A prayer for Sunday 16th July 2023

When I was on placement with the probationer service in Birmingham, a long time ago, I had to give a presentation reflecting on the nature of its work. I chose to use the parable of the sower highlighting the various contexts of its work with clients, in particular their backgrounds. On the whole it went well. But my supervising probation officer had once worked in agriculture. 'You know Mark the quality of the seed really matters' That has stayed with me down the years especially when the lectionary readings throw up once again the 'Parable of the sower.'

We can be so fixated on the context, stony ground, thin soil, thorns and weeds that we allow ourselves to be excused thinking about the quality of what we sow. 

I have two favourite mantras 'God loves everyone without exception' and thats a tough one to live by. 

The second is 'Our lives might be the only bible some people ever read'  It is through our lives, our living, that we sow the seed of the Kingdom. Well it better be a good, faithful read if we expect a harvest.

So the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, 'the parable of the sower' underpins this following prayer.

 Let us pray


God you love everyone

without exception

hear now our prayers


You taught us 

to sow your love widely and freely

help us to ensure the quality

of what we sow

that it might bear fruit.


May then our lives

like Christ

enable everyone to flourish

as we show your 

belief and trust in them.

So we pray for the quality of the seed we sow

as well as the context in which it is sown.


May our lives

reflect your generosity

compassion

understanding,

and enable us to not allow

our own fears or desires

to get in the way 

of loving everyone 

without exception.


We pray for the Church of England

as it recovers from a choppy

general synod.

May your Holy Spirit guide 

its direction

until it and all churches

in word and deed

truly love everyone

without exception.


In a world of beauty

where creation is being eroded

may the seeds of warning

no matter how disruptive 

bear fruit in the recovery of our planet.


May those who hold wealth and power 

and who have fallen under its control

be liberated

that the good of the earth and all people 

might come first before profit.


Your creation groans for redemption

and we hear the call to love without exception.


We pray that the seed of Hope

sown in love 

scattered widely and freely

might make all things new.


In a world where human frailty exists

may all be slow to condemn

and quick to pray and work for wholeness.

Praying that your seed of transformation

might become a reality in our lives

and world

that we and all might know 

we are loved without exception.


As your seed of love is scattered

we acknowledge we and others

allow it to fall on stony ground. 

We fail to live in harmony

and instead embrace discord.

We dress up our actions as being for the good of others

while really we seek to manipulate and control.

This leads to conflict and sometimes war.


Jesus said unless a grain falls to the ground and dies

new life cannot come.


May we and all people

sow such seeds

and be willing to die

to selfishness, power and greed

and so we ask for your forgiveness 

as we allow the seed of your Love

to grow in the ground of our lives

until it bears 

the richest harvest

and your kingdom comes

and your will is done. Amen.     © Mark Goodhand 16th July 2023




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