the Psalms will show just that - people venting all sorts of feelings and thoughts - yet addressing them to God. Pete Greig, in 'How to Pray', encourages us to 'get indignant' like Moses and Job and many of those angry voices in the Psalms. Getting angry about injustice stirs us to work with God to do something to change things. At Café Church one suggestion was to hold prayer vigils in church focusing on justice themes: two topics that came up were Creation Care and Disabled Lives Matter. Though small in number at Café Church we remarked to one another how enriching the time together had been. The conversations are always framed within a regular service pattern, which includes confession, creed, a talk and intercessions. In October the topic will be 'Unanswered Prayer'. We all agreed that we have been finding 'How to Pray' by Pete Greig a very inspiring yet practical book in helping us to pray. If you haven't read it yet you might like to get hold of a copy in print or on Kindle. Or you can check out Pete Greig's Prayer Course online, which follows the same themes as the book. You can find the link here: Prayer Course Another useful question that emerged at Café Church was about who we think we are praying to when we pray to God. Do we visualise God as a (albeit divine!) person to whom we pray? Or do we simply feel/sense the presence of God beyond the need for images? Or do we find other pictures for God's presence helpful? This varies depending on our personalities. Someone beautifully described the presence of God like a soft cardigan wrapped around us as we pray. Or perhaps you like to imagine yourself in a gospel scene sitting with Jesus on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, in the calm after the storm while he listens to your fears? Or do you imagine walking and talking with your God as your friend in a garden at the close of the day, like Adam and Eve in Eden, or the disciples sharing their sorrow and perplexity with Jesus walking together along the Emmaus Road? May you and those you pray for be blessed by the prayer of intercession this week, so that God's kingdom comes nearer and his will is done better in our lives. Revd Diane - 15th August 2021 10
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