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.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine… it sparkles in the cup… it goes down smoothly… it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. ‘They hit me,’ you will say, ‘but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?’ (NIV)
Show me people who drink too much, who have to try out fancy drinks, and I will show you people who are miserable and sorry for themselves… Don’t let wine tempt you… The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. “I must have been hit,” you will say; “I must have been beaten up, but I don’t remember it. Why can’t I wake up? I need another drink.” (GNB)
Proverbs 23.29-35 (abridged)
This one’s pretty funny… except… the current recommended maximum alcohol consumption in the UK is 14 units a week, for men and women. That equates to approximately one and a half bottles of wine, or six to seven pints of beer, depending on its strength.
To me, that sounds scarily small. With friends round, I find it easy to consume that much in one night, let alone in a week!
The effects of alcohol are pretty horrific though, both short- and long-term. I have only once or twice drunk so much I can’t remember the night before, but if I’m honest my regular consumption far exceeds the 14 unit a week recommendation, so I do know the bad night’s sleep after drinking more than I should, the headache the following day, the grogginess (caused by the combination of alcohol and poor sleep).
Long-term though the effects are far worse. Jess sees more of that than I do, in hospital, and we are – slowly – bringing our consumption down because neither of us wants to end up like that; even what most would describe as ‘moderate’ drinking levels isn’t really ‘safe’.
I don’t think I have it in me to go fully tee-total – I enjoy red wine and whisky too much for that! – but maybe with me you can, with a heavy heart perhaps, listen to the wisdom of this Proverb (and the NHS) and start to drink a bit less.
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:
Brown Family (Abbey, Josh, Mike, Sue)
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: Prayer Team
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.