Low in spirit!

Well, it’s been one of those days when I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed. Do you have those days, when everything is going wrong and it feels like it would be safer to do nothing? Although of course it wouldn’t, so there’s a quandary!

Anyway, in the midst of that, 2 things have helped today. One came from Bishop Bev’s email to me which at the end contained a very familiar verse of scripture:
Jesus says to his disciples,
‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid.’
The peace of the Lord be always with you. (cf John 14.27)

This is so familiar that sometimes it can pass me by without me even blinking. But today it made me stop and pause, and I was reminded that even though I am low in spirit, that God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, in me is strong and vital. In him we are more than equal for the day and he is with us in all the ups and downs of life and daily living.

The second good thing was a prayer that Bishop Paul sent out to all the vicars and wardens around the diocese as part of his email to us all. It is drawn from the ecumenical resource provided by Ultan Russell and Cynthia Dowdle, and comes from the United Church of Canada.
In this time of COVID-19, we pray:
When we aren’t sure, God – help us be calm.
when information comes – from all sides, correct & not – help us to discern.
When fear makes it hard to breathe,
and anxiety seems to be the order of the day,
slow us down, God.
Help us to reach out with our hearts,
when we can’t touch with our hands.
Help us to be socially connected,
when we have to be socially distant.
Help us to love as perfectly as we can,
knowing that “perfect love casts out all fear.”
Help us, O God, that we might help each other.
In the love of God the Creator,
in the name of Christ the Healer,
in the life of the Holy Spirit
that is in all and with all, we pray.
Amen

This prayer seems to me to be a keeper, as in one to be used over and over again in this season, one that expresses my heart and my need, over the world and to God.

I hope this piece of scripture and this prayer are useful to you too.
God bless, Amanda