Prayer for Thursday 27 May 2021 – Corby Glen Group Virtual Church

Preparation

O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Praise

O Lord, from whom all good things come:
grant to us your humble servants,
that by your holy inspiration
we may think those things that are good,
and by your merciful guiding may perform the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Psalm 33.1-9

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
for it is good for the just to sing praises.

Praise the Lord with the lyre;
on the ten-stringed harp sing his praise.

Sing for him a new song;
play skilfully, with shouts of praise.

For the word of the Lord is true
and all his works are sure.

He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers up the waters of the sea as in a waterskin
and lays up the deep in his treasury.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
stand in awe of him, all who dwell in the world.

For he spoke, and it was done;
he commanded, and it stood fast.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Reading
Mark 10.46-52

As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Reflection

Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly.

We do not like to stand out in the crowd! Most of us work hard at being anonymous as we live out our daily lives. No matter how loudly we may shout at the television or rail against the actions and opinions of others in private, we can rarely muster the courage to do the same in public. In earlier times, we may have been moved to write a ‘stern’ letter to a newspaper, and today we may feel moved to write an even ‘sterner’ email … it is so much easier to be rude from our computer keyboards. But in public, or in face-to-face encounters, we shrink back behind our meek, non-controversial facades, hoping that we might not stand out as being a trouble-maker, or worse.

Unfortunately, this anonymous front soon becomes the approach we adopt in all matters, including those of faith. Whether we justify this by claiming it to be the ‘work of others’, or whether we are simply ‘afraid of baring our souls’, we so often struggle with bringing the good news of Jesus Christ into the forefront of our lives. Instead, we adopt the maxim: never talk about politics … or religion!

In today’s reading we hear of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. As is often the case with those who are visually impaired, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his hearing. Not only did he hear the commotion generated by the presence of Jesus, he had also heard of what Jesus’ presence might mean to him, and to others like him. Then, sensing the physical closeness of Jesus, he cried out: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Like Bartimaeus we are blind, blind to much that is good and from God in this world. We have heard rumour of such goodness, just as we have heard rumour of God, but how often do we shout what we have heard from the rooftops? Not only are we reticent about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, we often speak sternly to those who are braver than us, we shout them down and ridicule them for their commitment to living a life of faith.

Jesus does, of course, restore the sight of Bartimaeus. Jesus also declares that this miracle of healing has been brought about by the faith of Bartimaeus himself. It is Bartimaeus’ persistence in the face of those stern orders to remain silent that brings about the miraculous and life-changing cure.

As we stumble around in this world we are all in need of Jesus’ divine healing touch in our lives. Despite our awareness of that need, and despite having heard that the one who might heal us is Jesus Christ, we remain silent. We allow ourselves to be gagged when we should really be shouting louder and louder. Our prayer today should be a simple one: Lord, give us the courage to share the good news of your presence with others, and never let us be among those who sternly order others to be quiet when they wish to share their faith.

Prayers of intercession

Let us pray that the Church and the world may be guided to walk in the way of the Lord.

Bless the Church with clear vision to follow wherever the gospel leads. Open the ears of all Christian people to hear and respond to those who cry out for divine mercy.

Give compassion to those in authority, that they may know the needs of those they govern and use their power for good. Have pity on the world where so many stumble in the darkness of suspicion and prejudice; open the eyes of the ignorant and direct them into the way of truth.

We pray for ourselves, that we may not be blind to the needs of those who come close to us. Bless our community with the spirit of love and concern for one another.

Have mercy on those whose sight is impaired. Bless those who work to save and restore sight, and all who work in places where many suffer from diseases of the eyes.

We give thanks for the departed who have followed the way of faith and come to the end of their journey. Grant them, and to us in our time, the perfect vision of holiness in eternity.

May our prayers be accepted through Christ, the merciful Son of David.

Prayer for the week

Grant us, O Lord,
the faith that rests not on signs and wonders
but on your love and faithfulness;
that obedient to your word
and trusting in your promises,
we may know your peace and healing power,
both in our hearts and in our homes;
for the honour of your holy name.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Grace

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.

Hymn

Colours of day dawn into the mind,
the sun has come up, the night is behind.
Go down in the city, into the street,
and let’s give the message to the people we meet.

So light up the fire and let the flame burn,
open the door, let Jesus return.
Take seeds of his Spirit, let the fruit grow,
tell the people of Jesus, let his love show.

Go through the park, on into the town;
the sun still shines on; it never goes down.
The light of the world is risen again;
the people of darkness are needing a friend.