Saturday Morning Prayer, 11 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 123:2-4

Servants look to their master,
but we will look to you,
until you have mercy on us.

Please have mercy, Lord!
We have been insulted
more than we can stand,
and we can’t take more abuse
from those proud,
conceited people.

To You, I Lift Up My Eyes (Psalm 123) –

Isaiah 7:14

But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.

Matthew 2:1-11

The Wise Men

When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, “Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”

They told him, “He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote,

’Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are very important among the towns of Judea. From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.’”

Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”

The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star.

When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him.

Reflection:

Haddington

“This relief, with the Magi wearing kilts, is generally thought to be 12th century in date, but may be as early as 7th century –

see footnote here: http://www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/kirknewton.html which refers to “an image of the Magi wearing ….’kilts’… found in the Greek Chapel of the Roman catacombs”.

Another reference http://www.theanglocatholic.com/tag/church-of-st-mary-the-virgin/ includes this: “a medieval carved panel of the Adoration of the Magi, now in the crypt of St. Nicholas East Church, Aberdeen.

This depicted the Kings literally running in haste to bring their gifts to the Christ-Child, and clad in toga-like plaid kilts” – sadly I’ve failed find any further reference to this in searches relating to St Nicholas East.” Photo by Barbara Carr, 2013.

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
odors of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
vainly with gifts would His favor secure;
richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
dearer to God are the prayers of the poor. (R. Huber)

T.S. Eliot in his ‘Journey of the Magi’ writes as if he were one of the pilgrims who came from so far away. To us their significance lies in the moment of their arrival, their kneeling, their gifts and adoration. For them, there is also a problem, for they return where they came from, but changed, no longer at ease as they were before.

Prayer:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Prayer of Repentance

Dear Lord, thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for not abandoning us to our mistakes, but for reaching out instead to bring us home. Help convict me of sin and help me accept your mercy without shame. Thank you for the love you have poured out for me and all of your children. Help me live out of that love today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I Will Never Be – Hillsong

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 12433-12453). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.