Daily Prayers Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Good morning, Cornerstone Friends.

Today is St Andrew’s Day. He is the patron saint of Scotland and also of Ukraine and Russia along with several other countries. In Scotland his day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture and with traditional Scottish foods and music.

Let us now read about his calling by Jesus in Matthew 4 verses 18 to 22.

Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the lake; for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will make you fishers of men”. At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on further, he saw another pair of brothers, James son  of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them and at once they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Let us pray.

God, our loving Father, may we be like St Andrew in sharing friendship and hospitality and in our faithfulness to Jesus and his kingdom of justice, love and peace. May our country be a community in which everyone matters, everyone has an honoured place, and the dignity of each is assured by our faith in you as Father of us all.
Amen

All powerful and ever present God, you looked in love on Andrew, the ordinary fisherman, and called him to be a disciple and friend of Jesus, your Son. We honour Andrew for the witness of his life and death. We pray for the fishermen and farmers, workers, entrepreneurs and public servants who labour for their living and for the building up of our nation. May their work, conditions and rewards be just. And may we always remain attentive to the contributions and needs of those not actively involved in the world of commerce.
Amen

We pray for all Christians in our country today, aware of our many different traditions and understandings and aware also of our common faith and baptism. May we grow fuller in love and respect for one another and may the cross become an even clearer sign of our unity in Jesus.
Amen

We pray for our world in this time of crisis. We pray particularly for all political and religious leaders – but we all need your support and guidance in these difficult days. May we be more attentive to your message of love. May we, as nations and individuals, learn to reconcile and respect, to labour for justice and peace, and to attend to the needs of all your children. May we, singly and together, play our part in helping your kingdom to come in our day.

We ask all these prayers in Jesus’ name,
Amen
(Prayers from St Andrew’s Day service organised by Glasgow Churches Together )

To finish an Iona song ‘Jesus calls us’.

Jesus calls us here to meet him
as through word and song and prayer,
we affirm God’s promised presence ,
where his people live and care,
praise the God who keeps his promise,
praise the Son who calls us friends,
praise the spirit who, among us,
to our hopes and fears attends.

Jesus calls us to confess him
Word of Life and Lord of All,
sharer of our flesh and frailness,
saving all who fail and fall.
Tell his holy human story,
tell his tales that all may hear,
tell the world that Christ in glory
came to earth to meet us here.

Jesus calls us to each other:
found in him are no divides.
Race and class and sex and language,
such are barriers he derides.
Join the hands of friend and stranger,
join the hands of age and youth,
join the faithful and the doubter
in their common search for truth.

Have a blessed day, Cornerstone Friends.

Rosemary Goldie