Intercession Prayers, at Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Barton-upon-Humber, Parish Communion, 4 May 2008 09:30, the Sunday Ascension service, 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:
[Church]
We pray for people of doubt and faith, treading along their faith paths, and for those who serve them in leadership. In a week when a representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama meets Chinese officialdom a prayer may be that some in Tibet can practice their faith more wholly and openly.
We pray for Christians and the leaders who serve them, and for their Churches:
We dream of a church with origins long ago that continues to express its great faith and its good works through the loyalty and devotion of its people.
We dream of a church that uplifts all within, with its song of praise, giving a pulpit of convictions with honesty and without fear, and an altar where Christ's gift comes to all.
We dream of a Church of human fellowship: of prayer, meditation, discussion, trivia and that spirit of sharing, of voices loud and voices quiet.
We dream of a church with doors open: not only for prayers and meditations but also discussing and learning, where mind may meet with mind, of mutual support even through diversity and difference.
We dream of a challenging church, and yet one where the church can be called a home from home.
We dream of a generous church in the Spirit, under the unseen God; but it is not just a dream: for day by day in the model of Christ it is made a reality through our response of seeking, of faith, of effort, and in mutual healing.
And let us pray for this town's people of faith and doubt, and its four churches and its ecumenical gatherings.
Above adapted towards Christianity from prayers written by Rev. Ernest Penn, Hull Unitarian minister.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[World]
In the world in which we live our thoughts and prayers turn again to Zimbabwe and its release from its continued terror and oppression; for some release in the pressure cooker of Gaza and for resolution at the West Bank; for peace to come to Iraq and Afghanistan, and a lowering of tension with Iran.
We pray for those who work in dangerous parts of the world, especially [names] in Kenya. [added in]
Closer to home we give prayers for the governance of the capital city under its change of leadership, and that Boris Johnson serves towards the common good.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[Sick]
Our bodies are the churches of our souls, and so we quest for an integrated good health. Healing is not just feeling well, but an inner peace we seek of mind and body.
We ask for blessings:
A blessing for our eyes, that we may see our way;
A blessing for our mouths, that we may speak good thoughts;
A blessing for our hands, that we may do good things;
A blessing for our feet, that we may walk our way.
Blessed be our bodies, that we may truly be whole.
Further after Slater 1978, A Book of Pagan Rituals, p. 54.
In a moment of silence you may know of someone who would seek such blessing.
We consider those whose lives are blighted by poverty, hunger, terrorism, slavery or warfare. [added in]
We pray for those names on the prayer tree and specifically here: [Names of those ill]
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[Dead]
Comfort, comfort, said our God: there is light for the darkness and all tears shall be wiped from all faces. We pray for lives completed: lives once bonded in relationship to others both parted and still living, and lives lonely but never lost - for which there can be thanksgiving small and large expressed along the way. All are recorded in the Book of Life. We remember by name: [Names of those died]
For faith, for the world, for healing and for that hope of the eternal in the transient now we can but say:
Merciful Lord [error]
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son
Our Saviour
Jesus Christ.
Adrian Worsfold
Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful