My time

Before I go on, I am grateful to everyone from all the churches I visit for their kind support. 

One of the things that I'm aware of is that going to church will never really be the same again. 

I have connections, one way or another with three churches.  First there's my placement church, Hillside, then there's Eagleside, and finally there's my home church.  Whichever church I visit, I have to spend a lot of time explaining what I'm up to, and how Mrs G is doing.  They are all lovely, caring people, and I'm blessed to have their support, but I feel of late I'm missing out on the whole worship thing. I like to sit down in a church, have a short pause before the service to clear my thoughts, listen to the service and generally clear my head.  But as soon as I get to a state of reflective calm, someone, someone caring and concerned and genuinely lovely, comes over and asks me how I'm getting on or how Mrs Gerbil is doing.  They are asking because they care, and I would never hurt their feelings by hunting them.  But they have still ruined my nice reflective state. 

Even before I started the enquiry thing, I would be unable to truly switch off, because I'd be keeping one eye on the projector and another on the mixing/recording equipment in case that let us down. 

Recently I've started going to a service. And for me it's great because nobody knows me at all.  I can walk in almost unacknowledged, can sit down and I can get as reflective as I want.  It's just me, and wherever the Spirit wants to take me.  The service is short, but it's absolutely perfect, and I come away more refreshed than on many a Sunday morning.  I know that community forms a strong part of church life, but this particular church will never know how much good they are doing me by just letting me have my space and get my head in order.  So I'm sorry for being all take and no give.


In fact, I think I'm so anti-social that I don't even like my own company...

Sorry God, I hate to bother you...

I'm not very good at spontaneous prayers.  I hate praying for myself, as while I'm sure God is pretty interested in what I'm up to, I'm sure he's awfully busy.  I don't like bothering him as I know he's got a lot on.

I'll pray for other people, but I'm happy enough taking what comes my way, so I'm not that keen on asking for help.  He's given me the skills I've needed in life so far, and if there's anything else I need, well, he created Google. 

One thing I need to get good at is prayers.  Need to put that on the paperwork as a thing to improve on.

So in order to save God a bit of time, and to let him focus on the people who really need a hand, I'm putting this out in the blogsphere.  I've been asked to do the prayer of approach at Hillside on Remembrance Sunday, and because it's the one thing I'm not very good at, I'm asking for help.  Comments are welcome on the following, and if you think it's any good, you are welcome to use it in whole or part.  While it's mostly original, I have taken a bit of guidance from Mrs G and others. 
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Eternal Father,

Please open our eyes so we can see your coming kingdom

Open our ears so we may hear your message

Open our minds that we gain a new understanding of your word

Open our hearts that your life empowering Spirit may flow through our bodies

You are great beyond our understanding, creating the beauty of the heavens and the earth, long before we came into existence.  You put fire into the stars, yet you gently breathed life into every one of us that we may glorify your name.

You gave us Jesus, your only son, and it is through him and his sacrifice on the cross that we are truly set free.  Through him we shall escape our burden of sin and be born again into newness of life.

So as we  gather here in your holy presence, remembering and commending to you those who have lived and died in times of conflict, lead our world to a time when Heaven and Earth shall meet and be as one.  Where there shall be no conflict, only love, and we shall behold in person your majesty.

  

And let us pray together the words that Jesus himself taught us...

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

(The Lords Prayer will be the Hillside Kirk version.  I'm sure they forgive sin rather than trespasses)