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:

Let us build with care,
building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

from 1 Corinthians 3.10-11

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.

Proverbs 15.28

‘Think before you speak.’ I’m not sure I could count the number of times my parents said that to me while I was growing up!

Interestingly though, ‘Shooting from the hip’ is often seen as a positive thing – despite the fact it’s a sure-fire way of missing your target (!). The reasoning is that answering quickly means you’re telling the truth, stating facts, because you haven’t had time to come up with a lie yet.

For me? I think my Mum is wiser than American Westerns.

Lying comes all too easily to us humans. Children do it all too easily – and quite naturally – and we only get better at it the older we get. ‘Shooting from the hip’, ‘Saying whatever comes into your head’ is fine… as long as what’s in your head is good instead of ‘evil’.

Now, I was not an ‘evil’ child. Most of the time. But neither was I ‘righteous’ – I was somewhere in between. This proverb is exaggerating to make a point; when the Bible talks about ‘evil people’ it’s not got Hitler in mind, but ‘people who sometimes do evil things’: who cause trouble, are selfish, ignore God, hurt other people, are greedy… and so on.

Are you quick to reply? I wonder what difference it would make to our relationships if we took a little breath before speaking, to consider what we say before we say it… instead of regretting it afterwards.

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:

Widdas Family (Mandy, Mark, Sam, Sophie)

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: Young Families (Ark is suspended)

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.