Advent 2018 – Day Eight – Singing in the rain
The song which came to me today is Singing in the rain. The second verse is particularly appropriate but I quote from the more familiar first verse.
I’m laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun’s in my heart
And I’m ready for love
One of my favourite smells is that of a newly mown lawn and even better with a short shower to intensify the depth of that smell. It is another of our senses which we can use to experience God’s creation.
Our Psalm today uses many wonderful images to show the result of the coming of the promised perfect King. One of which is this image of rain falling on new mown fields.
The Psalm foretells the coming of Jesus and the way that he will display his Kiingship, however, it also gives us the opportunity to consider how we are supposed to lead.
A leader is supposed to judge with righteousness, to judge the poor with justice.
A leader is supposed to care for the needy, the poor, and those who have no help.
A leader is supposed to redeem the the weak and the needy from oppression and violence.
Sadly as we look around the world such leaders are in short supply.
Psalm 72:1-7 New International Version – UK
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
V 18-19
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvellous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name for ever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
Prayers and Reflection
Helpful Hymn:
Hymn: Singing the Faith No: 228 – Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
Contemplation saying.
“may the whole earth be filled with his glory”.
Let us pray together.
Contemplative Prayer.
Think of the saying in order to understand context and meaning,
Feel the meaning of the saying with and in your heart,
Pray, using the saying, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers.
Listen for God’s voice in the quiet of your prayers.
Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.
Twitter Prayer
May your Spirit fill us with hope. That hope which inspires us to follow your will and take up your call to do justice and love mercy. Amen.
Facebook Prayer
Loving God, teach us how to truly love as you do. Not the easy to love but love for the stranger, the refugee, the difficult person, the homeless, the oppressed, the dispossessed. All are loved by you. Help us to demonstrate your compassionate love in our lives, in our thoughts, words and actions. Amen.
Full Prayer
You are our ever present God, in all that you do you are righteous and just.
You are our creator and we thank you for your presence in our lives.
Lord God you call us to love our neighbour, we ask that you teach us to have compassion for all.
We need to truly understand what it is to love. Sometimes we find it hard to love those closest to us so we need your Spirit’s power to help us to love those who are distant or different from us in race, creed or colour. Help us to see that we are all made in your image.
We ask that you give us strength to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
We pray for those displaced from their homes by war, intolerance and economic hardship.
We pray for those discriminated against, those who are oppressed and those who live in fear.
Lord, help us to stand up for justice and peace, in a world that desperately needs them. We ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.
