Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

By his power God raised Jesus from the dead,
and he will raise us also.

1 Corinthians 6.14 (NIV)

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 22.13

This is an interesting one, especially in our current situation. Having been in lockdown / strict tiers for most of the past 13 months, some of us are hesitant, even scared, of venturing out of our houses. As things reopen more and more over the coming months, it will feel strange, even weird, to start picking up and doing things we used to do without thinking only a year ago.

Our social circles have hugely diminished – I suspect limited primarily to family and close friends – certainly we’ve all been interacting with far fewer people than we used to (at least I hope we have as those interactions have been illegal for most of the past year!).

Being hesitant and wanting to stay at home is understandable, given the circumstances – especially if we have health risks. This Proverb is not saying that everyone who is hesitant about going out is lazy.

But what it is saying is that we need to watch out for our motives. Are we really that much at risk, or is that a convenient excuse, one that no-one can gainsay? The negative effects of isolation and loneliness are significant – keep ourselves to ourselves, not venturing out, is bad for us. And it’s bad for everyone else too, as we miss out on your company!

I repeat: I’m not saying you are lazy if you are wary about leaving your home over the coming months due to the pandemic. What I am saying is that it’s going to be weird seeing people again, being in places with lots of people again – it’s going to be weird for all of us. So let’s make sure we aren’t being lazy when we refuse to join in.

Because it’s also going to be fantastic: God made us to interact with one another face-to-face!

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:

Rosemary Baxter, Allan & Anne Baldwin

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: Couples Getting Married

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.