Help us to seek and serve you

Whenever I think of serving Christ in some way,
I think of those wonderful words about serving others from St Matthew’s Gospel. That could well be influenced because I frequently see a stained glass window in Godmanchester church depicting this passage — pictured right. It is above the St Anne Altar in the church, and is my favourite window there. It’s a fine example of stained glass by Burlinson & Grylls, a firm set up in 1868 by G F Bodley, perhaps the most scholarly of all Victorian Revival architects.

for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Matthew 25:35-40 (NRSV)

This passage, along with these words from the Collect for Ascension Day, “help us to seek and serve you”, remind me that we can never really know who we might actually be serving when we care for others. And that we should be serving them as if we were serving Christ himself — we might be!

When we truly seek to serve Christ in everyone we meet, when we truly love others as if they were Christ himself, our human nature just might be raised to the throne of heaven. To my mind that is the true vocation, the true ministry, of each and every one of us; and everything else flows from that.

Risen Christ,
you have raised our human nature to the throne of heaven:
help us to seek and serve you
that we may join you at the Father’s side,
where you reign with the Spirit in glory,
now and for ever. Amen.

Additional Collect for Ascension Day
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

Give us insight to discern your will for us

These words, or similar, have been an important part of my prayer life recently. I’ve been helping — or at least I hope I’ve been of some help — a good friend finally reach a decision about where she should be going in her ministry. It has been a subject that has come up several times over the last few years. I’ve felt for a long time that Reader ministry would be right for her, would go some way towards answering God’s calling on her life in the most appropriate way.

There has been a long period of discernment. But now things are beginning to move incredibly quickly. She is in the process of making her application to offer for Reader ministry. And I’m in the process of writing her a reference. It has been an honour, and a tremendous pleasure, to walk this walk with my friend.

But I am a little nervous about it all. I’m not a vocations advisor (though she has seen one), and nor have I had any training in the field. All I’ve got are my prayers; and lots of doubts and questions. Have I given the right advice? Have I steered her? Or has it been God all along? Is Readership right for her? Should she be offering for ordination? etc. etc. etc.??

All questions I can remember only too well facing before I offered myself for Readership. And in the nearly ten years since I was licensed I’ve never felt the decision was wrong. I hope, and pray, that my friend will be fortunate enough to feel the same.

Eternal God,
give us insight
to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for the Third Sunday of Lent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council