Together we pray.

We wanted to have a daily gathering together but this is not possible for many of your congregation. This is an online community of prayer. Please share your comments as if you were with us.
There are Four elements to each day- Prayer & Praise, Conversations at the Crossroads- reading and response,God & Me and Prayers to continue during the day.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Alleluia Sing to Jesus, his the sceptre, his the throne.

Prayer and Praise

           O God, make speed to save us.


          O Lord, make haste to help us
        Gladden the soul of your servant,

  for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Praise 
Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth, 
to you be glory and praise for ever. 
From the darkness of death you have raised your Christ 
to the right hand of your majesty on high. 
The pioneer of our faith, his passion accomplished, 
has opened for us the way to heaven 
and sends on us the promised Spirit. 
May we be ready to follow the Way 
and so be brought to the glory of his presence 
where songs of triumph for ever sound: 
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
Blessed be God for ever. 

Psalm 93 
Refrain:The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
1The Lord is king and has put on glorious apparel; 
the Lord has put on his glory
and girded himself with strength.
2He has made the whole world so sure 
that it cannot be moved.
3Your throne has been established from of old; 
you are from everlasting. R
4The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice; 
the floods lift up their pounding waves.
5Mightier than the thunder of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea, 
the Lord on high is mightier.
6Your testimonies are very sure; 
holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever.
Refrain:The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
Christ our King,
you put on the apparel of our nature
and raised us to your glory;
reign from your royal throne
above the chaos of this world,
that all may see the victory you have won
and trust in your salvation;
for your glory's sake.
Reading
Response
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

Prayers may include these concerns:

God's royal priesthood, that it may be empowered by the Spirit
Those who wait on God, that they may find renewal
All people that they may acknowledge the kingdom of the ascended Christ
All who are struggling with broken relationships
Our city of Brussels 

O King enthroned on high,
Comforter and Spirit of truth,
you that are in all places and fill all things,
the treasury of blessings and the giver of life,
come and dwell with us,
cleanse us from every stain
and save our souls, O gracious one.

Amen.


The Lord's Prayer

May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and minds.
Alleluia, Amen

Conversations at the Crossroads
Philip and the Etheopian
LOOK…and be curious. 
WAIT…with prayerful expectation. Come Holy Spirit: meet us at our crossroads. 
READ…the text with an open mind. Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ Now there was an Ethiopian come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him.’ The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Starting with this scripture, Philip proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. (Acts 8.26-38 abridged.)
LISTEN…for a word with a willing heart. 
RESPOND…with prayer and action. 
Traveller God, 
you are also on the dusty road. 
Sometimes we find ourselves alongside those with questions, 
the excluded and sad, those seeking new life. 
Sometimes we ourselves are those people. 
Teach us not to delay a moment longer 
but to both offer and receive the water of life 
and with it, new perspectives on the journey 
in the company of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God and Me


Tree – root and branch desires

You have on your drawing sheet a line denoting the ground, and on the middle of it, a seed. You are

going to grow this seed into a tree/your spiritual tree. Before the tree begins to grow, consider

(mark in, write draw) the things that it seeks. A physical tree reaches for light and warmth, its roots

go down to water, nutrients. What are the spiritual aims that draw you – the need for God, Love,

friendship, desire to share God with others?

Then begin to draw your tree. Make the branches wide so that you can write in them, or long, so

that you can write on them.

Silf divides our desires in two, those that form the branches above ground, those that create roots

beneath.

Consider your branch desires: to be creative, to reach out to others, to share your life with

friends, to change the world...

Consider your root desires – the things that strengthen and nourish you: to be loved,

recognised, held, cared for, to find security, to know God through prayer

It is said that there is as much of a tree below ground as above. How does yours balance? Would

you like to change the balance?

There are weeds around the tree, there are rocks below the ground, there is wind and rain

above the ground. What are the forces, the fears, that stop your tree from growing true, that push

your roots sideways, that make some branches fail? Draw them in also and name them, see if you

can work out, with God how to get round them.

Community. One of the ways of protecting a tree from the weather is to have other trees by it.

Can you envisage a neighbouring tree, perhaps standing for a Christian on whom you rely? Is their

tree wide and firm, or tall and aiming directly upwards? Can you also envisage the young trees that

shelter under yours?

Prayers to continue into the day

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Lord of Life, Hear our prayer.

Reading
Pause, reflect on God's glory, his life giving water which strengthens us.

Alleluia Sing to Jesus, his the sceptre, his the throne
Our Father....
For with you is the fountain of life; in youlight we see light.
Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Be a well within us
They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Send us your comforter.
 
In your strength Lord help us to spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.

May our light will rise in the darkness,
    and our night become like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide us always;
    he will satisfy our needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen our frames.
We shall be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail. (Based on Is 58)

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.

The Blessing

God the Father, who has given to his Son the name above every other name, strengthen us to proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord. Amen

God the Son, who is our great high priest passed into the heavens, plead for us at the right hand of the Father. Amen
God the Holy Spirit, who pours out his abundant gifts upon the church, make us faithful servants of Christ our King. Amen

And the blessing of God almighty, the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and
remain with us always. Amen

Copyright material is included from Common Worship: © Archbishops' Council
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