Week: Mark's Gospel
Welcome to Lectio For Families. Today is a Hero Day, and so we’re taking a break from our usual pattern to pray a little differently. On Hero Days we pause to celebrate and learn from the life of someone who followed Jesus in a really inspiring way. Today we are thanking God for the extraordinary example of Frances Crosby, a hero of creativity and mission.
As usual, we start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Creator God, who formed us from dust, breathe in us again. We’re ready for the new things that You want to show us and say to us and even create through us today.
Throughout Frances Crosby’s life she wrote lots of songs to, and about, God. So, let’s begin by REFLECTING on a song from the Bible about God’s care for those who don’t have enough.
Read by Vera Lynn
Psalm 113:5-8
No one is like the Lord our God,
who rules from heaven,
who bends down to look
at the skies and the earth.
The Lord lifts the poor from the dirt
and takes the helpless from the ashes.
He seats them with princes,
the princes of his people.
Psalm 113:5-8 (NCV)
Frances Crosby was born in 1820 in America. When she was just six weeks old, she lost her eyesight and she was blind for the rest of her life. However, she didn’t let this hold her back.
Frances wrote her first poem when she was 8 years old, and during her lifetime she wrote nearly 9000 hymns – songs to, and about, God. Back then, a lot of hymns were really complicated (and some of them weren’t very joyful), but Frances’s songs were lively and passionate – they were written from her heart, and they expressed her love for Jesus.
In one of her most famous songs, called ‘Blessed Assurance’, Frances described the way she felt about Jesus;
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.*
Frances’ hymns and songs have helped millions of people around the world to connect with God in worship for many years.
Frances clearly had an amazing talent for music and songwriting. Let’s pause and talk about today’s question which is: If we could have any talent at all, what would we choose and why?
Frances rarely wrote songs on her own – most of the time she worked on them with her friends.
Creator God, we ASK You to show us ways that we can be creative with our friends too. How can we encourage them? And what can we ASK them to help us with?
In spite of being blind, Frances not only wrote thousands of hymns, but she was an amazing church leader too.
Loving God, thank you that everyone has an important part to play, whether they are able-bodied or not. We ASK You to help our church to include and involve everyone.
Frances didn’t just sing about God’s goodness, but she lived God’s goodness every day. She made quite a lot of money from her songs but she chose to live in a poor neighbourhood so that she could reach out and care for those who lived around her. And she also gave away most of her money. ‘From the time I received my first cheque for my poems,’ she said, ‘I made up my mind to open my hand wide to those who needed help.’**
Pause
Let’s say YES to God together by using some beautiful words from one of Frances Crosby’s most famous songs.
Take the world, but give me Jesus
All it’s joys are but a name;
But his love abides forever,
Through eternal years the same.
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
In his cross my trust shall be
‘Till with clearer, brighter vision
Face to face my Lord I see.***
Pause
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Assurance
** Burger, Delores T. (1997). “Home Missionary: Fanny Crosby”. Women Who Changed the Heart of the City: The Untold Story of the City Rescue Mission Movement. Kregel. ISBN 9780825421464.
*** https://hymnary.org/text/take_the_world_but_give_me_jesus_all_its
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Vera Lynn is 10 years old and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, USA with her parents, sister, and dog Max. Her favourite hobbies include reading, knitting, sewing, and embroidery. She is very creative. Her favourite book is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis.
