Theme: The First 100 Days
Preparation
Opening
Opening Hymn:
An Opening Prayer
O God, we come to you out of the week just gone –
with its successes and disappointments,
its joys and its struggles.
By your Holy Spirit,
help us to focus on you now,
to listen as you speak to our hearts,
so that we may be better prepared
to serve you in the week to come.
Amen.
Readings
The Bible Reading:
Jesus shows us his priorities – he knows what he must do and demonstrates this by healing and proclaiming the good news. However, Jesus also takes time out to get away from the crowds and be alone in prayer – he knows what he must do to care for himself and stay true to his mission. Do we find or make enough time to rest with God? What difference does it make?
Reflection:
- In what circumstances do you feel the need to press the snooze button?
- How well balanced is your life between action and reflection?
- How far do you demonstrate what you really care about in your daily living?
Audio reflection:
Prayer
Prayers of Intercession:
God of love,
you call worlds into being; you number the stars and call us all by name.
You created a world of plenty and beauty, of magnificence and diversity.
As spring beckons we pray for faithful climate leadership here and across the world.
We ask for bold and brave decision-making that recognises the crisis we are in –
decision making that challenges our dependence still on fossil fuel.
that works to restore decades of damage from greed and exploitation.
We pray for our own engagement with these issues.
God of all creation, you restore the face of the earth:
stir us up to action to protect our planet.
May our feet tread lightly on the earth
and our actions and priorities bring healing to our battered world.
Renew our strength and bind up our wounds
Help us to hope in you.
God of love,
you restore what is broken and you bring together what has been split apart.
Today we pray for Myanmar in the aftermath of a military coup
where there is now a year-long state of emergency.
We ask for peace in a dangerous and fragile situation,
where streets are once again full of fear.
Although the past is marred by compromised leadership,
we pray for a negotiated political settlement for the country
and for the free and fair votes of the people to be recognised.
Although our leaders may often fail us,
may we trust again that there is a world of possibility
where the mistakes of the past can shape a better future.
Renew our strength and bind up our wounds
Help us to hope in you.
God of love,
you defend the voiceless.
We pray for the many nations where society is marred by vast inequalities
of life chances, opportunities and money,
and where Covid has revealed the vast wealth owned by some
and the struggles of others just to make ends meet.
Today we pray for people whose living conditions mean they are afraid to sleep at night.
Help us to be alert to the pain of others.
May we hear the cries of the powerless
and by our words, choices and actions
may we be agents of healing in the world.
Renew our strength and bind up our wounds
Help us to hope in you.
God of love,
we pray for the renewal of our cities
so that in them people can live, work, play and find space to breathe.
We ask that priorities would work for people rather than speculative investment;
for the common good rather than corporations.
We pray for the social cohesion of our neighbourhoods
and are aware of lost networks of support and care.
We pray for charities struggling because of the pandemic
and as we look to the future,
may we work to build connection rather than separation
and restore the fabric of community.
Renew our strength and bind up our wounds
Help us to hope in you.
God of love,
you heal the broken hearted and you gather in all who are lost.
We give thanks today for the lives of all who have died this week
and we pray for all who are mourning the loss of family members or friends.
We offer to you all who are suffering in mind or body
asking for peace, and for your healing presence in their need.
Send your blessing on all who are afraid or alone or hungry,
on those whose lives are being destroyed by abuse or violence,
and on all for whom home is not a safe place.
Renew our strength and bind up our wounds
Help us to hope in you.
God of love,
your kindness is everlasting.
Surround us with your arms of love;
keep our eyes fixed on you
and make us ready to follow where you lead,
trusting that you will provide for us – today and always.
Amen.
Collect for today:
Almighty God, give us reverence for all creation and respect for every person, that we may mirror your likeness in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The ‘Our Father’
We draw all our prayers together in the words of –
Our Father who art in heaven…
…for ever and ever. Amen.
A sending out prayer
Lord Jesus,
go with us into the world this week.
Help us to remain focused upon you
and to make your priorities our priorities in
all the places you are sending us.
Amen.
Blessing:
Closing Hymn:
