Today as church in Wythenshawe we shared on the theme 'The Bible speaks of praying'. In our worship there was stillness, silence, music and communion. We spoke a little in worship today at the beginning about a handwritten prayer of a young girl I had found about her prayer to God about her dad who is in prison. This connected with us - we know friends and family who are in prison and as church some of us have 'done time' and know those who regularly make plans to return there as a habit & place of security because of the set routines. Some connected with the dad, some the girl and others with how they may each see God. We also shared about the current issues of overcrowding in prisons in the UK, that it may take 4 years to build new ones and that to build more does not address our problems of overcrowding. So a girls prayer led us to ponder many things. The prayer she wrote spoke to us of further insights into others lives, our society and of God and the nature of prayer & praying. It helped us set the scene and approach God differently for today.As 'sermon' we 'tasted the Word' through imagining and sharing in the lectio divina approach. It was wonderful to ponder with the Luke reading and connect with the prayers of our soul which we don't often speak aloud. Instead we sat open-handed and in the silence, listened for the word in silence and imagination. Our communion was wordless today - but if seemed full of the Word in the music and silence which accompanied us on the piano. Our pianist said the 'just improvised' which we interpreted together as her being inspired by the Spirit of God. We were moved closer to the prayers which lie within us and deeply connect us to each other and God's world. We shared in communion. We were in communion with the Spirit.
I later learned that one of the church members was attacked last night near his home at knife-point in Woodhouse Park. He was not stabbed but he went to his sons and reported it. He didn't know what to do. He said 'all I can do is pray'. Later, in the early hours of this morning (Sunday) he wrote out something from our worship book, Rejoice & Sing, that I have put as a Thought for the Week. From what he said and wrote I think he had already learned more of praying than many. He prayed his experiences and the Word was connected in them. Tasting the Word in Luke 6:17-26 brought us closer to 'blessed are the poor, blessed are the hungry, blessed are those who mourn.
Prayer: God, in our neighbourhood we are broken people with broken lives. We are shaken up by muggings and being attacked as we walk around. We do not know what to do to make your kind of community happen here. Help us. Shall we be shut up in our homes in fear? Shall we stay away from others out of fear? Shall we never look anyone in the face or greet them because of fear? God, in this place, in our homes, in our parks, in our public spaces, in our churches may blessings of goodness and love and hope and justice with mercy be poured out. May we help pour them out - even though we are afraid. May your Spirit replace our spirit of fear. May your hope change this place, your love move us to do something to make it all your place, for everybody. Amen
