MEDITATION

St Peters Day Dinner, 1 Watling Pl, Weston ACT 2611, Australia, Wee Jasper,  June 26 2021 | AllEvents.in

On Wednesday 29th June we celebrate St Peter, an apostle of Christ, so I thought it would be worth looking at St Peter today.

Peter is a disciple that we can easily identify with, full of great intentions but discovers along the road of discipleship that his spirit is willing but his flesh is weak.

READ once or twice the following passage.

LUKE 22:31-34 & LUKE 22: 54-62

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Peter Disowns Jesus

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

What traits do you see in Peter in this passage?

What traits, if any, can you personally identify with?

SILENCE

MEDITATION

(by Trevor Hart and Richard Bauckham, whilst I was a curate in St Andrew’s Church, St Andrews.)

He warned me it would happen,

told me exactly how it would be,

but I just didn’t believe him.

If he’d said anyone else,

I would have thought otherwise-

I mean you can’t trust anyone finally,

not even your friends?

And to be honest I expected a few of them to cave in

when the pressure was on.

But me, I felt I was different.

It was me after all whom he called to be his first disciple,

me who realised he was the Messiah

when the rest were still groping in the dark,

me he called ‘the Rock’.

And I thought I was just that:

unshakeable

firm

dependable.

I’m not saying that I was better than anyone else,

just that my faith always seemed stronger.

So I told him

confidently,

proudly,

though everyone else will fail you I will not.

Lord I am ready to die for you.

God, how these words haunt me now,

How stupid they make me feel.

If only I’d kept my mouth shut,

If only I hadn’t been so full of myself,

if only I had more courage.

We all failed him, all of us in our own way.

They look at me and say ‘he denied him’

They talk of Judas and say ‘he betrayed him’

They point at the others and say’ they abandoned him’

Well, let them judge if they want to.

Let them imagine they’re a cut above the rest;

I’ve learned the hard way that I’m not.

SONG

PRAYERS

Lord Jesus,

Too often we want to be

your disciples in our own way

not yours;

too often we want you

to endorse our projects

and give them success;

too often we pursue

our own very worthy objectives;

instead of following you

on your way to the cross.

Forgive us.

Dispel our illusions

as we see you

in the world’s eyes a failure

condemned, mocked,

suffering, dead.

Restore our vision

Help us to surrender ourselves to you

what we can and cannot do,

our failures and our achievements,

our hopes and aspirations.

Help us to leave success to you

Desiring only to follow where you lead.

Bend our wills to yours.

In your way to the cross

We find God’s grace to us

in our failure,

grace always greater than our failure.

Fill us with gratitude

Accept us again as your disciples

who would live and die for you

who can live for you and die for you

because you have died and live for us.

Equip us as your disciples

As you said again to Peter

when risen again, you spoke to him

of his continuing love for you

so you say to us ‘follow me’

Journey with us along the way

In your commission of Peter-

you charged him with authority to feed your sheep

Today you commission us to reach out to your people with your unfailing love and generosity.

Empower us so to serve

Suffering Saviour ,

Broken for all

We bring to you our fractured world

Scarred by so many gaping wounds

Bring healing and renewal.

We pray for the vulnerable,

the distressed, the sick, the despised;

all who are marginalized in society

downtrodden, oppressed, rejected.

Uphold and restore them.

We remember how you suffered at the hands of others

So, we pray for all who endure violence, cruelty,

all who are wounded in body, mind and spirit

by acts of inhumanity.

We pray for victims of racism and discrimination

of verbal and physical bullying

of assault and abuse, intimidation and torture,

terrorism and war.

Enfold them in your healing love. AMEN

Welcome

St John the Evangelist, Dumfries, is a parish of the Scottish Episcopal Church also serving Methodist parishioners locally.

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The Contemporary Service is at 6pm, on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, followed by refreshments in the hall.

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Here's some Easter fun for primary-aged children to do this coming Thursday 28th March, 10-30am until 12 O'clock, at St John's Church, Newall Terrace, Dumfries DG1 1LW