We are here to help people love and worship God. We aim to be, and encourage others to become, committed and active disciples of Jesus,
who love God and worship him, who know the power of the Holy Spirit and who show God’s love in every part of their lives.
Father of light,
in whom is no change or shadow of turning,
you give us every good and perfect gift
and have brought us to birth by your word of truth:
may we be a living sign of that kingdom
where your whole creation will be made perfect
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This beautiful prayer is from Common Worship and is set as the prayer after communion on the 21st Sunday after Trinity. We are about to enter the ‘Kingdom Season’ which takes us up to Advent and the new Church year. This prayer reminds us about God and about our own calling. It is above all a very hopeful prayer set for this time of year.
Firstly it reminds us that in God there is no changing. As the writer of Hebrews says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). When life is uncertain, when others let us down, God is eternal and constant, and God is as God is in Jesus. In Christ we see the eternal truth of God.
In Christ God has called us to be a part of His kingdom, we are born anew into eternity , and through the Holy Spirit God has given us the gifts that we need to be a sign of His kingdom.
This is the vocation of the Church and of every Christian. To be a living sign of God’s kingdom, a sign of God’s presence in this world. In a world of divisions we are called to bring healing; in a world of violence we are called to be peace-makers; in a world of despair we are to bring hope to those who have no hope; and in a world where so many feel isolated we are called to build a community where all are welcome.
The final part of this prayer expresses our hope that “your whole creation will be made perfect.” God has not abandoned His world and God will not abandon it. This world is God’s creation created for God’s glory and God has a purpose for it. As the Church of Christ we long for the healing and perfection of creation and as a people filled with the Holy Spirit we work towards this healing of the creation.
As we draw toward the end of the year and the nights grow longer, this prayer reminds us to keep our hope in Christ shining in the darkness of the world. Amen.
St Mary's Church, Priory Road, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S35 9XZ, United Kingdom
Click On or Tap the image
The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish St Marys Ecclesfield - Charity Commission Reg. No. 1144309
Legal Stuff: CCLI Licence Nos: 1924 - 2079612 - 1721765 - 2366521 - 670491
Copyright © All Rights Reserved
