From Margaret Reeson

Loving God,
We come with all our weakness, tiredness and anxiety.
We come with our burdens,
the things that drag us down,
our self-inflicted wounds
and the wounds we have given others.
We take a moment to look into our own hearts
and see our own failures.
Help us to recognise our sins for what they are
and be truly sorry.

Forgive us, Lord.

Loving God, you are welcoming us.
Despite everything, you still love us.
You look at each of us, one by one.
You know our name and all there is to know about us.

Despite everything, you are holding out your arms to us.
Your love is greater than our fear of rejection.
Your power is great enough to heal our wounds,
to forgive our sins, to cure the illness of our spirit, to dry our tears.

Help us to look into your face
and rest in the knowledge that you love us.
Thank you for welcoming us home again.

Amen

from Margaret Reeson

It is the first day of the week again,
The day of resurrection.
We are in awe of what happened on this day
And what happens today.

Like the women,
in our grief and anxiety,
we see angels and they reassure us:
‘Christ is not here in a tomb.
He is alive.’
Thank you, Lord.

Like Mary Magdalene,
blinded by tears,
we meet you in unexpected places
and you call us by name.
Thank you, Lord.

Like the two on the road,
Confused and questioning,
we meet you in our home
and you offer us food and hope.
Thank you, Lord.

Like those behind locked doors,
Afraid and doubt-filled,
You meet us in ways we can’t explain
And show us signs of truth and life.

Thank you, God, for that first day
And for this day.
We come to meet you here.
Amen.

From Pauline Loughhead

https://vimeo.com/418913973

In these uncertain times, we come to you with our prayers for others.

Our world is in turmoil with so many thousands of people sick with the coronavirus. Tens of thousands are dead, and many more are on life support with little hope of recovery. Many people are living in fear and dread at what the future will hold for themselves and their loved ones.

Loving God, we pray for your compassion and love to touch and heal, and to bring reassurance that life will get better in the future. We pray that a vaccine may be developed quickly to stop the spread and bring an end to this deadly sickness.

Across the nations, many are grieving for the loss of their loved ones, many of whom have died from the virus. Many grieve for the loss of work due to businesses closing down as people are in isolation. They grieve for loss of income and security; for loss of visitation with their families, and loss of regular schooling for their children.

Loving God, we pray for your compassion and love to bring comfort to the grieving and hope for a better future when this pandemic comes to an end.

Around our beautiful world, there are thousands of people living in desperate situations, with little shelter, not enough water for drinking, cleansing, or sanitation. They are living in packed quarters with no hope of social distance between them. Their homelands are now places of violence and danger and where is no longer a home for them.

Loving God, we pray for your compassion and love to bring hope and assurance of a future with secure housing and safety for them and their children. We pray that there may be answers found and action taken to relieve these dreadful conditions, to make their lives more bearable. In many homes, tensions are high with children being schooled at home, with parents supervising while they themselves are trying to work
from home. Loving God, we pray for your compassion and love to bring patience and understanding to both children and parents as they work together through these times of separation.

In our nursing homes, we hear of elderly residents falling ill with the virus and some have passed away. We pray that all precautions may be taken to stop the spread of the virus in these homes, so that residents may have assurance they will live out their lives in safety and serenity.

We pray for the sick, for those at the end of life; for those who have cancer or undergoing treatment for cancer. We pray for those who are lonely and for those missing family visits at this time.

We pray for those who are living with abusive partners and for abused children. Loving God, bring your love and compassion to each of these, that they may find help, strength and relief when the needs are greatest.

As we go through these uncertain times of stress and sometimes confusion Lord, help us draw together, to support one another with video chats, phone calls, and text messages, even a visit at the end of the driveway, so we won’t feel lonely or abandoned, so we know we are part of a vibrant and loving Christian family.

Loving God, in your love and compassion, hear our prayers.

Amen

Action: Write the names of those who are on your heart today, and hold them before God.