12th Letter to our Church Members

Letter 12

 

My Dear Friends of Sion, Mr. John Ashworth has asked me to communicate this to the members of Sion Baptist Church: “May I give thanks to those people I wrote to regarding Sunday Morning Offerings. I am blessed with the way you have responded in a most positive way under these trying times; also I would like to thank the standing order people for the continuous support to the church. God Bless You All, your treasurer John.”

 

The story goes - a man asked, “Why haven’t you replied to my email?”  His friend answered, “I’m sorry, but my internet connection isn’t that fast. It’s spotty and patchy at best…” I can certainly identify with our friend. I don’t get as frustrated about seemingly capricious computers as I used to, though I’m always pleased when I see the words “Connected and secure.”  All good preachers observe their surroundings and are delighted when they find something there to help illustrate their sermons. This is not a sermon and I don’t call myself a good preacher but I have to say that “spotty and patchy at best” is a good description of many things, including our life of prayer.  Is spotty and patchy a good description of your your prayer life? If we are honest the answer is probably yes. And we can find excuses galore! ‘I am too busy, I just don’t have the time; the pressures of work are overwhelming; I have family obligations; I’m not in a good place with the Lord, etc. Sometimes we are more brazen about it and say, “There are things that I would much rather do with my time than pray or attend a prayer meeting!” The list goes on, but I am not sure those excuses will wash in the current climate!

So, whether or not “spotty and patchy  at best” describes your experience, can I encourage you (again) to post a prayer on our website message board and join us on Saturday June 6th when we will have our monthly fellowship prayer meeting? Stop for an hour between 10 and 11 o’clock, read the prayers that are already on there and be inspired and helped. Go through the Sion Baptist Contact List, choose a few names and pray for those people, their families and their situations. You never know what someone is going through, as a friend reminded me just the other day. Irene has let us know what is happening in her life and I would like to conclude with her reflections which probably resonate with yours and mine. Thank you Irene.

I wonder how you have been using your time during lockdown. I've been giving it a lot of thought lately, what have I done? Well, it really made me think. I suppose I am a thinker but, I am a 'doer'. So, I have been doing, cleaning out cupboards, drawers, wardrobes, going through paper work etc, being surprised at what I find throwing things away or giving them away. Clearing things out, almost like getting ready for something! It felt good, it feels good when we are 'doing', it makes us feel useful, like we are achieving something, so it lifts us up. So I could say I am pleased by all this and all my gardening. All the clearing of rubbish!

But, what I realise is I have also been led to do is a clearing out of my mind, so to speak. The need to sit and allow myself to listen and to take in, to give the Lord a 'slot ‘in my busy schedule. But, it had to be more than that. The Lord wanted my time! I have been awakened in the night with things I needed to think about and write down. Prayers that flowed on the pages of my prayer book. My life not just about me and what was happening that day. The Lord required my attention, like He requires yours!

It made me think how much time I actually 'owe Him', to just sit and listen, read and discover who He really is, and what His plans are for my future and your future. He can't tell us if we don't 'tune in'. I continued to reflect that prayer is a big part of this, recognising that prayer is a two way conversation of speaking and listening. In my reflecting I have been reminded of all that Jesus has done for me, and questioned what I have done for Him. In times like these it surely makes us question what life is really about. A friend of mine, who is living with terminal cancer, spends her days Prayer walking, meeting people, and seeing answers to prayers. She is in conversation with her Lord and with other people she meets on the road and He is honouring this. So let us pray.

 

Lord, we thank you that you give us authority to pray in your name. Jesus, we thank you that you understand pain and grief, you have been there, you have experienced it. We pray our world will be filled with God's righteousness and justice. Help us to hold out to others the hope for the future, the hope that is in you Lord. Give us the strength to stand and be counted when the people we meet need hope in a practical sense. Give us real compassion when we see despair instead of hope, in another’s eyes. Show us how to be Jesus in this troubled world. Give us the courage, the strength and conviction to speak out in your name. Thank you Lord that you watch over us, and that you walk with us, because you love and care for us. Amen.”

 

Every Blessing!  Stay Connected and Secure! Mark & Susan, 04/06/20

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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