Intercession Prayers, at Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Barton-upon-Humber, Parish Communion, 10 August 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]
Taking refuge in the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer: let us pray.
[Church]
We pray for people of faith and those who serve them, that all can develop their trust and ethic and have the space and freedom to operate for the common good.
Our prayers are for Christians and those who serve us, and for Anglicans in particular as we all consider the form and content of the recent bishops' gathering in Kent and what may come in the future, in seeking out forms of diversity and unity that build upon the best that Anglican forms of Christianity can offer.
A prayer of thanksgiving and appreciation is offered for our own Bishop David Rossdale and his Internet placed daily reflections on what was happening through the Lambeth Conference.
Also we pray for Kathy [Colwell] as she comes towards her ordination. [Today the first day she and husband became resident in Barton]
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[Animals]
[Say] A prayer by Albert Schweitzer
Hear our humble prayer, O God,
For our friends the animals,
Especially for animals who are suffering;
For any that are hunted or lost
Or deserted or frightened or hungry;
For all that must be put to sleep.
We entreat for them all
Thy mercy and pity,
And for those who deal with them
We ask a heart of compassion
And gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us be true friends to animals
And so to share
The blessings of the merciful.
Amen.
Our animals - those we keep as pets:
Their lives are intertwined around our lives.
We know that they look upon us as our leaders
And place their trust in us.
Let us always return that trust,
Giving security and sureness to an animal's life,
So that it feels comfort in that trust.
And when we have, and the animal's life comes to an end
Let us celebrate what has been achieved to the good
That the pet too will enter through the heavenly gate
And that, in some sense, what mattered in the pet's life
And what matters in our life
Is united and reunited through the heavenly gate
In the redemptive act of all creation.
[Say] A prayer of a dog:
You know that I give you unswerving loyalty -
So, please:
Treat me well
Feed me good food
Exercise me:
Let me walk where I know others go;
Let me run around and throw out energy;
Take me in when it is cold and wet;
Talk to me with a loving tone of voice;
Let me sleep well;
And when I am ill: look after me;
And when my time ends, please do what is best.
We ask our loving Father that we do what is right for the animals in our care, knowing what they first give to us - often sacrificially - and that we should exercise kingship and service to them in the model of Christ's own sacrificial service to all.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[World]
To our source of joy and abundant life:
We celebrate all involved in the Olympic Games in Beijing.
For the skill and endurance of competitors,
That they show fairness, respect for others and humility along with the honest competition and search for excellence.
Our prayer is for the promotion of peace and reconciliation through sport;
And we pray for the safety of athletes and spectators
Let the games give people a measured aspect of nationhood and that - whilst having pride in the nation, and enjoying the exotica of a different location - all who participate and spectate can see that we are but one world and one humanity.
Let us also pray that the games have positive impact on the development of China and that further repression does not come to the country after the games are completed.
We pray for solutions to conflict in the world:
Prayers are offered for peace between Georgia and Russia, flaring up under the shadow of the Olympics
We pray for reconciliation in the Middle East and wider region, and for negotiations between Iran and other world powers
Prayers continue for Iraq and Afghanistan
Also we consider the knife edge situations and crises in Dafur and Zimbabwe.
We pray also for our own localities and in particular ask for the presence of God for safety on our roads.
Through necessity, through joy and excitement, for trade and for leisure, we travel to all different destinations, with such traffic criss-crossing and lorries and vans and cars and motocycles mixing with cyclists and pedestrians.
There is joy in road travel and there is danger. There is sorrow, pain and suffering for the victims, their families and their friends as we suffer death on the roads. We are all affected and we are all concerned.
O God let us show responsibility one to each other on these instant flashpoints of danger. Let us show consideration, awareness, and serve one another so that all may benefit and not suffer loss from our enhanced ability to move about. We pray for a common behaviour of love, care and kindness among road users, to be a place of changing attitudes: that the gospel of road safety is but one part of a gospel of living each with one another.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[Sick]
Your name is our healing, Our God, and remembrance of you is our remedy. Nearness to you is our hope, and love for you is our companion. Your mercy to us is our healing and our succour now and to come. You are the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, and the All-Wise. [adapted from Bahai]
Praying through Christ the Divine Healer we ask for that deep comfort that we may fail to believe is present for times of ill-health, confusion and pain, and we ask for human patience in suffering. In such losses, grant that we never lose sight of the human spirit that will expand itself into life no matter how outwardly diminished. We recall the sick known to us [pause] and we name specifically...
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[Dead]
Our human condition of living that shapes who we are is but brief, but the bonds that you our God create in the book of life goes forward. The light of resurrection is a promise of hope for all through Christ our Lord. We remember those who have died [pause] and we name specifically...
Indeed we pray that their names go forward.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
[Completion]
For ourselves
And for the animals;
For here
And For abroad;
In sickness and in health,
And in life and in death:
Guard us, guide us,
Bring us through
In safety and ease
On our journey today
and every day.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
For the sake of your Son
Our Saviour
Jesus Christ.
Adrian Worsfold
Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful