On Sunday, I watched the service online which had been prepared by Rev’d James Church, During the sermon he spoke about two parts of the Bible which explained God’s will that COVID-19 would not destroy the world, which had been the fear of some people. Today, I make a long story short, which begins when Peter and John had healed a man who had been crippled from birth. They had great courage to do the healing and preaching about God and Jesus Christ and, because of it, they were taken into prison (Acts 4). While they were in prison, they continued to pray and preach and when eventually they were released from prison, they did not cease preaching and praying.

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First, they praised God and then they told God about their problem. They did not ask Him to take it away, but what they did do was to ask God to help them to deal with it.

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We now go to the Old Testament to see what King David in Psalm 124 said. He began by saying if the Lord had not been on their side against the Philistines, Israel knew they would have been swallowed up alive. We all know that there are many stories of wars in the Old Testament, which were the cause of the deaths of many fighting people. What we are going through with COVID-19 is very much like a war and as the Psalm says, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” We must keep our faith; Jesus Christ will return and we will have new lives in eternity through Him.

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LOOKING AHEAD…

On SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th WE WILL HAVE TWO TABLES OUTSIDE OF THE CHAPEL FROM 12 to 2pm. This is the Sunday before we would have been celebrating our Harvest Thanksgiving. As the rules are at present, we are not able to have our usual services in the Chapel. The tables are for us to bring and buy items of food for charity. The non-perishable foods will be for the Food Bank, while the fruit and vegetables will be sold for Christian Aid and jars of jam and marmalade will be sold for the Chapel. Please tell your family and friends about this charity giving.

PRAYERS

This Prayer is taken from the Prayer Handbook and was written by Neil Thorogood

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Eternal God, ruler and shaper of time, hear the prayer we offer.
For we know the limits of our lives: imagines which cannot hold your truth,
Hearts that struggle to contain your grace, years that seem too brief,
Futures unclear and unpredictable, we confess our fear that life is not in your hands
And that we are in danger. We confess the sense that this world is out of control
And rushing deeper into chaos.
Into our fearfulness bring your reassuring truth.
Remind us that all things exist within your will and purpose.
Sooth us with the knowledge of your will shaping our days.
Inspire us to trust that you are taking all we are each moment
And shaping our lives into a great mosaic of your purpose.
Bless us and renes us with hope,
We pray in the name of Jesus and through the power
Of the Holy Spirit Amen.

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From Bread of Tomorrow

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God of creation, the earth is Yours with all its beauty and goodness, its rich and overflowing provision.
But we have claimed it for our own, plundered its beauty for profit, grabbed its resources for ourselves.
God of creation forgive us. May we no longer abuse your trust, but care gently and with justice for your earth. Amen.