The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday, 17 January. Many of those joining together in prayer, which appears in English and Gaelic below, will also light candles.

In a joint message, church leaders in Scotland said:

“‘O Lord, you have searched me and known me.’ The words of the Psalm speak. The words speak into the uttermost depths of who we are and the word of the Lord searches to the furthermost limits of our being. (Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18) The word of the Lord speaks to us in every season and searches us at all times. Nevertheless, there are times in which we are especially conscious of the immediacy and relevance of the word spoken and we might judge that this is such a time.

“We may say at this particular time that we are truly being stretched to the uttermost as human beings and to the furthermost limits of our endurance as a society. These are hard times. At the very moment in which hope has been offered to our society in the form of a vaccine, the risk faced by our society has increased considerably. In the light of this, the challenges we face are difficult beyond measure. Notwithstanding all of this, the word of the Lord endures and still speaks into the uttermost depth and to the furthermost limit. We are not hidden from God and all we face is known by the Lord whose word endures.”

Humbly recognising this to be so, we pray:

Lord, you search us and you know us
And we bow in your holy presence.
You know us this day in all we face
And you are with us through the hours of the night.
Guard us and keep us till the day is done
And the darkness is no more.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, you search us and you know us
And we bow in your holy presence.
You have made us in your image
And woven us together in the womb.
Guide us to the place where life is renewed
And our shared life restored.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, you search us and you know us
And we bow in your holy presence.
You know the challenges of this time
And of all the days that lie before us.
Give hope to all who despair
And comfort to those who grieve.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, you search us and you know us
And we bow in your holy presence.
You know all who by their work serve the common good
And who by their gifts renew hope in dark times.
Keep safe the most vulnerable
And walk with those who are fearful this day.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, you search us and you know us
And we bow in your holy presence.
You are the beginning of all things,
And you are the end of all things, in Jesus Christ.
Guard us and keep us till the day is done
And the darkness is no more.
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. Claire Fender, 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, 17mh dhen Fhaoilleach, ùrnaigh aig 7f

“A Thighearna, rannsaich thu mi, agus is aithne dhut mi.” Tha faclan an t-Sailm seo a’ cur an cèill gu bheil Dia eòlach oirnn aig an ìre as bunataiche, gu bheil e a’ rannsachadh gu domhainn taobh ar staigh. (Salm 139: 1 – 6, 13 – 18) Tha Facal an Tighearna a’ labhairt rinn anns gach àm, agus tha e gar rannsachadh anns gach àm. Ach uaireannan, tha sinn gu sònraichte mothachail air brìgh agus cumhachd an Fhacail a labhras e, agus ma dh’fhaoidte gu bheil sin fìor an-dràsta fhèin.

’S e àm doirbh cruaidh a tha seo, agus tha sinn claoidhte gu pearsanta agus gu coitcheann. Ged a fhuair sinn dòchas leis a’ bhanachdaich, tha an cunnart a’ fàs gu luath cuideachd. Tha na dùbhlanan a tha romhainn doirbh ri thuigsinn. A dh’aindeoin na rudan seo, mairidh Facal an Tighearna, agus tha e fhathast a’ labhairt dhuinn aig an ìre as doimhne. Chan eil sinn falaichte on Tighearna, agus is aithne dha-san – a labhras am Facal bith-bhuan – ar dùbhlanan gu lèir. A’ gabhail ris na fìrinne seo, dèanamaid ùrnaigh:

A Thighearna, rannsaich thu sinn agus is aithhe dhut sinn,
agus tha sinn a’ lùbadh ar glùin nad làthaireachd naoimh.
Is aithne dhut gach rud a tha romhainn,
agus tha thu maille rinn tro uairean na h-oidhche/.
Glèidh sinn gus an tig an latha,
agus an teich na sgàilean.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Thighearna, rannsaich thu sinn agus is aithne dhut sinn,
agus tha sinn a’ lùbadh ar glùin nad làthaireachd naoimh.
Rinn thu sinn nad ìomhaigh fhèin,
dh’fhalaich thu sinn anns a’ bhroinn.
Treòraich sinn dhan àite far an lorg sinn beatha ùr.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Thighearna, rannsaich thu sinn agus is aithne dhut sinn,
agus tha sinn a’ lùbadh ar glùin nad làthaireachd naoimh.
Is aithne dhut dùbhlanan ar latha-ne,
Tabhair dòchas dhan fheadhainn a tha fo eu-dòchas,
agus tabhair comhfhurtachd dhan fheadhainn a tho fo bhròn.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Thighearna, rannsaich thu sinn agus is aithne dhut sinn,
agus tha sinn a’ lùbadh ar glùin nad làthaireachd naoimh.
Is aithne dhut an fheadhann a fhrithealas do dh’fheumalachdan na coimhearsnachd
agus a bheireas dòchas dhuinn uile ann an làithean dorcha len cuid tàlantan.
Glèidh an fheadhainn a tha so-leònt,
agus coisich maille riutha-san a tha fo eagal an-diugh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Thighearna, rannsaich thu sinn agus is aithne dhut sinn,
agus tha sinn a’ lùbadh ar glùin nad làthaireachd naoimh.
Is tusa toiseach gach nì,
Is tusa crìoch gach nì, Alpha agus Omega ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Glèidh sinn gus an tig an latha ,
agus an teich na sgàilean.
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 Claire Fender, 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)