Last week, Archbishop Justin Welby called upon every Anglican church to join in prayer for our country. Imagine if the call had instead come from our Prime Minister or Parliament? Imagine our government urging us to pray about membership of the European Union. Hard to imagine? In South Africa, President Jacob Zuma is officiating today at the National Day of Prayer at Absa Stadium in Durban. The prayers will be for, amongst other things, successful and peaceful 2016 Local Government Elections as well as for the further consolidation of democracy. Leaders of religious and civil society are joining the government in praying also for national unity, social cohesion as well as for rain and the promotion of water conservation under the persistent drought conditions. Lord teach us to pray like that.  Please turn with me to Luke 11 and let us learn from Jesus about the importance of prayer (11:1-2), the content of prayer (11:3-4), the practice of prayer (11:5-8) and the assurance of prayer (11:9-13). We are looking for answers to four questions – when we should pray, what we should pray, how we should pray and why.

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172 years ago this month, a young biblical scholar found himself in St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai.  Constanin Von Tischendorf wrote in his diary,

“In visiting the library of the monastery, in the month of May, 1844, I perceived in the middle of the great hall a large and wide basket full of old parchments; and the librarian, who was a man of information, told me that two heaps of papers like these, mouldered by time, had been already committed to the flames. What was my surprise to find amid this heap of papers a considerable number of sheets of a copy of the Old Testament in Greek, which seemed to me to be one of the most ancient that I had ever seen. The authorities of the convent allowed me to possess myself of a third of these parchments, or about forty-three sheets, all the more readily as they were destined for the fire. But I could not get them to yield up possession of the remainder. The too lively satisfaction which I had displayed had aroused their suspicions as to the value of this manuscript. I transcribed a page of the text of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and enjoined on the monks to take religious care of all such remains which might fall in their way. On my return to Saxony there were men of learning who at once appreciated the value of the treasure which I brought back with me. I did not divulge the name of the place where I had found it, in the hopes of returning and recovering the rest of the manuscript. I handed over to the Saxon Government my rich collection of Oriental manuscripts in return for the payment of all my travelling expenses. I deposited in the library of the University of Leipzig, in shape of a collection, which bears my name, fifty manuscripts, some of which are very rare and interesting. I did the same with the Sinaitic fragments, to which I gave the name of Codex Frederick Augustus, in acknowledgment of the patronage given to me by the King of Saxony.”

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I wonder if you have taken time to read the booklet you received this week from the government? It explains why the government believes the UK should remain in the European Union. Both those in favour and those wishing us to leave the EU, focus on the same thing – sovereignty. Who is in control of our borders, our economy, our laws, our resources, our security?  It has also been another stressful week for our political leaders, both those deemed to have not paid enough tax as well as those who paid late or have even paid too much. I suggested on Facebook that perhaps, having remained in office for well over 60 years and having survived 13 successive Prime Ministers, it might be better if Her Majesty the Queen dissolved Parliament and we went back to an absolute if benevolent monarchy.” Then when I had thought about it some more, I realised she didn’t need to, because we already have one. To mark Her Majesty’s 90^th birthday we are distributing to local school children as well as seniors, copies of, The Servant Queen and the King She Serves.  It tells in her own words, of her personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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