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PRAY NOW: TODAY'S PRAYER
Choices - Gethsemane
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, 'Sit
here while I go over there and pray'. And going a little further, he threw himself on the
ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I
want but what you want.'
Matthew 26:36, 39
Prayer
Indecision is a blessing undisguised.
It forgives us our uncertainty
and graces us with time.
And so we linger at life's junctions
and seek pardon for our pondering.
No such luxury for you, Lord,
you for who confronting crossroads,
even in deserted places
and among uncomplicated souls,
was not chance but choice.
Until you reached a garden
and the fork in the road,
fogged by fear, fury and frustration,
became less clear.
Until you reached a garden
where options seemed as limited
as the wakefulness of friends.
Until you reached a garden
where you agonised
again and again,
at one final outrage.
Until you reached a garden
and made the finite choice.
Thank you for picking us, Lord,
when you had other options.
Thank you, that you took the cup
and saw your own reflection
mirrored in its ruby richness.
Thank you that you caressed
the coldness of its grip
with lips which parted in love.
Thank you that you drank its bitterness
and felt it course like blood
through living veins.
Thank you that in your indecision
we may see our struggling selves
in your divine disguise
and, in our humanity, choose you.
Readings
Joshua 24:15 The Israelites asked to choose which god they will serve
Matthew 16:24 Taking up your cross
Mark 14:10 Judas decides to betray Jesus
1 Peter 1:13 Choices about how we live
Prayer activity
How do we see ourselves reflected in Christ? Think of the choices he made and
of ways in which your actions might mirror his in the situations you encounter
every day, for example, when someone asks for help, lets you down, criticises or
challenges you. Pray for openness and guidance in your choices.
Prayer for the Church
Worshipping communities who live 'as strangers in a foreign land' while endeavouring
to build and maintain bridges between people
especially our congregations across Europe, in Israel, and on Caribbean islands,
continuing to serve English-speaking communities.
Blessing
God's love has chosen us,
God's justice has saved us,
God's grace has blessed us.
May the God of love, justice and grace
Be with us in our choices
And in our chances
This day and always. AMEN.
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