Reflective Prayer

Used in the Chapel at Gladstone's Library - March 2020

Please copy and use as you wish, including acknowledgements

Wilderness

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
   the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
   and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
   the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
   the majesty of our God. 

                                                Isaiah 35.1-2

PRAYER OF PREPARATION[1]

God of peace, keep our minds
on what is true and commands respect,

what is just, pure and kind,

whatever is excellent and commendable.

Let these fill our hearts

and guide our actions in Jesus’ name.

KYRIE

            Kyrie eleison,

            Christe eleison.

            Kyrie eleison.

ABSOLUTION AND CONFESSION[2]

            God forgives you;

            Forgive others;

            Forgive yourself.

            In response to such grace let us confess our sins:

            We need your healing, merciful God:

            give us true repentance.

            Some sins are plain to us,

            some escape us,

            some we cannot face.

            Forgive us:

            set us free to hear your word to us;

            set us free to serve you. Amen.

PRAYER OF ADORATION[3]

Generous God,

When we travel in unfamiliar territory, remind us that:

Your word inspired the people of Israel to risk the wilderness.

Your word moved Miriam to dance in praise of you.

We adore you and worship you.

Your word led Moses to find life-saving water for his people.

Your Word became flesh and offers us life-giving water.

We adore you and worship you.

Help us to be attentive to your word,

faithful in worship, and generous in our living.

In Christ’s name. Amen.

THE WORD

The wilderness is a liminal place, a space away from the known and the understood. It is a space where things might change, new wisdom might be acquired and from where a new life might begin. The poem is based on Numbers 20, in which we learn that as well as being in the physical wilderness of Zin, the people of Israel are in the wilderness of mourning because Miriam has died. 

IN THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN[4]

In the wilderness of Zin

in the place called Kadesh,

you died Miriam and we grieved as we buried you.

Who will find the water to wash the grave soil from our hands?

Who will find the water to wash the pain from our hearts?

Who will find the water to keep us alive in this God-forsaken place?

Moses, with your laws and plans, 

what use are they if we die of thirst?

Moses, with your tablets of stone, 

will they feed us when our animals starve?

Moses, with your Yahweh yearning, 

take us back to the familiar old landscapes.

What kind of wake can we offer you Miriam?

A funeral feast needs grain, figs, grapes and pomegranates.

In Egypt we would have said a proper prayer and sent you off in style.

Aaron, talk to Moses, get him to see sense.

Aaron, we are frightened, we are losing hope.

Aaron, stop hiding in your grief and rescue your people.

You led us to the rock, unyielding granite, hard like Edom’s heart.

You led us to the glorious holiness of Yahweh, the one God.

You led us to living water, flowing over angry words, 

            smoothing them to caresses.

We splashed in the spring, revelled in the ripples and drank deeply of love.

We danced in the sparkling jewels that form of light glancing on water.

We remembered Miriam and, in our dancing, grief was cleansed of anger.

SILENCE

GOSPEL

Luke 4.1-14

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,

“Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him.”’

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and
“On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’

Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, 

“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ 

When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.  Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.

SILENCE

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION[5]

God, whose Spirit drives your people out 

from the comfortable, safe places;

guide us through each wilderness, 

every tough and lifeless landscape 

that would drain our energy and leave our souls parched.

We pray for those who travel through wildernesses of fear, loss and hate…

Help us to find places of refreshment, 

to wet our lips with your living water,
to drink deeply of your life-giving stream.

We pray for those who travel through wildernesses of poverty, disease and injustice…

Help us to travel with our eyes open, 

that we might glimpse your glory in unexpected places 

and your presence in unlikely people.

We pray for those who travel through wildernesses of isolation, prejudice and misunderstanding…

Help us to remain attentive, 

that we might see the wilderness as a place of beauty 

and sanctuary that will bring us, in the end, 

closer to the fullness of your grace.

In the name of the one tested in the wilderness. Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Abba, hallowed be your name;

Your kingdom come.

The bread of tomorrow, give us today.

Forgive us our debts, as we, here and now, forgive our debtors.

Do not let us succumb to temptation.

Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; 

I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. 

I feel the suffering of millions. 

And yet, when I look up at the sky, 

I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, 

that this cruelty too shall end, 

that peace and tranquility will return once more. 

Anne Frank

Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it began as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.

                                                                        Mary Oliver

BLESSING[6]

For glimpses of grace,
For shade in the wilderness,
For places of rest
We thank you, loving God.

In the arid places,
In the places of exposure,
In the heat of the day
We pray for your blessing.

Guide us in your way.
Amen

Cover Image:      Global Warming (detail), from ‘Six Acts of Uncreation’, 

in fused glass by Michaela Youngson.

---

[1] Philippians 4.8

[2] the church of the Province of New Zealand. The Liturgy of the Eucharist Genesis Publications. 1984. pg 50 (alt).

[3] Michaela Youngson, The Weaver, The Word and Wisdom, Epworth, 2008 (altered)

[4] ibid.

[5] ibid

[6] ibid

Visit to the Labour Party Conference

http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/prayer-is-a-revolutionary-act/

“Bring biscuits!”

This was one of the new Ten Commandments drawn up by Christians on the Left and launched at last week’s Labour Party conference.  These commandments, though light-hearted, were conceived as a way of helping Christians speak into often fractious constituency meetings, by encouraging people to disagree well, being quick to listen and slow to speak, showing hospitality by buying the first round, seeing the good in everyone and choosing love.

Delegates meet with Christians on the Left.

Church leaders from the Baptist Union, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church met with Louise Davies, Director of the group, to talk about the role of Christians in the party.  The Ten Commandments initiative has taken off within the Labour Party, being endorsed by Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and popular amongst party members, whether or not they are Christians.

This delegation of Church Leaders is part of an annual visit to the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative Party Conferences.  The group aims to affirm the calling of Christians in local or national politics and share concerns about our society and world.

As part of the delegation, leaders always participate in the prayer breakfasts at the Conferences.  At the Christians on the Left breakfast, Revd Michaela Youngson gave an inspiring reflection on prayer.  Prayer is a revolutionary act, she said, because it is a declaration that we believe change is possible, recognising that God’s heart is with the poor and oppressed.

Michaela reflected on her day at the Labour Conference, saying “It was encouraging to see the level of passion and engagement with issues, as well as the openness to the place of faith in public life with those we met.  The things that were at the top of their agenda are at the top of ours – even if we disagree with the ways of doing it.”

Church delegates with Janet Daby, MP.

The group discovered much to discuss – points of agreement as well as disagreement – in their conversations with Christian politicians during the course of the day.  Stephen Timms, MP for Newham, discussed the possible impact of Brexit on the poorest, along with gambling and Universal Credit.  Janet Daby MP, the newest MP, who was elected in Lewisham East in June of this year, spoke about establishing a foodbank and the importance of defending those caught up by the “hostile environment”.

Moderator of the URC General Assembly, Derek Estill, reflected on the value of the delegation, saying “meeting together like this demonstrated unity across our various denominations”.  Bala Gnanapragasam, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference concluded “What became clear in conversations and in prayers is that churches can play a full part in bringing about change for the better.  The challenge for us is to understand how to participate most effectively.”

You can read Michaela Youngson’s full reflection from the Labour Party Conference here: https://sacredwells.blogspot.com/2018/09/prayer-as-revolutionary-act.html 

Prayer as a revolutionary act

George Orwell wrote that “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” Those words ring truer today than when Orwell imagined a dystopian future as he wrote 1984 in the last months of the second world war. 

I think we could explore together what that might mean today but I want to consider a different idea. I wonder if we might say that ‘in a time of universal cynicism, prayer becomes a revolutionary act?’

Christians have at times been criticized for praying for a better world whilst doing little to bring about transformation. And sometimes we have despaired of knowing what to do other than pray in the face of complex systems that oppress the poor – systems of which know we are a part and which we find it impossible to extricate ourselves.

Pray seems like a last resort, all that is left to us, what else can we do? Like the disciples on the lake in a storm, we wait until the water is threatening to sink us before we turn to Christ in our fear and frustration.

Yet I want to argue that prayer is not such a small thing, it is not to be approached lightly and it should be the first port of call, not the last thing we try when all else has failed.

We might take inspiration from Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, the founders of Methodism. She knew that prayer was not a trivial matter,

"Enable me, O God, to collect and compose my thoughts before an immediate approach to Thee in prayer. May I be careful to have my mind in order when I take upon myself the honour to speak to the sovereign Lord of the universe."

Prayer is, of course, not just intercession and even intercession should not be a list of demands from some sort of Father Christmas who will grant our wishes if we behave well enough. To pray is to be intentionally present to God, as God is always present to us. It is to be open to the prompting of God’s Spirit in our hearts and minds, to be at one with the divine love at the heart of all creation – if that’s not revolutionary, I don’t know what is! 

Being in this meeting house {Quaker} we also remember that prayer need not involve words – rather a stilling of oneself, a mutual communication between creator and created; between beloved and lover; between the human and the divine.

Prayer is a revolutionary act because it is a declaration that we believe change is possible. I remember all those years when we prayed for the end of apartheid, for peace in Northern Ireland and for Nelson Mandela’s release. Who can say how many opinions were changed because of public prayer, year after year, reminding worshippers of the bigger context in which we practice our faith? How much did prayer contribute to the success of those campaigns? It’s not easy to measure but our prayers were part of the picture, a statement of belief about the kind of world we want to live in and our faith that God can work through us to make it possible.

Prayer is a revolutionary act because it declares that we are not merely individuals with our own views and needs but that we join in with a world-wide body, connected to each other and connected through God. I remember being in Russia some years ago. On the Sunday I went to a Methodist Church and felt very at home – not just because the notices were longer than the sermon! As I walked in someone was playing the tune of ‘One more step along the world I go’ on an out of tune piano and the flowers were in a vase made from an old plastic soft drink bottle. In the midst of the mundane and largely uninspiring, I found myself praying with people who spoke no English, as I spoke no Russian; and in that space we were connected. God heard all our prayers regardless of the words used. The following day I visited an Orthodox church, entering the building just as the choir sang, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus – holy, holy, holy and suddenly I was in the temple with Isaiah and the glory of God’s train filled the place and tears poured down my non-conformist cheeks as I was transported into the divine presence. The liturgy in that place had remained unchanged for hundreds of years and somehow managed to speak to my modern heart and connected me not just with Christians of this century but also with the people of God all the way back to the day the prophet received his call in God’s temple.

Prayer is a revolutionary act because it is an act of empathy. When the assumption of many world leaders and most of the media is that the spirit of the age is ‘everyone for themselves and let the devil take the hindmost’ – empathy is the opposite. It recognises the other, values the other’s needs and recognises that God’s heart is not with those who exploit the poor and vulnerable but that it is with those spoken of by Jesus in Luke 4. God longs to draw to our attention the poor, the captive, the blind and the oppressed. To pray is the starting point of proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour – prayer leads to jubilee. Prayer can be an act of solidarity, holding before God those who need support and in doing so reminding ourselves of our own need for prayer.

When we pray we really do need to listen more than we speak. As it says in the Epistle of James, be quick to listen and slow to speak – that is as meaningful in the context of prayer as it is in our human communications. When we listen to God, when we come close to God’s heart, we cannot fail to hear God’s longing for the wellbeing of the orphan, the widow, the refugee. If our hearts beat with the passion of God, then prayer can only lead to action.  When drawn into the heart of God we cannot fail to join in with God’s agenda of radical grace and transforming hope.

True prayer leads not to a sense of having done our bit but to a profound longing to transform the world, restoring it to the good creation which is God’s gift to the created.

Finally, I want to say that prayer is a revolutionary act because it is poetry. As a poet and a liturgist, I might be seen as a bit biased about this! Prayer is poetry in the face of a world where words are used as weapons or only have value if they help you pass exams in an education system of narrow curricula aimed at feeding more human material into a broken system. Poetry can be a decanting of human experience, capturing that which is too big or complex for us to understand or fully express, in a few words.

Prayer is a cry in the dark,

            a child’s longing for home,

            and a hollowed soul’s seeking of fulfilment.

Prayer is a two-fingered salute 

            to the hope-less cynicism of endless false promises

            and a bunting-waving celebration of love in action.

Prayer is a sacred space,

            found in the midst of the unholiest of battlegrounds
            and in the desolation of loss.

Prayer is a memory

            of long lost conversations with wise elders

            and an exuberance of youthful anticipation.

Prayer is a shared longing, 

a whispered dream

and an open conversation.

Prayer is a revolutionary act

            It is hope in despair

            And a grace-filled weaving of love’s intent.

May God bless us with the desire to pray, that we might better act, for the sake of all. Amen.

Michaela Youngson

September 2018 (Prayer Breakfast – Labour Party Conference)

Statement from Methodist leaders following the tram derailment in Croydon

It is with great sorrow and concern that we learned the news of the tram derailment in Croydon this morning. It seems unimaginable that people making a simple journey to work, or school or home have been hurt or killed in such a sudden and tragic way.

Local church leaders are ready to help in any way that they can and prayers will be offered in churches across Croydon and London in the days to come. Church members use the tram regularly because it is reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly and this is a very sad day for the whole community in Croydon.

The prayers and thoughts of Methodists in London are with the injured and with the families and friends of those who have died. We remember with thanks the emergency services and their tireless efforts to save life and to bring comfort.

The Revd Peter Clarke – Superintendent of the Croydon Circuit of the Methodist Church

The Revd Nigel Cowgill – Chair of the London District of the Methodist Church

The Revd Michaela Youngson – Chair of the London District of the Methodist Church