“It is a tremendous grace, then, and a great privilege when a person living in the world we have to live in suddenly loses his interest in the things that absorb that world, and discovers in his own soul an appetite for poverty and solitude. And the most precious of all the gifts of nature or grace is the desire to be hidden and to vanish from the sight of men and be accounted as nothing by the world and to disappear from one’s own self-conscious consideration and vanish into nothingness in the immense poverty that is the adoration of God. This absolute emptiness, this poverty, this obscurity holds within it the secret of all joy because it is full of God.”
Christians across the country – and further afield – will join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 15 Christian churches and organisations across the country, including the Church of Scotland, have co-signed the letter calling for prayer.
Scottish Christians have been continuing to answer the call to pray at the same time each week, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Lord Wallace, is taking part alongside them.
“We should always be mindful for the wisdom handed down to us from past generations; much of it learned the hard way, from mistakes made and consequences suffered,” Lord Wallace said.
“So, too, we are grateful for the richness that comes to us from living alongside people of other traditions. In our day and generation we must surely allow our minds and hearts to be open so that we can risk getting to know them and learning from them.
“In this pandemic, our responsibility is to come together and offer our prayers for all the many diverse expressions of our Christian faith that enrich life, as we have done for many months now.
“As the statistics appear to move in a hopeful direction, let us not forget that behind each death there will be grieving family and friends; behind each hospitalisation there will be a suffering patient, an anxious family and a caring and skilled medical team.
“And behind each vaccination, let us recognise, with thanks, the skill of the scientists’ research and those who make distribution and vaccination possible. Let us remember, too, those in countries who still wait anxiously for vaccines to arrive. May our leaders respond imaginatively and generously to that challenge.
“A pattern has been set for us, lived out in Jesus Christ, made possible by the Spirit. May we follow in His way, and be guided by the one over-riding rule of love in all that we say and do.”
“‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’
“The words of the Gospel resonate in the hearts of all who have searched for spiritual sustenance in a dry land. They are words spoken to those who searched for Jesus and could not, at first, find Him. They are words spoken to those who are ‘looking for Jesus’. On finding Him, Jesus speaks to them of the ‘bread from heaven’ and in turn they ask: ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ In response, Jesus says: ‘I am the bread of life.’ (John 6: 24-35)
“It is to those who continue to seek the presence of Jesus in a dry land that He offers Himself as the ‘bread from heaven’. We stand with those who sing:
‘Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven, Feed me till my want is o’er.'”
We pray:
Gracious Father, Who gives to us bread from heaven, Hear us when we hunger And cry out to the One who is the bread of life. Renew us by Your gift and restore us by Your presence. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, Who gives to us bread from heaven, Hear the cry of all who hunger this day And who long for the gifts that renew and restore life. Renew our concern for Your Creation and for all who inhabit the earth. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, Who gives to us bread from heaven, Hear us when we thirst And long for living water. May all who thirst drink deep from the rivers of living water. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, Who gives to us bread from heaven, Hear the cries of those who long for clean water And who live in parched lands. May all who thirst find living water for daily life. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, Who gives to us bread from heaven, Hear our cry to the One Who is the bread of life: Give us this bread always. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Tonight, Christians across the country – and further afield – will join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 15 Christian churches and organisations across the country, including the Church of Scotland, have co-signed the letter calling for prayer.
Scottish Christians have been continuing to answer the call to pray at the same time each week, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Lord Wallace, is taking part alongside them.
“We should always be mindful for the wisdom handed down to us from past generations; much of it learned the hard way, from mistakes made and consequences suffered,” Lord Wallace said.
“So, too, we are grateful for the richness that comes to us from living alongside people of other traditions. In our day and generation we must surely allow our minds and hearts to be open so that we can risk getting to know them and learning from them.
“In this pandemic, our responsibility is to come together and offer our prayers for all the many diverse expressions of our Christian faith that enrich life, as we have done for many months now.
“As we move into a new phase with many restrictions being eased, we call to mind those for whom the restrictions of recent times have been profound and life-changing. We pray that those who are anxious and nervous about change will find reassurance. And in exercising our own personal choices, let us be mindful of the needs and concerns of our neighbours.
“A pattern has been set for us, lived out in Jesus Christ, made possible by the Spirit. May we follow in His way, and be guided by the one over-riding rule of love in all that we say and do.
“The Psalmist says of the Lord: ‘You open Your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.’ The imagery embodied in the words of the Psalmist speaks of a God whose will is to sustain and nurture all creation. The God who so wills is a God whose ‘kingdom is an everlasting kingdom’ and one that endures throughout all time. (Psalm 145: 10-18)
“As our eyes turn to God, we see that intention expressed in the good gifts that we receive in the course of our lives. Equally, we are conscious that the gifts we receive are not thereafter to be kept and retained by our closing our hands and keeping the gifts to ourselves. The goodness of God is a gift to be shared with others.
“Within the community of which we are a part, we are called to reflect the One in whose image we are made and whose hand is open towards us.”
We pray:
Living God, You open your hand towards us And offer to us good gifts. We accept your gifts with gratitude And respond with thanks and praise. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, You open your hand towards us And offer to us the gift of life. We acknowledge that we made in your image And recognise your image in the life of each person upon the earth. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, You open your hand towards us And offer life to the world. We receive your offer As a sign of your faithfulness towards us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, You open your hand towards us And offer your gifts to all. We resolve to share the gifts we have received And not to close our hand towards others. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, You open your hand towards us And offer to us signs of your kingdom. We pledge to bear witness to your enduring kingdom And to your abundant grace. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
This evening (18 July), ahead of restrictions easing across Scotland next week, Christians across the country – and further afield – will join together in prayer and reflection at 7pm in response to the pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 15 Christian churches and organisations across the country, including the Church of Scotland, have co-signed the letter calling for prayer.
Scottish Christians have been continuing to answer the call to pray at the same time each week, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Lord Wallace, is taking part alongside them.
“We should always be mindful for the wisdom handed down to us from past generations; much of it learned the hard way, from mistakes made and consequences suffered,” Lord Wallace said.
“So, too, we are grateful for the richness that comes to us from living alongside people of other traditions. In our day and generation we must surely allow our minds and hearts to be open so that we can risk getting to know them and learning from them.
“In this pandemic, our responsibility is to come together and offer our prayers for all the many diverse expressions of our Christian faith that enrich life, as we have done for many months now.
“As we move into a new phase with many restrictions being eased, we call to mind those for whom the restrictions of recent times have been profound and life-changing. We pray that those who are anxious and nervous about change will find reassurance. And in exercising our own personal choices, let us be mindful of the needs and concerns of our neighbours.
“A pattern has been set for us, lived out in Jesus Christ, made possible by the Spirit. May we follow in His way, and be guided by the one over-riding rule of love in all that we say and do.
“Where do we find ourselves today? Does the light of the day still shine and does the way ahead seem clear and certain? Or, does darkness fall and the way ahead seem uncertain and hidden in the shadows? In whatever situation we find ourselves, the Psalms speak to us and the Psalms speak for us. They speak to us, and for us, in every situation of life.
“Perhaps there is nowhere that this is more evident than in the 23rd Psalm. The resonance of the ancient, yet immediately present, words of the Psalmist can be sensed; such that even now we can hear those words speaking into the depths of who we are: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd… Even though I walk through the darkest valley… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.’ (Psalm 23)
“To read and to hear the words evokes a response in the very depths of our being. We are addressed by God and the Psalm offers to us words of response: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley… I fear no evil.’ ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me… and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord.’ Wherever we find ourselves today, the Lord speaks to us and graciously offers us words of response.”
We pray:
Gracious Lord And faithful Shepherd, Lead us to the place of Your presence And speak to us Your word that brings life. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord And faithful Shepherd, Lead us to the place of still waters And restore our troubled souls. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord And faithful Shepherd, Lead us on the paths of righteousness And deliver us from evil. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord And faithful Shepherd, Lead us through the valley of shadows And bring us to the place of safety. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord And faithful Shepherd, Lead us to the place where the table is renewed And the cup overflows for all. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord And faithful Shepherd, Lead us to the place where goodness and mercy abide And to the house of the Lord forever. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
BELLSHILL: CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 