Plenary, 21 Nov 2007

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Official Report 419KB pdf

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Time for Reflection

Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader is Anne McIntyre, the national director of Parliamentary Prayer Scotland.

Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, it is a real joy to be able to engage with you and pray together for you today.

Parliamentary Prayer Scotland is a growing network of thousands of intercessors worldwide, from every Christian denomination. Some of us meet every Wednesday in the Salvation Army hall to pray for you and the current issues facing the nation. Then we come as a thin red line into the public gallery.

"Come apart and rest awhile."

Jesus urged his disciples to take a break from all the constant demands made on their lives. Does that sound familiar? The four minutes for time for reflection is hardly "awhile", but it can be a valuable moment when we can lift our hearts and minds to God and ask for his wisdom, insight and help, even to change our attitudes if necessary.

Just before the opening of this building, when we were praying for the Parliament in its new home, God impressed upon us that we needed to change our attitudes. Like many others, we had been critical of the building, but we came down to see the new inscription in the courtyard of Queensberry house. Frank McAveety was just outside, and he kindly brought us in. We declared in our best Scottish accents the biblical quotation from 1 Corinthians, chapter 13:

"Gin I speak wi the tungs o men an angels, but hae nae luve i my hairt, I am no nane better nor dunnerin bress or a ringing cymbal."

As soon as we finished, a diminutive young woman, dressed in black, stepped forward, produced a microphone and said that she was a World News reporter. She asked, "Tell me, what do you think of the building?" Without a moment's hesitation I said, "Oh we love it!" Our attitudes had indeed been changed, and they remain changed because God has given us his love in our hearts for you and for this place.

So, let us take a precious moment now to seek God's blessing on all who work in this building for our Government and nation, through the prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ taught his disciples.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever.

Amen.