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:
As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
from 2 Samuel 22.31
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.
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. (NIV)
Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace. (GNB)
Proverbs 15.18
A couple of weeks ago we thought about the way we respond to anger in other people: at one end of the scale we might curl up into a ball and hope it goes away; at the other end we might become a rhino and CHARGE (!). How we respond often depends on the context as well, and who it is that’s angry with us. This proverb repeats the lesson: meeting conflict with a hot temper amplifies the conflict and makes it worse; meeting conflict with patience (not condescension – that makes it worse too!) calms the waters.
There are three stages to learning from teaching like this:
- Reading / listening to the proverb
- Reflecting on how it applies to you
- Changing your behaviour (appropriately) as a result
- (Secret number 4…!) Sharing the lesson with others
Where did you get on those stages? They come in that order deliberately – sometimes we are tempted to short-circuit the process and jump from 1 to 4, sharing the lesson with those we think need to hear it most… without stopping to apply it to ourselves.
If you managed to navigate those stages successfully – well done! but the learning doesn’t stop… time to go again ;-).
If you didn’t, today’s repeated proverb gives you an opportunity to listen, reflect, and change again. And, please try to avoid pointedly sharing the proverb with someone before you’ve learned from it yourself!
Prayers
Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.
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:
Marian Cox, Christine Farmer, Judith Walker
Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.
We also pray for: Youth Work – something new
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.
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.