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 take up the cross and follow Jesus,
whatever the cost.

from Luke 14.27-28

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 17.13

I don’t know if the Proverbs are collected in the order in which Solomon spoke them (I doubt it) – but if they were, he was obviously on a massive downer when he got to these! They might not make easy reading, but they contain important wisdom for us to listen to and learn from.

Like many things from other religions, there is a grain of truth in the concept of ‘karma’, at least in its pop culture sense: ‘what goes around comes around’. The grain of truth is that, by and large, the way we treat other people affects the way they treat us. We are a bit like mirrors… reflecting back the treatment we receive from others.

Although this Proverb states it negatively, Jesus states it positively: ‘In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you’ (Matthew 7.12, NIV).

I know that we are all sometimes (or often) treated badly, even cruelly. People are rude, unkind, hurtful, angry, bitter, resentful – but what if when someone treats us in this way, we act less like a mirror and more like a window: not reflecting it back but handing their pain to Jesus, and then letting his light and love and gentleness and compassion shine through us back to them.

It’s not easy, but the alternative is filling our houses and our lives pain and even evil. I don’t want that, and I’m fairly sure you don’t either.

The first step is to ask for God’s help. It’s only in his strength that we can turn ourselves from mirrors to windows. Then you may find it helpful to ask him help you identify which people and situations you find most difficult, so you can be prepared, and ask for extra grace to handle them.

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.