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PRAYER AFTER BREXIT
God of every nation and people,
At this historic moment we pray for all who are affected by the decision that has been made.
Whatever differences this has revealed within our own society, may they not eclipse what we have in common.
Where the narratives of political debate have caused harm and division, help us reclaim the true values of our shared humanity.
Where exaggeration and distortion have generated suspicion and fear, may truth and honesty restore hope and goodness.
We pray for all the nations of Europe, that you will help us to find ways of living and working together, to pursue the mercy and justice that you require.
We recommit ourselves - together - to the values of your eternal Kingdom and pray that along with all people we might help your world become more as you intended.
Phil Jump - Regional Baptist Minister
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PRAYER FOR PARIS
Compassionate God and Father of all,
we are horrified at violence,
in so many parts of the world.
it seems that none are safe,
and some are terrified.
Hold back the hands that kill and maim;
turn around the hearts that hate.
Grant instead you strong Spirit of Peace -
peace that passes our understanding
but changes lives,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
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CROSS PURPOSES
Our Chaplain to Church Street in Liverpool, Chris Shelley, has written about how the small wooden crosses he has given out to the people he has met, have offered them comfort and support. Each incidence is often tied to a particularly difficult or trying time in their lives and by documenting each occasion Chris has managed to capture much of the essence of Chaplaincy itself; supporting, listening and opening your heart to people.
CROSS PURPOSES
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LAMENTATIONS 1:12
Is it nothing to you all who pass by?
This haunting question has echoed down through two and a half millennia and still challenges us today.
Consider:
- 44 million abortions per year carried out globally;
- The diseases of HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and preventable childhood diseases
- A world afflicted by poverty and hunger, compounded by greed, indifference and power seeking in the developed world.
- A world of mothers grieving over the death of children and husbands in horrendous terrorist activities across the world.
- A world of insane and endemic tribal and ethnic slaughter
- A world of accelerating creational damage and climate change that threatens the poorest and the weakest most
- A world in which 2014 was deemed by several agencies to be the worst ever for children – abused, abducted, mutilated, enslaved, driven by war and hunger from their homes
- A world in which divorce is common, single parenthood accepted as part of the norm
- Homelessness and displacement on a biblical scale
Lamentations not only gives us the language for lament in such a world.
Surely it demands that we also use it. For lament appeals beyond the world and its tragic fallness to the One about whom even Lamentations can say:
‘You, O Lord, reign forever, Your throne endures from generation to generation’
Lamentations 3: 21 Therefore we have hope. We may have sung ‘Great is Thy faithfulness’ without any awareness of the surrounding darkness and desolation of the Lamentations text from which it is drawn. But knowing that context is no reason not to keep on singing it!
There is hope there because the book is saturated with prayer. Even when it is angry, pain-soaked, protesting, grieving, questioning prayer, it is still prayer. And it is prayer addressed to the Lord God whose faithfulness, love and compassion are eternal, and whose anger, though real and terrible will not last forever.
Adapted, Chris Wright, Reflections, Future First, No.40 August 2015
Restless God,
We pray for everyone who is unsettled:
For gypsies by blood or persuasion,
for those who have no home,
for people who cannot rest,
Hear our prayer
Restless God, we pray for everyone who is unsettling
for the troubled, for those who are not at home in their own heads,
for people who cannot rest,
Hear our prayer
Restless God, we pray for everyone who is unsettled:
for the migrants,
for those who have been trafficked for their bodies,
for people who cannot rest,
Hear our prayer.
Restless God, we pray for everyone who is unsettling:
for asylum seekers,
for those who fear the knock of dawn raids,
for people who cannot rest,
Hear our prayer
Restless God, we pray for everyone who is unsettled:
for people with disability.
for those whose pain causes long, sleepless nights,
for people who cannot rest,
Hear our prayer
Whenever it is tough,
We will continue.
Whenever hearts are broken,
we will warm.
Whenever thoughts are rigid,
we will challenge.
Whenever discouraged,
we will pray.
Whoever goes with us,
we will embolden,
Whoever desserts us,
we will bless
Whoever is friendly,
we will embrace kindly,
Whatever it costs us,
we will pay.
Wherever God sends us,
we will go gladly.
Wherever God finds us,
we will keep heart.
Wherever God guides us,
we will walk gently.
Wherever God takes us,
we will stay. Amen
Barbara Glasson, Positive Prayers for cities, Kevin Mayhew, 2015
Quiet Space
'Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase' ~ Martin Luther Kind, Jr.
'A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for' ~ John A Shedd
'None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith' ~ Paulo Coelho
Quiet Space - July - read more.... (click to download)
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The simple things in life ground me and keep me focused so I'm able to do a good job with what is in front of me -Kevin Eubanks
Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count-Stella McCartney
Only those who have patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily-James J. Corbett
Quiet Space - May - read more... (click to download)
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Words for Reflection
Psalm 139: 13-14
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mothers womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
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A prayer
Dear Lord; Bless my hands as I knit today. May each twist of the yarn guide me to create a pattern of love and comfort in my work and remind me of Your ultimate protection. Wrap me in Your spirit so that I will be more caring towards those in need.
Diane Burgess www.shawlministry.com
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A blessing
Bless to us, O God - this day fresh made. In the chorus of birds - bless us. In the scent of blossom - bless us. In the wet grass and the spring flowers - bless us. Bless us and heal us, for we come to You in love and in trust. We come to You in expectant hope.
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Cancer, Chemo, Cards and Choir
First comes the Cancer word, now that's quite a shock Legs that are trembling, hearts that almost stop. That Word to be uttered to both family and friends, watching them reel, seeing them swaying, seeing them rock. Then along comes the chemo, with its own type of roll. Life starts to change, many days taking its toll and let's not mention the hair at all. So thankful for all the cards that come first class, hearing them fall. While some people draw near, others just pass on by, promising to speak about your cancer on a better speak easy day. Sad, there goes the chance of a loving hug, maybe the chance to say 'please will you pray'. Yet so many people are a blessing day after day.
Our journeys are all different, each our own way we have to trust, as our personal sat navs we align and adjust. To live, love and laugh on our sunshine days becomes a must. Drawing strength from our faith, something deep within, in God, doctors, nurses, health service and so many people we trust. Going to E.V.O.C. is becoming a fantastic must. Then along comes Bernie, THE VOICE, full of fun and laughter, she gives us a choice. Join in this choir, anyone can sing, give her ten weeks, let's see what we can bring. We practice; we slaughter some of the songs that we sing But oh the laughter, joy and encouragement she brings. The ten weeks have flown and passed by. We are amazed you all stayed till the very last But thank you for coming, we all had a BLAST! The memories of tonight in our hearts forever will last.
Marjorie Conroy April 2012
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A Prayer for Joy and Justice in Shopping
Heavenly Father, whose voice calls out in the streets: We give thanks for the life of the Marketplace
Where our daily needs are met and we discover unexpected gifts and treasures: We give thanks for the life of the Marketplace
Where we learn the value of exchange, and desire and opportunity meet: We give thanks for the life of the Marketplace
Where we spend what we have worked to earn and rejoice in what others have made: We give thanks for the life of the Marketplace
For the provision of necessity and the luxury of choice: We give thanks for the life of the Marketplace
In our dealings, our chat and our gossip, in the rich exchange of goods and humanity: We give thanks for the life of the Marketplace
For all the times when our desire for a bargain is at the cost of exploiting others: Heavenly Father, give justice in the Market place
For all the times when we grumble at exhausted shop workers on low wages: Heavenly Father, give justice in the Market place
For all the times when our desire for profit cuts corners: Heavenly Father, give justice in the Market place
For all the times when our spending is an empty substitute for what we really desire: Heavenly Father, give justice in the Market place
Heavenly Father, May the common ground of the Marketplace be the sacred ground of just dealings, honest value and joy in our shared humanity. Amen
Jan Berry Bare feet and Buttercups (Wild Goose Publications)
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It is worth reminding ourselves that people are the ultimate glory of God's creation, for they alone are made in God's image. Thus, cities are a concentration of images of God, a crowd is a different kind of opportunity for closeness to God. Seeing God in the people we meet - the people we know and the people we don't - can have a dramatic effect on our spirituality. Suddenly the city becomes a place where God is at work, not a place from which he is assumed to be excluded.
Revd Stephen Rand Prayer and Spirituality Journal ( BRF)
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Turangawae - a Maori word:
'Turanga' literally means 'standing place' and 'waewae' 'the feet', thus it is commonly translated as 'a place to stand'. It is a translation, however, and like most translations across languages that fails to capture its full meaning. Not only is turangawewe an acknowledgement of the place one is connected to through 'whakapapa', a word which implies a deep connection to land and the roots of one's ancestry, our foundation, place in the world, or home; it also signifies a place where one feels empowered or connected.
A good description for Chaplaincy?
As we journey through life, we come to realise how important it is to be comfortable with ourselves-who we are, what we believe, how we want to live our lives. From that position, it is much easier to reach out to others, of different beliefs, with different ideas without either feeling the need to follow them, or without expecting them to follow us.
We are still a work in progress though!
Liz Shields MitE Chaplain Clayton Square
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Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else. Judy Garland
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It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. E.E. Cummings
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If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise. Johann von Goerthe
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Lord, was it of your goodwill that we were fashioned in our differences, Man in his strength and woman in her tenderness, Woman in her strength and man in his tenderness, To make abundant life together on the face of the earth?
Blessed be your glorious name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with your glory.
Lord, you have made life so various. River and rock and fertile earth, Profusion of birds among the branches and wings against the sky, Beasts wild and tame; Was it of your design that none before was like each of us, And none shall be afterwards the same So that we each have a particular beauty And each a particular place in your work?
Blessed be your glorious name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with your glory.
'The Crown of your Creation' Ian M Fraser Bare Feet & Buttercups Wild Goose Publications