Be guided by God’s mercy
Heavenly Father,
guide your church with your perpetual mercy,
and, because in our frailty we will fall without you,
protect us from wandering into danger,
and lead us into all that makes for our salvation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus spoke plainly to his disciples. He was clear in his instruction: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Within hours of this conversation, though, all the men who had broken bread had either dispersed from the Teacher in fear or denied the Messiah in shame (Judas had already departed in greed). Yet remarkably, these same men were soon reconciled and restored in their relationship with their Lord and Saviour.
Three and half months after Pentecost — or fifteen Sundays after Trinity in our modern church calendar — these same apostles were preaching Christ crucified and the glory of the resurrection. And it was ‘in those days when the numbers of disciples was increasing’ (Acts 6:1) that the church began to make its mark on the post-resurrection world.
To recall the early acts of the apostles is to remember that the temporal foundations of the church were laid by frail humans who had wandered into danger. And who were prone to do so again. This was no different to the pattern of the Old Testament. Or, indeed, of any period in history, let alone our current time.
While the apostles had been tasked with the responsibility of making disciples of all nations, their privilege lay in the promise of bearing much fruit. Of course, fruit will only appear if the branches remain connected to the vine. So, we need support to keep us from falling, and shelter from the dangers that lie in wait.
Both are found in the voice of the Great Shepherd. It is he who calls us to follow him down the narrow path. Hence, we petition our Heavenly Father to “guide your church”.
Today’s prayer also reminds us that the church only exists as an act of God’s grace, unthreatened by human contingencies. Neither the brilliance of humans nor the splendour of money can interfere because the Spirit underwrites the survival of the Kingdom. For the enduring stability of the church is guaranteed by God’s “perpetual mercy”. As E. H. Plumptre wrote in 1864:
“Your hand, O God, has guided
your flock from age to age;
your faithfulness is written
on history's open page
… one church, one faith, one Lord!”
When the branches — be that denominations, provinces, diocese, parishes, congregations, or individuals — are rooted to the vine, they will grow up towards the Light. That is to say, when we follow the Spirit’s lead “into all that makes for our salvation”, we are transformed more and more into his likeness. While we contend for the faith in this mortal world, we hold onto the great hope of future glory, secured by the promise of the word of our Saviour.
The Church begins with Christ. The Church is preserved by Christ. And the Church is brought home to Christ.
So pray this with me:
Heavenly Father,
guide your church with your perpetual mercy,
and, because in our frailty we will fall without you,
protect us from wandering into danger,
and lead us into all that makes for our salvation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.