St Andrew's NewsTimes of regular services are given here February 2012 Can you e-mail a prayer? Improved communications are a mark of the modern world with tweets and twitters alongside the telephone and e-mails as well as mail through our letterboxes. Our forebears would have been amazed to see how quickly news spreads today. Without our rapid methods of communication they had to wait for a messenger on horseback arriving long after the event to hear news of a victory in battle or the death of a relative. Of course for communication to be clear nothing matches having a conversation face to face, you can gather a lot from facial expressions and body language beyond mere words. But our busy lives increase the need to use modern technology to communicate. As I watch those who seem to have a mobile phone permanently to their ear, although I fear they may be missing meeting those actually around them, I see the attraction of being continually in touch with someone special, sharing one’s activities, thoughts and dreams, building a relationship with that person you cannot see at least at that time. Communication is important and prayer is how we communicate with God though too often we don’t listen enough and try to do all the talking. Whether we spend a lifetime in prayer like monks and nuns or only cry out to God in desperation when in a crisis or just text OMG to friends when something amazing happens most people pray at some time. This side of eternity we do not have the opportunity of meeting God face to face but in prayer; alone or with others, with formal words or silently we can share our joys and sorrows, our hurts and disappointments and all the longings of our hearts and grow into a loving relationship with God. We can learn about prayer from those constant mobile phone users, we need not wait until we are in our own room or in church, we can pray at any time wherever we are. As for e-mailing God –the person who asked the question didn’t mean was there an e-mail address for God, God@heaven.org she just wanted to send a copy of a traditional prayer from centuries ago to a friend using modern means and wondered if God would mind! Jane Culliford
February 5th 10am Parish Communion 12th 9am Holy Communion 10am Morning Prayer 19th 10am Parish Communion 22nd 10am Holy Communion for Ash Wednesday St Peter’s Church 7.30pm Eucharist for Ash Wednesday St Mary’s Church 26th First Sunday of Lent 9am Holy Communion 10am Family Service |
