Prayers of Intercession - The Good Shepherd

A Good Shepherd by John Ndevasia Muafangejo, 1974

Prayers written for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook at 12.45pm on Thursday 29th April 2021 (Year B, Easter 4) based on readings from John 10.11-18 and Psalm 23.

Let us offer our prayers to the Lord, our Shepherd.

Prayers of Intercession - Track and Trace the Risen Christ

Doubting Thomas, Michael Smither, 1968

Prayers written for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook at 12.45pm on Thursday 15th April 2021 (Year B, Easter 2) based on readings from John 20.19-end and giving thanks for the life of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

As Thomas tracked and traced the wounds of the Risen Christ, may we be bold enough to bring our doubts and fears, our delights and disappointments, our needs and thanks to the Lord our God, in prayer.

Back at the Empty Tomb - A Prayer for Easter Monday

The Empty Tomb - Richard Bavin, 2013 - Methodist Modern Art Collection

Lord, as we rise this day,
  fill our lives anew with the truth of your empty tomb.

 

Roll away the darkness that distracts and divides; 

   that we may all reflect the light of your love.

 

Roll away the heavy weight of injustice and inequality;

   may the explosive power of your resurrection reveal the path to peace.

 

Roll away all suffering and sorrow;

   restore us with your promise of new life; renew us with a passion for the possible.

 

Roll away our fear and pride;

   reveal your strength through our weakness. 

 

Roll away our silence;

   let us speak only the Good News of Christ crucified.

 

May all who come looking for the risen Lord this day, discover that we have already been found;
  by our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

 

A prayer inspired by Mark 16.1-8 read at Morning Prayer on the first day of the St Augustine’s College Residential Week, Easter Monday 2021

Image : Richard Bavin, The Empty Tomb, 2013 (Methodist Modern Art Collection) 

 

  

Start:Stop – Lord, do you wash my feet?

Sadao Watanabe - Washing the Disciples Feet, 1988

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 hear an audio recording of this reflection here. During Lent at our informal discussion group, we are exploring the Gospel of John - do join us via Zoom on Thursdays at 7.30pm if you can.

This week we arrived at the start of what many see as the second half of John’s Gospel - the ‘Book of Glory’ or the Book of the Passion. Here, the pace of events slows and the focus changes. John has spent the first part of his Gospel describing, through signs and teaching , Jesus’ love for the world. Now he focuses on Jesus’ love for his followers. For the next five chapters, John describes Jesus speaking only to the disciples; teaching them - and us - how to follow him in faith after his death and resurrection. His first lesson takes place during the Last Supper.

Start:Stop - Nevertheless believers

From 'Panel 11' by Jacob Lawrence, 1955

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 hear an audio recording of this reflection here. During Lent at our informal discussion group, we are exploring the Gospel of John - do join us via Zoom on Thursdays at 7.30pm if you can. 

One of the distinctive features about the gospel of John is the number of ‘asides’ or ‘stage whispers’ if you prefer, often shown in the text in brackets, which add explanatory detail or insights to the narrative; like those moments in plays or on television when the ‘fourth wall’ is broken and an actor steps outside the world of the production to speak directly to us, their audience, in our time.

Drawing on the tradition that the author of the fourth gospel lived well into old age (Clement of Alexandria claimed John lived until he was around 100 years old), many like to see these asides or whispers as answers to the most common questions and comments that John encountered over a long and difficult lifetime teaching people about the love of Jesus; what it means to be the ‘Beloved Disciple’ – a vocation which is been distilled into the beautifully crafted text of this Gospel.

The passage we are about to hear is one of the longer ‘asides’. Here, the Beloved Disciple addresses us in his own voice at the end of the first half of his Gospel, known as the ‘Book of Signs’. In doing so, he offers his explanation as to why, despite all the signs that Jesus has performed – beginning at the Wedding in Cana and ending with the Raising of Lazarus amongst many others – the people still do not believe - and even the few who do are afraid to publicly proclaim their faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.

Start:Stop - Do you want to be made well?

Sunbather, David Hockney (1966)

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. During Lent at an informal discussion group, we are exploring the Gospel of John - do join us via Zoom on Thursdays at 7.30pm if you can, all are welcome.

In our Start:Stop reflection this week, we explore how one of the ‘Signs’ from John’s gospel confronts us with questions about the limits we impose on grace, truth and love; and points us towards the limitless love of Jesus, who is full of grace and truth.

Lent Devotions - Hope from the scriptures, across the ocean, through a pandemic

Lorenzo Quinn 'Building Bridges' from the Venice Bienalle 2019. Image by Halcyon Art International

It was a great privilege to be asked to contribute a short reflection to this booklet of Lent devotions prepared by the churches of St Stephen's Rochester Row, Westminster, St Barnabas Pimlico and The Church of the Holy Trinity, Manhattan. 

Members & friends from each church have contributed a short meditation based on the Old Testament reading for each day of Lent. 

Start:Stop - Fasting and Feasting

Paul Cézanne, ‘Still Life with Skull' (ca. 1895-1900) 

You can hear an audio recording of this reflection at this link. Hello, my name is Phillip Dawson, welcome to our Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook for the first week of Lent. We begin with two short verses from the Gospel of Luke.

Start:Stop - The Long Road to Damascus

The Conversion of Paul by Hyatt Moore

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.

This week the church celebrates the conversion of St Paul. The feast, on 25th January, also marks the end of the Week of Prayer of Christian Unity.

The drama of Paul’s road to Damascus experience is told in Chapter 9 of Acts of the Apostles, but also in Paul’s own words in his letter to the Galatians - a letter he wrote to defend his mission to the gentiles, under attack from Christians from Jerusalem who wanted gentile converts to the faith to observe Jewish practices and laws. 

In the letter, Paul’s first hand account of his experience suggests that while his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus was life-changing, the process of his conversion, which we celebrate this week, was only just beginning. 

Prayers of Intercession - Parish Carol Service

Madonna and Child, Barbara Hepworth, 1954

Prayers written for the Parish Carol Service at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 17th December 2020 inspired by lines from famous Christmas Carols.

Start:Stop - Ode to Joy (and Freedom)

From The Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt, 1902

Hello and welcome to this week’s Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook, when we stop for ten minutes and start to reflect on a passage from scripture. You can hear an audio version of this reflection at this link. Today our text is taken from Luke’s Gospel, in which we hear the words Jesus spoke in the synagogue at the start of his ministry.