julieannheath@pottersmaze.co.uk

                                                                                                                                                                       

Dear Friends,

Here I am again!

How are you all? I do hope you are well? I have been thinking about you.

Those of you that received a reflection pack for Lent will know that I dedicate every Wednesday afternoon to be here at home for you if you should need me or have anything you would like to discuss. I begin the time by lighting my angel candle. The angel figure is holding out her arms and in her hands she has the light. She looks so serene, standing there on our mantelpiece, offering the light that represents my prayers for you. And with the distance between us at the moment that is often all we can do for one another - offer our prayers.

To pray is one of the most powerful actions we can take. I was having a conversation about this with one of my friends the other day. The two of us are so different in so many ways, but we share one thing, we send, what many people call, ‘arrow prayers.’ I am sure many of you do the same. Those quick requests we call out to God, either in our mind or out loud, in response to a situation. They are spontaneous, and full of sincerity. We haven’t had time to prepare or think about them, they just come straight from the heart, like an arrow from a bow, straight up to our heavenly target!

The accumulation of all those ‘arrows’, from those that are inspired to pray for a person or a situation, I believe, create a very powerful and positive effect, and for me, that encouraging force is love, and as the song says, ‘Love changes everything.’ However short or disorganised our prayers might be, to pray for someone, is in my opinion, a very special thing - it is an act of love.

I can’t wait to see you all in person, hopefully soon, but until then I am here at Fairmount, sending arrows, lighting prayer candles, and staying positive!

God bless

Julie Ann

Julie Ann Heath

07801 467348

 

Melbourne URC Sunday - 7th March 2021 (3rd Sunday of Lent.)

Morning Prayer.

An opening prayer you may wish to use:

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.

(Let us take a moment to be silent and rest in God’s love.)

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen.

 

Hymn:  All my hope on God is founded.

 

All my hope on God is founded, all my trust He shall renew;

He, my guide through changing order, only good and only true.

God unknown, He alone calls my heart to be His own.

 

Pride of man and earthly glory, sword and crown betray His trust;

all that human toil can fashion, tower and temple, fall to dust.

But God’s power, hour by hour, is my temple and my tower.

 

Day by day our mighty giver grants to us His gifts of love;

in His will our souls find pleasure, leading to our home above.

Love shall stand at His hand, joy shall wait for His command.

 

Still from man to God eternal sacrifice of praise be done,

high above all praises praising for the gift of Christ His Son.

Hear Christ’s call one and all: we who follow shall not fall.

 

A time of reflection and confession.

Let us take a moment to look into our hearts and remember those occasions when we wished we had responded differently. Let us share them with the Lord. The Lord knows the truth of our hearts.

You may wish to use this prayer of confession for Lent:

 

Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin;

Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy.

 

Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me;

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

 

Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy spirit from me;

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

 

May the God of love and power forgive us and free us from our sins, heal and strengthen us by his Spirit, and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Bible Reading: Exodus 20: 1-17 The Ten Commandments.

 

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation to those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work – you, your son, or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet you neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

 

Bible Reading: John 2: 13-22 Jesus cleanses the Temple.

 

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and over-turned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”

His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in in three days?”

But he was speaking of the temple of his body.

 

Reflection.

I have a book that explains the Ten Commandments to children. On the front cover it says this:

‘The Ten Commandments – words of wisdom from the Bible’

On the back of the book it concludes with this: ‘May these ancient sayings from the Bible guide you and help you on the journey of life.’

God gave us advice on how to live in community with Him, and each other.

‘The Ten Commandments are the great summary of all the laws…………..They are respected all over the world for the guidance they give in showing people a way to live that is good and right.’

And there we have it in a nutshell – The Ten Commandments - wisdom and guidance! But for some they are more likely to be seen as rules to hold people to, rather than wisdom to live by.

 

It very often takes something out of the ordinary to happen to catch our attention, just like that day in the temple, and make us question our own direction. You know the sort of thing I mean – an unexpected event that makes us look at what we are doing with our lives, a conversation that makes us face something about ourselves we have always known we should try and change, an accident that could have been disaster but was narrowly avoided - basically, a ‘scary’ moment! Scary not because we are necessarily in physical danger but because we are questioning our values, our wisdom, and our direction.

 

I often find myself repeating the same old thing time after time – the journey of life is not straight forward. Most of us recognised that life is like maze. We walk along, not being able to see the horizon and then we hit a brick wall or take the wrong turning and get lost. Things happen and we respond. In our searching to find the right path through we can get distracted and we need someone to give us directions, and you know how can be:

“Are you going to ask that person for directions?”

“No we’ll be alright if we keep walking down this street.”

“Aren’t we lost?”

“We’ll just keep going a bit further, we are bound to recognise something.”

“Can’t we look at the app on the phone?”

“There’s no signal – just keep walking.”

 

Lent is a good time spiritually to stop ‘walking’ and sit down, have a cuppa and ponder. Where are you? Are you where you think you should be? Do you know what you are going to do next? Do you have a plan? And can I add that phrase that permeates the media, ‘Are you living your best life?’

And I must mention this - have you thought of inviting Jesus to sit with you while you ponder?

 

Remember He has come to us. He is one with us. He is on our side. He brings us back on track. Listen to His words. We can ask Him to pour His love and goodness into us. And when we feel lost in the maze of life we can reach out to Him. He is our living Lord! He will guide us when we feel lost. We do not need to be afraid if we feel we have gone astray. If we think we have broken the rules. He holds out His hand to us. He will turn our hearts back to God, just as the tables were turned over in the temple, not with anger but with love. He will help smooth our path, and He will bring others into our lives that will walk alongside us, our brothers and sisters of Christ. We are a community, we are the branches of the Vine, and Jesus promises to always be our guide.   

 

Hymn: Lord Jesus Christ. (Patrick Appleford 1960)

 

Lord Jesus Christ, You have come to us, You are one with us, Mary’s son;

cleansing our souls from all their sin, pouring Your love and goodness in:

Jesus, our love for You we sing – living Lord!

 

Lord Jesus Christ, now and every day teach us how to pray, Son of God;

You have commanded us to do this in remembrance, Lord, of You:

into our lives Your power breaks through – living Lord!

 

Lord Jesus Christ, You have come to us, born as one of us, Mary’s son;

led out to die on Calvary, risen from death to set us free:

living Lord Jesus, help us see – You are Lord!

 

Lord Jesus Christ, I would come to You, live my life for You, Son of God;

all Your commands I know are true, Your many gifts will make me new:

into my life Your power breaks through – living Lord!

 

Prayers of Intercession.

Let us take time now to offer our prayers to the Lord. Praying for peace, for the hungry, the thirsty, the frightened and persecuted. For the Church, and our church family, our community, our family and friends, for those that are suffering, for those we have lost, for those that are grieving, and for ourselves.

 

The Lord’s Prayer.

 

A Lenten Acclamation you may wish to use:

 

This is love, not that we loved God,

but that he loved us and sent his Son.

He is the sacrifice for our sins,

that we might live through him.

If God loves us so much

we ought to love one another.

If we love one another

God lives in us.                                                                                 1 John 4: 10-12

 

Hymn:  Be Thou my vision (from The Poem Book of Gael selected and edited by Eleanor Hall)

 

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that Thou art –

Thou my best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

 

Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

 

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for the fight, be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight,

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower: raise Thou me heavenward,

O Power of my power.

 

Riches I heed not nor man’s empty praise Thou mine inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only first in my heart, High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

 

High King of heaven, after victory won, may I reach heaven’s joys,

O bright heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

still be my vision, O ruler of all.

 

A Prayer you may wish to use:

 

In darkness and in light,

in trouble and in joy,

help us, heavenly Father,

to trust your love,

to serve your purpose,

and to praise your name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

The Grace.

 

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness.

Psalm 103:8

 

©Mission Praise 2014

©Times and Seasons, Common Worship 2006

The Ten Commandments ©Lois Rock/Debbie Lush, Lion Hudson

©New Patterns for worship The Archbishops’ Council 2002