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 3.21-22

We interrupt our progress through Proverbs because this is the 300th reflection on the Proverbs that I’ve written – and possibly that you’ve read! Well done for staying the course thus far, I hope you’ve found them as stimulating, helpful, challenging, encouraging, and difficult as I have!

The first chapters of Proverbs serve as an introduction to the concept of ‘wisdom’. What follows can sometimes feel like a restrictive set of rules to follow, or warnings of things to avoid.

I make no apology for that because I didn’t write them! But also they show how important boundaries are for us people. If you’ve ever interacted with a toddler (in age or at heart) you’ll know they love to push boundaries. That is part of our natural development, as we learn that our actions have consequences, and we can’t simply do whatever we want.

And actually, good and appropriate boundaries aren’t about restricting life, they are about giving life – exactly like wisdom. It is a lie to think that freedom equals ‘doing whatever you want’ – the Bible calls that being a slave to sin (e.g. John 8.34).

Instead, true freedom is found not in grasping onto our desires and our needs and our wants, but giving them up – this is what Jesus meant when he told us to ‘take up our cross’.

Living according to wisdom and understanding is not a ‘boring’ or ‘restrictive’ life – it means we are free, free from slavery to sin. That sort of life is not a burden tied round our necks and dragging us down, it is like a precious necklace shimmering and glistening as it reflects the light of Jesus.

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.