They thought God would refuse.
He always had before. To the Jews
He was as silent
as a glass of cold water,
that is until He bent
down to hear His own daughter.
Like Merlin and Vivian, so shrewd,
one could not tell the difference
between the Wooer and the Wooed.
She, the young plant, broke His indifference.
He never saw His own hand in her making.
She was so perfect, so herself, so still,
that she made His heart thrill
for His own out-breaking.
Then God said Yes, and at once was used
for her intaking.
(Did God get confused
as we, at His first lovemaking?)
But in the end, nothing was able
to come between us and Him.
God became impregnable
and Mary soared like the Seraphim.
— Anglican Theological Review, 69(3) 1987.
Prayer
Merciful God,
we place before you the concerns of our lives
and the sufferings of the world.
In the midst of scepticism and doubt of your loving being,
kindle your light in the hearts of all people
to feel your presence,
to trust in your faithful covenant,
to have faith in your promises of salvation,
to believe in the coming of the Messiah, the Anointed One, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Justice, mercy and peace
Australian Volunteers for International Development: Since the 1960s, private donors and the Australian Government Government have supported more than 12,000 Australians to volunteer in Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, as part of the overseas aid program. By giving their time and skills to local development organisations and NGOs, volunteers contribute to poverty reduction, sustainable development and cross-cultural understanding.
Photo: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory "But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings." (Mal. 4.2)
Herbert Howells. A Spotless Rose (1919). The Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers.
May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.
