Approach to God
Gather us into Your presence, God of peace.
We trust that Your vision for the world –
the great creation of Your imagination,
entrusted to us as a place for our flourishing –
is still there behind all the challenges of our lives.
We come today remembering that even in the darkest of days,
Your flame of hope and new life flickers
drawing us on to find the good
and to illuminate the world with Your Gospel of love.
Help us to find You in the smallest of things
and the most ordinary of our experiences.
For You are the great source of our being
and the power that sustains us through Your Holy Spirit.
When we search hard for You,
we may miss Your presence in the everyday –
so, help us to look out for You –
in the face of friend and stranger,
in the wonder and beauty of our world,
in the complexity of design
in the creativity of artist and scientist.
Collect
Lord of the ages,
our hope in times of trouble,
and our consolation in grief;
bring us a spirit of renewal,
so that Your people may honour those who have given their lives
in service to their country in conflict.
May their service kindle in us the desire for peace and unity,
which is Your hope for all people.
This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen
Remembrance Day Prayer
Eternal God
You forget nothing.
All the days and events which have been lived
were done so under Your ever-loving and all-seeing eye.
You have journeyed with us and with our forebears,
and so while we must take the time to consciously remember,
You do so without forgetting a moment that has been.
We give thanks this day for Your faithfulness to Your people in every land and age,
for Your presence with them in the dark days that they have faced,
and we come to praise You that no matter what challenge lies before us,
You have promised to be with us.
We acknowledge now that we have not walked the paths that lead to peace.
We have hated our neighbours;
we have kept hold of the prejudices and assumptions
that belittle others and foment division.
In our thoughts, words and actions,
we have been selfish and unfeeling to the needs of others.
When we have seen injustice in action, we have been silent.
Rather than being peacemakers, we have erred against one another
and against You.
Help us O Lord, to be the people You have called us to be.
Forgive us for our sin which we confess before You,
trusting in Your mercy and compassion.
Eternal God
Your mercy renews and refreshes us.
We give You thanks and praise that we are a new people, entrusted to bring Your peace
– a peace that passes all understanding – to those we encounter.
Bless us as we carry out this holy purpose and task.
Send Your Holy Spirit to be upon us,
as together we pray the prayer Jesus taught us,
saying: Our Father…
Prayers for others
God of peace
We come this day in solemn remembrance and prayerful witness
to the courage, self-sacrifice and devotion to duty of those who have given of themselves in service to others.
We remember those who lost their lives and the grieving families and friends they left behind.
We remember also those who came home but who lost something of themselves on fields of battle.
Those who lost limb, or reason, or sense of self.
We pray that Your comfort will be known by all who have seen the realities and dangers of war.
Ease the pain of those who grieve,
being renewal to those whose health in body or mind has been diminished.
We seek Your blessing upon members of our Armed Forces and upon their families.
Grant to them safety in the fulfilment of their duties,
defend them as they face dangers of many kinds,
and grant to them wisdom and courage as they work for peace and justice in our lifetimes.
We remember those who faced and continue to face significant challenge at home.
For families torn apart by war,
for those forced to leave the familiar and seek safety and refuge elsewhere.
For those whose homes have been destroyed,
or who cannot return due to dangers caused by conflict.
We pray for lands where neighbours have become enemies,
where brothers have picked up weapons against one another
and we seek Your reconciliation and peace.
We give thanks for the times and places where we can see seeds of peace growing.
We pray for those who have never known war,
and we plead that this will long continue.
Grant a love of peace to our Young people,
that they will make choices that lead to harmony.
We pray for our King, Charles,
and for all of his ministers in Westminster and Holyrood.
Grant to them wisdom in the fulfilment of their duties,
that they will seek to make our world a place of safety and of prosperity for all.
We pray particularly for our Member of Parliament,
and for our Member of the Scottish Parliament.
Grant that Your Church will speak out with passion for the sake of those who are voiceless. Save us from silence or complacency
and inspire us by Your Holy Spirit to prepare the way of the Lord today,
and always.
In this time of silence,
we bring to You those things that weigh heavily upon our hearts,
trusting in the mercy and intercession of Your Holy Spirit.
Silence
We pray these things in the name of Christ, Amen
May the God of love fill your heart with peace
and send you into the world to live it.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,
be with you and those you love,
this day and always.
Amen
Bellshill Central Church 