Day 37 - Bringing God’s word to today’s people

As Palm Sunday approaches I remember one year seeing a Passion Play re-enacted in a small village in Oxfordshire, the ‘actors’ moving around the village as the story progressed. The set (the village) added another depth to the performance and it left a lasting impression on me.

Late last year our church invited the LAMPS Collective, an Oxfordshire-based not-for-profit company, who tour the country with very skilled performers, to come into our church to put on an afternoon of stories, shanties and spoken word entitled ‘Salt and Light’. Again, the actors brought the whole thing to life for me, and we are now considering asking them to return next Easter to perform ‘The Passion’.

It is easy for us to take our Bible and the words within it for granted, reading it with an element of detachment. After all it did happen thousands of years ago! Bringing it alive in a modern setting can re-create the depth of what happened.

Music and song can create a similar effect, and for this reflection I have chosen to use the words of ‘The Prayer’ originally performed by the Canadian singer Celine Dion and the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. It was written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa and Tony Renis. It was recorded in two solo versions for the 1998 film Quest for Camelot, in English by Dion and in Italian by Bocelli. The Prayer is a call for peace, guidance and kindness, all of which we desperately need in our world at this time.

The words of the song are beautiful, heartfelt and provide a calming backdrop to further prayer.

Jesus says “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

Matthew 21:22

Lord God,

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go

And help us to be wise in times when we don't know

Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way

Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace

To a place where we'll be safe

La luce che tu hai

I pray we'll find your light

Nel cuore resterà

And hold it in our hearts

A ricordarci che

When stars go out each night

L'eterna stella sei

Nella mia preghiera

Let this be our prayer

Quanta fede c'è

When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza

Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza

Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino

Simbolo di pace, di fraternità

So this Easter embrace opportunities to hear God’s word, in whatever way or format it comes to you and thank God for those who bring it to you.

Kathy Shaw