The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 23 August 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:

“How well do we respond to a challenge? The answer we give will, no doubt, depend on many different factors. Whatever our answer, we know that our response is strengthened when it is made in the company of others.

“Our response to the challenge of living out our calling as a member of the body of Christ is one that depends, in principle, on our response being a shared one. Living out our calling, in response to the mercy of God, lies at the heart of what it is to worship. Within the body of Christ, we have shared gifts and a shared identity. (Romans 12: 1-8) At the same time, living out that calling in these strange and challenging times is by no means easy. We do so in the assurance that we are not alone and acknowledging our continuing dependence on the mercy of God.”

We pray:

Living God, whose name is mercy,
We acknowledge that we live in dependence on your mercy.
Hold us, and all whom you call,
In your gentle keeping.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, through whom we receive mercy,
We respond to your gracious gift
And offer our lives into your service and the service of others.
Accept us as we are and embrace us in your love.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, as the one who inspires mercy,
Make us ever merciful to others.
As we respond to the challenge of these times,
May we live out our calling ever conscious of the body of Christ.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, who wills to be merciful to all,
Renew our calling to worship you.
In the place where we are, whether in shared company or in our own company,
Receive our worship through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God, whose name is mercy,
May your name be known throughout the world.
As those who have received mercy,
May your name be known in the place where we are.
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, 23mh dhen Lùnastal, ùrnaigh aig 7f

“Dè cho math ’s a tha sinn a’ deileagadh ri dùbhalanan?  Gun teagamh, bidh sinn a’ deileagadh riutha nas fheàrr no nas miosa ann an co-theacsaichean diofraichte.  Tha e soilleir ged-tà, gum bi cùisean a’ dol nas fheàrr leinn nuair a tha caraidean ri ar taobh.

“Tha amas romhainn uile mar phàirt de bhodhag Chrìosda. Tha an dòigh anns a bhios sinn ga choileanadh à rèir muinntir eile na coimhearsnachd.  Lorgaidh sinn cridhe ar n-adhraidh ann a bhith a’ leanntainn a’ chùrsa seo, mar fhreagairt do thròcair Dhè.  Ann am bodhag Chrìosda, tha tàlantan agus fèin-aithne againn a tha aonaichte (Ròmanaich 12: 1 – 8).  Aig an aon àm, chan eil e idir furasta a bhith a’ coileanadh an dleasdanais seo anns na làithean doirbh agus neònach anns a bheil sinn.  Ach tha fios is cinnt againn nach eil sinn nar n-aonar, oir tha làn earbsa againn ann an tròcair Dhè.”

Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:

A Dhè bheò, a Dhè na tròcaire,
Tha sinn uile gu lèir eismileach air do thròcair.
Glèidh sinn, agus na h-uile air a bheil thu a’ gairm,
fo sgàil do sgèith.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè bheò, a bheir dhuinn tròcair,
tha sinn a’ gabhail ri do thiodhlac ghràsmhòr,
agus tha sinn a’ tairgsinn ar beatha ann an seirbheis dhut agus do ar choimhearsnaich.
Gabh rinn mar a tha sinn, agus glèidh sinn na do ghràdh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè, tha thu a’ dùsgadh tròcair annainn.
Deònaich gum bi sinn tròcaireach do chàch.
Deònaich gum bi sinn mòthachail gu bheil sinn mar phàirt de shluagh Dhè agus gu bheil sinn ag obair còmhla.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè bheò, a dhèonaicheas tròcair do chàch,
Gairm sinn a-rithist gus adhradh a thoirt dhut.
Anns an àite far a bheil sinn, nar n-aonar no ann an cuideachd,
gabh ri ar n-adhradh tro Ìosa Crìosd ar Tighearna.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.

A Dhè bheò, A Dhè na tròcair,
lìonaidh cliù d’ainme gach uile thìr.
Deònaich gum foillsich sinne, a fhuair do thròcair, cliù d’ainme far a bheil sinn.
A Dhè, na do tròcair,
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)