welcome to canterbury cathedral on this wednesday morning as we continue to celebrate these weeks of easter and say our morning prayers together remembering all those throughout the world who need our prayers and those of you who have special intentions of people that you love or care for or know about wherever you are in the world oh lord open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise in your resurrection o christ let heaven and earth rejoice alleluia blessed are you lord god of our salvation to you be praise and glory forever as once you ransomed your people from egypt and led them to freedom in the promised land so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your risen son may we the first fruits of your new creation rejoice in this new day you have made and praise you for your mighty acts blessed be god father son and holy spirit blessed be god forever christ our passover has been sacrificed for us so let us celebrate the feast not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth christ once raised from the dead dies no more death has no more dominion over him in dying he died to sin once for all in living he lives to god see yourselves therefore as dead to sin and alive to god in jesus christ our lord the night has passed and the day lies open before us let us pray then with one heart and mind as we rejoice in the gift of this new day so may the light of your presence o god set our hearts on fire with love for you and for each other now and forever are men today's morning psalm is psalm 107 and here are some verses from it it speaks of the wonder of god in his creation and also the fearful power of that creation in which we live oh give thanks to the lord for he is gracious for his steadfast love endures forever let the redeemed of the lord say this those he redeemed from the hand of their enemies and gathered out of the lands from the east and from the west from the north and from the south some went astray in desert wastes and found no path to a city to dwell in hungry and thirsty their soul was fainting within them so they cried to the lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress he set their feet on the right way till they came to a city to dwell in let them give thanks to the lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children for he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good those who go down to the sea in ships and ply their trade in great waters these have seen the works of the lord and his wonders in the deep for at his word the stormy wind arose and lifted up the waves of the sea they were carried up to the heavens and down again to the deep their soul melted away in their peril they reeled and staggered like a drunkard and were at their wits end then they cried to the lord in their trouble and he brought them out of their distress he made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were count then were they glad because they were at rest and he brought them to the haven they desired let them give thanks to the lord for his goodness and the wonders he does for his children let them exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the counsel of the elders he makes the wilderness a pool of water and water springs out of a thirsty land and there he settles the hungry and they build a city to dwell in they sow fields and plant vineyards and bring in a fruitful harvest he blesses them so that they multiply greatly he does not let their herds of cattle decrease it's a wonderful psalm and there's much more of it but it speaks not only of our wandering to try and find a place for us in creation but also of human capacity to build homes to build cities to live in communities and feel the blessing of god and also to know that they can cry out with each other in their trouble and often find solace not only from heaven but again from each other let's continue our reading from the letter to the colossians which we've done for the last few mornings and start this morning at chapter 2. sin paul from prison writes to the people of colossae whom he's never met but whom his disciple epaphras has asked him to write an encouraging letter to i want you to know brothers and sisters how great a struggle i have for you and for those it laid a seer and for all who have not seen me face to face that their hearts may be encouraged being knit together in love to teach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of god's mystery which is christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge i say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments for though i am absent in body yet i am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in christ therefore as you have received christ jesus the lord so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith just as you were taught abounding in thanksgiving see how paul uses imagery of growth of strong roots and a further growth as a metaphor for our life in christ see how he uses images of fruitfulness in human life so that he can describe the treasures of richness and wisdom that come from being rooted in christ all those things to this little growing community of christians that colossi whom he longs to see but never will and in laodicea nearby he doesn't mention in this passage hierapolis but these three little communities that he's speaking to at a time of growth a time of building all these images which we use as human beings to strengthen one another but also separations and paul is speaking in an enclosed state locked in if you like in imprisonment but knowing that through his words through his letters he can talk to the people that he's never met in colossae and as he goes on with the letter he gives encouragement such as we can give to each other at this particular time we come out here this morning sitting by the tree peony which is a sign of growth and of flowering it's at the height of its flowering over the little box edge in its fresh green but next to it very importantly in any garden stands the rosemary bush if i pick a sprig of it instantly the smell becomes important rosemary was grown in all monastic gardens and this was a monastery for a thousand years the rosemary is a sign of three things that people grew the plants for first of all of a good scent which cheers people secondly of a good flavor which also cheers people and give them strength but most important of all of health and healing for it is a mighty medicinal herb as well and even its fragrance tends to make one feel better as one picks a sprig in shakespeare's hamlet you remember ophelia says to her brother laertes there's rosemary that's for remembrance pray love remember and we use it for remembrance we also use it to sprinkle holy water on people for various means but at this time of year particularly to remember their baptism to remember their life in christ as though watering it for new growth and as always these plants of god's creation in their growth in their freshness and also in their ability even in their dried state to give flavour to human life and health and healing become signs of god's creation remember the lilies of the field says jesus and we do so at this flowering season wherever you are in the world enjoy the english spring and at other times of year we look forward to your descriptions of new growth new life in your countries too we can do that with our words of encouragement to each other today as we say our morning prayers as always in this place we remember areas of our anglican world throughout the world and today we pray especially for the diocese of musoni in canada for thomas corston the bishop there and his people and the diocese of winchester here in england and tim dakin the bishop of winchester and his people there and in this diocese as we remember justin our archbishop rose bishop of dover tim bishop at lambeth we remember the parish of margate saint philip northstein park and pray for stuart gay in his ministry and all his people we pray for each other for those whom we know to need our prayers especially to those suffering from the coronavirus and those who today will bravely help to heal and resource them to keep others safe and give companionship and as always we remember on our hearts and in our minds those whom we know and love in our worry for their safety and health loving god bless with your compassion all those who will spend this day caring for others and encouraging others and help us to play our part in this work of grace give us all strength in times of tiredness calm in times of fear and courage in times of any despair that through our love for each other this time will pass and full companionship and love will be restored in our meeting together again in jesus christ our lord amen so the special prayer for this easter tide almighty father you have given your only son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth through the merits of your son jesus christ our lord amen whatever way we normally say it in whichever language we join together in the prayer our savior taught us 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men moment of silence this early morning hour for our own prayers for each other and whoever is on our hearts today so the god of peace who brought again from the dead our lord jesus that great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be among you and remain with you always amen