Coping with a feeling of powerlessness during the COVID-19 pandemic is at the heart of this week’s joint prayer offered by churches across Scotland.

A letter encouraging Christians to join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday has been co-signed by 14 churches and faith organisations across the country, including the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Many of those joining together will also light candles at the time of prayer, which appears below in English and in Gaelic.

Churches Together In England also continue to pray each Sunday at 7pm and will be using the hashtag #prayersofhope to share the message on social media.

In a joint message accompanying this week’s prayer, Scottish church leaders said:

“The experience of being powerless is one that will resonate with many of us. There are times throughout our experience when we sense that we are not in control of what is happening in our own world. Indeed, there will be occasions when we sense that the wider world is afflicted by the seeming absence of a guiding hand.

“The Apostle Paul expresses the reality that God acts through Jesus Christ, for us and our salvation, at the very moment in time when we are unable to act on our own behalf and we are powerless. The action of God in Jesus Christ is a demonstration of the love of God. (Romans 5: 1-8, NIV) As we know ourselves to be powerless and, at the same time, to be those who have received the renewing and empowering love of God poured ‘into our hearts by the Holy Spirit’, we turn to God, we pray:

Living God, you demonstrate your love for us
Though our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we are powerless
Stand with us in our weakness.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, you demonstrate your love for the world
Through the self-giving of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We remember those who are powerless in our world
And stand with them in their weakness.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, as we stand with others
May we understand more fully the life we share in common.
In understanding more fully
May we embrace the richness of the life you gift us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, your Holy Spirit
Is the Lord and Giver of Life.
May your love be poured into our hearts
And our lives renewed.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
Embrace us, and all Creation,
In the love you demonstrate through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
Rt. Rev. Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
Rev. John Fulton, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Dr David Pickering, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
Rev. May-Kane Logan, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rev. Jim Ritchie, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)

Gairm gu ùrnaigh: Latha na Sàbaid, 14mh dhen Ògmhios, ùrnaigh aig 7f

Tha iomadh duine an-diugh a tha a’ faireachdainn eu-treun agus gun chomas.  Bidh sinn uile a’ faireachdainn aig ammanan nach eil smachd againn air ar beathannan fhèin.  Gu dearbh fhèin, is beag am fios a tha againn aig amannan gu bheil do làmh a’ treòrachadh an t-saoghail idir.

Tha an t-Abstol Pòl a’ cur an cèill na fìrinne gu bheil Dia ag obair tro Ìosa Crìosd air ar son agus a-chum ar saoradh, nuair nach robh e an comas dhuinn a bhith ag obair gu h-eifeachdach air ar son fhèin, agus sinn gun chumhachd, gun spionnadh.

Tha Dia a’ foillseachadh a ghràdh dhuinn ann gnìomharan Ìosa Chrìosd (Ròmanaich 5: 1- 8).   On a tha fhios againn gu bheil sinn gun chumhachd bhon neart againn fhèin, ach làn chumhachd bho neart agus gràdh Spiorad Dhè nar cridheachan, dèanamaid ùrnaigh.

A Dhè Bheò, tha thu a’ foillseachadh do ghràdh dhuinn,
tro ar Tighearna Ìosa Crìosd.
Nuair a tha sinn gun chumhachd,
nuair a tha sinn fann, seas ri ar taobh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè Bheò, tha thu a’ foillseachadh do ghràdh dhan t-saoghal,
tro fhèin-ìobairt ar Tighearna Ìosa Crìosd.
Tha sinn a’ cuimhneachadh nan uile anns an t-saoghal againn a tha gun chumhachd,
agus tha sinn nar seasamh rin taobh, agus iad fann.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè Bheò, nuair a tha sinn a’ seasamh ri taobh daoine eile,
deònaich gun tuig sinn nas fheàrr a’ bheatha a tha againn sa chumantas.
Agus deònaich gum bi sinn, leis an tuigse sin, a’ gabhail ri do thìodhlac dhuinn, beatha na lànachd.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè Bheo, is e do Spiorad Naomh
Tighearna agus Tabhartair na Beatha.
Dòirt a-nuas oirnn do ghràdh,
gus am bi ar beathannan air an ath-nuadhachadh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè Bheò, Athair, Mac agus Spiorad Naomh;
Cruitheadair, Fear-Saoraidh agus Fear-Dìon,
Gabh rinn, agus ri do chruthachadh gu lèir,
anns a’ ghràdh a tha thu a’ foillseachadh dhuinn tro ar Tighearna Ìosda Crìosd.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

Soidhnichte:

Am Fìor Urramach Marcus Strange, Primus as leth Colaiste nan Easbaigean, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba
An Ceart Urramach Màrtainn Fair, Moderàtor Àrd-Sheanadh Eaglais na h-Alba
Am Fìor Urramach Leo Cushley, Àrd-Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn agus Dùn Èideann
An t-Urramach Iain Fulton, Moderàtor, Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte na h-Alba
An t-Urramach Daibhidh Pickering, Moderàtor, Eaglais Ath-Leasaichte Aonaichte  (Alba)
An t-Urramach Màrtainn Hodson, Àrd-Stiùiriche, Aonadh Baisteach na h-Alba
An t-Urramach Marcus Slaney, Cathraiche Roinn-Dùthcha, Eaglais nam Methodach (Alba)
An t-Urramach May-Kane Logan, Cathraiche, Caidreachas Co-thionalach ann an Alba
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Rùnaire na h-Alba, Feachd na Slàinte
Adwao Bittle, Comann nan Caraidean (Cuagairean)
An t-Urramach Jim Ritchie, Àrd-Neach-Stiùiridh Roinn-Dùthcha, Eileanan Bhreatainn, Eaglais an Nàsaraich
Aoghaire Chris Gbenle, Aoghaire Roinn-Dùthcha, Mòr-Roinn na h-Alba, Eaglais Chrìosdal air Saoradh le Dia
Easbaig Francis Alao, Eaglais Dhè (Alba)/ Eaglaisean nam mìon-shluagh còmhla ann an Alba (MECTIS)
An t-Urramach Fred Drummond, Stiùiriche, Caidreachas Soisgeulach (Alba)