For the means of grace, and the hope of glory

by chuckofish

I have to say, I was pretty excited by the safe return of those stranded astronauts by SpaceX. They made it look so easy. There was even a pod of dolphins there to greet them! High fives all around.

Meanwhile, we are racing through March, aren’t we? I had a busy day yesterday getting ready for a busy day today (and tomorrow). I made a to-do list. I crossed off items–very satisfying. I wrapped up presents for DN whose birthday is next week so that daughter #1, who is driving to Mahomet tomorrow to visit her sister et al, can take the presents plus some other stuff for their house. My sister is also driving to Maine to see her new grandson. So prayers for travel mercies all around.

Today we remember our beloved Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury, who was burned at the stake on March 21 in 1556 for violating heresy laws revised under the Roman Catholic queen Mary I, known appropriately as Bloody Mary. He put the English Bible in parish churches, drew up the Book of Common Prayer and composed a litany that remains in use today.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

I surprised my Presbyterian community group recently by reciting the General Thanksgiving from memory–after a reference by Saint Paul to unworthy servants in 1 Corinthians–and I said, well, I prayed it for 50+ years, I ought to remember it! Of course, this prayer comes from the Morning Prayer service (Rite I) which is hardly said anymore as Holy Eucharist is preferred every Sunday. But some things just stay in your head and I am thankful for Thomas Cranmer and his beautiful prayers (with much of the wording lifted from the scriptures).

So say a prayer of thanks for rescued astronauts, martyrs to the cause, travelers everywhere, and all of us unworthy servants.

Ida: “Oh, hi Mom, I’m just sitting with Katie.”