The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 30 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:

“‘Here I am’. In these simple words, we hear a presence revealed and an identity disclosed. When we hear these words spoken by someone that we know, we know that the intention behind them is that they will inform us that another human presence is with us. In saying these words, the speaker knows that we will recognise their identity because their identity is known to us. Nothing else needs to be said. There is, we might say, a communion shared between the person who speaks and the person who hears.

“In the Book of Exodus, it is the living presence of the Lord who is revealed and whose identity is disclosed to Moses. The revelation and disclosure takes place on ‘holy ground’ as Lord speaks out of the bush that burns but which is not consumed. Moses does not yet recognise the identity of the One who speaks and the divine name of Lord is not yet fully disclosed. Moses asks that he might know the identity of the One who speaks to him. In response, the Lord says: ‘I AM WHO I AM’. (Exodus 3: 1-15) The presence of the Lord is revealed to us in the depths of the human heart as the Lord speaks to us. There is, we might say, a communion shared between the One who speaks and the person who hears.”

We pray:

Living God,
Speak to us that we might sense your presence
And know your Name this day.
Speak into the depths of our lives
Out of the depth of your life divine.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Living God,
Reveal your Name to us
As you revealed your Name in ages past.
Reveal your Name to us
For we long to know you that you are with us now.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Living God,
You have made yourself known to us
And invited us to share in your life.
May we share our lives with others
And know them as our family and our friends.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Living God,
As we share in the life of the world
May we better hear the voices of those around us.
As we hear their voices
May we better know the depths of who they are.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Living God,
You make known to us your identity
In the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
May we hear you speak, in the place where we are,
That we might share in living communion with you this day.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

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, 30mh dhen Lùnastal, ùrnaigh aig 7f

“‘Tha mi an seo.” Tha a faclan simplidh seo ag innse dhuinn cò a th’ ann an Dia, agus gu bheil
e faisg oirnn. Tha esan a’ bruidhinn, agus tha fhios aige gun aithne dhuinn cò a th’
ann. Chan eil feum ann air a’ chòrr. Tha dàimh ann eadar an neach a labhras agus an neach
an chluinneas.

“Ann an leabhar Ecsoduis, foillseachar làthaireachd bheò agus pearsa an Tighearna do
Mhaois. Is ann air ‘talamh naomh’ a chluinn e guth an Tighearna a’ bruidhinn à meadhon
pris a bha a’ lasadh le teine ach nach robh air a losgadh. Aig an toiseach, cha do dh’aithnich
Maois cò an t-Aon a bha a’ bruidhinn ris, agus cha robh an t-ainm naomh air a
fhoillseachadh dha gu buileach. Nuair a dh’fhaighnich Maois dheth cò a bh’ ann, thuirt an
Tighearna, “IS MI AN TÌ AS MI” (Ecsodus 3: 1 – 15). Tha làthaireachd an Tighearna air a
foillseachadh dhuinn nar cridhe nuair a labhras an Tighearna rinn. Tha dàimh ann eadar an
neach a labhras agus an neach a chluinneas.”

Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:

A Dhè bheò,
Labhair rinn, gus am mothaich sinn do làthaireachd,
agus gun aithnich sinn d’ Ainm an-diugh.
Labhair rinn, gus an cluinn sin nar beathanan
do ghuth naomh gach latha.
A Thighearna, èist rinn,
A Thighearna ghràsmhòr, èist rinn.

A Dhè bheò,
Foillsich dhuinne d’Ainm,
mar a dh’fhoillsich thu e anns na linntean a dh’fhalbh,
gus am bi fios againn gu bheil thu maille rinn an-diugh.
A Thighearna, èist rinn,
A Thighearna ghràsmhòr, èist rinn.

A Dhè bheò,
Tha thu air d’fhoillseachadh fhèin dhuinn,
gus am bi sinn a’ gabhail pàirt nad bheatha.
Deònaich gun roinneadh sinn ar beatha le daoine eile,
agus eòlas fhaighinn orra mar ar theaghlaich agus ar caraidean fhèin.
A Thighearna, èist rinn,
A Thighearna ghràsmhòr, èist rinn.

A Dhè bheò,
Nuair a ghabhas sinn pàirt ann am beatha an t-saoghail,
deònaich gun cluinneamaid guthan an fheadhainn a tha gar cuairteachadh.
Nuair a chluinneas sinn na guthan aca,
dèonaich gum faigh sinn eòlas nas fheàrr orra.
A Thighearna, èist rinn,
A Thighearna ghràsmhòr, èist rinn.

A Dhè bheò,
Deònaich gum faigh sinn eòlas ort,
Athair, Mac agus Spiorad Naomh.
Deònaich gun cluinneamaid do ghuth san àite far a bheil sinn,
gum bi sinn beò annad an-diugh.
A Thighearna, èist rinn,
A Thighearna ghràsmhòr, èist rinn.

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)