1. How is everyone? Tea at the ready?
2. Song
Join with us (mute yourself) and sing as if no-one was listening.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
2. Song
Join with us (mute yourself) and sing as if no-one was listening.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
3. Prayer
By Kierra Stuvland (gifts coordinator/development officer at Bread for the World)
The presence of the Lord is here. We feel it in the atmosphere.
This holy hour, we bring ourselves into your presence, O God. To you we offer our prayers, our praise, and our supplications.
This month, we celebrate Black History Month and honour the culture of our brothers and sisters. We remember the legacy of those who came before us – who not only paved the way but carried the bricks on broken backs that then built that road. We remember the songs, stories, and fiery hope of old men and little girls, granny midwives and marvellous musicians, great orators and leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators – those who are earth-tone brown, black as night, fair like the sands of Egypt. We are kings and queens. We are descendants of royalty.
Lord, when it’s too hard living, we remember you are the great “I am” and our source of strength and purpose for each new day. Help us in our advocacy efforts with Bread for the World – to honour you with our work for justice, healing, and peace in our day. Help us as we labour for the end of hunger. Help us to stay educated and active as we read the unacceptable statistics that point to the fact that 1 in 4 African-American households is food-insecure as compared with 1 in 10 of white households, and that more than 1 in 3 African-American children live in food-insecure households compared to 1 in 7 white children.
God, help us to value diversity beyond variety. Help us value diversity with a vision for a progressive future that acknowledges our strength together as well as the power, creativity, ideas, and part that we all bring when we are all welcome – to come to the table and taste and see that the Lord is good.
Help us labour on until we all can sing, for good and right reasons: Oh happy day! Amen.
4 Clips to ponder upon and discuss
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52939694 specifically, ‘a new play, written and performed by Paterson Joseph, tells the story of Britain's first black voter’, and, ‘David Matthews tells the story of his great-uncle who fought in World War One’.
5. Comments, discussion
We discussed last week about focusing both on hardship and liberation. Must both be present?
The actor talked about what it is to be ‘stranger’ and being ‘not much abused’. We can see this in ourselves, how can we make sure we see this in others?
The ‘windrush generation’ was unknown to many. What else is hidden? What can we do?
There were comments as to keeping knowledge relevant today, rather than simply a glimpse into the past. Is there something practical we can do? The service planned in 10 days’ time is open for discussion!
6 Prayer and reflection
Silence is held
God of the nations, you bless us in creation with endless diversity. May we participate in this ongoing creation by enabling life in ongoing variety and expression. Help us to see what is acceptable.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
God of the political, you give us free will to govern and manage our community living. May we choose our leaders wisely by changing patterns and voices in leadership, so that all needs are being addressed.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
God of anger, you rage at the choices we make on earth even as we claim to do your will. May we learn to see ourselves with clarity, and learn to feel the rage you feel when we treat people, the earth and its creatures with contempt and disrespect.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
God of the intimate, you speak to us in whispers and shouts, and it is up to us to pay attention. May we turn our attention to you, especially when it is painful, because we know love means having to make sacrifices.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
7 Bible reading for this month
Extracts from Psalm 139
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Holy notices: please, help me do this week by week – will you read, pray, dance and sing?
8. Final song. Difficult to watch compared to last week … prohpetic not just prayerful.
By Kierra Stuvland (gifts coordinator/development officer at Bread for the World)
The presence of the Lord is here. We feel it in the atmosphere.
This holy hour, we bring ourselves into your presence, O God. To you we offer our prayers, our praise, and our supplications.
This month, we celebrate Black History Month and honour the culture of our brothers and sisters. We remember the legacy of those who came before us – who not only paved the way but carried the bricks on broken backs that then built that road. We remember the songs, stories, and fiery hope of old men and little girls, granny midwives and marvellous musicians, great orators and leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators – those who are earth-tone brown, black as night, fair like the sands of Egypt. We are kings and queens. We are descendants of royalty.
Lord, when it’s too hard living, we remember you are the great “I am” and our source of strength and purpose for each new day. Help us in our advocacy efforts with Bread for the World – to honour you with our work for justice, healing, and peace in our day. Help us as we labour for the end of hunger. Help us to stay educated and active as we read the unacceptable statistics that point to the fact that 1 in 4 African-American households is food-insecure as compared with 1 in 10 of white households, and that more than 1 in 3 African-American children live in food-insecure households compared to 1 in 7 white children.
God, help us to value diversity beyond variety. Help us value diversity with a vision for a progressive future that acknowledges our strength together as well as the power, creativity, ideas, and part that we all bring when we are all welcome – to come to the table and taste and see that the Lord is good.
Help us labour on until we all can sing, for good and right reasons: Oh happy day! Amen.
4 Clips to ponder upon and discuss
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52939694 specifically, ‘a new play, written and performed by Paterson Joseph, tells the story of Britain's first black voter’, and, ‘David Matthews tells the story of his great-uncle who fought in World War One’.
5. Comments, discussion
We discussed last week about focusing both on hardship and liberation. Must both be present?
The actor talked about what it is to be ‘stranger’ and being ‘not much abused’. We can see this in ourselves, how can we make sure we see this in others?
The ‘windrush generation’ was unknown to many. What else is hidden? What can we do?
There were comments as to keeping knowledge relevant today, rather than simply a glimpse into the past. Is there something practical we can do? The service planned in 10 days’ time is open for discussion!
6 Prayer and reflection
Silence is held
God of the nations, you bless us in creation with endless diversity. May we participate in this ongoing creation by enabling life in ongoing variety and expression. Help us to see what is acceptable.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
God of the political, you give us free will to govern and manage our community living. May we choose our leaders wisely by changing patterns and voices in leadership, so that all needs are being addressed.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
God of anger, you rage at the choices we make on earth even as we claim to do your will. May we learn to see ourselves with clarity, and learn to feel the rage you feel when we treat people, the earth and its creatures with contempt and disrespect.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
God of the intimate, you speak to us in whispers and shouts, and it is up to us to pay attention. May we turn our attention to you, especially when it is painful, because we know love means having to make sacrifices.
Spirit of Love, receive our prayer.
7 Bible reading for this month
Extracts from Psalm 139
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Holy notices: please, help me do this week by week – will you read, pray, dance and sing?
8. Final song. Difficult to watch compared to last week … prohpetic not just prayerful.
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