The Scottish Episcopal Church and other denominations join together in prayer on Sunday at 7pm, as they have done throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Many of those joining together in prayer, which appears below in English and Gaelic, will also light candles.
In a joint message, church leaders in Scotland said:
“What do we see? As we survey the day-to-day progress of life: What do we see? What we might prefer to see is a world that is coherent and ordered, with everything in its place and a place for everything. Equally, we might prefer to see a world subject to a guiding hand leading us on to a place of certainty. Whatever we might prefer to see, we may be certain that it is not yet the world as we see it today.
“The Letter to the Hebrews takes up the words of the Psalmist and pictures the ‘son of man’ as the One who has all things subject to him. Indeed, the Letter affirms that: ‘God left nothing that is not subject to him.’ Immediately thereafter, it states: ‘Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.’ There is a vision of the world as it shall be and a realisation that the world in which we live is not yet aligned to that vision. What we see is the world as it is and not yet the world as it shall be in the providence of God. The place we inhabit is the point of tension between the world we see and the world as God intends it to be. In this place, and by the grace of God, ‘we see Jesus…now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death’ and we resolve to live out our faith as we follow the One who is the author and pioneer of our salvation. (Hebrews 2: 5-12/Psalm 8: 4-6)”
Living God,
You give life to the world
And to all Creation,
And we seek your guiding hand
In the days in which we live.
Grant that we might discern your guidance
And live faithfully in accordance with your will.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
You give life to the world
And to all Creation,
And your care for Creation
Overflows to all the earth.
Grant to us the resolve to care for Creation
In the place we inhabit and in the time you have given to us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
You give life to the world
And to all Creation,
And you create us to reflect
The image of God.
Grant to us that we may see in our neighbour
A reflection of your image and so value the lives of all.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
You give life to the world
And to all Creation,
And we see the world as it is
And know that it is not yet the world as you will it to be.
Grant to us faith that we might see Jesus and follow the One
Who is the author and pioneer of our salvation.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Signed by:
Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
Rev. Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Neil MacMillan, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Paul Whittle, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
Rev. Thomas R. Wilson, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rev. Ruth Turner, 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, 26mh dhen An Dàmhair, ùrnaigh aig 7f
A Dhè bheò,
tha thu a’ toirt beatha dhan t-saoghal
agus dod Chruthachadh gu lèir,
agus chì sinn do làmh gar treòrachadh
tro làithean ar beatha.
Deònaich gun aithnich sinn do threòrachadh,
gus am bi sinn beò a-rèir do rùin.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
tha thu a’ toirt beatha dhan t-saoghal
agus dod Chruthachadh gu lèir,
agus tha do ghràdh airson do Chruthachaidh
a’ lìonadh an t-saoghail gu iomall na talmhainn.
Deònaich dhuinn rùn suidhichte
gus an aire a thoirt air do Chruthachadh,
an t-àite a thug thu dhuinn mar àite-còmhnaidh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
tha thu a’ toirt beatha dhan t-saoghal
agus dod Chruthachadh gu lèir,
agus dhealbh thu sinn nar faileasan ìomhaigh Dhè.
Deònaich gum faic sinn d’ ìomhaigh
nar coimhearsnaich,
agus gun cur sinn luach nas àirde
air beatha nan uile.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè bheò,
tha thu a’ toirt beatha dhan t-saoghal
agus dod Chruthachadh gu lèir.
Chì sinn an saoghal mar a tha e a-nis,
agus tha fhios againn nach eil e fhathast mar a mhiannas tu gum biodh.
Deònaich dhuinn creideamh
ach am faic sinn Ìosa,
agus gus an lean sinn an Tì
as e ceannard is fear crìochnachaidh ar slànachaidh.
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 Morair Uallas, Moderàtor Àrd-Sheanadh Eaglais na h-Alba
Am Fìor Urramach Leo Cushley, Àrd-Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn agus Dùn Èideann
An t-Urramach Oll. Daibhidh Miller, Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte na h-Alba
An t-Urramach Niall MacMhaoilein, Moderàtor, an Eaglais Shaor
An t-Urramach Pòl Whittle, 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 Tòmas R. Wilson, Cathraiche, Caidreachas Co-thionalach ann an Alba
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Rùnaire na h-Alba, Feachd na Slàinte
An t-Urramach Rut Nic an Tuairneir, Àrd-Neach-Stiùiridh Roinn-Dùthcha, Eileanan Bhreatainn, Eaglais an Nàsaraich
Adwao Bittle, Comann nan Caraidean (Cuagairean)
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)