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 before You this Thursday morning, we pray especially for all those NHS staff whose mental health has been severely affected by what they have experienced during the pandemic. We continue to give thanks for their self-giving, empathy, skill and compassion, but we appreciate that the unprecedented pressures placed upon them, over past months, has impacted upon their well-being. Living Lord, when You appeared to the disciples in the upper room, following Your resurrection, You offered a peace that only Your love can give. And so, we pray that those healthcare professionals in need of a sense of peace at this time, will receive the practical support they so richly deserve, and so too we pray that they will, in time, experience the peace that comes from being supported and loved by You. We lift them all into Your hands this day. In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace we pray, Amen.

Luke 24:36     NIV
Jesus Appears to the Disciples

‘While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

As we remember the appearances of Jesus following His resurrection, I invite you today to pray using a beautiful reflection composed by Margaret Langdon.

IN THE UPPER ROOM
You came
Although they were frightened
Although they had doubts
Although they couldn’t decide what to do
You came

You came
And wished them peace
And brought them hope
And gave them purpose
You came

You came
And your love overwhelmed their fear
And their doubt and indecision
And your presence brought strength and revelation
…. my Lord and my God ! …….

TODAY IN OUR UPPER ROOM
You come
Although we fear the future
Although we have so many anxieties
Although we don’t know where things will lead
You come

You come
And bring us peace in our hearts
And hope for the future
And courage to plan ahead
You come

You come
And we are overwhelmed by your love
And we rest in your presence
And we cry out to you for inspiration
….. Our Lord and our God !  ……

Romans 8:38-39      (NIV)

‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’.

Gracious God, as we move on from the Easter weekend celebrations, we reflect upon the feelings of the early followers of Jesus who were left still trying to make sense of His crucifixion and resurrection. Their minds and hearts must have been bursting with joy, bewilderment, uncertainty, excitement and anticipation of what was to come of Jesus’ ministry. And yet, as people living in the light of the resurrection today, we know that the events of Easter brought hope into our world, an everlasting hope with the assurance that nothing, not even death itself, can separate us from the love of God and from a living relationship with Jesus. And so we journey on in faith, with that love and hope in our hearts and minds, this day and in the days to come, Amen.

Holy Week – Maundy Thursday

Mark 14:22-25
During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.” Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God’s kingdom.”

Gracious God, as Good Friday approaches, we reflect upon the events in the upper room. On the night before He was betrayed, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an act of humility and servitude and so may we respond and commit to serving others. On the night before He was betrayed, Jesus spoke of reconciliation between God and His people, so may we continue to nurture relationships rooted in God’s love for us and may we follow His commands and be the people He would have us be. And on the night before He was betrayed, Jesus asked us to remember Him, and so this day we give thanks for His sacrifice upon the cross. As Jesus suffered rejection and persecution, may we support all those who feel rejected, oppressed and unloved. Living God, give us the courage and the strength to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, for it is In His name that we pray, Amen.

Holy Week – Wednesday

Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.

Gracious God, as we reflect upon the woman who had so little, yet was prepared to share everything she had, we give thanks for those who give so generously of their time and their compassion for the benefit of others. May we as communities give generously to those in need. So too, we pray that you will give us generous hearts and that you will help us to give whatever we can, in service to You, in order that Your love may be experienced and known in our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Holy Week – Wednesday

Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.

Gracious God, as we reflect upon the woman who had so little, yet was prepared to share everything she had, we give thanks for those who give so generously of their time and their compassion for the benefit of others. May we as communities give generously to those in need. So too, we pray that you will give us generous hearts and that you will help us to give whatever we can, in service to You, in order that Your love may be experienced and known in our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Holy Week – Tuesday

John 12:34-36
The crowd said to Jesus, “The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus answered, “The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you can. Then you won’t be caught walking blindly in the dark. Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light”.

Gracious God, as the sun shines through and the light nights return, we give thanks for the way light refreshes and restores our minds and warms our hearts. We remember how Jesus brought light into our world, how He faced up to and challenged the things that created darkness in people’s lives. We give thanks for everything He taught us about radiating light into the dark corners of our world, about offering support, empathy and compassion, and we give thanks too that we have witnessed so many examples of this, in our communities, during the pandemic. And so, this Holy Week as we journey with Jesus to the cross, help us to continue to follow His guiding light and may His love shine in our lives and in our world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Holy Week – Monday

Mark 11:15-17       Living Bible
‘When they arrived back in Jerusalem, he went to the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers, and knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves, and stopped everyone from bringing in loads of merchandise. He told them, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple is to be a place of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of robbers.”

Gracious God as we begin Holy Week, we reflect upon Jesus’ final days on earth. Today as we remember how Jesus went into the Temple and chastised those who were cheating others out of their money, we pray for those in authority, those who have the power to make decisions that affect the welfare of others. Lord God, we know that sadly not everyone is treated fairly and justly in our world. As we reflect upon the witness of Jesus, we pray that You will help us to do whatever we can to support justice for others to ensure that all people in society are treated with equality and respect.
We pray especially for refugees, for all those who have had to leave their homes and are searching for a safe place to live. May we as communities extend hands of compassion and support to those in need. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Psalm 23 Modern English Version
A Psalm of David.
‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake’.

Gracious God, as many of our schools and colleges begin to close for the Easter holidays, we pray for all staff, young people, parents and carers. We thank You that schools have been able to open and that our young people have resumed the joy of learning together and seeing friends again. We pray for all students returning home from college after a very unsettled term. We know that sadly, many of our young people, of all ages, are facing mental health issues as a result of the pandemic, and so we lift them before You and pray for assurance and a sense that all will be well amidst these challenging times. We give thanks for staff who have made the transition from providing online learning to welcoming everyone into the classroom. For their energy, resilience and vocation we give thanks and pray that all educators will have some time for rest and relaxation during the holiday period. Finally Lord God, we give thanks for all parents and carers. We appreciate that there are many difficult and challenging situations in our homes, that many parents are struggling with financial concerns and their own health issues. So we just pray that Your presence will be felt in every home, and that all our families will know that as a society we care for them and that they are truly loved and valued by You. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Isaiah 41:13 Modern English Version

‘For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.”

Gracious God, as we come before You this morning, we recognise that there are the days when we have the strength to ‘stride out’, days when we need a ‘gentle nudge’ to guide us forward and then days when just ‘putting one foot in front of another’ is hard. But we know that You are a God who understands this, who is simply waiting to offer us the support and encouragement we need. So, we pray that you give to each of us the assurance that however we are feeling we can come to You, that Your firm hand is stretched out before us and Your arms are waiting to wrap around us. May we continue to put our trust in You. As communities, may we continue to support those in need, particularly those struggling emotionally at this time. May conversation and a listening ear be a natural part of our daily routine. Lord God, we come in thanks and praise that You are our living God. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

On this Thursday morning, we pray once more for all those working within the NHS. The applause on our doorsteps may have silenced but their amazing self-giving continues. And so, we lift the mental well-being of all NHS workers before You, and as we give thanks for them, we continue to hold them in our prayers. Amen.