HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY! There are aspects of our Irish heritage that we treasure and celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day. My great grandfather, Joseph Carter, was born in Ireland. He crossed the sea to Canada in the mid 1800’s as a tiny baby. Apparently, he was very sick during the crossing and the family did not know if he would survive. He did recover and went on to become a blacksmith, to marry, and to raise a large family in the Fairfield/ Kelvin area (near Scotland, Ontario). He trusted God and raised his children to do the same. In Scripture, we read the prayer of David, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You (God).” Psalm 56:3 Whatever our roots, there are stories of people of faith who inspire us and urge us to keep praying and trusting God. St. Patrick, who became an inspiration to the people of Ireland, lived through various hardships in his lifetime. He was taken by raiders from his home in Britain to Ireland at 16 years of age and forced to work as a herdsman. His faith in God sustained him through a very difficult experience. He managed to escape back to his home, but felt a call by God to return to Ireland. He is credited with bringing the Christian faith to Ireland. There is a moving Irish Prayer that I have found meaningful:
“Be above me, as high as the noonday sun
Be below me, the rock I set my feet upon
Be beside me, the wind on my left and right
Be behind me, oh circle me with Your truth and light.”
I will adapt this prayer for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER today, St Patrick’s Day, March 17th at 1 pm. Please join us in prayer as you are able. God Bless and keep you always, Pastor Lola
Our God, whom we trust, You have proven faithful to generation after generation of people all around our world. In celebrating Your faithfulness to the people of Ireland, we praise You for those who have trusted You and have brought this legacy of faith to Canada. Thank You God for those who have held tightly to their faith in You despite opposition and hardship. We are grateful that when we are afraid, we can put our trust in You. We pray that You will be above us as high as the noonday sun. We trust You to shine the light of Your love upon us. We pray for the warmth of Your light to dispel the chill of fear and uncertainty. We ask this for ourselves and others who find reason for fear. We turn to You in trust. And then our God we recognize the need for solid footing. Sometimes, when we step forward, we find that where we are standing is not stable and firm. Sometimes, we are unsure about what to believe with so many conflicting versions of what is going on. We continue to seek Your truth and to pray that you will be below us as a rock to set our feet upon. You God do not shift from side to side. You are completely dependable and we stand secure in our faith in You. We turn to You in trust. God, the thought of You being beside us on both the left and right means that we are safe from unexpected attack. Sometimes our fears do take over and they try to sabotage the work of Your Holy Spirit in us and through us. We crave the assurance that You are beside us on all sides. God, please be the wind on our left and right. We turn to you in trust. Thank You God that You also protect us from behind. Circumstances of the past will not be permitted to sneak up on us. Regrets from yesterdays cannot overtake us because God You are taking care of that as well. Reminders of our fears and failings will not be permitted to take charge. No God, because we want You to be completely in charge of our lives. We are asking You to be behind us and to circle us with your truth and light. We turn to You in trust. God who is above us, below us, beside us, behind us, and all around us, we trust You. When we are afraid, like those who have gone before us, we will trust in You God. We are praying for You to continue to be and do what You are already being and doing as we trust You. Thank You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that You are God and we affirm our trust in You. AMEN.