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Saturday A new format from this point, with a lot less time, and therefore a lot harder to say anything much worthwhile. Still a six day series recorded together, and strangely starting on Saturday. Anyway, this time I used the days of the week to give me a theme for each day to hang them on. |
Prayer for the Day - 09/04/01 “Praise belongs to God, the Lord of
all Being, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, the Owner of the
Judgement Day.” So begins the opening chapter of the
Qur’an, recited repeatedly throughout the Muslim day in formal
prayers. I like to think of it as a constant reminder of the big
question that always faces me when I pray – Just who do I think
I’m talking to, and why am I bothering? What do I mean by a God I
am prepared to worship, and what possible relationship could we
have? Obviously if my understanding of the
Divine is to encompass a Creator of the Universe, it’s a rather
strange suggestion that there might be any chance of a meaningful
mutual conversation. To get my head round that possibility I have to
find a way of imagining and describing what is by my own definition
beyond my comprehension. But at the same time, if we are of
the Creator, there must be some aspects that our understanding can
reveal to us. In the language of the Qur’an, God is known by the
Beautiful Names. Qur’an says: “Who is God, apart from Whom
there is no other? Who is God? The Creator, the Maker, the
Shaper, to Whom belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the
heavens and the earth magnifies God, Who is the All-Mighty, the
All-Wise.”
And why do I bother talking to this
God? Because I can. I’m happy to talk to the Ever-Living and
All-Sustaining - even at weekends, and with or without any formal
words. All-Merciful God, Creator of all,
make it easy for us to live our lives in remembrance of You. Watch
over us as we eat and sleep, work, rest and play, and help us live
in the remembrance that turns our lives into prayer. Amen. |