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2 Corinthians 3:17
‘Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’.

Gracious God, as ‘Freedom Day’ is marked for residents of England, we come to You and reflect upon what it is to be free. Lord God, You sent Your Son Jesus Christ, to show us how to create communities where people can live in freedom; communities where people do not need to be afraid, where folks look after one another to provide mutual support and security, communities where difference and diversity are celebrated and where all people are treated equally regardless of their race, culture or social status, communities where the voices of the vulnerable are heard and all people are valued, communities where all people have the entitlement of a safe home and a meal on the table. But so too, You sent Your Son to free us from the things that burden us and weigh us down, who said  ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’.  And so, however we feel about today, whether we are excited by it, or feel anxious by it, help us to remember loving God, that true freedom, peace, hope and joy is to be found in a relationship with You, through Your Son Jesus, in the power of Your Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God”

As the weekend begins, we pause a moment from the affairs of the week and Stop, Look and Listen and reflect upon more beautiful words by Margaret Langdon, Thank you Margaret.

STOP LOOK LISTEN
STOP running around
STOP trying to manage
STOP sorting things out
STOP having to cope
Just rest

LOOK away from yourself
LOOK at my creation
LOOK into my word
LOOK beyond this world
Open your mind

LISTEN to my voice through others
LISTEN to the music of all creative forms
LISTEN to my loving words spoken by friends
LISTEN to my spirit breathing into your soul
Receive from me

I have made you, I think of you , I care for you
I have given all my creation to you
STOP, LOOK and LISTEN and remember me
Then you can face whatever comes
I will always love you

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2 Thessalonians 3:16     ESV
‘Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all’.

Gracious God, we take a moment today to put aside the concerns at home, and pray for the people of Afghanistan as the United Nations alert us to the humanitarian crisis unfolding. As tens of thousands of people are displaced, and the violence escalates, we pray for families who find themselves vulnerable and powerless to protect themselves.We pray especially for children in this most frightening of circumstances. Lord God, we know that this is a complex situation, nevertheless we pray that nations across the world will hear the plea of those in need and respond. We pray for hospitals and emergency services as they try to continue to deal with those injured by the conflict. We pray for aid agencies who seek to deliver emergency supplies, and any response that we can make to support their work.  But most of all, we pray for peace and stability across this land. Lord God, we ask for Your protection, Your healing and the power of Your Holy Spirit to rest upon this land and all its peoples. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

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John 13:34          CEV
‘But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you’.

Gracious God, 36 years ago today, ‘Live Aid’ burst through our television screens, urging us to take seriously the plight of those facing death through famine in Africa. Musicians came together to unite the world in it’s giving and response to humanity. Many such campaigns have followed since, but the reality is, people are still going hungry, overseas and in our local communities. Lord God, we acknowledge that a substantial meal is the basic human right of all people.  And so, we give thanks for the work of charities and aid agencies who seek to ensure that everyone, both here and overseas, are fed. We pray for peace in countries where war, conflict and misuse of power, denies people access to basic provisions. We pray for those affected by global changes to our planet, as disrupted weather patterns and global warming impact upon farming communities. We acknowledge the effect Covid 19 has made upon global poverty. God of power, we pray that those in positions of power and authority, across all nations, continue to consider the effect societies’ behaviour has upon the vulnerable and the poor. May we too, as consumers and as Your people, consider what we can do to bring about permanent change in relation to poverty. Creator God, send the power of Your Holy Spirit across our world to empower, encourage and inspire us to put an end to hunger in our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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John 13:34          CEV
‘But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you’.

Gracious God, as we begin a new week, we turn to You with sadness having witnessed the appalling online abuse of footballers, simply for the colour of their skin. We pray that all those in positions of power and authority will work tirelessly to put an end to this intolerance. Help us as communities to promote understanding, equality, respect and kindness for all its citizens. May we follow the example of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who taught us to treat our neighbour as we would wish to be treated, with respect and with love.
Lord God, today is a new day, at the start of a new week. And so we bring before you our hopes and aspirations, our concerns and anxieties, our opportunities and our challenges, but most of all, we bring ourselves in service to You. Thank you for the security of knowing that You journey with us every second of the day, and that we do everything in Your strength, and in Your presence. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Ephesians 5:20
‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’.

Gracious God, as we approach the end of the week, we bring our prayers before You. As we take a moment of quiet, we reflect upon, and thank You for Your unfailing presence with us. For the times we have laughed and You have shared joy with us, we give thanks. For the times we have worried and You have held us close, we give thanks. For the times we have questioned or felt uncertain and You have guided us, we give thanks. For the times we have been sad and You have dried our tears, we give thanks. Lord God, we know that You are a God who is with us, who is there waiting to support and sustain us. At all times, whatever the situation, help us to continue to be assured of Your presence and place our trust in You. This weekend, as we see our nation unite in response to international sport, we pray for unity in our communities and across all nations. Lord God, we know that You created us to be a people of love, of mutual understanding, and a people that care for one another, across all boundaries. And so, may the power of Your Holy Spirit work through us to transmit love and peace in our world. We bring all our prayers before You in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.

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Exodus 3:13-14
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”  God said to Moses, “I am who I am.

Gracious God, as we come to You this morning we reflect upon the challenges of waiting and expectation. The expectation of football victory after years of waiting, the expectation of ‘Freedom Day’ after months of waiting for restrictions to lift. Emotions run high as we sense the next stage of a journey filled with expectation, uncertainty, opportunity, potential disappointment and challenge. And so it is good and right this morning to come to You, Lord God, to remind ourselves of the certainty and the fulfilment of all our expectations through You, our Creator God. As qualities of leadership are discussed and scrutinised in every corner of society, in Jesus Christ, Your Son, we see the One who epitomises the very core of leadership, a man who showed us how to respond with wisdom, with empathy, with integrity and with love, who exceeded all expectations when He said ‘Come to me and I will give you life in all its fulness, I will give you peace’. And so amidst the turmoils of the day we come to You, and we give thanks, Amen.

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Genesis 1:21:25
‘God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good’.

Gracious God, in the midst of everything that is happening in our lives today, as conversations continue over our lifestyles and restrictions due to the pandemic, we pause for a moment to consider the welfare of the amazing animal Kingdom You have created, a world of diversity, beauty, power and majesty. We pray especially today for the work of the Aspinall Foundation, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service, who will begin to transport a herd of 13 elephants, from captivity in the UK, to living in the wild in a reserve in Southern Kenya. We appreciate that this is the biggest project of its kind in the world and not without its risks, but we pray that all logistical arrangements will go smoothly and that the elephants will arrive safely in their new home. Lord God, we have had a taste of what it is to lose our freedoms and so, we give thanks for the amazing work of all Animal Foundations, who seek to ensure that wild animals have the opportunity to roam free, in safe settings. We ask for Your blessing upon the work of all conservation projects across our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Psalm 98:4
‘Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises’.

Gracious God, this morning we give thanks for the gift and the pleasure of music. As the news filters through of the return to communal singing, our hearts literally fill with joy.  We pray for a safe return for our concert houses, theatres and music halls. We give thanks for the joy this will bring to many people. But so too, we lift before you all musicians and those working in the music industry, whose livelihoods and leisure time have been so severely affected by the pandemic, acknowledging how difficult the last year has been, both financially and emotionally. We recognise the loss of employment for many freelance musicians and pray that communities will continue to support and sustain them in the months ahead, as they seek to rebuild their careers.
God of song, harmony and sound, may we, Your people, lift up our voices in praise to You, for Your love, Your assurance and Your presence. In joyful song, we give thanks. Amen.

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Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Gracious God, we lift before You this morning the work of our NHS as we celebrate its 73rd birthday. We appreciate that it has been an unprecedented year for all those working within this great institution, and that pressures continue on a daily basis with ever increasing demands upon its services. And so, we give thanks for the 1.3 million people who support and sustain its work, be that in the sectors of medical care, administration, hospitality, scientific research, logistics or pastoral support. We pray for resilience, skill, wisdom and strength for all those who give of themselves, to provide well-being and healing for our nation. We pray especially for those whose own health has been affected by the pressures and challenging circumstances of the past year. We remember too, those who lost their lives to Covid whilst caring for others. We pray for comfort and assurance for their families as they grieve. God of healing, love and compassion, may Your presence be felt in every part of our amazing NHS this day and in the days to come and may we always give thanks. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Psalm 118:1
‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever’.

Gracious God, as our first national ‘Thank you’ day will be celebrated tomorrow, we take a moment today to reflect upon all those who have touched our lives over the past year. For those who have supported our emotional needs, we give thanks. For those who have supported our physical well-being, we give thanks. For those who have fed us spiritually, we give thanks. Lord God, we know that when we follow the example of Your Son Jesus, when we reach out in love to others, and allow ourselves to be loved in return, we become whole and we find peace. And so, we ask for Your blessing upon our nation, and all nations across the world. May the acts of giving and thankfulness unite us and empower us to create communities rooted in love. For all Your blessings to us, loving God, we give thanks. Amen.

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Hebrews 4:16        NIV
‘Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’.

Gracious God, this morning we give thanks for the gift of Your Grace. We acknowledge that Grace is a word that we use so freely, but so often underestimate the power and awesomeness of its truth. Through the power of Your Grace, we are accepted for simply being who we are, precious to You. Through the power of Your Grace, we can be forgiven of the things we may do that separate us from being the people You would have us be. Through the power of Your Grace, we can truly find a sense of peace in the most turbulent of days. Through the power of Your Grace, we are truly and immeasurably loved. And so Lord God, help us today to receive this Grace with glad and thankful hearts. Help us to use the knowledge of this Grace to deepen our relationship with You through the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ, and in the life-giving power of Your Holy Spirit. Finally God of love, help us to witness to Your Grace in our relationships with others. May our relationships with one another be rooted in kindness and generosity. Our world needs Grace. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.