Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
1 Peter 5:7 

Gracious God, following on Mental Health Awareness week, we reflect on the words of Methodist Deacon Eunice Attwood : –

Loving and compassionate God,In the ebb and flow of our mental health, Breathe peace into anxious minds.
Pour strength into weary hearts.
Let hope rise in the lonely silences.

May we listen with openness,
Love beyond measure,

Guide us, loving God, to remove barriers,
Replacing stigma with compassion,
Nurturing a world where mental health is cherished,
Where every heart finds shelter in grace.

For your love endures,
A light for our path, a presence in every breath

Amen.

… Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness. Bind these together with love and unity, hold the peace of Christ in your hearts and be thankful. 

Col 3: 1, 12-15)

Loving God, this week is Christian Aid week and we also remember the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.
The disciples lifted their eyes and hearts as Jesus was raised into heaven before their very eyes.

Help us dear Lord, in the midst of spring, to pause, to lift our eyes and hearts, to take a look around us and give thanks for your creation and for each other.

May we appreciate the wonder and beauty of the world you made for us in each leaf, each bud and flower; in the chatter of bird song; in the hills, valleys and streams; in oceans and mountains; in the sun and wind; in sunrises and sunsets; in the ordinary and everyday.

Gracious God, may we see your love in others and may we reflect the love of Jesus in our thoughts, words and actions, that the love, kindness and compassion of Jesus may be shared across the world. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in his dear Son!

Eph 1:6 GNT

Grace is sufficient,
Grace is enough,
When the day is easy,
Or the going is tough.

Grace cannot be earned,
Bought or sold,
But is given freely, 
From a heart of gold.

Grace is love, 
Kindness and care,
A concern for others,
And their best welfare.

Grace forgives,
The hurts we face,
Bringing peace and freedom,
From past mistakes. 

Grace brings promise,
Hope and peace,
Of love without end,
And life that will not cease.

Grace flows freely,
Through Jesus God’s Son,
By the power of the Spirit,
Now and in times to come.

Gracious God, as we reflect, we relax our bodies, quieten our minds and breathe deeply of your grace and your peace ……

As we breathe, we thank you for your free-flowing grace that is ours in Jesus …

As we breathe, we thank you for the grace we have received from others …

As we breathe, help us to open our arms and hearts and extend your grace to others …

We bring the prayers of our breath to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Jesus appears to two friends 
walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus
Luke 24: 13-25

We walked along the dusty road
Confusion in the air,
Puzzling over recent events –
The tomb is empty, Jesus isn’t there!

Jesus was left on the cross to die,
Nails pierced his hands and feet,
Blood and water gushed from his side,
He said it is finished, complete!

His body was laid in an empty cave,
With a boulder it was tightly secured,
Who moved it and where did they take him?
This mystery just cannot be endured.

Why are you distraught? a stranger asked,
As we journeyed on our way.
Haven’t you heard about Jesus? we replied,
His body has disappeared this very day.

The stranger walked along with us,
He opened our eyes and ears,
He explained the meaning of scriptures,
He spoke of Jesus, calmed our worries and fears.

The time passed quickly and all to soon,
We arrived at Emmaus our destination,
Come, stay, eat with us we implored,
Your words point the way to salvation.

As we shared bread realisation dawned,
With joy, we recognised Jesus, our Lord,
He had been alongside us all the way,
On that dry and dusty Emmaus road.

Loving God, thank You that you raised Jesus to life on Easter Sunday.  Be with us and walk with us in our times of doubt and confusion. Open our eyes, our ears and our hearts, to fully receive the message of new life, of love, forgiveness, hope, joy and peace.  Jesus is alive and with us today by his Spirit!

Dear Lord, may we know the assurance that Jesus walks alongside us today and every day.  May we walk and talk with each other each, especially in times of difficulty,  with the love, hope and understanding of Jesus.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

Trust in the Lord with all your heart….

Proverbs 3:5 NIV

The journey is planned,
The way prepared,
Nothing overlooked,
Every stone unturned.

Our faithful guide
Knows the route,
Packs all we need,
To keep us afoot.

With a lightness of heart
We set out for the day,
Taking God’s love
Every step of the way.

Loving God, we take a few moments to quieten our minds, still our bodies and become aware of our breathing, as we come to spend time with You….

As we look at the photo, we picture ourselves, walking along the pathway, taking in and enjoy the colours, the sights, the sounds and the smells of springtime.

We picture Jesus, walking with us, bringing his presence, his peace, his provision and his guiding hand.  Maybe we walk together in companionable silence, maybe he listens to us, or we listen to him? What would we talk about? What would we ask of Him…..?

Loving God, you know our heart. We do not know what today holds, but we trust it to You.  Keep us on a straight path, as we step out with You.  May we have time to notice and appreciate what is around us, to show love to those we meet and trust in your loving presence and guiding hand this day.  Amen.

Ruth Rushworth

… God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit …
Romans 5:5 ESV

Gracious God, we take a moment to be still, to quieten our minds, relax our bodies and become aware of the rhythm of our breathing. We praise you, gracious God, for your presence with us.

We praise you for the love of Jesus. We praise you for the breath of your Holy Spirit in us. We praise you for a love that is with us in our joys and sorrows, in our pleasures and in our pains; a love that overcomes; a love that forgives; a love that guides; a love that restores; a love that enables; a love that whispers to us to come – just as we are….

In the beginning,
At the start,
Of each new day
And fresh chapter,
God’s love is in our heart.

In the midst
Of every battle,
At every twist and turn,
Through every joy, hope and promise,
God’s love remains the same.

At rest,
At reflection,
In the coolness of the hour,
God’s love radiates
Eternal peace, grace and power.

Gracious God, we thank you that nothing can separate us from your love. You know our deepest needs.  As we reflect, help us to listen out for your voice in our hearts.  We thank you that you are with us this day and every day.

Ruth Rushworth

 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son …listen to Him.”
Luke 9:35 NIV

Jesus removed the barrier,
Threw open the door,
Heaven and earth,
Are separate no more.

He flooded the world,
With love and light,
The colours of heaven,
Shining bright.

A love of justice,
Of peace of truth,
Acceptance, forgiveness,
Under one roof.

United in Jesus,
Lord, may we share,
His love, his life,
His light and his care.

God of love and light, of mountains and valleys, of sunshine, clouds and rain, we praise You for Jesus, your Son. Thank you that He came to restore our broken relationship with You, and to unite us with You under the roof of your eternal love.

As we prepare for Easter, may your Spirit help us to share your love in our families, communities and world, that all may be united and cared for in your loving family.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Ruth Rushworth

… that you may … grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ..
Eph 3:18 NIV

Gracious God, we reflect on some of the words and prayers of Rev Sue in our church service on Sunday, when we made paper crosses ….

Our cross points up. Help us make space to reach up to you in prayer and praise for you are greater than we could ever imagine.  We reach up to you and offer you our prayers of thanks and praise ….

As our cross reaches out help us to reach out to one another with ears ready to listen, with hands ready to help, with faces to smile, with feet ready to visit and with compassion and with care. We lift before you all who need your help ….

Lord God our cross points down.  Help us to treat the earth; our beautiful amazing world with care. As we see the first signs of spring and new life help us to think about what we might plant and grow in our lives. We lift before you situations of concern in our world today ….

Gracious God, help us each day to reach up, outwards and downwards, creating a cross-shaped space in our lives, where we feel your love and the power of your Spirit at work. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

“… Wherever you go I will go …” 

Ruth 1:6 GNT

Gracious God, we thank you for this beautiful and thoughtful prayer corner in our church, where we can sit quietly, pray and reflect. We bring this special space into our hearts and homes and remember that you are always with us ….

Lenten Prayer

God of grace,
In this season of Lent
Draw our hearts closer to you.

When we are weary, renew us.
When we are burdened, lift us.
Where we long for change, plant hope.

Lead us on the way of Christ,
And fill us with the promise
Of Easter joy.

Thanks to Cheryl O’Connor for the prayer corner and Lenten prayer.

Ruth Rushworth

Three things will last forever – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor 13:13 NLT

Gracious God, we celebrate and give thanks for the gift of love.  We thank you for our loved ones and for the love we have given and received. We thank you for the love we hold forever in our hearts.

Loving God,  thank you for the gift of love in Jesus, freely offering life and love to everyone.  We lift before you all in need of your loving touch. We think of those who have never been shown love, those who are feeling the loss of loved ones, those seeking love and all in need of tender loving care. We pray for anyone you have placed on our hearts ….

Help us dear Lord to take every opportunity to share the  light of your love in Jesus; your kindness, your compassion and your generosity of heart, with each other and in our world, that all may know they are beloved of God. Amen.

Ruth Rushworth