Abstract
7th May
Lord God, good shepherd of your people, you lead us in green pastures and beside still waters. Grant that we may always be grateful for your many mercies, keep us from ungracious complaining. Convert our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness for your Name’s sake. Amen.
Lord Jesus, you are the good shepherd who lays down his life for his flock. You long for your other sheep, the ones who are not yet in your sheepfold, to hear your voice and to be led home to you, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. Lord, help us to play our part in bringing others to you. Guide us and strengthen us, put the right words on our lips and the right attitudes and actions in our lives, so that those who meet us may be brought to you and not turned away from you.
We make our prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
We pray for your Church throughout the world. We ask that we may be led to unity, so that there will be one flock, just as we all follow the one Good Shepherd. We pray for the bishops and clergy, and all those who lead and serve your people. On Vocations Sunday, we pray that those whom you are calling to be pastors and ministers of your people may hear and respond to your call, and faithfully serve your Church. May they be true shepherds, seeing their calling as that of Christ, sharing life abundantly and devoting their whole lives to the good of their flock.
We pray that those who are passing through the valley of the shadow of death may see in you the gate to eternal life, and fear no evil. We ask your blessing those who sit with the dying, especially with those who tonight are watching someone they love very much pass through their last hours on earth. We pray for those who are grieving, especially for parents whose children have died. And we pray for those who have died, especially those we have known and loved, and those who have recently died. And we remember before you those whose year’s mind is around this time.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Sunday 14th May
A prayer of Erasmus:
“O Lord Jesus Christ, who art the Way, the Truth, and the Life; We pray thee, suffer us not to stray from thee, who art the Way, nor to distrust thee, who art the Truth, nor to rest in any other thing than thee, who art the Life. Teach us, by thy Holy Spirit, what to believe, what to do, and wherein to take our rest.” Amen.
Sunday 21st May
Jesus promised his disciples that he would not leave them orphaned, but would come and be with them. Stir up in us, Lord God, our love for you, help us to express that love by keeping your commandments, reveal yourself to us and keep us aware that Jesus is always with us because he loves us. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.
Today is Rogation Sunday.
Lord God our creator, we ask you to bless our fields, our allotments and our gardens, and all those who work in them, both here and in the other lands of your world.
Send rain and sun in due season, so that the harvest may be safely gathered in and stored to feed us all.
Teach us to share the food that we have with those who do not have enough, so that no-one may go hungry.
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.
Lord, we pray for peace in your world, especially remembering before you the Holy Land, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, and all places where there is no peace.
And we pray for the people in your world who cannot live ordinary lives because of wars or tyrannical governments, or other factors over which they have no control. Especially we remember before you the elderly, the sick, the mothers and the children. And we pray for all people everywhere who are hungry, thirsty or afraid. Lord, hear us…
We ask your blessing on the work of Save the Children, and on the doctors, nurses and other helpers who dedicate their lives to transforming the lives of children in many places in the world. But above all we pray for children who are hungry, thirsty or ill, simply because they were born in the wrong place. Lord, hear us…
We pray for this congregation and for everyone that lives and works here.
We thank you for each other, Lord.
Give us courage, strength and good humour, as we try to serve one another and you.
Bless those who run our Family Services and Sunday Schools in the three parishes, and all the children they teach.
We pray for our parish priest, and ask your blessing on their work, and on the work of all of us in our different vocations and ministries among your people. Lord, hear us…
We pray for all who are sick and for those who care for them. Especially we remember before you …. We ask your blessing upon them and upon those who love them and who are concerned about them. Lord, hear us…
We pray for those who mourn, that they may be comforted. Especially we call to mind any known to us who are grieving for someone they love….
For widows and widowers, grieving for a dearly loved spouse, for parents whose children have died, and for children who have lost one or both parents through death, divorce, or other circumstances over which the children have no control.
We ask you to give them your peace, and the Easter hope that death is not the end.
Lord, hear us…. Lord, graciously hear us.
Easter 7A Sunday 28th May (Ascension Sunday)
The Lord Jesus, before he was taken from their sight, promised his apostles that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and that they would then be his witnesses all over the earth.
Father, we ask you to send your Holy Spirit on us, so that we too may receive the power to be your faithful witnesses wherever life may lead us.
And grant that we too, like the Apostles, Mary, and Jesus’s other friends, may constantly devote ourselves to prayer.
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.
On the night before he died,
Jesus prayed that all his followers might be one,
just as he is one with you, Father.
We pray for your Church throughout the world,
asking that we may be led to unity.
We pray for Pope Francis, for our bishops and archbishops,
for the leaders of all Christian traditions, and for all your faithful people,
asking that the old denominational barriers may melt away
as we pray together and work together to serve you and our neighbours.
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.