Evening Prayer Friday, 29 January 2021

Good evening everyone, welcome to Friday evening’s prayers.

As our country continues to suffer from the devastating effects of coronavirus, we continue to pray for all those we know who are suffering from the disease and all those who have been bereaved. However, I think it is time for us to broaden our view a little and discover how this disease is affecting our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world.  Some of you may know first-hand from family and friends that ours is not the only nation to be suffering at present, but I thought it might be helpful to discover a little about the impact of the pandemic on other communities world-wide.

I expect, like me, you have heard that many people are suffering in South Africa, where cases have been rising again in recent times.  Other African countries with high numbers of cases, and subsequent deaths, are Eswatini (known as Swaziland until 2018), Morocco and Tunisia.  And the disease has also reached other African countries where some members of our congregations have families and friends.

Here is a sample of some matters of interest and concern I identified across the world:

There is as much of a need for vaccines across Africa, for example, in Zimbabwe, as there is in this country, but the likelihood of being able to vaccinate soon is much less.  However, the article I was reading also spoke positively about the value of ‘friendship benches’, to enable people to meet and chat outdoors. This struck me particularly, as the possibility of these being made available in Milton Keynes arose at one of our Pastoral Committee meetings.  It really is a small world!  I read of shortages of oxygen, vaccine and syringes in Brazil and hospitals being overwhelmed in Portugal.  Like me, you may have heard that Israel is well ahead in vaccinating their population, but I was shocked to read that, despite this, there is no vaccine available to Palestinians.

Of course, it is easy to criticise the actions and responses of other people.  In this country it is noticeable that pressure groups are beginning to contend for priority to receive their vaccinations.  It must be so hard to decide who should be first, and all probably have sound reasons for their views.  Perhaps all we can do is to trust that the decision makers have the best intentions and to continue to pray for those who are anxious, those who are ill, those who are dying and those who have been bereaved.

Let us pray:

Christ the healer, we come to you this evening remembering that we are not alone.  We are not alone, because many others are also anxious, suffering loss and suffering from ill health.  But none of us is alone if we stay close to you.

Thank you for every gift you have given us.  Some things we can enjoy even more at this time – the beauty of our surroundings when it snowed, the anticipation of warmer days ahead, time to pace ourselves and the opportunity to develop interests we may not have had time to pursue this time last year.  We thank you for our health service and all who work tirelessly to bring comfort and healing to those who are ill. 

We pray for all who are suffering from Covid 19 across the world.  We know that we are one family in you, and this common threat has brought us closer to one another in some ways.  Prompt us to remember that we need to share – expertise, vaccine, and all our basic needs.

We pray for families throughout the world for whom self-isolation is impossible, because they do not have the space for one person to live separately from others in the family. 

We pray for older people, especially those who live alone and those who may be caring for a partner who struggles with everyday living.  Many can no longer receive visits from family and friends and may find days pass very slowly.  Be close to them and bring them comfort and peace.

The World Economic Forum has highlighted how Covid 19 has exposed the digital divide.  In this country and overseas those who do not have reliable internet access are suffering more than most.  We pray all who are deprived in this way, especially those children who struggle to do schoolwork at home.

We are powerless to have much influence over political decision making at this time.  However, we can continue to pray.  And so we bring all who are affected by this distressing disease to you and ask you to bring your love and peace into their lives.

We close our prayers this evening with our Cornerstone Church choir singing John Bell and Graham Maule’s hymn, ‘Christ’s is the world in which we move’.

Please click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ONyaHeuQg

Christ’s is the world in which we move;
Christ’s are the folk we’re summoned to love;
Christ’s is the voice which calls us to care,
and Christ is the one who meets us here.

To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.
[The chorus of A Touching Place by John Bell.]

Feel for the people we must avoid –
strange or bereaved or never employed.
Feel for the women and feel for the men
who fear that their living is all in vain.

Feel for the parents who’ve lost their child,
feel for the women whom men have defiled,
feel for the baby for whom there’s no breast,
and feel for the weary who find no rest.

Feel for the lives by life confused,
riddled with doubt, in loving abused;
feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,
which longs to be pure but fears to begin.

©1989  WGRG, Iona Community, Govan, Glasgow G51 3UU, Scotland.

Rosemary Kearsey