Asking for Trouble? (A Palm Sunday poem)by Ruth ConnollyExcitement grew to fever pitch,The army drafted to the town,Authority must be maintained,And troublemakers be put down.The city’s full to bursting point,Informers mingle with the crowd.Peace must be kept at any price,No demonstrations are allowed.Now church and state for once agree,‘Arrest all suspects without charge!’The individual doesn’t countWhen vested interests are so large.He could have stayed in Galilee.He could have walked unnoticed by.Instead he rode, the King of Kings!Hosanna! Demonstrator, DiePrayer written by a friend of Brian's at his ChurchFather God
From whom all blessings flow
Look favourably on us here below
Embrace us all and give us hope
And don’t let the country run out of soap
Comfort those who have their doubts
And fill the supermarket shelves with sprouts
Help us to remember our long ago hols
And keep up the supply of toilet rolls
Dear Lord we ask You to especially bless
All those in the NHS
And when together we’ve seen this through
We’ll meet again to worship you.
Amen
prayers of hope & healing
God hears our prayer and answers each one, though his love marks time
and his ways are his own.
Dorothy Kerin
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding,
pour into our hearts such love towards you
that we, loving you above all things,
may obtain your promises
which exceed all that we can desire,
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Father,
your word tells us that faith
is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.
Fill me with a firm hope in your promises
and a living faith in your power.
Work your healing in me, Living God,
that I may be whole in body mind and spirit
to praise you and serve you all my life
I ask this through Jesus Christ
your Son the Healer, Amen
God of healing and hope,
in Jesus you meet us
in our places of pain and fear.
Look with mercy
on those who have contracted the new virus,
on any who are vulnerable,
on all who feel in danger
and on those who minister to the sick.
Through this time of global concern,
by your Holy Spirit
bring out the best not the worst in us.
Make us more aware
of our interdependence on each other,
and of the strength
that comes from being one body in you.
A Prayer for today, tomorrow and always
Our Father in heaven,
Holy is your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us
PRAYER FOR A PANDEMIC
May we who are merely inconvenienced
remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
remember those who must choose
between their health and earning the rent.
May we have the flexibility to care for our children
when the schools are closed.
remember those who have no options.
May we who are losing our margin money
in the turmoil of the economic market
remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for quarantine at home
remember those who have no country.
Let us choose love
during this time when we cannot physically
wrap our arms around each other.
Let us find ways to be the
loving embrace of God to neighbour and stranger.
Help us each day to seek your presence more and more.
Fill our hearts with love for you.
Amen
Cameron Bellm
And finally offer to God and pray in the name of Jesus for:
* those suffering ill health,
* especially many affected by the corona virus.
* workers and carers
* medical profession
* emergency services
* our government
* those making important decisions
* family and friends
* yourself.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14
Lord, for tomorrow and it’s needs I do not pray.
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin,
just for today.
Now set a seal upon my lips, for this I pray.
Keep me from wrong or idle words,
just for today.
Let me be slow to do my will, prompt to obey,
and keep me, use me,
just for today.
“The Lord bless you
and keep you,
the Lord make his faceto shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
the Lord turn his facetoward you
and give you peace.”