Sunday 13th Prayer

The following prayer was written  for worship in the light of Mark 10: 17-31


Let us pray


God 

Father Son and Holy Spirit 

one in perfect community

we thank you 

for drawing us into your community of love.

Not that it is an easy place to be.


But we do thank you God,

that you have this amazing knack

of drawing our attention 

to what we need to do 

if we claim to follow you.

You make it both personal 

and community based.

This makes us uncomfortable at times,

for we recognise 

we are not as generous as we could be

with our wealth,

our care,

our forgiving.


So we pray 

keep prompting us to walk

in your ways,

and gift to us your Holy Spirit

that we might be enabled

to do so.


Lord in your mercy

hear our prayer


We pray today for all those

devastated by the hurricane in the US

whose lives and livelihood 

have been turned upside down.

May the richest nation on earth

use its resources to rebuild

homes and lives,

while recognising that

as a community they can do this.


Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer


We pray today 

for a change of heart

by the Israelie Government,

whose destructive power

is over flowing beyond Gaza

the West bank 

and into Lebanon.


Whose actions 

have killed

Palestinian 

both Christian and Muslim,

whose continued actions 

take the land

of Palestinian,

Christians and Muslims.


We pray that 

leaders on all sides

temper their language,

stop using your name

to justify their actions,

and that people 

finally live alongside each other

in peace underneath 

the shadow of their olive trees.


Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer


We pray

for our community here at St Hughs,

that as we explore 

how we use our buildings to serve,

and await the outcome 

of the search for a new priest


that we might become

willing to be reshaped by you


to be truly Christ like,


passionate supporters

rather than passive supporters


who are risk takers


and that our church community

becomes a cell of radical discipleship

a signpost to heaven


and if need be

despite us

let your Kingdom Come

Amen.


(c) Mark Goodhand 13th October 2024


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