Morning Prayer - God of love, mighty river

The Malestrom. Bodo. David Hockney, 2002

“Let the rivers clap their hands and let the hills ring out together before the Lord”
(Psalm 98, verse 8)

Inspired by this verse from one of the Psalms appointed for the morning of October 19th 2020, I thought I would lead our online service of Morning Prayer from beside the River Thames, which is a short walk from our flat. These prayers are inspired by and adapted from prayers written by Chandran Devanesan and St Gertrude the Great. 

The response to : God of love, mighty river is : flow over us, within us and through us.

Prayers of Intercession - Christ has no hands now but yours

Study of the Hands of an Apostle, Albrecht Dürer 1508

Prayers written for the Business Harvest Festival at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 15th October 2020 which is also the Feast of St Teresa of Avila. The prayers are based on a famous prayer by St Teresa ‘Christ has body but yours’, as well as the readings for the service; Deuteronomy 8.7-18 and Luke 12.16-30. 

Christ on the Mount of Olives - Beethoven's only oratorio

Christ on the Mount of Olives by Giovanni

In this, his 250th Anniversary year, please listen to Beethoven’s only oratorio – Christ on the Mount of Olives. Criticised by some for emphasizing Jesus’s humanity, for others it is precisely the vivid portrayal of Christ’s agony in the garden that connects the listener to the divine.

Prayers of Intercession - Trinity 17

James B Janknegt – The Wicked Tenants (2018)

Prayers of intercession written for the Choral Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 8th October 2020 Trinity 17/Proper 22 – Year A, based on the Epistle (Philippians 3.4b-14) and the Gospel reading Matthew 21.33-end.

Let us pray to the Lord, who has made us his own.

Start:Stop - Keep Awake

Apocalyptic City, Ludwig Meidner, 1913

Hello and welcome to this week’s Start:Stop reflection, my name is Phillip Dawson. An audio version of this reflection can be found here.

Chapter Thirteen of Mark’s Gospel contains the longest speech on a single topic in the whole of the text. In what some call the “Markan Apocalypse,” Jesus offers a glimpse of what’s in store for his followers in the future. In the tradition of ancient apocalyptic writing, the passage ‘elasticates’ time – giving descriptions of persecution and suffering that may well have been already happening to the Christian communities to whom Mark is likely to have been writing – as well as seeming to predict events in the more distant future. But the timeline snaps back - ending firmly in the present, as Jesus explains that not even he knows when these things will come to pass – so we must all “keep awake”; the last words he speaks before his passion and death.

Sung Compline

It was a great privilege to lead Compline today for the online community of St Augustine's College of Theology. I tried to sing the office today. A recording of the service is at the link below and a copy of the chants can be downloaded at this link.  

Prayers of Intercession - Trinity 16

Ethiopian Icon

Prayers of intercession for the Trinity 16/Proper 21 – Year A, based on the Epistle (Philippians 2.1-13) the Gospel reading Matthew 21.23-32.

Let us pray to God, who is the source of all things.

Morning Prayer - 29th September 2020

It was a great pleasure to lead Morning Prayer on the Facebook Page of St Augustine's College of Theology today - Michaelmas - The Feast of Michael and All Angels. Please join me by watching the video below. 

Prayers for the Feast of Michael & All Angels

St Michael's Victory over the Devil (Detail), Sir Jacob Epstein, 1958

Michael is regarded as the protector of Christians from the devil, particularly those at the hour of death. He is the patron saint of police officers. 

Prayers of Intercession - Trinity 15

The Red Vineyards near Arles, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

Prayers of intercession for the Sung Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook at 12.45pm on Thursday 24th September 2020 (Trinity 15/Proper 20) based on the Epistle (Philippians 1.21-end) and the Gospel Reading from Matthew 20.1-16.

Let us pray to Almighty God, that the mercy and justice of his Kingdom may be known throughout his church and the world.

Prayers for Today

The Leaves of the Trees by Peter Walker, Installation in Exeter Cathedral, 2020

Prayers selected for Morning Prayer at St Stephen Walbrook on Wednesday 23rd September 2020.