Our bodies are so fragile Our time here is so brief Our lives are but a single drop in the ocean of eternity And yet… We are known We are loved We are held May our fears about our death be transformed And may all our suffering be transfigured. May we discover, within ourselves, a […]
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Let this be a sacred time, O God, in which I let what has begun, gradually grow, finding within me the patience and trust that allows me to tend my concerns with wisdom. This prayer by Annie Heppenstall was distributed at Gloucester Cathedral during the ‘Museum of the Moon’ exhibition in October 2019.
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Eternal God, we turn to you knowing you are the source of the living water for which we thirst. Living water, In faith, we lift our prayer to you. We pray for those, like the woman by the well, confronted by their own reality and being invited to step boldly into the unknown. May they […]
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Jesus bids us shine, With a pure, clear light, Like a little candle, Burning in the night. In this world is darkness, So, let us shine— You in your small corner, And I in mine. Jesus bids us shine, Then, for all around Many kinds of darkness In this world are found – Sin and […]
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Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth; lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust; lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe. Each day at noon people of all faiths and none use this ‘Universal Prayer for Peace’. […]
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A reflection on Dame Julian of Norwich’s text from Revelations of Divine Love: ‘All shall be well. You shall see yourself that all things shall be well. That which is impossible for you is not impossible for me. I shall keep my word in all things and I shall make all things well.’ ‘All shall […]
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The question that puzzles many is how you came to be And what method is used to create this world. Indeed your ways are mysterious. -taken from a longer prayer
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In the silence The clarity of your voice, Climbs high Upon the eagle’s wings. The chains of doubt That imprison my soul, Fall away beneath my feet. In the freedom and majesty Of the sentinel’s gaze, Faith is strengthened And hope returned To a weary heart, Upon the silent flight Of eagle’s wings. Chris posts […]
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Inspired by Psalm 23 God is my shelter, my protection, and my guide. I want for nothing, and I will practice thanksgiving! God invites me to places of peace and beauty where wildflowers bloom and mountain streams flow. God will restore me, and I will practice sabbath rest. Even when anxiety and fear threaten to […]
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Second Sunday of Easter (Sunday after Easter), Year C John 20:19-31 Eternal One, as we travel through life’s valleys, in the places of darkness, and despair, we know that you are with us. Even when life’s doubts assail us, we know that you still abide with us, watching over us. Strengthen our faith. Help us […]
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As the crimson flame of life Breaks slowly Above the horizon, The white, frosted meadows, With trees and hedgerows Of sculptured ice, Speak loudly Of your presence. Once more Upon this journey, As another day begins, Without effort Or intrusion, Through the peace And tranquillity Of your silent voice, The moment becomes eternal, And the […]
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Read the prayers aloud. At each point, pause to reflect and fill in the names of places and people as appropriate. Creator-Spirit, Heartbeat of God’s love, melt my coldness, chase away the shadows, captivate my heart, until I am filled with the same stubborn, selfless and self-giving Love for the world that is your […]
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By your side There is peace, A quiet place Of beauty and realisation, Where wisdom Seeks reason and understanding, Where myth is laid to rest By the reality of knowledge. By your side There is hope, That arrogance and greed Will not destroy, That selfless love Will prevail. By your side Life is sacred, A […]
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Epiphany 2, Year C This prayer is inspired by Psalm 36:5-10 It’s like standing beneath a street lamp On a misty evening. In the light, I see light, But objects appear blurry and obscured, half lit. God, standing in your light, I see light, But the path ahead appears blurry and obscured, seemingly […]
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“I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready […]
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A quiet place A pause in our day A turning toward the source of peace What words do we use when we reach out to the Spirit of Life? Do we talk? Do we listen? Do we think? Do we feel? Explore these resources (click theme) to find worship words relevant to you today: What […]
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Eternal One, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever you had formed the earth and the world, From everlasting to everlasting You are God. — Psalm 90:1-2 Bright eyes take in all the world. Tiny hands wave and reach and hold. Feet kick and push. […]
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Written April 2018 during a time of personal reflection in the Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral, UK, following the bombing of Syria by the US and the UK. Broken Bombed Darkness descends How did it come to this? God groans The world whimpers. We cower Fearfully crying out, ‘Which way?’ What about our grandchildren? Follow the […]
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Dear God of all, grant us understanding of our brothers and sisters worldwide. Plant in us the seed of oneness. Nourish us with your love and grace so that we may live God-like in our interactions with those who are different from us. Grant us the ability to recognize the spirit and sameness that unites […]
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Our Mother, our Father, Source of our being, whose presence is heaven, all Creation sings of you, “Holy!” May your Realm unfold among us, your desire be fulfilled, this world blossoming out of your delight. Give us the breath of life, one breath at a time. Accept our brokenness; give us acceptance of others who […]
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Gratitude, the yoga of the gods, may sometimes take a little practice. Each day, select one thing to be grateful for: a cup of water, a wisp of green, sun on stone, a friend’s memory, gravity, so we do not float away…. Hold your gratitude like a seashell in your hand, and rehearse it. Come […]
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ready-to-print copies: PDF Disciples Prayer by Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson WORD Disciples Prayer by Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson Holy One whose name we honour and praise, When we laugh, you laugh with us. When we weep, your tears wash over the earth. You know the joys and sorrows of our hearts, Our efforts for change and our resistance to […]
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Prayer of confession and assurance of pardon written for Second Sunday of Epiphany, Year B God of love, you know us inside and out. With you there is no point in hiding or pretending. You invite us into your presence, and we come as we are. We confess that we often forget to listen […]
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Pause before the prayer, allowing God’s Spirit to search your heart. Make your own confession. Pause after the prayer to experience the reality of God’s forgiveness. Why do I so readily settle for less, Spirit-giver? Respectable religion instead of living faith; God-at-a-distance instead of the searing closeness of your parenthood; sameness instead of the adventure […]
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There’s a dip in the stone step in the threshold of the old cathedral, worn where thousands of pilgrims have stepped as they entered the darkness to pray. Even in the old country church the railing is rubbed bare where the faithful have grasped, have leaned, have hoped. There is a worn spot at […]
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Dearest Friend, gentle Spirit, breath of live, source of our being, from the peacefulness of silence, the silence that preceded Creation, your Word entered the void and said, ‘Let there be light.’ This afternoon we sit mindful that we are kin and covenanted to that Word and to your light. We are grateful to you, […]
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Appropriate for sharing with the dying, at a funeral, crematorium service or at a memorial service O my God, fill our souls with holy joy, courage and strength to serve you. Enkindle your love in us and then walk with us along the next stretch of the road before us. We do […]
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Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak… Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’ —Genesis 32.24, 26 The angels you’ll have to wrestle with most often are no strangers: they’re your anger, fear, […]
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Written for a Longest Night (21 December) service in Colorado, USA God is with us in our suffering, loving us, walking with us, comforting us. I do not believe God is the cause or author of such suffering, I do not believe God “allows” bad things to happen. I can’t imagine why God would “allow” […]
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Our faith is not a revelation of some particular individual or of any one group. Rather, it is a correlation of the most empowering truths found in religious texts and the discoveries of science. We start with the simple proposition that God, known to many by many names and traditions, is an immediate Presence not […]
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God, help me to figure out what I need, and hear my prayer when I am bold enough to ask for it. Amen. Matthew 9:20-22 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, […]
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Inside hopelessness darkness Nothing more, impossible to be less silence, deafening Only fears and despair Echoing off cavern walls I’ve been there, lived there Have you? A hole so deep, so cold No one to hear the screams Hopeless Alone Exhausted longer the stay deeper it becomes The darkness becomes thick Suffocating hopes Choking out […]
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God loves a try-er or so ‘they’ say. And God, you know that I’m trying. But somehow I never feel good enough. There’s always something just beyond my reach; something I can’t get right. And somehow I always seem to let me – and you – down. Living Spirit uplift me, I pray. Breathe a […]
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Used with permission, from Nicola’s book, Seeking the Risen Christa (SPCK, 2011) which can be purchased at Amazon. Such a fast one You came running towards us Over the morning grass Then off, off forth on swing Sweeping smooth on a big wind Out of our sight I want to come with you Fly with […]
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God, we give you thanks for sending Jesus to give us life. In the midst of wealth we are crushed by poverty, and while we are offered Christ-life in all its fullness, we are surrounded by disease, death and destruction. We are tempted to despair, and yet keep hoping, knowing that you care. At times we […]
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WORDS Ready-to-print – Prayer for Good Friday, Lawrence Moore O God, you are rich in mercy. For when I was nothing, you made me something. When I wanted nothing to do with you, you came looking for me to bring me home as a lost child, rejoicing. When I swore I never knew you, […]
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Ezekiel 37:1-14 Fifth Sunday in Lent – Year A 2 April 2017 God of life, hear my prayer. Withered, cracked, pale Sometimes I feel like a pile of old bones Dry, brittle, broken Sometimes I feel as though all hope is lost. Dry bones, hear the word of the Divine! […]
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Ready-to-print copy: WORD Prayer for the New Year, Sandy Messick God of all times and seasons, On this threshold of a new year, we turn and return again to you. The year spreads before us with possibilities and challenges, joys and concerns. There is beauty all around: in the smiles of children, in the […]
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Loving, embracing Spirit We strive and we fall often, straight into the safety net of your compassionate embrace. We pick ourselves up and try again, secure in the knowledge that you will always be there for us, and that we are so much more than our successes and failures. Help us to learn from our […]
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Day’s Beginning O God, You have birthed the world And us. You have washed us, Dressed us, Fed us, Set us on our way in the school of life. Give us courage to stand strong, To meet all that comes our way with kindness, Learn from all with an open heart, And remember always That […]
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