The fourth Sunday in Lent is sometimes referred to as Refreshment Sunday – a day when the strictures of Lent are relaxed a bit. (It is also Mothering Sunday for those who keep that festival).
At St Mary’s tomorrow, our refreshment is coming in the form of some of the most lovely choral must that we sing here. Fr Vice Provost will be preaching on the Prodigal Child. And we’re adding one or two guest choristers into the mix.
Expect something special.
I’m reminded of a remark which Senator Dianne Feinstein (D- California–which happens to be my home state and political party) made regarding our current President, to the effect that it would be better if we could help him to be a good president than if we merely got rid of him. Oh, my, did that ever provoke angry outpourings! At the time, I was attending a parish retreat, so it seemed appropriate to mention during a group discussion that this nice elderly Jewish lady was actually quoting Scripture and saying that “God desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live.” This didn’t go over very well, but there you are. God bless our elected politicians, indeed.
Amen. We don’t usually pray for the Queen, but we often pray for politicians and leaders. Good challenge about MEPs and those who make international government – EU, Council of Europe, UN etc – work.
Amen. I’m wondering whether this point works in reverse, as well: “If collectively, as a people, we had been more thankful for the EU, would we have prayed more for its welfare?”
If, collectively, as a people, we had prayed more for the welfare of the EU, would we have been more thankful for it? Might we have felt more like a part of it? It’s difficult to know the answer to either formulation.
this Sunday I was the lay intercessor at morning Eucharist at our church. In preparing the prayers, I looked at the last ones I had done, in Mid November, and used this one virtually unchanged as it seemed as relevant now as then.
“In our country, political leaders are struggling to agree terms for our exit from the European Union. Our politics seem ever more polarised and confrontational, and it seems that any possible outcome could cause further strife and division.
Almighty Father, we pray for all who have important decisions to make, and especially for our own country at this time.
Guide the decisions of those who govern so that they may strive for justice, freedom, peace and the common good.
Give those of us who are governed wisdom, love and courage, and the resilience to find ways to grow and flourish, whatever the future may bring.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
As we read the story of the Jewish passover this morning, we face the immediate recognition that this is a story of a people about to be evacuated from one place to another. The Jewish people stopped on their last night in slavery before making their run for it, through the red sea, as we…
Here are some websites I've been enjoying this week…www.magnatune.com (Excellent downloadable free music – esp the orthodox singing)www.csszengarden.com (Because I've been working on a big new website for someone and needed distracting from it. This – http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/176/176.css&page=0 just took my breath away. The new website I'm doing is not nearly so complex, though it is a…
One of the relief agencies trying to help following the hurricane in the southern United States is Episcopal Relief and Development.More information and details of how to donate to their work here: http://www.er-d.org
A very strange day. The pipe organ at St Saviour’s is being removed today. Notwithstanding all the good reasons for taking it away, it is still a rather melancholy feeling seeing it actually being removed. Changing the organ is our big project for our 150th celebration year. A new digital pipe organ has been ordered…
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