Morning Prayer Friday, 5 November 2021

Welcome, everyone, to Friday’s prayers.

I’m conscious that while some of you may now be beginning to revert to your life as it was before Covid,
others are still shielding and yet others may be very cautious about engaging with some of the activities they used to take part in.
It has always been true to say that each of us has a quite different life or lifestyle.
However, the experience of lockdown last year put us on a level playing field,
and, somehow, for me that makes the differences in people’s circumstances now more marked.

While I was pondering on this, and thinking a bit about current affairs which we might pray about together,
the following hymn by Fred Pratt Green came to mind.
I suggest we listen to it now, then use some of the words to guide the rest of our prayer time.

It is God who holds the nations in the hollow of his hand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU1tV7CSuVg

It is God who hold the nations in the hollow of his hand;
it is God whose light is shining in the darkness of the land;
it is God who builds his City on the Rock and not on sand.
May the living God be praised!

It is God whose purpose summons us to use this present hour;
who recalls us to our senses when a nation’s life turns sour;
in the discipline of freedom, we shall know God’s saving power.
May the living God be praised!

When a thankful nation, looking back, has cause to celebrate
those who win our admiration by their service to the state;
when self-giving is a measure of the greatness of the great.
May the living God be praised!

God reminds us every sunrise that the world is ours on lease:
for the sake of life tomorrow may our love for it increase;
may all races live together, share its riches, live at peace.
May the living God be praised!

Let us pray:

Gracious God, we thank you for every gift that you give us. We thank you that, amid life’s difficulties, we can feel secure in the knowledge of your love and care for us. When times are hard and the way ahead seems dark, or even blocked, your guiding light is there, if we open our eyes to see it. Teach us to trust you and to keep the faith.

Loving God,
hear our prayer.

We thank you that some of us can now engage in so many more activities than we could last year; that our church is open and welcoming to those who need someone to talk to.  We pray for all those who continue to shield – may they not feel cut off, discouraged and disheartened.  May we explore all the ways we can to help them to engage with our fellowship, so that they continue to feel part of the church community.  We thank you that our morning services are live-streamed, enabling the whole community to worship together and that our evening Zoom services enable us to engage directly in fellowship with one another.

Loving God,
hear our prayer.

We thank you, loving God, for all those who continue to care for others.

We pray for all those who work in the health services;

those who work in care homes;

those who support people in their own homes

and family members who care for one another.

We thank them for their dedication and caring. Support and sustain them as they continue to offer this service to others.

Loving God,
hear our prayer.

As the final verse of the hymn reminds us, we want to thank you for this wonderful world we live in.

We often need reminding that we hold the world in trust for future generations. The COP26 conference in Glasgow is addressing issues associated with climate change and our care of the environment. We pray that the conference will inspire new ways to open the eyes of us all to the need to adapt our behaviour and prompt us to play our part in protecting and preserving this world for those who follow us.

Loving God,
hear our prayer.

And now, let us say The Lord’s Prayer together:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen

Rosemary Kearsey