'Keep Praying' is a thread of prayer to weave through all we do in our churches and local communities throughout 2021 and to help us stay connected in prayer across our diocese. There will be a different theme for each liturgical season, and 3 simple ways to pray that theme in our personal prayers, our gathered worship and our reaching out to those around us.
Join Bishop Rose as she introduces Keep Praying Easter– Jesus meets us in the garden
Keep Praying Easter– ‘Jesus meets us in the garden'
Image: Jesus meets us in the garden, Primrose Northrop, 2021
Reflect on the image. What do you see? What catches your attention?
Do you ever think about Jesus being present with you as you spend time with family and friends? How might those gatherings be different for you if you were consciously aware of his presence there?
Have you spent much time praying outdoors? How might it change the way you pray or the way you encounter God?
Draw your own picture in response to our Easter image.
Use the picture as a focus for prayer in gathered worship or at the start of a meeting. Invite people to look at it and notice what God is drawing their attention to. If time allows, invite them to share their reflections.
Use the picture on your website or social media pages, accompanied by a few sentences about the meaning of Easter.
God of creation, we thank you for gardens and outside spaces,
Help us make time to enjoy them and to look after them well.
You are the gardener who plants within us seeds of love, joy and peace;
Free us from the weeds of unfairness and unkindness,
So that we might grow beautifully into the people you intend us to be.
Go out and find a place where you can sit still. Let the beauty of creation bring you to a greater awareness of God’s presence.
Go on a ‘prayer walk’, alone or with others (observing government guidelines):
Walk somewhere where you can discover the diversity of the natural world. Stop to notice things you might normally overlook, and let your discoveries prompt you to prayer.
Walk around your local community, noticing the people who live and work there. Pray for the people and places you pass. Use our guide on doing a pilgrimage prayer walk around your local community.
Jesus meets us in the garden, so why not pray while you do the gardening? Instead of rushing the tasks that need doing, do them thoughtfully, talking to the one who always keeps you company.
Give flowers or a plant to someone who needs to know the hope of new life.
In an online meeting, ask each person to bring something that draws their attention to creation – a plant, a picture of a landscape … or even their pet. Invite them to show what they’ve brought and to pray a brief prayer of thanksgiving for the gifts of creation.
Reflect … What would it look like in our local communities if people started meeting Jesus in their gardens, and how might we help them do that?
