Appropriate for a Blue Christmas or Longest Night service, acknowledging the challenges often faced during the dark seasons of the year. On this longest night of the year, we gather to worship you, our Creator. The prophets tell of a light to the nations; a dawn from on high breaking upon us. The poets speak […]
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I invite you to pause. Close your eyes, if that’s comfortable and focus on your breathing, the sound of your breath in … and out … in … and out…. [pause for 2-4 breaths]. We live in a busy world, and God invites us to pause in the presence of the divine. [silent pause for […]
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This modern psalm offers ‘balanced’ gender language, not inclusive, but the powerful juxtaposition between the masculine language of NIV and the feminine language of Edgerton’s version is effective, so I’ve included it. — Ana Gobledale, Editor With Apologies to the Psalmist ‘Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that […]
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Written to mark the 20th anniversary of 9-11 You have generously devoted yourself to helping others — thank you. Your work requires you to be prepared for whatever comes: You make difficult and complicated decisions, often in a split second. You put yourself at risk to serve your community — often encountering those among us […]
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Prayers of Intercession in a time of fear It is so good to trust in God. This world is scary and I remind myself over and over again that we can trust in God to never leave us, to be with us no matter what. We come to this community prayer, trusting that God hears […]
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The next time it gets light I will awake with hope And tonight as it gets dark I will not fear The next time it grows light I will welcome the dawn The next time morning comes I’ll be reborn The next time it grows dark I will not hide away The darkness does not […]
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Dear and glorious God, we cry to you. At the moment, love seems both deeply hidden and alive like never before. Selfishness is alarmingly exposed, numbing us to the fear which feeds it. Selflessness is gloriously and exhaustingly alive, restoring our faith in you and in humanity. In this Lenten time, stir in us, waking […]
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Inspired by words of Julian of Norwich: ‘All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well for there is a force of love moving through the universe that holds us fast and we never let us go.’ Never let go Though it’s hard to hold on This love will hold you And […]
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‘We (the United Kingdom) passed 100,000 deaths from Covid. I had to write this or my heart would have broken.’ — Zachary We are gone to rags and tatters, So many broken threads, The warp and weft of life gone all awry. This earthquake reaching out, From life to life, Lethal shock passing like static, […]
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Prayers ‘In view of the coronavirus pandemic‘ have been shared by the World Council of Churches, which writes: ‘At this time when we have to keep physically distant from one another, it is more important than ever that we draw close to one another spiritually, praying together.’ The selection on the slider at the top […]
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Making use of John 1:5 I am cast adrift, O God, I am cut off from your face. A thick darkness surrounds me, I am enmeshed in a mist of confusion. And it seems all creation must mourn, Must mourn and lament, must weep, For we are alone and apart, The light has gone out […]
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Creator God, As I prepare to go into the world, help me to see the sacramental nature of wearing this cloth. Let it be a tangible and visible way of living love for my neighbours, as I love myself. Since my lips will be covered, uncover my heart, that people would see my smile in […]
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The world is full of good things As well as things which could be better We are full of good things As well as things which could be better Today , whether we feel full of good things Or full of things which could be better God’s open arms Sweep us up again in a […]
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Global God Your embrace circles the globe Pulsating wholeness, hope and justice into every heart. During this season of pandemic As Covid-19 sweeps across the lands We cry out to you, Not just for ourselves but for your beloved family, For our sisters and brothers in Africa Where church choirs are silent, mosques empty, crowded […]
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Loving God, we thank you for your ongoing love for us. As wheat ripens in the sun and the tiny mustard seed develops into the largest of trees we want to grow in your love. May we be encouraging and supportive to all we encounter and not stifling like the weeds of our parable. We […]
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Living One, we are your disciples – your hands and feet in the world today. In this time when we are staying away from one another, we sometimes feel extremely burdened, as if under a great weight. Truthfully, we have frequently been tempted to turn to fear and doubt, not trusting in your presence. We […]
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Matthew 11:16-30 5th Sunday of Pentecost, Year A Almighty, creator God, we have gathered to praise you, giving thanks that you have given us life and breath, that you do daily attend us with goodness and mercy.* May this time together in worship strengthen us that we might transcend our current state of social isolation […]
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We are not given a mandate to judge or an obligation to convert. We are not required to argue religion. We are given power to heal. We need not muster up the strength. We are given authority. Christ is in us to heal. May I be a healer today; may I set free those who […]
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In these days of knowing, not knowing, We, like the buds on the trees, Are eager to burst forth into the world. Hold us gently in place Until we are certain in the ways of loving our neighbour. Let us not toss ourselves and neighbour into thoughtless Harm. Let us recall that all life is […]
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We now live in a ‘Coronavirus world’. Please remember, we are still the church even though we are not physically gathered, and that when we get together again, we will celebrate. In the meantime, even though the world seems to have cancelled everything right now, as people of faith let us remember: • Caring will […]
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In my weaker moments I imagine that you sent this plague as punishment for our iniquity, but deep down in my heart I know that’s not your way. In fleeting moments of clarity, I picture you gazing out at us and ruefully asking out loud: Don’t you know that I really don’t need to inflict […]
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from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, Ireland Loving and healing God, we, turn to you in prayer, Confident that you are with us and with all people in every moment. We stand before you as people of hope, trusting in your care and protection. May your faithful love support us and soothe […]
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Loving God, your desire is for our wholeness and well being. We hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time. We grieve precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened. We ache for ourselves and our neighbors, standing before an uncertain future. We pray: may love, not fear, go viral. […]
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As the coronavirus (COVID-19) affects our world, we continue to pray. We invite you into our hearts — hearts that have so much on them right now. Amidst our fear, disappointment, confusion, uncertainty, grief, anger, frustration and more… We invite you in. We know you are bigger. May we be given a peace and understanding […]
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May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury to work from home remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care […]
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It seems that I return to you most easily when I need comfort, O God. Hello… here I am again, knowing that you are waiting for me with love and warming light. In the shadow of your wings I find respite and relief that feeds my innermost self and renews my soul. Day and night, […]
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Gracious and loving God, the Psalmist reminds us that, ‘You are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble’. God, we feel deeply that our world is in trouble with the spread of the coronavirus. There is a heightened sense of fear and anxiety about the future. We ask that we may calmly and […]
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In this time of COVID-19, we pray: When we aren’t sure, God, – help us be calm. When information comes – from all sides, correct & not, help us to discern. When fear makes it hard to breathe, and anxiety seems to be the order of the day, slow us down, God. Help us to […]
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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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Isolated Broken Spreading Infecting Darkness descends How did it come to this? God groans The world whimpers. We cower Fearfully crying out, ‘Now what?’ What about our old age? What about our grandchildren? Be not afraid. Follow the light. Follow peace. Where? Into the brokenness. Into this new reality. Fear not. Into the unimaginable. Cling […]
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As so much is re-shaped by Coronavirus Covid-19, let us pray together for: people left unwell, beckoned by death or bereaved; people providing professional health care and advice, looking after loved ones at home or working to create treatments and cures; people shaping the response of nations and neighbourhoods, of commerce and industry, of service […]
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What if we thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath— the most sacred of times? Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling. Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is. Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life. Centre down. And when […]
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May our prayers today be for hope, patience, thoughtfulness and neighbourliness, for the homeless and those without means to stay clean, for everyone working to keep us fed and healthy, for members of Twelve Step Groups–such as Alcoholics Anonymous– who are finding new ways to hold their essential meetings. Photo by Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson
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Gracious God, Champion of the Universe, we so often fluff ourselves up. Aren’t we the only creatures who compose masterpieces of music and art? Don’t we govern ourselves, enrich ourselves, promote ourselves? Can’t we dunk basketballs, bat baseballs, spike volleyballs? Aren’t some of us masters of comic irony? Other creatures don’t practice rocket science. We […]
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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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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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