Some small reflections...

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A prayer...

Almighty God,
which dost see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves:
Keep thou us both outwardly in our bodies,
and inwardly in our souls,
that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body,
and from all evil thoughts,
which may assault and hurt the soul;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is a prayer for the second Sunday in Lent, the liturgical season immediately before Easter. It is sombre and reflective season. I wrote this earlier this year on the second Sunday of Lent. The prayer above comes from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 1559 edition.

It is sometimes hard to relate to the prayers of those before us. The language is difficult, and the theological propositions are sometimes difficult to accept -- they are of a different world, truly. However, this particular one is a readily accessible prayer. Save us from adversity, physical and spiritual.

Perhaps in the world of 1559, they believed in demonic forces that embody personality. The mainline churches by and large do not believe that any more, preferring an interpretation that rests on the metaphorical use of stories about demons. In particular, fewer and fewer Christians believe that bodily illness is primarily brought about by such things as demon possession. Wherein can faith healing be real if physical illness is a bodily rather than a spiritual ailment?

But, I digress. Regardless of your view on the causes of illness, regardless of your view on the reality of physical and spiritual dangers or even demons, few will dispute that it is a good thing to be protected from adversity. It is a good thing to be defended from bodily injury or evil thoughts.

Perhaps the real evil thoughts I need protecting from are in fact my own. As I work through the perceived injuries of losing my job, I have dark moments, evil thoughts. These are not violent and problematic -- actually, far from it. They are more thoughts of resignation, of surrender, or unworthiness. These are not violent, but potentially very destructive. These are the things against which I need defending. I need to defend against my own tendency to sell myself short.

In the 1559 Book of Common Prayer, the prayer for the day is followed by lectionary readings (lectionary readings are sections selected from the Bible to be read and preached upon that day). The selections for this day are from the first letter to the Thessalonians and from the Gospel of Matthew. The reading from Thessalonians talks about how if we despise ourselves and each other, we actually are despising God who created us. This is a good argument for not selling oneself short!

Likewise, the gospel reading follows up on this. A woman asked Jesus for help, but because she is not of the 'right' people, and (somewhat amazingly) Jesus is hesitant to help her.

It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs, Jesus said.

Dogs? How insulting!

And yet, the woman is unphased, and has the perfect retort:

Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.

We must never sell ourselves short, even when others might have a tendency to do so. We must recognise our own value and our own inner spirit and power. I am particularly in need of this message just now, as I try to ponder my future and what is going to happen as I search for a new 'perfect' job.

Where are those crumbs, anyway?