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PRAY NOW: TODAY'S PRAYER
Humdrum Relationships - Sarah and Abraham
But Abram said to Sarai, 'Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you
please.' Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away from her.
Prayer
Sometimes, Lord, we know,
There is an incredible harshness to day-to-day life.
Hopes, expectations, dangerous dreams,
Grind together and shatter; love turns to hate, people behave very badly.
Shards and sharp edges wound and lacerate.
Life can be like that.
We dare not idealise, especially not in the name of faith,
As though life had to be simplified to fit our small vision of you.
That you in your faithfulness and love
Are gracious where we are not -
Is this not the heart of our faith?
and if it is not, lord, let it be.
Sarai was insecure; Abram was weak; this is how they were.
From spat to vendetta, was this the family of your exalted promise?
Is this soap opera really the story of your covenant?
Help us to turn the question round, Lord.
'Does God really love real people?'
'Can God really love unlovable people?'
Free us from sanitised versions of faith.
Free us from that sundering of God from human reality
That makes us censors of the story.
Free us from the dark suspicion
That you can only deal with the nice, respectable bits of us,
Or that God is prim and easily shocked.
Challenge us with your realism, That sees us as we are,
And deals with that.
Readings
Psalm 139
Romans 7:15-8:2
Matthew 9:9-14
Matthew 13:24-30
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 19:1-10
John 19:17,25-27 and 21:15-24
Prayer activity
Take a mirror. Look into it. Who do you see? What do you know about who you
see? Knowing what you know, can you love and accept what you see? Can you
see someone whom God loves? Now visualise someone with whom you have
difficultiesgetting on.See their face framed in the mirror.Askthesamequestions.
Bring the answers honestly to God.
Prayer for the Church
Those who study Christian teaching and doctrine, and encourage mission, worship and
witness through resources, meetings and education
especially the Mission and Discipleship
Council.
Blessing
May we know that we are known, through and through,
And, known as we are, loved and accepted.
May we accept, daily, more of the truth of what we are,
And grow to love and accept others for what they are
As God's love in Christ transforms us.
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