Prayer meeting – Thursday 25th July 9.00 -10.00 am (and every Thursday).
A time of prayer for God’s renewing work in All Saints’ and in Christ Church. All welcome. Come when you can.
Future dates for joint prayers at Christ Church : Wednesday 5th June, Monday 17th June, Thursday 11th July at Christ Church
July’s Prayer Thought From Rev’d Wendy Williams
An imposing monument stands in Douglas Bay in the Isle of Man. It is called The Tower of Refuge. In 1832 it was erected on St.Mary’s Isle,or Conister Rock, a partially submerged reef.
Sir William Hillary 1771-1847 was responsible for its erection. He had made his home on Douglas Head, and from there observed ships foundering in violent storms. That led him, in 1824, to draw up plans for a lifeboat service to cover 19,000 miles of coastland. (Today’s RNLI) The first low life boat was stationed at Douglas and Hillary became its honorary coxswain.
In 1830 Hillary took part in the rescue of the paddle steamer St George which had sailed from Liverpool with crew, passengers and mail. On approaching Douglas Harbour it foundered on Conister Rock. The rough sea meant that oars were lost. Hillary and others were washed overboard during their attempt to rescue, and he sustained six broken ribs.
Eventually all were rescued, including the 22 crew members, by the 17 men in the lifeboat. It was that event which prompted Hillary to set up a scheme to build a sanctuary – the Tower of Refuge. Lady Hillary laid the foundation stone on Easter Sunday 23April 1832. Until recently there was always a dry room and a supply of fresh bread and water for sailors or fishermen if they found their vessels battered against the rock.
What do we do when we find ourselves shipwrecked, when the waves are crashing over us, when we know our strength and resources are no longer there to support us? It maybe that tragedy, temptation, trials, illness have closed in on us and we feel that we are going under. We should never be discouraged because there is One whom we can call on, namely our all powerful God, our heavenly Father. David reminds us of this in Psalm 6. He felt overwhelmed and he cried out; “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.” The request was from the depths of his soul. He continued, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. “ {verse2).
He pictured a rock in his mind’s eye. It was strong,and able to withstand the crushing waves. If only he could reach it he would regain stability and be safe. But he was helpless. He needed God to lead him to that rock, and lift him above his plight. David held a high position as king, but his status was of no advantage. Only God could set his feet on the rock, a fact he began to recall from past experience. God had been faithful. He had proved God to be all sufficient for his needs. “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”
God had always been David’s shelter. He was a strong tower, and God made him feel strong again as he protected him. The imagery is from the walled towns built to keep enemies out. Towers would stand high to allow the soldiers to monitor movements. The presence of the tower secured safety for the inhabitants, and in turn made them strong . When we find ourselves ourselves in extreme situations, we can be helped to regain former strength through praying. David wisely teaches us that we must think more about God than our own problems. God will provide for us, and sustain us.
Three Minute Retreat
Do you feel that it’s hard to find time for prayer?
Even a short time spent in prayer can help you to refocus and to connect with God. Rev’d Sue and Reader Diane recommend this website which offers a guided 3 minute retreat. There’s a time to pause, a short reading, two questions to get you thinking and a little prayer. You can get it as an app for different types of mobile phone too.
https://www.loyolapress.com/retreats/simple-rules-start-retreat
United Christian Broadcasters (UCB)
UCB produce a great daily devotional which is recommend by our church. It is a helpful reflection on a very short daily Bible reading which helps readers to apply Biblical truths to their everyday lives. Click on the link below to read or listen to the UCB ‘Word for Today’
https://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today
Pause/Pray
Pause/Pray is a free series of Bible reflections, available as a podcast or download. They include original music, guided prayers and themes related to daily life. A new one is available each fortnight. To stream or download the episodes or subscribe to the podcast go to iTunes or your regular podcast app.https://www.engageworship.org/pausepray
Pathways to Prayer
The Diocese are running 3 ‘Pathways to Prayer’ events over the next few months. This is a wonderful opportunity for all people of every tradition to explore fresh perspectives on patterns and styles of prayer, contemplation and meditation through a diverse range of workshops. For further details, and to book, click on the links below.
Day with Bishop Julian 21st September at St Ambrose Leyland
Day with Bishop Jill 19th October at Xavarian Mission Spirituality Centre
Our Diocesan Prayer.
Heavenly Father, we embrace Your call for us to make disciples, to be witnesses and to grow leaders. Give us the eyes to see Your vision, ears to hear the prompting of Your Spirit and courage to follow in the footsteps of your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN
This Prayer Page
At All Saints’ Appley Bridge, we believe that earnest, thoughtful, regular and honest prayer is the key to our individual and collective relationship with our wonderful Creator, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If you want to share a prayer or prayers on this page, do not hesitate to contact us with your thoughts. If there is a situation that you wish to bring before God and would like us to be mindful of as a Church family, share it with us. We want to share together what we want to say to Him.