In quietness and trust shall be your strength
In returning and rest you shall be saved.
Cast your burden upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.
Glory to God, Source of all being,
Eternal Word and Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be for ever. Amen.
From pain and weariness,
God of Light, set us free
From heavy burdens,
God of Light, set us free
From pride and bitterness,
God of Light, set us free
From past regret,
God of Light, set us free
From painful memories,
God of Light, set us free
From anxiety about the future,
God of Light, set us free
From deep despair,
God of Light, set us free
From guilt and terror,
God of Light, set us free
In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy, help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love, to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God
You hear and respond to the cry
of the fearful heart;
help us to give voice to the voiceless
and to uphold those who work
for justice,
that we may joyfully bring in the glory of your kingly rule;
through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord. Amen.
From today's Eucharistic Lectionary, used around the world,
this passage from Mark's Gospel chapter 12.
One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him,
‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’
Jesus replied, ‘This is the first:
Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord,
and you must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your mind and with all your strength.
The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.’
The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master;
what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other.
To love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding and strength,
and to love your neighbour as yourself,
this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’
Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said,
‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’
"Love God,
love your neighbour,
and while you're at it,
love yourself!"
Bishop Michael Curry
"Christian love is to be expressed
with concrete acts,
words are not enough".
Pope Francis
INTERCESSION
Loving God – you keep on looking out for us,
you never give up on us,
and we give you thanks for your constant love and faithfulness
which is the source of our joy and our hope.
May your presence bring healing and hope
Across our world there are those who wait and who hope,
who long to be reunited with the people and the society around them:
We bring before you the devastated people and communities of Syria, Israel/Palestine, and all countries torn apart by war, conflict and violence.
May your presence bring healing and hope
We pray for those who work for peace and reconciliation,
for soldiers caught in the midst of conflict
and for families who grieve the loss of loved ones.
May your presence bring healing and hope
We pray for those in this country and globally
who have been affected by the current virus.
We pray for the health service, and all key-workers
on the "front line" to heal and protect,
and those in our shops for whom this is a stressful time.
May your presence bring healing and hope
We pray for people struggling with illness of body or mind,
and those trying to make ends meet; those in business struggling with survival;
those in positions of responsibility in society
who are tired and who long for a sense of renewal
May your presence bring healing and hope
May we respond to God's love for us
through inward change and outward action.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
THE CURRENCY OF CARE
Abundant God,
more precious than gold,
and far richer than rubies,
is Your eternal love.
You place true value
in whatever is good, and loving, and just,
and You encourage us to invest ourselves
into the wealth of Your economy.
Use us as Your currency in the world
that we might show
something of Your lavish grace,
hallmarked upon our lives
and seen in all that we do.
The Spirit of truth lead us into all truth,
give us grace to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
and strengthen us to proclaim the word and works of God;
and may the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.
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