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.
Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent, but folly brings punishment to fools. (NIV)
Wisdom is a fountain of life to the wise, but trying to educate stupid people is a waste of time. (GNB)
Proverbs 16.22
Here’s a picture of a wall.
If I were to make a poster of this verse (at least, the Good News Bible version of it) then this would be the background.
If you have children, or you’re in a teaching profession, or have simply ever tried to explain something to an idiot, you’ll know the feeling. As a church minister of course, I never experience this…
We saw yesterday how speaking gently to someone is the way to give your advice / wisdom the best chance of being heard. However, there are some people – stupid people, as the GNB puts it – who simply don’t (or won’t) listen.
This proverb advises us that sometimes the wise thing is to give up and stop wasting time trying to tell someone something they don’t want to hear. A fountain of life is no use to someone who refuses to drink from it!
On the other hand, perhaps this proverb warns us that the ‘stupid person’ may well be me…
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:
Archdeacon Jenny
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: Church of England Birmingham
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.