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:

Jesus said, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.’

Acts 1.8 (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 22.22-23

I think the Good News nails this one: ‘Don’t take advantage of the poor just because you can’. Ouch.

It has been a while since we have considered our impact on ‘the poor’. Sometimes it is easy to identify ‘the poor’ in our country: the homeless, those who rely on the Foodbank to feed their children, and so on. Most of the time it is harder: I read an article recently about parents who spend more on clothes for their children than food, so the children don’t look poor and don’t get bullied at school. Is that bad parenting? Or an appalling reflection of our society’s values?

But actually in the West our impact on ‘the poor’ goes far beyond our immediate neighbours. Our lifestyle of cheap food and clothing bargains is funded almost entirely through exploitation.

I have said this many times before, and I know sometimes I get written off as a ‘lefty vicar’ – but don’t assume you know how I vote, and don’t write off issues of social justice as a left-wing whinge, because the Bible talks a lot about social justice, in particular how we care for and treat ‘the poor’. And that is taken up by Jesus. He began his ministry with these words from Isaiah 61: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor’.

God cares for the poor – do you care? Really? Really? Enough to change your lifestyle?

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.