Saturday - Centering Prayer

Centring for Prayer.   Often we rush into prayer because we have a list of people we need to bring to God in prayer.    But prayer should never be rushed.   Today,  we will be making time to centre ourselves and to slow our prayers down.

Sit in a comfortable place.    Breath in and breath out.  Focus on your breathing.    Think of each breath as bringing in God’s love when you breath in.   Think of each breath as expelling God’s peace when you breath out.   

Focus upon your breathing for a few minutes.    Breath in God’s  love.   Breath out God’s peace.

Before you begin praying,  think back over last week and ask yourself the following questions: 

*What was one thing that was a great joy in your life. 

*What was one thing you wish you could do over again (either to correct or enjoy)

*What was one thing you wished you could have done

*What is one church or charity organization that needs prayer

*What is one area of the world that needs prayer

Begin a time of prayer…. pray slowly and concentrate on your breathing after each prayer sentence…..

Holy God,  Holy Mighty,  Holy Immortal One  thank You that You are love and share Your love with us through Your Son,  Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Lord Jesus Christ,  this past week,  my one great joy in my life was………..

Lord,  hear my prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ,  this past week,  one thing I wish I could do over again is…….

Lord,  hear my prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ,  this past week,  the one thing that I wished I could have accomplished for You is……..

Lord,  hear my prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ,  I bring before You  (church or charity)……..   Uplift them in the work that they do in Your name.

Lord, hear my prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ,  I bring before You  this area of the world that needs prayer……..

Lord, hear my prayer.

Great God,  grant my requests and petitions knowing that in all things may Your will be done.     Great God of love,   I give You thanks and praise that I can be Your hands and Your voice and Your feet in this world.    In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Sabbath Sunday

Here in Brandon,  it is raining.    We certainly need these spring rains as the earth is extremely
dry.   But we can't ask for too much rain or our Assiniboine River will flood again.    Not enough rain,  too much rain is rather like our Christian journey.    Sometimes we are enthused and renewed by our daily life (just right amount of rain)  and sometimes we are drained by our daily life (Too much or too little amount of rain).     Yet it all leads back to prayer.  It is in prayer and the reading of the Bible that we are sustained in times of too much and times of too little.  

These past fews weeks,  I have been listening and reading about Ministers and Elders who are finding this season a huge burden.   The Ministers and Elders are understanding that their responsibilities are too great and the frustration levels are huge... and,  of course, there is never any money to do anything to build up the Church.   

When Ministers and Elders get to this stage of frustration,  it is time to meet together over food and pray.  Yup,  pray.   Prayers of forgiveness,  Prayers of burdens,  Prayers of Adoration, Prayers of Intercession,    Prayers of Thanksgiving.    Go for a walk together and then gather to pray some more.    Eat together and then pray some more. 

Prayer is healing and cleansing.  Praying together creates enthusiasm beyond that which we know.

This day may we who can either attend worship or are sick at home but still worship from our rocking chairs,  keep our Ministers and Elders in our prayers.   Through our prayers,  may we help to lift their burdens and provide them with the spring rains of new life and new enthusiasm to share the love of Christ with others.    But in everything may God's will be done.

Prayer.....
Redeeming God,  help us to open our hearts to Your Word.  As the cooling spring rains brings about new life and new growth, help our Ministers and Elders to see this season as a time of newness in Your sight.     Open our ears to the cries of Your people so that we can respond with Your love.  Open our hearts to the love that You give to us all.   This we ask in Jesus’  name.  Amen.

Saturday - Lent 1

Aaaah,  Prearatory Saturday.   And this day will be more than preparing for the Sabbath in just prayer.... I am playing the piano at St. Andrew's  tomorrow so there will be a lot of piano playing in this household today.   But our next wall neighbours don't get up on a Saturday until after 1pm and we like to have happy neighbours so I won't start practicing until after 1pm.     Thank goodness I've been practicing all week :)  And praying like mad that these old arthritic fingers can play praises to God!

Boy,  practicing for worship takes me all the way back to Coquitlam Presbyerian Church when I was 12 years old and the Sunday School Superintendant asked me to play for the Sunday School.  That alone was cool!  What an awesome Superintendant to recognize the importance of involving all ages in the Church.  Then to be asked to play for Sunday services when the Organist was away was even  super cooler.  Reflecting back upon Coquitlam Presbyterian Church,  I am so greatful that they did ask a 12 year old to be involved with the learnin' and prayin' of the Church.   Good on them!!!

  Today,  reflect upon who is asked in your congregation to be involved with leading Worship.   Does your congregation use the "old faithfuls" and not involve others?  Time to pray and seek change!  After all,  Lent is a time to seek changes in our lives so that the love of God will shine through clearer.

LORD,  we pray You to continually inspire Your Church universal with the Spirit of truth, unity,  and peace.   Give Your grace to all Ministers, Elders, and Lay Preachers that by their life and their faith they may show forth Your Word of Truth and celebrate You this day in love and in joy.       Please remember this day  Knox Winnipegosis and St. Andrew’s  Geraldton as they seek out Summer Student Ministers.     Give Your grace to all Your people as we  meet together in Your presence.  May we hear and receive Your Word with purity of heart and true obedience, to serve You all the days of our life.  Amen.

Thursday Retreat

As each day comes into being,   there is a newness and freshness to the day.  Let your day be a day to listen for God's voice in the stillness and busy-ness of your lives. 

The prayer today comes from Father (Ted) Simeon,  God bless his soul.   When our Old Son was very very young,  he couldn't say Father Ted but could say Fa Ted.    After that in our family,  Father Simeon became known as Fa Ted.    Fa Ted had a call by God to create a society for Clergy and Lay people to gather together for times of prayer and meditation but not to take oneself totally out of "the world" but to pray and meditation in our ordinary lives and throughout our ordinary days.  Thus the Western Society of the Common Life was born.  The Society was an ecumenical society.  In October 2012,  Fa Ted was called to Heaven.  Each of us never know the impact we have - make upon others.   Reading the obituary comments,  Fa Ted had a huge impact upon the lives of others.  Including our lives!  Through his music,  and prayers, Iconography,  meditations, and delightful sense of humour,   and listening,  and often just being there for people... people saw the love of God shine through Fa Ted.      So too this day the light of God shines through us. 

Prayer:    Lord Jesus Christ, son of God,  let Your healing flow down upon me.  Lord Jesus Christ, son of God,  let Your healing spring up within me.  Lord Jesus Christ, son of God.  let Your healing love enfold me.  Amen.    (Father Simeon,  Society of Common Life).

Read:  St. Matthew 5: 17 – 20

These verses are a response to Jesus’ use of the word “salt” and “light”.  Now Jesus begins to teach the disciples (and us!) how to become salt and light.  Jesus begins to teach what we need to believe in order to fully give glory to God.

Jesus teaches the disciples (and us!) that he did not come to toss the Law out,  but to fulfill the Law.. to make the rules and guidelines into worship of God.  The Law was given to the Israelites so they knew what they believed and had a moral compass to guide them on their journey.     Jesus is the fulfilment of this Law.  Jesus becomes our moral compass to guide us to God.  

Prayer:   Lord Jesus Christ,  Son of God,  You are our moral compass.   Point us in the direction of Your Father’s love.   Point us in the direction You would have us walk this day in carrying the Good News to others.   This we ask in Your name.  Amen.