Wednesday Morning Prayer, 08 Jul 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Grant us, O Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who can do no good thing apart from you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

       Follow the example of good men and women of old,
and God will comfort you and help you.
[ St Columba ]

Scripture Reading (CEV)

Psalm 122:2

Jerusalem, we are standing
inside your gates.

Ezra 3:11-13

They praised the Lord and gave thanks as they took turns singing:

“The Lord is good!
His faithful love for Israel
will last forever.”

Everyone started shouting and praising the Lord because work on the foundation of the temple had begun. Many of the older priests and Levites and the heads of families cried aloud because they remembered seeing the first temple years before. But others were so happy that they celebrated with joyful shouts. Their shouting and crying were so noisy that it all sounded alike and could be heard a long way off.

Luke 19:12-26

Jesus told them this story:

A prince once went to a foreign country to be crowned king and then to return. But before leaving, he called in ten servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, “Use this to earn more money until I get back.”

But the people of his country hated him, and they sent messengers to the foreign country to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king.”

After the prince had been made king, he returned and called in his servants. He asked them how much they had earned with the money they had been given.

The first servant came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me I have earned ten times as much.”

“That’s fine, my good servant!” the king said. “Since you have shown that you can be trusted with a small amount, you will be given ten cities to rule.”

The second one came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me, I have earned five times as much.”

The king said, “You will be given five cities.”

Another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your money. I kept it safe in a handkerchief. You are a hard man, and I was afraid of you. You take what isn’t yours, and you harvest crops you didn’t plant.”

“You worthless servant!” the king told him. “You have condemned yourself by what you have just said. You knew that I am a hard man, taking what isn’t mine and harvesting what I’ve not planted. Why didn’t you put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest.”

Then he said to some other servants standing there, “Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.”

But they said, “Sir, he already has ten times as much!”

The king replied, “Those who have something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have anything.

Reflection:

Cair Paravel*

Cair Paravel was the capital of the Kingdom of Narnia: a spectacular citadel and the abode of its kings and queens during Narnia’s early years, located on a peninsula (later an island) on the Eastern Ocean.

It lay empty during the White Witch’s tyrannical reign in the Age of Winter, and was restored to use when the Pevensies were crowned there and fulfilled the prophecy, which ushered in the Golden Age of Narnia.

C.S. Lewis in his book Prince Caspian has the children exploring the place they have been taken to:

‘Have none of you guessed where we are?’ said Peter.
‘Go on, go on,’ said Lucy, ‘I’ve felt for hours that there was some wonderful mystery hanging over this place.’
‘…we are in the ruins of Cair Paravel itself,’ said Peter.

__________

The place may have a powerful significance, but it is God’s purposes that must be made visible and tangible. When we say, ‘I’m in charge of these ruins,’ it must mean we are guardians of a vision, not curators for the department of ancient monuments.

Prayer:

Fill this place, Lord, with Your glory! Let what happens here in our day be as great as what happened in the past. But don’t let us build monuments to the past.

Restore the vision. If the foundations were sound, we have hope to build again. We want to work, we must not die. Let Your tender mercies come unto us that we might live again, and glorify your name. Amen.

God of this City – Bluetree

Closing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer (Kindle Locations 12238-12248). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.