Remembering

Michele led us last Sunday using an adaptation of liturgy from the Iona Community around the theme of remembering and forgetting. There was plenty of space for reflection and personal prayer and the whole thing was both touching and inspiring. After initial words focussing on the goodness of  God we were reminded of words from Hosea:

God says:

When Israel was a boy, I loved himI called my children out of Egypt, But the more I called, the further they went from me.

I was the one who taught them to walk; I was the one who had taken them in my arms; But they did not remember That I had looked after them,

That I had led them in bonds of love, That I had lifted them like a little child to my cheek, That I had bent down to feed them.

Here we paused to reflect on how often we forget God.

It was the following words that I found so touching:

Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON US

If we have forgotten you
Forgotten that you made, feed and love us

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON US

If we have forgotten you

And in your place imagined a god made in our own image

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON US

If we have forgotten that you smile

And thought only that you frown

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON US

If we have forgotten the range of your friends

And have kept safe within our familiar circle

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON US

If we have forgotten  that we were made in your mould

And have not loved ourselves the right way

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON US

Silence, reflection, prayer, bread and wine followed and we all tied knots in a handkerchief to help us to remember all we’d learnt and re-learnt as a visual reminder in the week ahead. Perhaps the most moving time was when we took turns to name those for whom we are most concerned whilst tying a knot in a long length of string. The knots kept being tied as person after person was named and held in prayer and we acknowledged that God would not forget – Tony, Frances, Charlotte, Barbara, Jack, Kate, Alison, Jennifer, Dot… the names kept coming. We will not forget to pray for you our friends….

Prayer knots