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Matthew 25:35-40          NIV
‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “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, as Advent Sunday is marked this weekend, and we begin the journey to welcome the child in the manger, we remember that this beautiful child, Your Son, was a refugee. Our thoughts turn to the plight of those who have lost their lives trying to cross our seas in search of safety and security this week. May their souls rest in your eternal peace. We pray for all those that grieve. May they know the comfort and assurance of Your presence. We pray for those injured and in need of healing both physically and emotionally. We pray for all those who are still in search of a safe haven as winter continues. And finally, we pray that leaders, and those in positions of authority, will find ways of working together to deal with this ongoing complex and tragic situation. Lord God, bring healing, bring comfort, bring positive action and resolution, and crucially, bring hope into the lives of all refugees this Advent. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Psalm 93 NIV
‘The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty.’

Gracious God, as we have just celebrated Christ the King Sunday and Advent approaches, we give thanks for the gift of Jesus, God’s Son. We take a moment to reflect upon who He is as a King and what His Kingdom stands for. We remember that He was not born in a palace, but in a lowly stable. He did not carry weapons to fight for power, but exercised His authority with great wisdom, in acts of healing and forgiveness. He did not come to be a dictator, but gave a voice to the voiceless and the vulnerable, and spoke out for His Kingdom values; equality,  justice and peace. And yet He is a King and His Kingdom will always reign. And so Lord God, thank you that in Jesus Christ, you call us to serve as He served, to give as He gave and to love as He loved. May we witness to His Kingdom here on earth. In His name we pray, Amen

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John 14:27        NIV
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.

Gracious God, as Inter-Faith week is marked this week, we thank You for the opportunity to learn and reach out to one another, acknowledging that our communities are made up of people with different beliefs. We pray that You will help us to forge, strengthen and sustain good inter-faith relationships. We pray that conversations will take place in our homes, our workplaces, our places of worship, wherever people meet, so that friendships can develop rooted in awareness, mutual respect, understanding, and tolerance of one another. Lord God, amidst the diversity of our beliefs, help us all to strive for unity and peace in our societies.
This morning we remember especially all those who have fled their homes to escape war and conflict and find themselves seeking refuge in other countries. We pray for all men, women and children facing winter living in temporary camps. May all those in need of security at this time be treated with compassion, empathy, and generosity, and may we find ways to do all we can to reach out to those in desperate need at this time. Lord in Your great mercy, hear our prayers. Amen.

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John 14:27        NIV
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.

Gracious God, as we come together this week to remember those who have died in past wars, we pray for those who grieve the loss of loved ones. May they know the assurance of Your presence with them.
We pray and give thanks for all our armed forces, serving here or overseas. We pray for their protection and also for the wellbeing of their families.
We pray for those who live with the emotional and physical scars of combat, those for whom daily living continues to be a struggle. Give to them strength, courage, and healing.
We give thanks for the Royal British Legion who will mark 100 years of service this year. So too, we pray for ‘Help for Heroes’ and all charities that work to bring comfort to all those affected by war and conflict.
We pray for all those living in countries where war and conflict, fear and violence is still destroying lives and communities. May the power of Your Holy Spirit bring peace in our world, across all nations.
Finally, we pray for all peacemakers, those who negotiate, those who speak out at great cost to themselves and their families. God of love and peace, bring unity, bring hope, and bring peace into our world this remembrance week. In the name of Jesus, our Prince of Peace we pray, Amen.

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John 14:27        NIV
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.

Gracious God, as we will gaze upon poppies and reflect on the process of remembering this week, today we remember Your Son Jesus Christ who came into our world to bring hope and peace. We remember his witness, his radical inclusive teaching and his outstretched hand of love and acceptance to all those in need. But so too, we remember His words of assurance and comfort, ‘Peace I leave with You, do not let Your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid’. And so today, we take a moment to give thanks, to reflect upon the magnitude of His words and lift before Him any troubles or concerns we are feeling at this time, for ourselves, for others, for our world. May we know You and may we know Your Peace. Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, we come to You. Amen.

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John 8:12           ESV
‘Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Gracious God, as our communities will be lit up this weekend with bonfire festivities and the celebration of the festival of Diwali, we give thanks for the assurance of Your light in our world, as witnessed through the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We acknowledge that our lives are interrupted with dark moments, when sadnesses, insecurities or challenges take over. And yet we know that Your light will never be extinguished in our world, that the love of Jesus will always radiate in the darkness if we allow him to enter our hearts and transform our communities. And so, we give thanks for every act of compassion and kindness that we receive from others. We lift before You those in need of Your light and warmth in their lives this day and we pray that we will each experience the light of Christ shining through us in the days ahead. In His name we pray, Amen.

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John 13:34-35         ESV
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Today we give You thanks for the gift of friendship with a reflection by Margaret Langdon

WALK THE ROAD TOGETHER WITH A FRIEND
Sharing our troubles
Confessing our doubt
Expressing confusion
Let it all out

Walk with another
Close by their side
Talking together
Nothing to hide

Crying the heartache
Sobbing the pain
Open to comfort
Receiving again

Keep close to a friend
God’s gift from above
Allow them to care
Extending their love

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John 13:34-35         ESV
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Gracious God, as All Saints Day is marked today, we give thanks for all those who have gone before us to witness to Your love and grace, for the people who throughout history have touched people’s lives and made a difference in our world. As we remember loved ones dear to us, we remember that nothing can extinguish the love we have for one another.
So too Lord, we give thanks this morning for all those who have been living Saints in past months; the people who have let us know we are cared for, those who have lent a listening ear when we have needed it or shared a smile when we needed lifting up. We give thanks for those who have assisted with our practical needs; helping with shopping, offering us lifts to appointments, sending a word of encouragement, any number of daily acts that have helped us to get through the day. So too, we give thanks for those in their professional capacity who have devoted their work to the maintaining of our physical and mental wellbeing. For all those who go unnoticed in our communities, yet radiate kindness and compassion, we give thanks.
Lord God, at the start of a new week, we ask for Your blessing on us all and those we love. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Genesis 1:31
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”.

Gracious God, as COP 26 begins this weekend, we turn to You in prayer for the health and sustainability of our planet Earth. Lord God, You have made us custodians of Your creation and yet humankind has destroyed many aspects of our amazing, beautiful world. We give thanks that conversations are taking place in the corridors of power about what we can do to prevent further damage and bring about restoration and healing. We pray that Your presence, wisdom and restorative power will be felt in every meeting that takes place during the conference.We pray that nations across the world will unite in the rescue plan that our planet needs. So too, we pray that You will help us to play our part in assisting the healing and recovery process.You have gifted humankind a truly beautiful and awesome home. And so, help us to take seriously our guardianship of the gifts You have bestowed upon us. May our call to be stewards govern and guide our daily living. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Genesis 9:13
‘I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth’.

Gracious God, as Autumn enfolds there are many days when clouds fill the skies and the rain falls. But after the rain You send the gift of the rainbow, which shoots an arc of light and colour to radiate across the darkness. Lord God, in the moments when our lives are tinged with clouds, help us to see those flashes of light when we catch a glimpse of the beauty of nature, or feel the warmth of friendship, or experience the gift of empathy and understanding. In those moments, help us to remember Your love for us and Your ceaseless presence in our lives. Amen.

Thoughts on Rainbows by Margaret Langdon 1st June 2016

The light of God made easier for us to see
A reason to stop and stare for a short time
Moments of colour in a drab day
Signs of hope in despairing darkness
The remembrance of better times gone by
The unexpected appearance of sunshine people on the darkest day.

Thanks be to God, Amen.

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Psalm 147:1  NIV
‘Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!’

Gracious God, as World Opera Day is marked today we give thanks for the amazing gift of music; for harmonies, melodies and the power of sound to reach the very being of our emotions. We give thanks for composers, performers, teachers and producers. We give thanks for the work of music venues from the local village hall, to the grandest of concert halls. We lift before You all musical initiatives that seek to build and inspire communities and make a difference to the lives of people, of all ages. We acknowledge Lord God, how difficult the pandemic has been for so many in the music industry. We pray for those struggling to rebuild their livelihoods after the devastating effects of lockdowns. Help us to appreciate, value and protect the wondrous world of sound that You have created, and may music continue to be a vehicle that promotes unity, hope and joy in our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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John 15:9
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love”.

Gracious God, at the end of Global Wave of Light week, across our world, we remember and honour the families and friends of all those who have experienced the loss of babies and infants. And so we pray especially today for those who have experienced miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, premature delivery, still-birth or the loss of an infant. So too, we pray for those living with the sadness of infertility. Lord God, we pray that Your love will be felt in the hearts and the homes of all those who may be experiencing any kind of loss. May they feel the assurance of Your presence supporting and sustaining them. We pray and give thanks for all midwives and healthcare professionals, and for organisations who are seeking to raise awareness of this important concern. As buildings will radiate pink and blue lights in our towns and cities this evening, may we as communities extend hands of understanding and empathy to all those in need of support and healing. God of power, may Your Holy Spirit send Your love and compassion into our communities this day. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.