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I once was lost…

“Today, if you are reading this and you have been marginalised, belittled, ostracised, or left out in the cold; if you have made mistakes, hurt others, or hurt yourself; if you have walked away from relationships, said harsh words, or behaved badly; if you are continually hijacked by inappropriate or disturbing thoughts, desires, or feelings; if you feel undeserving, a lack of self-worth, or that you are unlovable; then hear the message of Jesus — that God loves you, has come to you, and wants you to find your home in them.” Rev Gav, 2022

Daily Bread

Morning Prayer

Your love, O Lord, is never ending
and your mercies endure forever.
They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness!

The night has passed, and the day lies open before me,
and so, at the dawn of this new day, I come before you
with an open heart and ready to be filled with your love.

As I rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set my heart on fire with love for you.
Fill me with your life-giving Spirit
that I might be Jesus to all I meet
and a vessel for your unending love.

Loving God, who abides in heaven,
you are the Father and Mother of us all.
May your holiness be declared,
your justice be observed,
your will be embraced,
and your kingdom be established
on earth as in heaven.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
And from the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Prayed 48 times.

Afternoon Prayer

Where can I go from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning
and dwell by the farthest ocoeans,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Holy God,
kindle in me the fire of your love
that I may bring warmth to the world.
May I be led from death to life,
from falsehood to truth;
from despair to hope,
from fear to trust;
from hate to love,
from war to peace.
And may I be so anointed with your Spirit
that I may be filled with both your peace and joy,
and live and work to your praise and glory.

For all that has past I thank you
and for all that lies ahead I give you praise.
May my eyes be open to see you
in all whom I serve and encounter.

Help me be Jesus to the world.
Help me be your hands and your feet.
Help me have your heart for the broken-hearted.
Help me be Jesus to a world
that needs you more than words can tell.
Help me be Jesus to the world.

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with me and all those I hold dear,
Now and for evermore.

Prayed 18 times.

Evening Prayer

Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be honoured in the earth.

Loving God,
As this day draws to a close
may I know your grace, mercy, and peace.
Cleanse my heart and mind
of all anxiety, weariness, and pain,
and in the stillness,
may I know your loving presence.

As I reflect on my day,
I give you thanks for all that has been done
And let go of all that has not been done,
handing it over to you
to make good that which I am unable.

For the love I have shared, I am grateful.
For provision and nurture, I am grateful.
For kindness given, I am grateful.
For the sorrow I have caused, I pray for forgiveness.
For injustices ignored, I ask for mercy.

As I look forward to this night
I cast my fears upon you –
fears of the world’s darkness
and fears in my inner being.
May I find my rest in you.

May the peace of your Spirit
that transcends all understanding
fill me and all those I love and hold dear.

Tomorrow is a new day
with new joys and new possibilities.
May I wake tomorrow
feeling refreshed, expectant, joyful,
and with a heart full of your love.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

For you are with me,
now and always.

Prayed 9 times.

Night Prayer

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Holy God,
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
Keep me as the apple of your eye.
and hide me under the shadow of your wings.
Protect my conscious and my unconscious,
and guard me as I sleep this night
that my dreams will be filled with hope
and my rest be in your loving arms.

Spirit, in whom I live and move and have my being,
from you, nothing is hidden.
Breathe into me your cleansing wind
that I may be filled with your unending love.

Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.

From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.

O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death.

Jesus Christ,
I cast my burdens unto you,
and ask that my soul might be refreshed as I sleep.
For I am yours and you are mine.
Now and forever.

Prayed 19 times.

Wednesday 2nd April

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
long-suffering and of great goodness.
The Lord is loving to everyone
and his mercy is over all his creatures.
All your works praise you, O Lord,
and your faithful servants bless you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your mighty power,
To make known to all peoples your mighty acts
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
your dominion endures throughout all ages.
The Lord is sure in all his words
and faithful in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all those who are bowed down.
The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open wide your hand
and fill all things living with plenty.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and loving in all his works.

In our modern, technologically advanced age, it wasn't until I was 19 years old that I first saw the Milky Way — the mass of stars that make up the edge of the spiral galaxy of which our star, the sun, belongs. I grew up living in a large town, where every night the ambient light from a million yellow street lamps obscured the view of all but the brightest stars. It wasn't until I travelled to Australia, and one night sat next to my tent in a remote part of the outback that I first, in a place without light pollution, looked up at the night sky. The 'glorious splendour' of the stars was awe-inspiring, and I wept at the majesty and the beauty of the heavens. Perhaps it is no coincidence that I gave my life to Jesus in that wild, lonely place.

I worry that today our young people are so surrounded by technology — growing up with little green space, surrounded by concrete, and staring at screens — that they miss the way in which God's works themselves praise God. Putting it theologically, I wonder if we are all in danger of spending time marvelling at that which our own hands have made, rather than marvelling at that which God has made?

I remember once, walking my children to school and Rowena, my youngest, had fallen behind. I turned to shout and hurry her along, but she had stopped to literally smell some roses, and so I stopped too. As she marvelled at the roses, so I marvelled at her.

Time spent enjoying God's creation is time never wasted. Today, wherever you are, I hope and pray you get time to stop and smell the roses or look up and see the stars, and as they speak of God's praise, may they also lead your own heart to praise our God.

Holy God
Thank you for your marvellous works that praise you,
that tell of the glory of your kingdom,
and speak of your mighty power.
Help me to lift my eyes to see your creation
and to marvel at the beauty and majesty
of that which your hand has made.
And so may my own heart turn towards you,
and give you the praise and worship you are due.
Now and forever.

Prayed 4 times.

Our weekly Insights and Bible Study plus Member Creativity.

Insights

Rev Gav | Mar 29

How should we respond when we are rejected?

A male in drag - dressed as a transvestite - with a wonderful large purple wig and heavy makeup.

Whether you are a wizard, a muggle, or a mudblood, or whether you do not identify or fit into any group at all, may you know that God does not judge you and that you are welcomed and invited into God’s Kingdom!

Mar 23

Was Jesus political?

Yes, we can lament at those in power for their corruption and wicked ways, but we are responsible for only one heart, and that is our own.

Mar 16

How do we press on towards our goal?

Each of us needs to spend time listening to God, and stay in tune with the Spirit, to work out how and when and where God is leading, and to enable us to work out God’s purposes in the world.