

John 12 :12-16

Tuesday 26th May

John13:1-17

Wednesday 27th May

Matthew 26:36-46

Thursday 28th May

John 20:11-18

Friday 29th May

Luke 24:13-35

Saturday 30th May

Luke 9.1–17

Pentecost Sunday 31st May

John 20:19-23

Pray for others

Praying for others to know Jesus is one of the most powerful evangelistic things we can do. Persistent prayer for others brings transformation to their lives. Consistently praying for others takes discipline, and there are many ways that we can build up habits that will help us to pray for our friends and family. Who do you wish to pray for? If you’re not sure who to pray for, ask God to guide you as you choose. Once you have decided, commit to praying for them regularly by praying the following words:

Loving Father, in the face of Jesus Christ your light and glory have blazed forth. Send your Holy Spirit that I may share with my friends (name your friends)  the life of your Son and your love for all. Strengthen me as a witness to that love as I pledge to pray for them, for your name’s sake. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will he done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come Holy Spirit,

Help me to wonder at God’s love,

to wait upon God’s word

and to act with compassion,

That God’s Kingdom might be on earth

as it is in heaven. Amen

Easter VI – Sunday 17th May 2020

0ur streets are not empty, they are filled with love

Ever since I heard these words spoken by The Queen in her message of stoicism and hope for a time of adversity on the 75th anniversary of VE Day, they have been going round and round my head.  I had not expected them. I had not thought of seeing things in this way. They opened up a new way of understanding things. Not unlike looking at a painting or a landscape for the first time.

For many, myself included, we are all trying to make some sense of the global pandemic. Its sudden  impact upon our life, our work, our social diaries, our gathering together on a Sunday to name but a few.

One of the things which has surprised me most is that I miss seeing peoples’ faces and expressions particularly some family members and friends who do not have the benefit of being able to access modern technology.  I have only the tone of their voice to go on when we speak.  I cannot at present go and see them wherever they are. I have however been introduced to “zoom” both for professional and social use and am becoming quite adept at using it.  Until now, I knew nothing about it.

For me, one of the highlights is Thursday evening at 8.0pm when we clap for the NHS and other key support workers. I look forward to stepping out into my front garden and seeing familiar faces. Of smiles, of laughter, of brief conversations. Of knowing that neighbours are still there and safe despite our streets being empty. In some strange way, however brief, we are reminded that we are not forgotten, not isolated, not alone. We are part of a living community. This has been evidenced by (One) talking to new neighbours over the back garden fence whilst cutting down some long overgrown bushes which prevented light from entering part of their garden and (Two) a work colleague kindly and unexpectedly offering to get me some online shopping on more than one occasion.

Today’s gospel (John 14: 15-21) includes the familiar words “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever”.

May we this week be people of love not only knowing that we are loved by God but by showing it in practical and even unexpected ways to neighbours (old and new) in the streets in which we live and among our families and friends.

“Our streets are not empty; they are filled with love”.

One of the various things I have been doing during 'lockdown' is re-decorating various bits of the Rectory. When I moved in 11 years ago I painted every room but never got round to re-painting the woodwork and doors in the hall, landing and upper corridor. Now they are all shining white and the decorating bug has bitten me so other bits of the house are getting a 'freshen up' as well. I had been meaning to re-painting tall that woodwork but I never seemed to get round to it. Lockdown removed all my excuses. Lockdown has also enabled me to sort out a particular desk drawer that I meant to do for the last 10 years, it took 10 minutes. Why did I leave it so long? Now I am looking at my study bookshelves.

The priest-poet and Church Times contributor Malcom Guite recently wrote:

"One advantage of the present confinement is that it has given me the time, and occasionally, the inclination to start re-shelving the many random piles of books in my study - or at least to begin that Herculean task."                                        

That is where I am at today and I am encouraged by his words that follow that paragraph;

"To be honest, I have not got very far with it..."

Guite goes on to state that it is all too easy to get distracted by what one ought to be doing by the things that capture one's eye or imagination. In his case a folio edition of the 'Rubaáiyát of Omar Khayyám' in my case pottering in the garden and enjoying the sunshine. 

How easy it is to NOT do the things one really should be getting on with and to let other things distract one. I think, we can all be guilty of that sin, doing things we want to do rather than what we really should be doing. Sometimes it can be due; to excitement in finding something new or long forgotten again; or selfishness; or temptation; or whatever. We are all rather good at putting things on our to do lists repeatedly and not doing them. It can be like that in our relationship with God. We mean to spend more time in prayer but don't. We mean to put others needs before our own but we don't. We mean not to give into temptation but we don't. It is part of the human condition that we can never be as 'good' as we might want or wish to be but then we are human and not perfect.

I wonder if we were perfect, if we might get bored with ourselves and our lives? I know for myself that it is the opportunity I have to try and do better that spurs me on to try and be just that - something better than I am. What is important, I believe, is to know that one is not perfect and that one will always be guilty of leaving undone those things one 'ought not to have left undone'. When one knows and acts upon that knowledge of self-awareness one does I think come closer to doing the things one ought to do, rather than leaving them undone. It can at times be a bit of a losing battle but if one keeps on trying then in doing so we do I believe come closer to God. For it is in our trying to lead good lives that we come to know God better. 

Yet, occasionally it can be the thing that distracts one from the task in hand that can lead one to discover something new or enable one to draw closer to God or loved ones. Guite ended his piece in the Church Times by saying:

"So, this morning, instead of tidying, I sat and half-read, half-remembered, half-recited, the whole glorious poem, and felt afresh that note of gentle energy, that power to savour every delight, because you know it is passing, and I looked through my study window at the blossom-laden boughs of this strange spring and closed that lovely little book still chanting..."

... and in the midst of it all was God. 

 

Christian Aid Week: May 10^th – 16^th 2020

Christian Aid week is not going ahead in its usual form this year.  The corona virus pandemic is BOTH preventing us from doing our usual fundraising AND greatly increasing the needs of the people in the poorest countries of the world for all the services provided by Christian Aid.

Your donations and support over the years have been greatly appreciated – Murrayfield Churches Together (MCT) has regularly given over £6,000 from the House-to-House collection, Joint MCT Service and Lunch.  Over the years these donations have enabled Christian Aid to work with their partner organisations in numerous developing countries to improve the lives of the globally most disadvantaged people.

The Christian Aid website states: ‘As this virus spreads across the world, love rises up in response.  You’ve already shown incredible kindness to your neighbours.   Now is the time to reach out to your neighbours both near and far.

Your love protects.  From storms, from drought, and now from coronavirus.  Your love protects our global neighbours battling the spread of this illness.  Your love protects.  With soap, clean water and medical supplies.

By supporting us this Christian Aid Week, you can reach out and protect more of your neighbours today.’

There are several ways you can donate to support the work of Christian Aid.

1    Online. Go to caweek.org or click on the link below

https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christian-aid-week

2    By telephone:  Call 020 7523 2269

3    By text:  Text GIVE to 70040 to donate £5

4    By post:  Send a cheque (made payable to Christian Aid) to:  Christian Aid, 35 Lower Marsh, LONDON SE1 7RL.   Include your name, address, Post Code, and whether you would like to include Gift Aid.  Please note that cheques will take longer to process than usual because of changes to working arrangements caused by the corona virus lockdown.

The Murrayfield Churches Together Christian Aid committee are very grateful for all your support over the years, and hope that you will be happy to donate this year in a different way.  We also hope you will be happy to spread the word around to friends and people who have previously supported Christian Aid.  Please feel free to forward this email.

 

MCT Committee:  Liz Sudlow, Anne Ostrowski, Marjorie Guthrie, Christina Webster, Norma MacDonald, Lesley Webster, Judith Scott

The three ministers from Murrayfield Churches Together have put together a worship video for Christian Aid Sunday. It can be found on the Parish Church on Sunday 10th May website at:

https://www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk/video

If the link doesn't work go to the Parish Church website and click on the videos tab.