Evening Prayer for Friday, 24 July 2020
It’s now over four months since we last met at Christ the Cornerstone,
and most of the services we offered from our building during each week were suspended at the same time.
For several years now, I have had the privilege of serving as one of our team of Pastoral Workers,
who are available to speak to people who come into our building.
Consequently, I have come into contact with people from many different spheres of life.
I am sad that, at present, we are not able to offer the practical and emotional support which have become known for.
I am pleased that our Chapel is now open for a short time each week now, so that people can use it for private prayer. However, as many of our visitors had other a wide range of other needs, I would like us to spend our prayer time this evening remembering some of those people.
Let us pray:
Loving God, we pray for families:
We remember single parents and working parents who juggle work and child care responsibilities:
Lord, give them patience, time to recharge their batteries and some adult company
from time to time to share their joys and sorrows.
God of Love,
hear our prayer.
We pray for families who are struggling to make ends meet.
Sometimes, when there is little money available,
life seems unfair and parents want to be able to spend money they haven’t got as treats for their children.
Heavenly Father, may they feel your love surrounding them when they feel alone.
May they find their way to sources of support which are still available.
God of Love,
hear our prayer.
We pray for grandparents who have been separated from their grandchildren.
Loving God, may they soon be able to resume some physical contact which they so miss.
God of Love,
hear our prayer.
We pray for those who have no family locally,
whose usual company has been chatting to neighbours or shopkeepers,
talking to strangers in the pub or dropping into our church café.
Loving Christ, who noticed the needs of strangers,
we pray that those who are lonely may find friendship, and find a friend in You.
God of Love,
hear our prayer.
Loving God, we pray for homeless people:
We know that there are many reasons why people become homeless.
As Pastoral Workers, we meet single people who became homeless when their relationship broke up,
people who have recently got out of prison and have nowhere to sleep,
young people who have been evicted by their parents
and families who are threatened with eviction because they are struggling to pay their rent.
In some cases, we can point people to sources of support,
in others we can only offer a listening ear,
a warm, comfortable place to spend a short time
and a cup of tea and sandwich.
We are relieved that, during the Coronavirus crisis,
the Council has been working with Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnership and other charities
to ensure that no one is sleeping on the streets.
The original arrangements with local hotels have ended,
but the Council is applying for new grants from the Government
which may lead to a permanent facility to ensure that no one has to live on the streets.
God our Father, we pray for all who have nowhere to call their home.
Loving God, you identify with those who do not have a bed of their own.
May they find a source of support to bring them back to the security and comfort which a home can provide.
God of Love,
hear our prayer.
We are glad that the MK Food Bank, supported by MK Council, continues to operate.
We remember especially at this time, parents who are struggling to feed their family
because they do not have the support of free school meals.
We pray for parents who will eat little in order that they do not see their children go hungry.
We thank you for the dedication of the staff and volunteers
who have made sure that this essential service continues to be available.
‘… for when I was hungry, you gave me food….’
Matthew 25: 35
Loving God, we know that you hurt when your children hurt
and you are hungry when they do not have enough to eat.
We pray that all who are struggling to feed themselves or their families
will find their way to appropriate support,
so that they do not have to worry where the next meal will come from.
God of Love,
hear our prayer.
And now, a reading from the Psalms:
1 Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the broken-hearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
6 The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Psalm 147: 1–7 & 11
And now let us say The Grace together:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all now, and for ever.
Amen
I wish you all a pleasant evening and a peaceful night.
Rosemary Kearsey
