An article for November's editions of parish magazines from the Bishop of Dudley, Martin Gorick.
I love the psalms. We use them every day in Morning and Evening Prayer and I know many people have been meeting together on Zoom for these short services, or joining services from churches and cathedrals streamed online since the first Covid lockdown. If you haven’t discovered them yet, have a word with your parish priest to see whether there is a daily morning prayer group in your local church that you could join, or perhaps one online.
These set prayers are called the Daily Office and have been part of the rhythm and pattern of Anglican life for centuries. If you can’t get to one in your church, but have a smartphone or computer, look for the Daily Prayer App from the Church of England. It will give you the readings and psalms set for each day, and even has an audio version if you want to join in with others or listen with headphones.
Most days there is a verse that stands out for me. Today it was A verse from Psalm 85:
Mercy and truth are met together:
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Sometimes we can be so concerned for God’s truth, that we can forget God’s mercy. Or we can be so keen to keep the peace that we forget God’s desire for justice. As the cost-of-living crisis bites ever deeper this winter we need to hold this divine balance. In the ‘gated streets of trickle down’ there will be no real peace without God’s righteousness.
Bishop Martin
