Praying for the wisdom of the magi

Epiphany Sunday 5/1/19

Loving God of unexpected revelation, we remember today the visit of the magi to the infant Christ; and in this story we see the breaking down of barriers that divided Jew from Gentile, rich from poor, vulnerable from powerful. And yet we look at our world, and we see nation turned against nation, we see the gap between wealth and poverty widening, and we see the powerful exploiting the vulnerable. So teach us, today, the wisdom of the magi, that we might be strengthened to the task of living your alternative world of justice and reconciliation into being in the midst of our world.

God of the magi, give us wisdom to follow your leading, even when the call of the good news takes us in the opposite direction to the way the world seems to be going. We pray specifically for those in our world who are seduced by ideologies of nationalism and segregation; who seek to enforce borders and boundaries in ways that divide humanity into ever smaller clusters of self-interest and protection. We pray for all those who now feel unwelcome or threatened in the place they have come to call home; for migrants and immigrants, for asylum seekers and refugees, for the children and grandchildren of those who came to our country in previous generations. We confess our society’s sins of exclusion and segregation, and we pray that our politicians and leaders will have generous hearts, inclusive policies, and a love for difference that reflects the diversity of humanity. We recognise that the change begins with us, and so we ask for your grace that we too might find ways of including and welcoming those whom others would exclude.

God of the magi, give us generosity to offer our gifts to your service. From the treasure-store of our hearts and minds we offer our humility and our service, our time and our talents. We recognise that we live in a world where we are so often encouraged to focus first on ourselves and our own, and yet we know that society is enriched when people give with no expectation of reward. So free us from the temptation to selfish behaviour, and give us a generosity of spirit, that drives us towards the other rather than away from them. We pray, with gratitude, for the charities that serve our city, and for those who volunteer in them. We give thanks for those who give time to care, to love, and to serve. So we pray for the work of London Citizens, West End Refugee Welcome, the Simon Community, Dragon Hall, and all our other partners who give so much to bring about good news in our area.

God of the magi, we offer our gifts of wealth. Such as we have them, we offer our personal money and our individual power; and as a community, we offer our church’s resources to your service, from our buildings and investments, to our reputation and our influence. We recognise that we have responsibilities to fulfil in the way we hold and handle our wealth, and yet we also know that you call us to a life of adventure and risk-taking as we seek to embody your gospel of good news for all people. So give us wisdom to be careful, and courage to be generous, and may the offering of our gold be a blessing to many. We pray for those in our world who handle great wealth, and we think particularly of those who work in banking and business. May they discover your wisdom to bring justice and reconciliation into being through the resources they control.

God of the magi, we offer our gifts of worship. We lay aside all other claims on our devotion, and we focus our attention on your revelation in Jesus Christ. We recognise the temptation to idolatry is always before us, and we know that we have a seemingly endless capacity to project our own desires onto you, and worship them instead of you. So keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who always calls us beyond ourselves. May we be daily challenged to behave in ways that are inspired by the life of Jesus, loving others as we love ourselves, forgiving those who cause us hurt, and offering our hearts, and souls, and minds, and strength to your service. We pray for those who do not have freedom of worship around our world, and we hold before you today the persecuted church. Be especially close to those who are imprisoned for their faith; and may we never take our own freedom to worship you for granted.

God of the magi, we offer our gifts of empathy, our emotions and our love. In a world which so often turns away from the needs of those who are hurting and damaged, help us to face the darkness with those who live in darkness. We are thankful for those who have stood alongside us when we have needed loving support, and we commit ourselves to offering that same love to others. We thank you for the example of Jesus, who brought wholeness to those who were broken, and who restored to community those who were cut off from others. May we, in this church, be a people of restorative love. We pray for those who are bereaved, for those who are unwell, and for those who are struggling with life.

All these prayers we offer, in the name of Jesus our saviour.

Amen.