My sisters and brothers

Hallellujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation. Ps. 111:1

This is a timely reminder that the best place to practise thanksgiving, worship and witness is in the company of the upright, in the congregation.   In community we share the stories of faith, we tell of God’s gracious and merciful nature and we learn to practice discipleship.  According to the late Rev. Sharron Riessinger-Blezard, “our discipleship deepens as we worship, as we study God’s ways, as we develop relationships with one another, as we serve both within the beloved community and beyond it, as we respond to God’s goodness with glad and generous hearts, and as we cover everything in fervent prayer.”

I invite us to offer the following prayer by Joan Stott inspired by Psalm 111:

Inspirational God, we gather this day to praise your holy name, and to give thanks for your trustworthy guidance throughout our life; and for the way you reveal your wisdom and justice to your faithful people.  The works and words of our God are amazing, and all God’s actions arouse within us songs of praise and joy and together as one people, we offer our prayers of thankfulness.

Steadfast and Reliable God, every day we are made aware of the glory and majesty of our God, and every night we gain new insights into the creative wonders of our God! Even more amazing than these physical wonders and glories, are the personal relationships we can have with our God. We give thanks that we worship a God who is always willing to be involved with us, and who offers us daily blessings and nightly benedictions on our activities carried out in God’s name.

Trustworthy God, we celebrate with joy the promises of our God, and the way God has bound us to God’s own self with the bonds of love and trust.  We are very conscious of these fulfilled promises and blessings because of our own experiences of God, and from the experiences of our forebears in the faith.  Through their teachings, and the wisdom they have attained through years of trusting in God, we are encouraged in our own faith journey, as we too grow in wisdom and the knowledge of our God. All praise and thanks be to our God. Amen.

Your fellow servant,

Patrick +