My Dear Friends,

I hope all is well, and you are managing to find some joy in your life every day.

During Morning Prayer today we used Psalm 136. 
All 26 verses have the same second line, like this:
Psalm 136

1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever.

2Give thanks to the God of gods, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever.

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

4Who alone does great wonders, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

I remember at college one of the tutors leading Morning Prayer, and he sort of lumped some verses together missing out the second line. The students had a mixed response to say the least.

Some thought that made complete sense as it was very repetitive. Others thought it missed the point of stressing God’s ongoing mercy. Still others thought that we should not ‘Tamper with scripture’ and some thought it was just a matter of taste.

My feeling interestingly was for the author or scribe who actually had to write the same line so many times. In those days (both mine at college, and the time the scriptures were being written) there was no cut and paste to make things easy.

So this morning, I said each verse as I usually do, slowly, deliberately and reflectively, and somehow I was moved away from any sense of unnecessary repetition to a genuine joy of stating that in every circumstance I might encounter or experience, the mercy of God and it would be evident, even if it did not seem obvious.

Verses 23 & 24
23Who remembered us when we were in trouble, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

24And delivered us from our enemies, ♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

I find these particularly helpful, when on occasions God seems far away, and people ask where is God in all of this? To be able to say that he remembers us and his mercy endures for ever, brings him back into that intimate experience of faith.

When I am on retreat with the lovely Monks at Alton Abbey, we say the psalms really slowly. I have to say it takes a few days to get back in to that rhythm, with a pause at the end of each line. The pause is not designed to get you to reflect on the meaning of what you have just said – that would take forever, but rather to acknowledge that this is God centred thought rather than my thoughts. For me, it forces to me to think ‘What do I listen to most? The words of scripture, or my biased take on what happens to be in the news?’
So for example, when I read aloud this psalm I am prompted to think that whatever is going on in our lives ‘God’s mercy endures forever’. My faith allows me to accept that, even when my worldly mind is crying out ‘Why can’t I do what I want?’ 
Me, me me.

It took me years to settle into my pattern of saying the daily office of Morning and Evening Prayer, and I am so thankful that it was a compulsory part of my University and Theological College courses, and a public part of the life in many churches where I have served. I find great comfort in it, but I also know that for many such a pattern is hard to achieve, and they find a real closeness of God outside in nature, or in walking the dog. Or indeed in so many activities.

I was so fortunate that during my years living in the Theological Hostel in Vincent Square in Westminster, London our patter was pretty strict. Every weekday, 7.0am Morning Prayer, followed by 30 minutes silence. 8.0am The Eucharist, then breakfast.
Each section brought different and powerful meaning. The Morning Prayer so deeply based in scripture with the regular pattern of slowly reading the psalms and our daily Old and New Testament Readings just instilled within us the word of God. The silence, once we had got used to it, flew by. It took me years to move away from the idea of using that time to actively think ‘about things’ to just ‘Be still, and know that I am God’(Psalm 46)
Then sharing in the Eucharist when you are already feeling touched by the presence of God becomes the most joyful and meaningful part of every day, and without doubt we recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

I remember years later going through a pretty tough time, and talking with my Spiritual Director about stuff, and he said, whatever happens, don’t stop saying your prayers, and I think, without fail, that is the best piece of advice I have ever heard.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you.

As ever,

Fr Marcus