Friday 28 April 2023

Today is Friday the 28th of April, in the third week of Easter.



Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Be Thou My Vision’. You might like to sing or speak these words as you begin prayer today.


Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
Be thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, Thy child I shall be
Thou in me dwelling and I one with Thee
High King of heaven, my victory won
Grant heaven's joys to me, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, heart of my own heart
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision…
Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. It is a long passage, so the scripture will be divided into three to make it a little easier to reflect with!

Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

What sense do you get of this dramatic passage and scene initially? How does it play out in your mind’s eye?


Hear Saul as he is “breathing threats and murder”…

Hear the difference as Saul address Jesus as “Lord”…

Hear Jesus’ voice as he says: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”…


What does it all sound like?

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’


Ananias answers: “Here I am, Lord”. Do you think he might come to regret this enthusiasm?

Is Ananias happy about what God is asking him to do? Have you ever felt the same when you have been called by God?

So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’

Saul “began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God”. How do you imagine this? The confusion of those in the synagogues… what does Saul sound like as he makes these new proclamations?


Finally, you might like to look back on all the thoughts and insights that have occurred to you during this time of prayer. Can you bring some of them together into a prayer to God?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.