Abstract
Note: In the first three prayers I have chosen verses which each appear on two adjacent Sundays, in the hope that this will allow more flexibility in their use. In the fourth prayer I have focused on part of a verse from the Epistle reading for the 30th August, 2015.
2nd August - 10th Sunday after Pentecost / 9th August – 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ (John 6:35)
Eternal and ever living God, you create, you feed, you quench thirsts and that gives us life.
In the light of your goodness and greatness we bow down to worship you in awe.
In the beginning, out of your love, you created all that we know and all that we do not yet know.
You created elements, and bound them together.
The earth and its constituent parts came to be,
so water falls from the sky and flows from the mountains to the seas.
As it courses by, we take it and drink deeply.
Thanks be to you, O God.
Grain grows and by human hands is harvested, mixed, baked and transformed into bread.
It takes away our hunger and satisfies us.
Thanks be to you, O God.
Even so, we acknowledge we live in a world of inequality where lips are parched, where stomachs are empty, where hunger and thirst are daily realities for too many.
For our dilatoriness in allowing this to continue,
forgive us we pray.
(Silence)
When we repent, you always forgive.
May your forgiveness act as an impetus for our action.
May we respond, even if through enabling the expertise of others, to work for a day when all thirst and hunger is gone from your good Earth.
Hear our prayer, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
9th August – 11th Sunday after Pentecost / 16th August - 12th Sunday after Pentecost
‘I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever. The bread which I shall give is my own flesh, given for the life of the world.’ (John 6:51)
God, you are great.
When the time was right, you chose to come beside us in flesh and blood.
You lived, taught, served and healed amongst us.
Your goodness and generosity astounds us.
We can do nothing other than offer you our praise and thanks.
You are living bread, a nourishing presence that holds out hope for this day and for every day.
We can do nothing other than offer you our praise and thanks.
Your journey on earth was not easy.
It led to betrayal and crucifixion.
It led also to resurrection and new life.
You sacrificed your flesh for the life of the world.
We can do nothing other than offer you our praise and thanks.
Where we forget your painful offering on the cross, and what that means for us, forgive us…
Jesus Christ you are living bread.
May our remembrance of that give us confidence and courage to serve you faithfully and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, work to improve the life of the world.
16th August - 12th Sunday after Pentecost / 23rd August – 13th Sunday after Pentecost
‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.’ (John 6:56)
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God in community,
we gather to worship you today aware of our individuality and the freedom you give to each of us.
We gather also to worship you as part of a church family,
sitting beside people we may know well and people we may not know.
We gather with fellow pilgrims who share a common purpose,
to offer you, the creator of all things,
the creator of each of us - of each hair on each head, each sinew of each body,
our praise and adoration.
Accept our worship, we pray.
Where, through arrogance, we believe we are strong, capable and independent and neglect to appreciate our dependence on others and particularly on you,
forgive us.
Where, through power, pride or ambition, we place our individual wellbeing above the wellbeing of other individuals or communities,
forgive us.
Where, through an imbalance in our priorities, we have skipped worship and neglected to rejoice in the gifts of Word and Sacraments that you provide for us,
forgive us.
Indeed, in a silence, we take time to confess our sins.
(silence)
Repeatedly, again and again, God listens to our prayers, astounds us with deep love and forgiveness and allows us to start afresh.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God in community,
nourish us so that your hopes and desires for the life of the world dwell in us, infuse us, and so become our hopes and desires.
Help us as humble pilgrims to serve you faithfully.
30th August - 14th Sunday after Pentecost
‘But everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.’ (James 1:19b)
Sometimes we are too slow to listen –
we are out walking and we seem oblivious to the natural world around us, or if not oblivious, then certainly not attuned to it –
we don’t focus on the gurgling river, the gentle birdsong, the persistent heavy rap of raindrops ringing.
We miss so much when we are slow to listen, forgive us.
We are aware that someone close to us is talking, and it seems significant, but our mind wanders, not intentionally, but it drifts away, and we might nod our head and continue to look at them, but in truth we do not really give them our attention.
We miss so much when we are slow to listen, forgive us.
Sometimes we are too quick to speak –
We must make our important point, now, quickly, now –
and we do.
There may be consequences.
The quiet voice is drowned out.
The hesitant voice that has something crucial but difficult to say does not find space.
We can do damage when we speak too quickly, forgive us.
Sometimes we are too quick to be angry –
The child who makes a noise and disturbs our peacefulness, or never bothers to tidy their bedroom.
The elderly person who is not moving quickly enough for us and slows us down.
The friends who, even after we have explained our point of view clearly and passionately, still vigorously disagree with us.
We can become angry too quickly for a whole number of reasons,
it may take different forms but it can also quickly hurt others, forgive us.
Gracious God,
we are grateful that you are quick to listen and forgive
and slow to be angry with us.
Thank you.
Help us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to be angry so that as we go about daily life we may reflect these valuable traits in our living.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray,