Viewpoint from Father Chris Terry 14/10/11

 

Clergy of the Church of England are expected to spend time each day in prayer and Bible reading. For most it takes the form of the daily office of psalms, canticles and Bible readings. The cycle and rhythm of this daily prayer is important. As a team of ministers of the Church of England in Great Yarmouth it enables us to bring our pastoral encounters to God in prayer and the opportunity to touch base with one another. It is an important discipline that forms the bedrock of our ministry. The stipendiary clergy usually meet at St Nicholas each day for Morning Prayer at 9.00am and Evening Prayer at 5pm and we are often joined by other members of the congregation

Our reading is guided by the Lectionary which details the readings and psalms for each day. The aim is that we read through the different parts on the Bible in the course of a year. The Lectionary also provides opportunities for us to remember the life and witness of the saints. Some are the giants of the faith like St Luke whom we will celebrate shortly. The most important element to me however is the more ordinary saints whom otherwise we might not recall. The past few days have been no exception as we have been called to remember the lives of Etheburga, who was the Abbess of Barking Abbey and a sister of the Bishop of London and died in 675, Wilfred of Ripon who was Bishop of York who died in 709, Edward the Confessor, King of England who died in 1066. As well as the saints such as these we also remember the lives of ordinary people who have achieved much in their lives. This past week we have remembered two women from Norfolk, Elizabeth Fry who worked for better conditions for prisoners and Edith Cavell who bravely tended the wounded and sought to smuggle captured soldiers home during the First World War

 

The connection between the super heroes of the faith and ordinary faithful Christians is important and reminds that the Gospel has inspired to acts of service for the sake of God’s mission to the world.   Many of those whom we remember like Ethelburga gave up lives of privilege or power. Others like Edith Cavell were executed for what they saw as merely doing their Christian duty.  The cycle of daily prayer links us into the prayer of the Church worldwide bringing before God the needs of the world and in its daily rhythm learning more of God’s will. Whether you come to church, read alone at home or use one of the new apps for your mobile phone, being still before God is something that we all need to have if we are to have balanced lives