GOODNESS

Ecclesiasticus 39.13-end

13   Listen to me, my faithful children, and blossom

  like a rose growing by a stream of water.

14   Send out fragrance like incense,

  and put forth blossoms like a lily. Scatter the fragrance, and sing a hymn of praise;

  bless the Lord for all his works.

15   Ascribe majesty to his name

  and give thanks to him with praise, with songs on your lips, and with harps;

  this is what you shall say in thanksgiving:

16   ‘All the works of the Lord are very good,

  and whatever he commands will be done at the appointed time.

17   No one can say, “What is this?” or “Why is that?”-

  for at the appointed time all such questions will be answered. At his word the waters stood in a heap,

  and the reservoirs of water at the word of his mouth.

18   When he commands, his every purpose is fulfilled,

  and none can limit his saving power.

19   The works of all are before him,

  and nothing can be hidden from his eyes.

20   From the beginning to the end of time he can see everything,

  and nothing is too marvellous for him.

21   No one can say, “What is this?” or “Why is that?”-

  for everything has been created for its own purpose.

22   ‘His blessing covers the dry land like a river,

  and drenches it like a flood.

23   But his wrath drives out the nations,

  as when he turned a watered land into salt.

24   To the faithful his ways are straight,

  but full of pitfalls for the wicked.

25   From the beginning good things were created for the good,

  but for sinners good things and bad.

26   The basic necessities of human life

  are water and fire and iron and salt and wheat flour and milk and honey,

  the blood of the grape and oil and clothing.

27   All these are good for the godly,

  but for sinners they turn into evils.

28   ‘There are winds created for vengeance,

  and in their anger they can dislodge mountains; on the day of reckoning they will pour out their strength

  and calm the anger of their Maker.

29   Fire and hail and famine and pestilence,

  all these have been created for vengeance;

30   the fangs of wild animals and scorpions and vipers,

  and the sword that punishes the ungodly with destruction.

31   They take delight in doing his bidding,

  always ready for his service on earth;

  and when their time comes they never disobey his command.’

32   So from the beginning I have been convinced of all this

  and have thought it out and left it in writing:

33   All the works of the Lord are good,

  and he will supply every need in its time.

34   No one can say, ‘This is not as good as that’,

  for everything proves good in its appointed time.

35   So now sing praise with all your heart and voice,

  and bless the name of the Lord.

GOODNESS

Lord,

The same Truth,

The essential reality

Is proclaimed

By every Word,

By all true

Witnesses.

In the fabric

Of Creation.

You are Total Goodness,

Universal Goodness,

You who only

Are Good.

May Your Goodness

Penetrate my life

Like a the scent of a rose

Or the purest incense.

AMEN

PRAYER AND WISDOM

St. John 4.46-end

Ecclesiasticus 39.1-11

39  He seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients,

  and is concerned with prophecies;

2   he preserves the sayings of the famous

  and penetrates the subtleties of parables;

3   he seeks out the hidden meanings of proverbs

  and is at home with the obscurities of parables.

4   He serves among the great

  and appears before rulers; he travels in foreign lands

  and learns what is good and evil in the human lot.

5   He sets his heart on rising early

  to seek the Lord who made him,

  and to petition the Most High; he opens his mouth in prayer

  and asks pardon for his sins.

6   If the great Lord is willing,

  he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own

  and give thanks to the Lord in prayer.

7   The Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge,

  as he meditates on his mysteries.

8   He will show the wisdom of what he has learned,

  and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant.

9   Many will praise his understanding;

  it will never be blotted out. His memory will not disappear,

  and his name will live through all generations.

10   Nations will speak of his wisdom,

  and the congregation will proclaim his praise.

11   If he lives long, he will leave a name greater than a thousand,

  and if he goes to rest, it is enough for him.

PRAYER AND WISDOM

Lord,

Only by seeking You

Will I find wisdom:

The right Way

The true glory.

Only in prayer

Is truth found:

You are the way

Truth and Life.

In Your light

I shall see Light.

AMEN

WONDERS, SIGNS AND WORDS

St. John 4.46-end

THERE was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend: and they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

SIMPLE WORDS

Lord,

Your purpose is simple.

Your method is simple.

Your will is revealed

By simple trust.

Your Kingdom comes

By simple

Uncomplicated

Listening to You,

And acting

On Your command.

AMEN

THE FABRIC OF THE WORLD

Ecclesiasticus 38.24-end

24   The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure;

  only the one who has little business can become wise.

25   How can one become wise who handles the plough,

  and who glories in the shaft of a goad, who drives oxen and is occupied with their work,

  and whose talk is about bulls?

26   He sets his heart on ploughing furrows,

  and he is careful about fodder for the heifers.

27   So it is with every artisan and master artisan

  who labours by night as well as by day; those who cut the signets of seals,

  each is diligent in making a great variety; they set their heart on painting a lifelike image,

  and they are careful to finish their work.

28   So it is with the smith, sitting by the anvil,

  intent on his ironwork; the breath of the fire melts his flesh,

  and he struggles with the heat of the furnace; the sound of the hammer deafens his ears,

  and his eyes are on the pattern of the object. He sets his heart on finishing his handiwork,

  and he is careful to complete its decoration.

29   So it is with is the potter sitting at his work

  and turning the wheel with his feet; he is always deeply concerned over his products,

  and he produces them in quantity.

30   He moulds the clay with his arm

  and makes it pliable with his feet; he sets his heart on finishing the glazing,

  and he takes care in firing the kiln.

31   All these rely on their hands,

  and all are skilful in their own work.

32   Without them no city can be inhabited,

  and wherever they live, they will not go hungry. Yet they are not sought out for the council of the people,

33

  nor do they attain eminence in the public assembly. They do not sit in the judge’s seat,

  nor do they understand the decisions of the courts; they cannot expound discipline or judgement,

  and they are not found among the rulers.

34   But they maintain the fabric of the world,

  and their concern is for the exercise of their trade.  How different the one who devotes himself

  to the study of the law of the Most High!

THE FABRIC OF THE WORLD

Lord,

You have made me to be

Absolutely

Dependent

On the skill of others:

By the work

Of their hands

The whole fabric

Of my life

Is maintained.

Give me grace

To be ever thankful

To them and to You,

For without them

I am nothing.

AMEN

HEALING PARTNERSHIP

Ecclesiasticus 38.1-14

38  Honour physicians for their services,

  for the Lord created them;

2   for their gift of healing comes from the Most High,

  and they are rewarded by the king.

3   The skill of physicians makes them distinguished,

  and in the presence of the great they are admired.

4   The Lord created medicines out of the earth,

  and the sensible will not despise them.

5   Was not water made sweet with a tree

  in order that its power might be known?

6   And he gave skill to human beings

  that he might be glorified in his marvellous works.

7   By them the physician heals and takes away pain;

8

  the pharmacist makes a mixture from them. God’s works will never be finished;

  and from him health spreads over all the earth.

9   My child, when you are ill, do not delay,

  but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.

10   Give up your faults and direct your hands rightly,

  and cleanse your heart from all sin.

11   Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of choice flour,

  and pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford.

12   Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him;

  do not let him leave you, for you need him.

13   There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians,

14

  for they too pray to the Lord that he will grant them success in diagnosis

  and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

HEALING PARTNERSHIP

Lord, You are always working to heal

Your beloved children:

All healing gifts

Are Yours.

They flow from Your

Abundant kindness.

By Your gracious gift,

Doctors, pharmacists,

All who relieve pain

And sickness

Work with You

In a miraculous

Healing Partnership.

AMEN

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

Ecclesiasticus 37.7-24

7   All counsellors praise the counsel they give,

  but some give counsel in their own interest.

8   Be wary of a counsellor,

  and learn first what is his interest,

  for he will take thought for himself. He may cast the lot against you

9

  and tell you, ‘Your way is good’,

  and then stand aside to see what happens to you.

10   Do not consult one who regards you with suspicion;

  hide your intentions from those who are jealous of you.

11   Do not consult with a woman about her rival

  or with a coward about war, with a merchant about business

  or with a buyer about selling, with a miser about generosity

  or with the merciless about kindness, with an idler about any work

  or with a seasonal labourer about completing his work, with a lazy servant about a big task-

  pay no attention to any advice they give.

12   But associate with a godly person

  whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments, who is like-minded with yourself,

  and who will grieve with you if you fail.

13   And heed the counsel of your own heart,

  for no one is more faithful to you than it is.

14   For our own mind sometimes keeps us better informed

  than seven sentinels sitting high on a watch-tower.

15   But above all pray to the Most High

  that he may direct your way in truth.

16   Discussion is the beginning of every work,

  and counsel precedes every undertaking.

17   The mind is the root of all conduct;

18

  it sprouts four branches, good and evil, life and death;

  and it is the tongue that continually rules them.

19   Some people may be clever enough to teach many,

  and yet be useless to themselves.

20   A skilful speaker may be hated;

  he will be destitute of all food,

21   for the Lord has withheld the gift of charm,

  since he is lacking in all wisdom.

22   If a person is wise to his own advantage,

  the fruits of his good sense will be praiseworthy.

23   A wise person instructs his own people,

  and the fruits of his good sense will endure.

24   A wise person will have praise heaped upon him,

  and all who see him will call him happy.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

It is very difficult

To discard my own interest

When making a choice in life.

I find it so hard

To be disinterested;

Unattached

To my own needs.

May my one desire,

My prime interest be:

To give you glory Lord,

And further Your kingdom.

May my declaration of interests

Be a declaration of my

Love for You.

AMEN

PIERCING PRAYER

Ecclesiasticus 35

35  One who keeps the law makes many offerings;

2

  one who heeds the commandments makes an offering of well-being.

3   One who returns a kindness offers choice flour,

4

  and one who gives alms sacrifices a thank-offering.

5   To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord,

  and to forsake unrighteousness is an atonement.

6   Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed,

7

  for all that you offer is in fulfilment of the commandment.

8   The offering of the righteous enriches the altar,

  and its pleasing odour rises before the Most High.

9   The sacrifice of the righteous is acceptable,

  and it will never be forgotten.

10   Be generous when you worship the Lord,

  and do not stint the first fruits of your hands.

11   With every gift show a cheerful face,

  and dedicate your tithe with gladness.

12   Give to the Most High as he has given to you,

  and as generously as you can afford.

13   For the Lord is the one who repays,

  and he will repay you sevenfold.

14   Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it;

15

  and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge,

  and with him there is no partiality.

16   He will not show partiality to the poor;

  but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.

17   He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan,

  or the widow when she pours out her complaint.

18   Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek

19

  as she cries out against the one who causes them to fall?

20   One whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,

  and his prayer will reach to the clouds.

21   The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,

  and it will not rest until it reaches its goal; it will not desist until the Most High responds

22

  and does justice to the righteous, and executes judgement. Indeed, the Lord will not delay,

  and like a warrior will not be patient until he crushes the loins of the unmerciful

23

  and repays vengeance on the nations; until he destroys the multitude of the insolent,

  and breaks the sceptres of the unrighteous;

24   until he repays mortals according to their deeds,

  and the works of all according to their thoughts;

25   until he judges the case of his people

  and makes them rejoice in his mercy.

26   His mercy is as welcome in time of distress

  as clouds of rain in time of drought.

PIERCING PRAYER

You teach Lord

That the prayer of pride

Does not pierce

Your  cloud:

The prayer of humility

‘Will not rest

Until it meets its goal.

Piercing prayer

Comes from the heart

Of one whose life

Is being conformed

To your loving mercy

And righteous justice.

Help me to be a person

Of true, piercing prayer.

AMEN

FRUITFUL FEAR

Ecclesiasticus 34.9-end

 9   An educated person knows many things,

    and one with much experience knows what he is talking about.

 10   An inexperienced person knows few things,

 11 

    but he that has travelled acquires much cleverness.

 12   I have seen many things in my travels,

    and I understand more than I can express.

 13   I have often been in danger of death,

    but have escaped because of these experiences. 

 14   The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live,

 15 

    for their hope is in him who saves them.

 16   Those who fear the Lord will not be timid,

    or play the coward, for he is their hope.

 17   Happy is the soul that fears the Lord!

 18 

    To whom does he look? And who is his support?

 19   The eyes of the Lord are on those who love him,

    a mighty shield and strong support, a shelter from scorching wind and a shade from noonday sun,

    a guard against stumbling and a help against falling.

 20   He lifts up the soul and makes the eyes sparkle;

    he gives health and life and blessing. 

 21   If one sacrifices ill-gotten goods, the offering is blemished;

 22 

    the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable.

 23   The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly,

    nor for a multitude of sacrifices does he forgive sins.

 24   Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes

    is the person who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.

 25   The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;

    whoever deprives them of it is a murderer.

 26   To take away a neighbour’s living is to commit murder;

 27 

    to deprive an employee of wages is to shed blood. 

 28   When one builds and another tears down,

    what do they gain but hard work?

 29   When one prays and another curses,

    to whose voice will the Lord listen?

 30   If one washes after touching a corpse, and touches it again,

    what has been gained by washing?

 31   So if someone fasts for his sins,

    and goes again and does the same things, who will listen to his prayer?

    And what has he gained by humbling himself? 

FRUITFUL FEAR

Lord,

To be in awe of

Your power,

To feel small

In Your presence,

To be chastened

By Your holiness,

To be challenged by

Your Truth;

All this is

Holy Fear.

My Holy Fear

Of You

Is a mighty shield,

My strong support,

My help from falling.

AMEN

PERPETUAL TEST

Ecclesiasticus 31.1-11

31  Wakefulness over wealth wastes away one’s flesh,

    and anxiety about it drives away sleep.

 2   Wakeful anxiety prevents slumber,

    and a severe illness carries off sleep.

 3   The rich person toils to amass a fortune,

    and when he rests he fills himself with his dainties.

 4   The poor person toils to make a meagre living,

    and if ever he rests he becomes needy. 

 5   One who loves gold will not be justified;

    one who pursues money will be led astray by it.

 6   Many have come to ruin because of gold,

    and their destruction has met them face to face.

 7   It is a stumbling-block to those who are avid for it,

    and every fool will be taken captive by it.

 8   Blessed is the rich person who is found blameless,

    and who does not go after gold.

 9   Who is he, that we may praise him?

    For he has done wonders among his people.

 10   Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?

    Let it be for him a ground for boasting. Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress,

    and to do evil and did not do it?

 11   His prosperity will be established,

    and the assembly will proclaim his acts of charity. 

PERPETUAL TEST

Lord,

Your own teaching;

The constant message of

The Word,

Proclaim the same

Warning.

‘Money is a 

Perpetual trial.’

In money

Choices are found,

Opportunities given,

Power exercised.

Give me grace

Yo be a 

Faithful steward

Of all the money

I have.

AMEN

THE WAY OF THE LAMB

St. Luke 10.1-7

THE Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes, and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire.

THE WAY OF THE LAMB

Lord, Your way

Is the Way

Of humble 

Vulnerability:

Absolute dependence

On the Father.

It is the way

Of an ever -deepening

Awareness of, and

Service in

The harvest of pain

And sorrow.

In my small way

Help me to walk

In the way of

The Lamb.

AMEN