Intercession Prayers, at Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Barton-upon-Humber, Parish Communion, 12 August 2007 09:30, as written by or adapted by Adrian Worsfold set into a structure provided by The Archbishops' Council 2000, 'Order One: The Liturgy of the Word: Prayers of Intercession', Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, Church House Publishing, 174.
[After the Creed]
Let us pray:
[Introduction]
God the Father in all things - we open our minds to the reality around us, searching for ways to understand all the pain and suffering in our world; God in Jesus calling us to be fully human, we walk alongside with you, to relate to our brothers and sisters, empathising and sympathising, searching for ways we can break the bonds of suffering in our world; God the Spirit in and around us, prompting and motivating the hope that can deliver change, under you we open our hearts for prayer and to act to shape a common humanity of mutual service to our world.
[Adapted after John Hetherington, 'Prayer of Intercession - Kendal URC - 070429.doc 26.5 KB', reproduced on Progressive Christianity Network Britain website, URL: http://www.pcnbritain.org.uk/index.php?section=resources&sub=liturgy]
[Church]
We pray for people of faith around the world and their leaders, and that they may live and practice their faiths without oppression.
We pray especially for Christians and their leaders that they too may practice their faith without oppression.
At this time when we give thanks for the positive opportunities ahead as the Rt Revd Azad Marshall begins his service as the new Anglican Bishop in Iran we also think of those people of different faiths in Iran still undergoing restriction and oppression in that land as they have endured over decades, particularly Jews and Bahais.
O God we pray for positive Christian-Muslim relationships around the world, and for those learning relationships between Christians and the varieties of faiths as expressed in those small interfaith meetings that come together up and down this country.
We pray for our own worldwide Anglican Churches, and all those who minister within them, and include in our prayers the people of faith in this town, including those all who attend at St Augustine Webster, Trinity Church, the Citadel, and here at St Mary's. We ask for your blessings upon these congregations.
In making these prayers, O God, we recognise our own faults; our own sources of tribalisms and hatred, and we ask your holy assistance in overcoming these traps to instead find a Christlike vision of a common humanity.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
[World]
We pray for the world.
In this world of insecurity we see how people so easily resort to their ethnic groups: their tribal identities. We ask our God that human can reach out to human whoever they may be, and that people can seek resolution over disputes about land and power. We direct our prayers to those places that need reconciliation between rival groups and their claims, where there are states of war and conditions of intense suffering... and once again pray for progress over the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the fighting between groups in Iraq and the continuing insurrection in Afghanistan. We thank God that the All Africa Conference of Churches, a fellowship of 169 member Churches and Christian Councils in 39 African countries, has issued a strong call for a unified commitment to peace with justice in Darfur. We commend to God the words of David Selvaraj, a worker for the Church of South India returning from Afghanistan, who has said that the people of Afghanistan are "looking for a healing touch."
We consider the condition of the earth. Some people may have asked "Why, God?" over the flooding that affected this our country in recent months: but now we pray for the wholly desperate condition of about 28 million people seriously affected by floods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
In making these prayers we recognise the ways we have wronged one another, participating in the economics of greed, inequality and indifference and harming the world through our own pollution and waste. O God we resolve with your holy assistance to relate better and act in greater harmony with one another and our environment.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
[People]
A hundred days after the loss of Madeleine McCann we remember her and her family in our prayers and for those affected every time a child slips from their parents' grasp and is lost.
We give thanks for the combined work of scientists, particularly in producing the science that combines the highly imaginative, powerfully mathematical and impressively experimental quantum world that shows how dynamic and mysterious is this creation at microscopic level, and yet how it gives, in our large scale human experience, a stability in which we can live, grow and have our being.
We pray for those who lead largely unheard of and seemingly unremarkable lives, and for the many who undergo stress due to lack of work or conflicts at work, and must deal with family disputes, and endure difficulties with neighbours. Let us hope that they can all find peace with one another. We consider too the local communities, and in particular those who seek no reward but continue to serve their neighbour, including those less fortunate than themselves, as Jesus taught.
In making these prayers we consider negatively when we could have contributed more but passed by on the other side, and positively recognise our own contributions that have helped our neighbour, perhaps without even knowing this - and for such situations we give thanks.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
[The Sick]
Loving Lord Jesus Christ, during your earthly ministry you healed the sick: now we ask for your goodness and grace on those who are ill at this time. And we name especially: [Names]
God give wisdom and insight to those who care and minister for them as they seek to be restored to health; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[Adapted from Church Society, 'Prayers and Thanksgiving: The Sick', An English Prayer Book, URL: http://www.churchsociety.org/publications/
EnglishPrayerBook/EPB_Prayers.htm#Sick]
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
[The Dead]
Loving Lord, we know that life is short. Grant that, though our bodies grow weak, we may increase in spiritual strength and so at the last enter into the joy of your eternal kingdom. We pray for those who have died recently, particularly: [Names]
[Adapted from Church Society, 'Prayers and Thanksgiving: Shortness of Life', An English Prayer Book, URL: http://www.churchsociety.org/
publications/EnglishPrayerBook/EPB_Prayers.htm#ShortnessOfLife]
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
[Conclusion]
God in all, through these our prayers: open our minds and hearts to be strengthened towards your ways of love, peace and hope. Be with us when we question you; be with us when we are challenged by you; and help us when directed to practically answer the prayers of others.
O God let us see unity
Let us hear harmony
Let minds apprehend alike
Common be our Prayer
Common be our Intention
Common be our Resolution
Common be our Deliberation
Alike be our feelings
And Unified be our hearts
[Based on Hindu scriptures altered from their presentation in Hewis, P. (Complier) (April 1994), Favourite Prayers of Hinckley Unitarians, Great Meeting Unitarian Chapel, Hinckley.]
Merciful Father
Accept these prayers
For the sake of your Son
Our Saviour Jesus Christ
Amen
Adrian Worsfold
Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful