We’ll continue to post Wednesday Prayers as usual, but at the Leith St Andrew’s Church website. Please go there each Wednesday after 11am.
Oasis of Peace begins again this Wednesday – 2nd March
As we approach the beginning of the Lent season, our weekly meditative service Oasis of Peace will begin again on Wednesday 2nd March.
Oasis of Peace is a short service where we sing some hymns, pray for others and have a short reflection or discussion on a Bible passage. It takes place in the Church on Wednesday mornings from 10.15 and lasts around half an hour. We finish with tea/coffee and a chat.
All are welcome to attend so if you’ve never been before, why not come along one week? You will be given a very warm welcome.
At the moment we are entering by the Lochend Road Church door so if the Easter Road door is closed, just come round to the Lochend entrance.
Wednesday Prayers, 23 February 2022
Eternal God, from everlasting to everlasting,
Planter of the tree of life,
whose fruits grow and fall from one moment
in history to another;
You promise a new heaven and a new earth
where all people and all things are reconciled,
where mistakes are rectified, sin is redeemed,
and hope becomes a reality.
Empower us, by the Holy Spirit, to hold to that vision
and create glimpses of it in this imperfect world
where “there will always be wars and rumours of wars”.
We pray for the people of Ukraine at the moment,
civilians caught up in violence,
people trying to defend themselves from invasion
against a massively powerful force,
people living in fear of what is to come.
We pray for governments around the world
trying to find adequate ways to respond to such aggression
with appropriate measures that will have real effect;
help them to learn from past errors, past dependencies.
And we pray for all striving for peace:
diplomats, negotiators, groups and movements
which stand for peace, justice, human rights and freedom.
We pray for all those around the world
acting with courage against violence and barbarity.
We remember too those in our own country
who work to bring people together,
to overcome prejudice and hatred
and to help people see the value of strong and open communities,
including churches who have a welcome for all.
We pray for that work and remember that You
blessed the peacemakers and all who were
persecuted for everything done in Your name.
We bring people to you who are on our minds this week
and, in particular, we pray for:
Peter, Patrick, Bill B, Evelyn, Jean, Emily,
Zoe, Gordon and John, Mary, Eleanor,
Andrew, Ela, Stuart, Jean A, Amy,
Yvonne, Jill, Malcolm, John N, David,
James, Karen, Mary D, and baby Hector Tully…
You know all of us by name, and we ask
that You draw close to all who need You today.
Be with us in our worship, our relationships,
our work and leisure, our random encounters
and planned meetings, our speech and silence,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Wednesday Prayers, 16 February 2022
Creator God,
We are grateful that You welcome us into Your presence,
that we can pray and be heard,
and be still, and know that You are God.
Give to us the gift of attentiveness,
that we might notice the small and seemingly incidental signs
that You are among us,
even through the chaos and busyness of the world.
We pray today that the church
and the communities it is placed among
will become more welcoming and inclusive
so that people will be able to live
without threat of prejudice or violence
simply because of their lifestyle or identity.
May the discomfort some people feel when confronted by people
different from themselves in some ways
be calmed and positively challenged.
Help all of us to be accepting of others
and to work for liberation.
We pray against discrimination based on
race, sexuality, gender, disability, religion or political opinion,
and pray for all organisations and individuals
working together for a more equitable world.
May the church stand always for justice
and we pray that any current discriminatory policies or beliefs
will be put to an end in the near future.
We think of the deep divisions in our society,
some of which have worsened over the last while,
and we pray for those engaged in bringing
both reconciliation and greater awareness of where truths lie.
We pray against the lies, distortion and fake news
endemic throughout our nation and beyond,
that governments, social media companies and other news websites
will take stronger action against people deliberately
spreading stories and conspiracies that have no factual basis.
We remember people who are in our hearts and minds
especially this week for:
Peter, Patrick, Bill B, Evelyn, Jean, Emily,
Zoe, Gordon and John, Mary, Eleanor,
Andrew, Ela, Stuart, Jean A, Amy,
Yvonne, Jill, Malcolm, John N, David,
James, Karen, Mary D, and baby Hector Tully…
Grant them Your peace and presence,
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
May that Spirit inform and bless
all that we do and say in Your name
and for the building of Your Kingdom
here where we are,
Amen.
Wednesday Prayers, 9 February 2022
Eternal God,
When we consider the universe,
what we know of it,
always at least conscious that there could be many universes
and possibly other realities where we may also exist,
simultaneously or otherwise,
we can’t help but be amazed because everything
from multi-dimensional galaxies to the smallest insect
is astonishing and intricate in form.
We have the most incredible brains,
which are both compact and complicated,
too complicated, so far, for us fully to understand
even a fraction of what is going on in there.
So it’s unsurprising that You often seem a mystery to us
and we have to talk about You
in terms that we can grasp and often seem inadequate.
Your mind, if we can call it a mind,
encompasses all of it – the trillions of light years
filled with space and suns and planets
and who knows what else.
We give You thanks for this planet here,
which sustains us and would easily contain enough
for every person if we shared more equitably.
Give us the gift of generosity
and change the hearts of those in power
so that more may share in the world’s resources.
We are anxious at this time over huge increases in the price
of energy: gas, electricity, heat and light,
which are so basic to our contemporary lives;
and we pray for those for whom the price rises
will hit especially hard.
We remember people who have already lost a lot of money
because of COVID, lockdown and job losses,
and now face further problems.
And we remember those who may put themselves in danger
by not switching on their heating when it’s vital to do so.
May solutions be found to bring relief
and may some of the huge profits made by energy companies
become part of those solutions.
We come to pray for people who are on our minds
and especially today for:
Peter, Patrick, Bill B, Evelyn, Jean, Emily,
Zoe, Gordon and John, Mary, Eleanor,
Andrew, Ela, Stuart, Jean A, Amy,
Yvonne, Jill, Malcolm, John N, David,
James, Karen, Mary D, and baby Hector Tully…
May they find You giving hope, strength and comfort.
And be with all of us in the next while.
Give us patience, commitment and the ability
to make good decisions.
We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Wednesday Prayers, 2 February 2022
God, Revealer
and Mystery beyond all revelation,
you have shown us through Jesus
what is most important in life.
You showed us that Your love knew no barriers
and that You were prepared to put Your trust in us,
fallible and inconsistent human beings.
May we also bear with those around us
even through their mistakes,
even through many changes of direction.
Where trust has broken down or is under serious threat –
within families or friendships,
in workplaces, congregations and support groups,
between people and government –
may work begin at least to restore that trust
and provide a more secure future.
May the values of integrity, honesty and commitment
become central in all that we do in society and in our church.
We pray for the present and future of the churches here.
Give focus to our vision
and may it inform our mission.
May it always find its basis in faith, hope and love,
in the life, work and words of Jesus.
We think of people struggling to make ends meet
with price rises in food, energy, fuel and other vital items;
we pray for all feeling anxious
and for those whose relationships come under strain as a result.
We pray for people who seek help but don’t know where to find it
and for those who feel unhappy and despairing with what they have.
Lead all of us into life in all its fullness.
And we pray for people who are in our minds and hearts,
especially this week for:
Peter, Bill B, Evelyn, Jean, Emily,
Zoe, Gordon and John, Mary, Eleanor,
Andrew, Ela, Stuart, Jean A, Amy,
Yvonne, Jill, Malcolm, John N, David,
James, Karen, Mary D, and baby Hector Tully…
Journey with them, raise their spirits,
and bring peace and hope.
Be with each of us as we try to grow in faith
and live it as best as we can in the next week,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
One Church for Leith 