Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).
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Opening
Speak these words out loud:
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
is living in us;
he who raised Jesus from the dead will give us life
because of his Spirit who lives in us.
from Romans 8.11
Today’s Proverb
Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. (NIV)
Beauty in a woman without good judgement is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. (GNB)
Proverbs 11.22
I think this rather neatly shows that in some ways our culture’s values are completely back-to-front compared to the Bible.
Maybe you are a woman, looking disapprovingly at your face and figure in the mirror every day, or using insta-filters to make yourself look unnatural and ‘beautiful’. Or maybe you are a man comparing your growing COVID paunch to Chris Hemsworth (as I do – seriously, have you seen him?!).
Notice what the proverb does not say. It does not say that beauty is bad. It compares beauty to a gold ring – something precious, valuable.
God invented beauty. He takes pleasure in beautiful things. Sometimes beauty is outward – of course it is – but more often (and true) beauty is deeper than that, it comes from within. So often as we get older, our character – for good or bad – ends up being displayed on our faces.
Peter calls it ‘unfading beauty’:
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3.3-4 (NIV)
How would your life change if you spent more time on your ‘inner self’ than your ‘outward adornment’ or appearance?
Prayers
Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders.
Today we are praying for
Wayne, Claire & Jude Pinner-Rosenbach
Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.
Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves, and buy only what they need.
Church Family Prayer
Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.
Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6
May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.