The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 27 September in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those joining together in prayer, which appears in English and Gaelic below, will also light candles.
Churches Together In England continue to pray each Sunday at 7pm and are using the hashtag #prayersofhope to share the message on social media.
In a joint message, church leaders in Scotland said:
“For the second occasion, in the course of a journey that was now set to be much longer than originally anticipated, the people of Israel complain to Moses. At the heart of the complaint is the question: ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ The first occasion is recorded in Exodus 16 where ‘bread from heaven’ is provided by the Lord in response to that complaint. Now, as the journey is set to continue for a longer period, a complaint is raised again. In response, the Lord calls Moses to go ‘ahead of the people’ and lead them to the place of renewed provision. In response, Moses leads the people of Israel to the place where water is provided in the wilderness. (Exodus 17: 1-7)
“For the second occasion, in the course of a journey that is now set to be much longer than originally anticipated, we are being asked as the people of God to share, in the communities of which we are a part, a renewed challenge in relation to the Covid 19 crisis. We are not where we wanted to be on the journey and we cannot go back to where we started. At this time, the question we might well ask is this: ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ As we go forward together, we ask that the Lord will lead us to the place of renewed provision, so that we can say, humbly and with thanksgiving: ‘Yes, the Lord is among us!’”
We pray:
Living God,
We journey in hard places today
And in the company of many who are weary and fearful.
We journey in hard places
And we confess that we are weary and fearful ourselves.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
As you have heard our cry in times past,
Hear our cry renewed.
As you have provided for your people in times past,
Renew your provision today.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
You have watched over us
And brought us safe thus far.
You watch over us now
And we trust that you shall lead us to the place of safety renewed.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
In our remembering of the journey past,
We do not forget those who are no longer with us.
In our remembering of the journey past,
We do not forget the depth of the challenges we have faced.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
Go before us we ask
And lead us to the place of your presence.
Go before us
And bring us to the place where your presence is renewed.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord God,
In our journey onwards,
May we know that you are among us.
At journey’s end,
May we know that you have always been with us.
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. Lindsey Sanderson, 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, 27mh dhen t-Sultain, ùrnaigh aig 7f
“Thòisich sluagh Israeil ri gearan ri Maois airson an darna turas air an t-slighe a bha a-nis cho fada nas fhaide na bha iad an dùil. B’e seo cnag na cùise: ‘A bheil an Tighearna maille rinn, no nach eil?’ Is urrainn dhuinn leughadh mun chiad turas a rinn iad gearan ann an Ecsodus 16, nuair a thug an Tighearna “aran à nèamh” dhaibh ann an àm am feuma às dèidh dhaibh a’ chiad gearan sin a dhèanamh. Greis as dèidh sin, agus an turas aca a’ sìor-fhàs nas fhaide, thòisich iad ri gearan a-rithist. Mar fhreagairt, thuirt an Tighearna ri Maois, ‘Imich ron t-sluagh’ gus an treòrachadh gu àite far an robh uisge sa charraig ‘a-chum gun òl an sluagh.’ Agus threòraich Maois an sluagh dhan àite far an robh uisge san fhàsach. (Ecsodus 17: 1 – 7).
“Airson an darna àm air turas a tha a-nis a’ coimhead nas fhaide na bha sinn an dùil an toiseach, tha sinn air ar gairm mar shluagh Dhè gus ar pàirt a dhèanamh ann an èiginn Covid-19. Chan eil sinn far an robh sinn ag iarraidh a bhith, agus chan urrainn dhuinn a dhol air ais dhan àite far an robh sinn roimhe. Aig an àm seo, dh’fhaodadh ceist sluagh Israeil a bhith againn cuideachd, ‘A bheil an Tighearna maille rinn, no nach eil?’ Fhad ’s a tha sinn a’ siubhal air adhart còmhla ri chèile, tha sinn a’ guidhe air an Tighearna gun treòraich e sinn dhan àite far a bheil uisge san fhàsach, gus an canamaid, ‘Gu deimhinn, tha an Tighearna maille rinn!’”
Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:
A Dhè bheò,
’S e turas cruaidh a tha againn an-diugh,
maille ri mòran a tha sgìth agus fo eagal.
’S e turas cruaidh a tha againn,
agus tha sinn ag aideachadh gu bheil sinn fhèin sgìth agus fo eagal.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
Chuala tu gaoir do shluaigh anns na laithean a dh’fhalbh,
èist ri gaoir do shluaigh an-diugh.
Mar a thug thu uisge san fhàsach dod shluagh anns na làithean a dh’fhalbh,
tabhair e dhuinn mar an ceudna an-diugh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
tha thu air a bhith a’ coimhead oirnn,
agus gar treòrachadh gu ruige seo.
Tha thu a’ coimhead oirnn a-nis,
agus tha earbsa againn gun treòraich thu sinn a dh’àite sàbhailte a-rithist.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
Tha sinn a’ coimhead air ar turas gu ruige seo,
agus chan eil sinn a’ dìochuimhneachadh na feadhna nach eil còmhla rinn tuilleadh.
Tha sinn a’ coimhead air ar turas gu ruige seo,
agus chan eil sinn a’ dìochuimhneachadh na dubhlanan a tha air a bhith againn.
A Thighearna, na do tròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
imich romhainn, tha sinn ag ùrnaigh,
gar treòrachadh a dh’àite do làthaireachd.
Imich romhainn,
gus an lorg sinn do làthaireachd as ùr.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
Deònaich dhuinn eòlas do làthaireachd,
fhad ’s a tha sinn air an t-slighe.
Aig ceann ar turais,
gum biodh fhios againn gun robh thu maille rinn an-còmhnaidh.
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 Lindsey Sanderson, 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)