Collect for Easter 7
O God the King of Glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Mercifully give us faith to know that, as he promised, he abides with us on earth to the end of time; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
1 Peter 4: 12-14, 5: 6-11
John 17: 1-11
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
1 Timothy 4:1-2
In the past few weeks, some people have been distributing a ‘Newspaper’ called ‘The Irish Light’. It looks plausible—the format and typeface is very similar to the Irish Independent, probably with a view to establishing credibility, which in itself is suspicious.
In fact, it contains some of the most vile and disgusting articles I have read in a long time. Claiming to be Christian, it is profoundly racist, anti-refugee, anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim. In addition it spouts the most outrageous conspiracy theories.
In a free country, it has every right to print what it likes. But when it actually praises arson by the Hitler Youth, I believe that constitutes incitement to do the same, and as such it should be classed as a hate crime and therefore illegal.
I can think of no other description of this trash other than just plain evil, propagated by demons. If offered a copy, you must decide for yourself to accept it — I can’t tell you what to do or not to do.
But ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8
Jesus knew that His disciples – then and now – would face attack. There has been persecution, prejudice and propaganda throughout the ages, driven by greed, hatred and jealousy for no real reason other than to establish superiority over others, if necessary by force. The concepts of unity, servanthood and love for neighbour are incompatible with such attitudes, which is why at the end of the Last Supper, He prays for protection for all those who will follow Him and seek to live as His ongoing body on earth, needed now more than ever when the powers of darkness deploy modern technologies to divide and deceive.
People ask how to discern truth from the well-crafted lies of the enemy. Protected by His promise, the answer is simple. In prayer, just ask whether you can see Jesus in their words and deeds. As Steve Earle sang – I don’t remember learning how to hate in Sunday School.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 7th September 2025
So, if we truly offer Him everything, does that leave us with nothing? Quite the opposite. When we give our life to Jesus, it includes the bad bits as well as the good bits.
Praying Together 31st August 2025
The heavenly banquet has only one rule of etiquette – That you accept Jesus , the Christ, as Saviour and Redeemer. And then your place and theirs is at the head of His table, alongside Him.
Praying Together 24th August 2025
Salvation does not ever come through religious practice – it comes through Christ, the only sinless one, whose sacrifice is given as a free gift in love, to those who can’t help themselves.
Paying Together 17th August 2025
We ask that our faith is strengthened in the power of the Spirit when it is tested – and that we will have the courage to live as the Body of Christ, who alone offers life.
Praying Together 10th August 2025
And while we think of the things we value most, do we remember that we are of such value to God, that His Son was prepared to go into the flames for us?
Praying Together 27th July 2025
In a word, it is all prayer, a rich sequence, choreographed in different moments of gathering, praise, listening and communion.
Praying Together 20th July 2025
Jesus comes to us in many ways and with many faces. Are we aware we may ‘entertain Angels without knowing it?
Praying Together 13th July 2025
May we never miss meeting your gaze,
in the eyes of our sibling, the stranger.
Praying Together 6th July 2025
Always remember that ‘success’ is simply doing His will – it’s not necessarily achieving the outcome we would ourselves consider to be ‘successful’. Leave that definition with Him.
Praying Together 29th June 2025
Jesus is looking for commitment. Absolute, unconditional, commitment. When I think of what that means, I’m always minded of Martina Navratilova’s remark: “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.”
Praying Together 22nd June 2025
As Christians, may we never regard mercy and compassion towards others as weakness, naivety or gullibility, but display the traits which demonstrate that we follow a Saviour who came to rescue those left behind.
Praying Together 15th June 2025
You couldn’t fly a kite inside a church building –for the Kite to fly you’d have to go into the windy street outside. Where does that place the need for the Spirit to act?