The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 11 October 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:

“Among the many challenges our society faces at this time is that of finding the appropriate words to describe and express that which needs to be described and expressed. As we have discovered, that is a far more difficult challenge than might have been anticipated.

“In seeking to describe and express the spiritual challenges of this time, we turn to Scripture and discover that Scripture speaks to us and for us. This is especially so of the Book of Psalms. Augustine, a Christian writer who lived in North Africa in the 5th Century writes: ‘If the psalm prays, you pray. If the psalm laments, you lament. If the psalm exalts, you rejoice. If it hopes, you hope. If it fears, you fear. Everything written here is a mirror for us.’

“At this time, the 23rd Psalm ‘is a mirror for us’: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ The imagery speaks to us and for us. It evokes a memory embedded in our spiritual consciousness that resonates with every part of who we are. Whatever paths we take, even to the ‘darkest valley’, the Lord leads us so that we ‘fear no evil’. In our journey, personally and collectively, the Psalm speaks to us and for us.”

We pray:

Good shepherd,
Speak to us and for us.
Speak to us in the midst of us these times
And, in the words of the Psalmist, speak for us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good shepherd,
Speak to us at the break of day
And in the evening.
Speak to us the words that resonate in the depths of our hearts
Even as human words fall silent.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good shepherd,
Journey with us,
Even to dark valleys.
Go before us
And lead us safe home.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good shepherd,
We confess that we fear the times
And that our souls are troubled.
Lead us to still waters
And restore our souls.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good shepherd,
Surely you are with us
And your presence there to comfort.
Comfort us when we are anxious
And strengthen us when we are weak.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good shepherd,
In these present times,
May your goodness and mercy be with us.
In times to come,
May we recall that goodness and mercy has surely followed 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, 4mh dhen Dàmhair, ùrnaigh aig 7f

“A-measg dùbhlanan eile a tha romhainn anns na làithean seo: tha e doirbh dhuinn a mhìneachadh na tha a’ tachairt agus na tha sinn a’ faireachdainn.  Tha sin nas dorra na bha cuid againn an dùil an toiseach.

“Nuair a dh’fheuchas sinn ri dùbhlanan spioradail ar linn a mhìneachadh, tionndaidh sinn do na Sgriobtaran, oir chì sinn annta faclan a labhradh rinne agus air ar son.  Sgrìobh Augustine, sgrìobhaiche ainmeil ann an Afraga a Tuath anns a’ chòigeamh linn:  “Ma tha ùrnaigh ann an salm, nì thu ùrnaigh.  Ma tha caoineadh ann an salm, nì thu caoineadh.  Ma tha brosnachadh ann an salm, bidh thu air do bhrosnachadh.  Ma tha dòchas ann, bidh dòchas agad.  Ma tha eagal ann, bidh eagal ort.  ’S e sgàthan dhuinn a th’ anns gach rud a tha sgrìobhte ann an Leabhar nan Salm.”

“Is e Salm 23 ar sgàthan an-diugh.  “Is e Dia fhèin as buachaill dhomh, cha bhith mi ann an dìth.”  Tha an ìomhaigh seo a’ bruidhinn rinne agus air ar son.  Tha e a’ dùsgadh cuimhneachdan agus tuigse taobh ar staigh, aig ìre fìor dhomhainn.  G’e be na slighean a tha romhainn, fiù ’s “gleann dorcha sgàil a’ bhàis”, bidh an Tighearna a’ treòrachadh ar ceum, gus nach eagal leinn “aon olc no urchaid a theachd” oirnn.  Tha an Salm a’ bruidhinn rinne agus air ar son, gu pearsanta agus mar choimhearsnachd.”

Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:

A Bhuachaille mhaith,
Labhair rinn agus air ar son,
Labhair rinn ann an àm ar feuma,
agus, tro fhaclan an t-Salmaidh, labhair air ar son.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Bhuachaille mhaith,
Labhair rinn aig beul an latha,
agus aig beul na h-oidhche.
Labhair rinn le faclan a dhùisgeas ar cridhe,
eadhon nuair a bhios ar faclan fhèin balbh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Bhuachaille mhaith,
Bidh maille rinn air an t-slighe,
eadhon anns na gleanntan dorcha.
Thèid romhainn,
gus ar treòrachadh dhachaigh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Bhuachaille mhaith,
Tha sinn ag aideachadh gu bheil an t-eagal oirnn,
agus gu bheil ar n-anama fo dhòrainn.
Treòraich sinn ri taobh nan aibhnichean thèid seachad sìos gu mall, agus aiseag ar n-anam air ais.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Bhuachaille mhaith,
Gu deimhinn, tha thu maille rinn,
agus bheir do làthaireachd comhfhurtachd dhuinn.
Tabhair dhuinn comhfhurtachd nuair a bhios sinn fo iomagain.
Tabhair dhuinn neart nuair a bhios sinn fann.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Bhuachaille mhaith,
anns na làithean seo,
tabhair dhuinn do mhaitheas agus do ghràs.
Anns na làithean a tha ri teachd,
tabhair dhuinn an cuimhne gun lean do mhaith is tròcair rinn.
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)