{"id":18761,"date":"2025-06-28T00:01:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T23:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/?p=18761"},"modified":"2025-05-26T15:36:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T14:36:27","slug":"prayer-for-the-week-28th-june-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/2025\/06\/28\/prayer-for-the-week-28th-june-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Prayer for the Week – 28th June 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

June 28th<\/sup>\u00a0 – Conference Weekend \u2013 Psalm 16 \u2013 Joy and Contentment found in a life of God <\/u><\/p>\n

Psalm 16 is one of the alternative readings for this Sunday and I felt was appropriate to use as this weekend is also \u2018Methodist Conference\u2019 when the business of our church is overseen and discussions and decisions are made. Psalm 16 expresses the psalmists (David) confidence and trust in God, acknowledging Him as Lord and source of all good. It emphasizes the joy and contentment found in a life dedicated to God, even in the face of hardship, and anticipates a future of eternal joy and peace. The psalm also highlights the importance of seeking refuge in Gods presence and delighting in \u2018His holy ones\u2019 \u00a0– the noble ones in whom we delight.<\/p>\n

On this conference weekend so many of connexional staff and volunteers will be congregating, coming together in God\u2019s presence and will be delighting in each other\u2019s company as they meet, not just to work, but to be in fellowship together, to find solace, refuge, understanding, solidarity and love in this place. There will be a number of us from the Bolton area travelling down to conference on Sunday – we are very proud of our methodist back-ground and despite the original, well documented, poor treatment John Wesley received when he first visited in 1748, he visited numerous times after and gradually developed strong links with the town and would later raise the local society up as an example to the rest of the connexion. He later quoted, following his last visit aged 87 \u2018In the evening I preached in a lovely house in Bolton, to one of the loveliest congregations in England who by patient continuance in well-being, turned scorn and hatred into general esteem and goodwill\u2019 . We are proud of our heritage \u2013 and are equally proud of our location –\u00a0 not the grey, grimy, industrial town that might come to mind when you hear Bolton mentioned but part of Gods beautiful Lancashire countryside \u00a0and a place we will leave behind\u00a0 as we travel down the M6 to be part of the celebrations as our own minister completes her ordination at Shrewsbury and enters \u00a0into full Connexion.<\/p>\n

As she carries on that tradition, just like so many before, \u00a0of God\u2019s people hearing and responding to the call let us reflect upon some of the verses of Psalm 16 \u2013 \u201c Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup: you make my lot secure\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026. Surely I have a delightful inheritance, I will praise the Lord, who counsels me\u2026\u2026\u2026.I will keep my eyes always on Him \u2013 I will not be shaken. \u2026\u2026my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices\u2026\u2026\u2026.You make known to me the path of life: you will fill me with joy in your presence\u201d. Such powerful words for anyone entering a lifetime of working, as well as living in God, but for each one of us, whatever our role, this psalm is a reminder that whatever we may face we have a God who is our strength and will always provide and equip new disciples to continue the work started over 2000 years ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Views over Bolton)<\/p>\n

I heard the voice of Jesus say: \u2018I am this dark world\u2019s light: <\/em><\/p>\n

Look unto me, your morn shall rise, and all your day be bright\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

I looked to Jesus, and I found in him, my star, my sun:<\/em><\/p>\n

And in that light of life I\u2019ll\u00a0 walk, till travelling days are done.<\/em><\/p>\n

(Horatius N Bonar, 1808- 1889. StF 248 vs 3) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Philippa Hill, Trustee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

June 28th\u00a0 – Conference Weekend \u2013 Psalm 16 \u2013 Joy and Contentment found in a life of God Psalm 16 is one of the alternative readings for this Sunday and I felt was appropriate to use as this weekend is also \u2018Methodist Conference\u2019 when the business of our church is overseen and discussions and decisions are made. Psalm 16 expresses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[592,81,349,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-creative-spirituality","category-prayer-worship","category-prayer","category-prayer-for-the-week"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-15 06:09:08","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18761\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwib.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}