Mid week Prayer and Reflection:  As lockdown loosens 3

Part three of Rev Derek Akker’s reflections open the easing of lockdown.

Several years ago, on one of our trips to Haarlem, I was invited to evening worship in a beautiful Dutch Reform Church. The choir were leading worship with BCP Choral Evensong, there was also a sermon, in Dutch, of course, which presented a challenge as I don’t speak Dutch. I do, however, recall that the New Testament reading was from Romans, perhaps from Romans 15. It was on the theme of ‘hoop’ and ‘hopen’, hope and trust. Romans 15 is a wonderful prayer that Paul wants every Christian to experience: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. (15:13)

Over the last couple weeks, we have focussed on two aspects of our response to COVID19 as the lockdown loosens. Firstly, I suggested that it was good to reflect on our COVID19 experiences and to find opportunities to talk about them, to listen to others and to share our experience. This catharsis can be helpful but it also has a spiritual dimension.

In our second time of prayer and reflection I highlighted the fact that despite all the negative impacts of COVID19 we still needed to act as a community of faith and hope and engage in acts of thankfulness. The final session in this short series focuses on hoop and hopen, hope and trust.

If I was looking for a hymn for this time of reflection the obvious choice would be:

All my hope on God is founded

who does still my trust renew;

through all change and chance God guides me,

only good and only true.

Love unknown, God’s alone,

calls my heart to be God’s own.

 

But, no, not ‘All my hope’, well not at present. I wish to return to the last verse of the hymn by Andrew Brown I introduced to you in the first reflection. Read the words slowly and absorb them:

 

We need to learn to trust and know

God in our lives,

God here hidden within the clouds and storms,

one with our doubts and fears.

This is our peace: that in the depths

of our adversities

we find a God who shares our pain

and life’s cruel miseries. Amen.

 

Words: © Andrew Brown (November 2019, rev. March 2020)  Metre: 86 86 86 86 (DCM)      Suggested tune: Vox Dilecti

 

They are not easy words but nonetheless they are honest words pointing to the direction we should be facing with hoop and hopen. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

 

Let us pray:

Help us, Lord, as we carry the cross of COVID19 to remember, how you carried your cross through the darkness of pain and the loneliness of death and then to find light at the end of that dark journey. The darkness and despair transformed into the light and hope of new life, help us, Lord, to trust you and to grasp the light and hope that you give. Amen

 

Lord,

I come before you today in need of hope.

The last months have been difficult

and at times I felt helpless and weak

I pray for hope.

I need hope for a better future.

I need hope for a better life.

I need hope for love and kindness.

 

I want to believe that even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise in the morning.

I pray that this is true, for there seems to be so much darkness.

I need your light, Lord, in every way.

Help me to to live out the words from John’s Gospel

“in Jesus was life, and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (Jn 1:4-5)

 

I pray to be filled with your light so that I can smile

and I may bring laughter for laughter is sunshine,

it chases darkness from the human face.

May my smile, my laughter be a sign of hope.

Help me to walk in your light, and live

my life in trust and hope faith.

Lord, hear my prayer, Amen.

 

“Help me to go forward without wanting to know what I’m going to find at every bend on the road, not with my head in the clouds but with my feet on the ground and my hand in yours.” Amen.

(from “Keeping Hope – by Michel Quoist)

 

Help me as I carry the cross of COVID19 to remember how you carried your cross through the darkness of pain and the loneliness of death. However, this darkness and despair was replaced by the light and hope of Easter, help us to trust you and to grasp the light and hope that our Lord gives us. Amen.

 

Let us close this time of prayer reflection either reading the words of All my hope on God is founded or click on the YouTube link and join in and sing

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3LCGh02Vew – From St Alban’s Church, Bristol

 

All my hope on God is founded

who does still my trust renew;

through all change and chance God guides me,

only good and only true.

Love unknown, God’s alone,

calls my heart to be God’s own.

 

Human pride and earthly glory,

sword and crown, betray all trust;

what our care and toil establish,

tower and temple, fall to dust,

but God’s power, hour by hour,

is my temple and my tower.

 

 

God’s great goodness reigns eternal,

deep in wisdom, passing thought;

light and life are all God’s splendour

bringing beauty out of naught.

Evermore from God’s store

newborn worlds rise and adore.

 

Daily does Almighty Giver

bounteous gifts on us bestow,

God’s desire our soul delighting,

pleasure leading where we go.

Love will stand at God’s hand;

joy will wait on God’s command.

 

Still from earth to God eternal

sacrifice of praise be done,

high above all praises praising

for the gift of Christ, the Son.

Hear Christ call one and all:

You that follow shall not fall.

 

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #584

 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord and to trust and hope in his presence. Amen

 

Fr Derek Akker