Words of Light and Hope from Fran Neale AWA.

Words of Light and Hope –
Sunday 19 th November 2023
Fran Neale AWA

As the days get shorter, here are some thoughts about darkness and light.

First, from the collect for Advent Sunday “Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light…..”

Then from Psalm 139, “If I say, ‘Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night’, even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee.”

And a prayer or meditation by Janet Morley.

For the darkness of waiting

of not knowing what is to come

of staying ready and quiet and attentive, we praise you O God:

For the darkness and the light

are both alike to you.

 

For the darkness of staying silent

for the terror of having nothing to say

and for the greater terror

of needing to say nothing,

we praise you O God:

For the darkness and the light

are both alike to you.

 

For the darkness of loving

in which it it safe to surrender

to let go of our self-protection

and to stop holding back our desire,

we praise you O God:

For the darkness and the light

are both alike to you.

 

For the darkness of choosing

when you give us the moment

to speak, and act, and change,

and we cannot know what we have set in motion,

but we still have to take the risk,

we praise you O God:

For the darkness and the light

are both alike to you.

 

For the darkness of hoping

in a world which longs for you,

for the wrestling and the labouring of all creation

for wholeness and justice and freedom,

we praise you O God:

For the darkness and the light

are both alike to you.