Tag: Prayer

Little Bird

This photo of one of Britain’s smallest birds, The Wren inspired me to share the Prayer of the Little Bird.

This weekend January 29th -31st is the annual ‘Big Garden Birdwatch.
The RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), our leading conservation charity, across the UK says that nearly 9 million hours have been spent watching garden birds since the Birdwatch began in 1979 with more than 137 million birds counted. This has helped to provide the charity with valuable insight for its work.

What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?

2021 marks the 42nd RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which sees keen birdwatchers across the UK join the largest garden wildlife citizen science project by spending one hour tracking the birds they see in their gardens, record them and then inform the RSPB. In the past 42 years, across the UK, hundreds of thousands of people have volunteered their time to count and log birds landing in their gardens, local country areas, ponds and wild-life areas. Unlike humans birds are not keeping lock-down and reminds us that not everything is restricted in movement. This year Big Garden Watch seems even more popular. For details and further information, log on to the RSPB and BBC Countryfile websites.

Meanwhile, I share the delightful prayer by Carmen Bernos De Gasztold translated by Rumer Godden – The Prayer of the Little Bird. It is from the collection Prayers from the Ark. This book is still available, mostly as a second hand copy.

The little Wren is singing its prayers of praise joyfully and will do so as the world enters Spring. We need to hear the birds as they help us to look in praise to God and lighten our hearts, our lives and our journey forward.

See, amid the winter’s snow

This photograph of Winter at Tarns Hows, in the Lake District, was taken by my friend Gill Henwood. It immediately brought to mind the Carol, See, Amid the winter’s snow. A reminder, too, that as the secular world packs away the Christmas decorations, Christians continue to celebrate the Christmas season, which, like Lent lasts for 40 days and comes to a conclusion on the Feast of Candlemass – February 2nd.
I offer this Carol as a continued meditation on the joy of the birth of Jesus, and the photo of God’s incredible brushtrokes as the snow dusts the wonders of nature. Long ago I climbed up to the summit of Helvellyn and saw this view from the other direction though not in winter . The breathtaking beauty is captured in the stillness around the Tarn and the movement of the clouds. For me it becomes an illustration, therefore, of the importance of balancing our activity with stillness.

For many this time of lockdown has provided opportunities, for those so minded and are able, to spend time in quietness and be reminded that we are not required to always be on the go. Indeed, that would be harmful. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 46, Be still and know that I am God. Those battling to nurse and care for patients in hospital, Covid sufferers and those with other life-threatening illnesses, cannot be still, nor those who are caring for people at home. So the call to stillness for those free to sit within it is a call to pray and be still on behalf of others. Prayer is never a last resort in any situation, it is always the first resort. We can do a mighty work just holding people in love to God.

I once questioned a nun about those in her community who were living the life of hermits in Wales. I had the temerity to say that they had it easy. They were free to pray as they wished. In the non-fierce ways that nuns have, she begged to differ! “The hermits are in the front-line of the battle against the demonic and all that is evil and which afflicts the life of our world. We hold them in love to God as they battle against darkness on our behalf.” I remember what she told me almost word for word!
Those of us who are able to do the same are doing a great and vital ministry ministry.

May the photo above help us to see what that ministry is. Stillness and contemplation of God together with activity on His behalf in loving others in prayer on His behalf. Especially those whose lives are very dark and very fearful right now.

1 See, amid the winter’s snow,
born for us on earth below,
see the tender Lamb appears,
promised from eternal years.

Refrain:
Hail! Thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”

2 Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He, who throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim! [Refrain]

3 Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
what your joyful news today;
wherefore have ye left your sheep
on the lonely mountain steep? [Refrain]

4 “As we watched at dead of night,
lo, we saw a wondrous light;
angels singing ‘Peace on earth’
told us of the Savior’s birth.” [Refrain]

5 Sacred Infant, all divine,
what a tender love was Thine;
thus to come from highest bliss
down to such a world as this! [Refrain]

6 Teach, O teach us, Holy Child,
by Thy face so meek and mild,
teach us to resemble Thee
in Thy sweet humility! [Refrain]

[Mr G]

Give me a candle of the Spirit

This prayer by George Appleton is inspiring a short series of Advent meditations at St. Mary-at-Latton in Harlow.

The prayers of George Appleton are probably not so well-known these days but deserve to be rediscovered.

He was Archbishop of Perth and of Jerusalem after a varied and long ministry which included Burma during the war and Rector of St. Botolph’s Aldgate. The main thrust of his ministry was Mission but he will be best remembered by many as a ‘shaper of souls’ who, through his writings and particularly, his prayers, touched peoples’ hearts of faith and enriched their spirituality, including mine.