Facing up to our anxieties

Week 3 – facing up to our anxieties
May the grace and peace of God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!  
It’s a curious thing, but those who know how to depend on another are often the most empowered to make a difference in the world. It’s often said that a successful marriage is one in which each partner depends on the other and finds in that relationship the inspiration and strength needed to do what needs to be done.
Jesus taught his disciples the importance of dependence. Do you remember how he taught them that needed to become like little children? Do you remember how he sent them out on their first mission, to carry on his work of preaching and teaching, healing the sick and casting out evil spirits, he sent them out with next to nothing “take no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff”? They were to depend not on themselves but on God, the one whom Jesus had taught them to trust and to call “Father”. Later they came back, full of stories of how successful their mission had been.
Of course they were concerned that their mission went well, but their dependence on God, their trust in their Father, meant they did not need to be worried or anxious. Today there is so much for us to be concerned about. There’s our health and the health of our close family. Then there are all those on the front line, doctors and nurses and carers: we are concerned about them too. And there’s the future: how damaging will the virus be to our economy and what will that mean for our jobs, our education and general well-being? Yes, at this time, we are full of concerns.
But we need not be anxious, need not be worried, since we, like those disciples sent out on mission with next to nothing, can depend on the God who is our Father, the one whom Jesus tells us we can trust because each day he will give us our daily bread. Anxiety paralyses us; dependence filled with trust empowers us. The more we depend on and trust in our Father, the more we can keep on walking, make a difference in the world and do what needs to be done.   
In this spirit of dependence and trust, we can place our concerns before our Father:  
We pray for those who have died, may the Lord give then eternal rest; We pray for their relatives and friends, may the Risen Lord be their consolation. We pray for those who are sick, may the Lord lay his healing hands on them; We pray for those who are caring for the sick, may the Lord give them strength. We pray for those in isolation and living alone, may the Lord give them peace We pray for those in government, may the Lord give them wisdom and a spirit of service. We pray for the leaders of our churches, may they show us how to follow the example of Christ the servant, Christ the healer, Christ the reconciler. We make these prayers in his name, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
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.

Facing up to our anxieties

Week 3 – facing up to our anxieties
May the grace and peace of God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!  
It’s a curious thing, but those who know how to depend on another are often the most empowered to make a difference in the world. It’s often said that a successful marriage is one in which each partner depends on the other and finds in that relationship the inspiration and strength needed to do what needs to be done.
Jesus taught his disciples the importance of dependence. Do you remember how he taught them that needed to become like little children? Do you remember how he sent them out on their first mission, to carry on his work of preaching and teaching, healing the sick and casting out evil spirits, he sent them out with next to nothing “take no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff”? They were to depend not on themselves but on God, the one whom Jesus had taught them to trust and to call “Father”. Later they came back, full of stories of how successful their mission had been.
Of course they were concerned that their mission went well, but their dependence on God, their trust in their Father, meant they did not need to be worried or anxious. Today there is so much for us to be concerned about. There’s our health and the health of our close family. Then there are all those on the front line, doctors and nurses and carers: we are concerned about them too. And there’s the future: how damaging will the virus be to our economy and what will that mean for our jobs, our education and general well-being? Yes, at this time, we are full of concerns.
But we need not be anxious, need not be worried, since we, like those disciples sent out on mission with next to nothing, can depend on the God who is our Father, the one whom Jesus tells us we can trust because each day he will give us our daily bread. Anxiety paralyses us; dependence filled with trust empowers us. The more we depend on and trust in our Father, the more we can keep on walking, make a difference in the world and do what needs to be done.   
In this spirit of dependence and trust, we can place our concerns before our Father:  
We pray for those who have died, may the Lord give then eternal rest; We pray for their relatives and friends, may the Risen Lord be their consolation. We pray for those who are sick, may the Lord lay his healing hands on them; We pray for those who are caring for the sick, may the Lord give them strength. We pray for those in isolation and living alone, may the Lord give them peace We pray for those in government, may the Lord give them wisdom and a spirit of service. We pray for the leaders of our churches, may they show us how to follow the example of Christ the servant, Christ the healer, Christ the reconciler. We make these prayers in his name, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
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.