Thought for the Day-To be called Christians

The Good Shepherd, Niels Larsen Stevns, 1921

A Thought for the Day given at a lunchtime service of Holy Communion at St Olave Hart Street on Tuesday 28th April 2026 based on readings from Acts 11.19-26 and John 10.22-30.

Further Prayers for Morning Prayer on Wednesday 18th May 2022

Richard Hambelton, Shadowman

Further prayers written for Morning Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer at St Stephen Walbrook on Wednesday 18th May 2022, based on readings from Psalm 92, Numbers 12 and Luke 5.12-26

From Psalm 92 :  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord * and to sing praises unto thy Name, O most Highest; To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning * and of thy truth in the night-season.

Good Lord, help us;
To tell the truth of thy loving-kindness amidst all we see and hear this day.
To tell the truth of thy peace in our thoughts, words and deeds. 
To tell the truth of thy providence from claims of earthly pride.
To tell the truth of thy transforming power as living witnesses to your glory.
Amen.

Start:Stop - I have called you by name, you are mine

From My Naam is Februarie - Slave Calendar produced by Cape Town’s Iziko Slave Lodge

Hello, my name is Phillip Dawson, welcome to our Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook, when we stop for a few minutes and start to reflect on a passage from scripture. You can listen to an audio version of this reflection at this link.

This week we turn to words which come from what some call the second part of the book of the Prophet Isaiah, which addresses the people of Israel in exile in Babylon; an event Isaiah prophesied as a divine judgement against Israel for turning away from God. Instead of showing who God is by their living lives in accordance with His commandments, society had become riven by injustice and inequality, with the powerful abusing their wealth and influence for personal gain.

In this passage, Isaiah does not proclaim the failures of Israel but instead he is used by God to provide an ‘oracle of salvation’; offering hope at a time when the gods of the people of Babylon seemed stronger than the God of Israel.