All of us
who provide from our resources
who follow from Galilee
who watch and pray
who see the suffering
who lose lives for Jesus’ sake
who look on from a distance
who stand at the foot of the cross
who prepare spices as symbols of love
who wonder about rolling our stones away
now wait in emptiness …
Call to Prayer
In the light of the Earth-maker
In the love of the Pain-bearer
In the leading of the Life-Giver
We place ourselves today
Silence and stillness
Silent and still, give consent to Love’s presence and action within you.
Taizé chant: Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray
Click here to listen to the chant
Psalm 107 (click on the link below to listen to the psalm, or click here to read it)
For reflection: (Click on the link below to access each day’s meditation):
Day 1: Joanna, and Mary, and Susanna, and Mary, and Salome, and Mary … and many others
Day 5: Waiting in the emptiness
Advance notice for Thursday this week:
Washday is a new take on Maundy Thursday. Traditionally, church people have washed people’s feet, or more recently offered free shoe-shining on the streets as a way of telling the story of the Last Supper. Washday is all about taking part in practical social action during Lent and Holy Week.
It’s an opportunity to go out and wash anything and everything. It could be cleaning windows for people who would find that difficult, washing a car, washing clothes for homeless people, or washing up mugs in an office. For more, go to: www.washday.org AND play the video!
Response
Talk to someone about what today’s reflection might mean.
Using a large bowl filled water, choose a flower to set afloat on the water, as a symbol of surrender – of seeing only the beauty of Jesus, of not noticing the road too hard, but seeing only he who goes before.
Taizé chant: Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray
Closing prayer
May the Spirit
Bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths and
Superficial relationships so that
You will live deep in your heart.
May the Spirit
Bless you with anger
At injustice and oppression
And exploitation of people and the earth
So that you work for
Justice, equity and peace.
May the Spirit
Bless you with tears to shed
For those who suffer
So that you will
Reach out your hand
To comfort them.
And may the Spirit
Bless you with the foolishness
To think you can make a difference
In the world
So you will do the things
Which others say cannot be done.
Prayer from the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice,
cited in Called Again by Alan Jamieson (2004)
Philip Garside Publishing NZ, p.141.