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.
Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths. (NIV)
Wise sayings are too deep for stupid people to understand. They have nothing to say when important matters are being discussed. (GNB)
Proverbs 24.7
This is the one of the Bible’s versions of ‘think before you speak’. That was one of my Mum’s favourites to me growing up. Sometimes I hear myself speaking and inside my head I’m screaming, ‘Shut up! Stop talking!’
The problem for me is that my normal position is to think out loud. It means people can ‘see my working’, but it also means I sometimes spout utter rubbish, because I’m trying to figure something out. It also means I’m having to teach myself to process things internally as well, because vicars do a lot of work alone, and it’s not always a good idea to think out loud when you’re a leader!
Are you good at thinking before you speak? The flip side of that of course is retreating so far inside your head that you never speak! Somewhere in the middle is the wise place I think.
(‘The assembly at the gate’ was a cross between a social gathering at the pub and a village hall meeting. There is an example of one in the book of Ruth, where Boaz takes on the responsibility of being Naomi and Ruth’s ‘kinsman-redeemer’.)
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:
John White (Kingsbury Baxterly Group)
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: Coleshill & Polesworth Deanery
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.