The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 25 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:
“The question asked of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is simple: ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ (22: 36) It is a part of a series of questions asked of Jesus and the purpose of the questions is to ‘entrap him’. (22: 15) At this point we might ask: How many commandments are there in the Law of Moses? In an ancient tradition, the answer is 613 and in the 12th Century a great Rabbi of the time set out the 613 commandments in detail. In other words: Answering the question that Jesus is asked is potentially difficult and complex. How do we make sense of so many laws and regulations? The answer that Jesus gives takes us to the heart of the commandments: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ (22: 37-39) In his summary, Jesus says: Everything hangs on these two commandments. (22: 40)
“In a society necessarily shaped by law and regulation, the answering of questions in relation to them can at times seem potentially difficult and complex. In the midst of the complexity, we hear again the commandments to love God and neighbour and affirm that everything hangs on these two as our indispensable guide.”
We pray:
Lord our God,
We turn to you,
As the One who has spoken in times past,
And ask that that you would speak to us in times present.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord our God,
In our response,
We listen for your Word
And the call to love you with heart and soul and mind.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord our God,
In the living out of our response,
We offer all that we are,
Knowing you have given all through Christ our Lord.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord our God,
We turn to you,
As the One who has made us in your image,
And who makes our neighbour in that same image.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord our God,
In our response,
We journey with our neighbour
And seek to love them as you command.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord our God,
In the living out of our response,
We stand together with our neighbour,
Knowing you stand together with us through Christ our Lord.
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, 25mh dhen Dàmhair, ùrnaigh aig 7f
“Chaidh ceist shìmplidh a chuir air Ìosa ann an Soisgeul Mhata: “Fhir-Teagaisg, cò i an àithne as motha san lagh?” (22: 36). Chaidh a cur am measg tòrr eile gus Ìosa “a ghlacadh na chainnt.” (22: 15). Faodaidh sinn fhaighneachd: cò mheud àitheantan a tha ann san lagh? A-rèir beul-aithris nan Iùdhach, tha 613 dhiubh ann, agus anns an 12mh linn chuir Rabbi cliùiteach iad uile an cèill gu mionaideach. Chì sinn, ma-thà, gur e ceist gu math toinnte a chaidh a cur air Ìosa. Ciamar thuigeas sinn an uiread seo de laghan agus riaghaltan? Tha freagairt Ìosa gar toirt do chridhe an lagha: “Gràdhaichidh tu an Tighearna do Dhia led uile chridhe, agus led uile anam agus led uile inntinn… Gràdhaichidh tu do choimhearsnach mar thu fhèin.” (22: 37 – 39). Tha e ag ràdh gur ann air an dà àithne seo a tha an Lagh gu lèir agus na Fàidhean a’ crochadh. (22: 40)
“Tha ar beathanann agus ar coimhearsnachdan air an dealbhadh le laghan agus riaghaltan, agus faodaidh ceistean mun deidhinn a bhith doirbh agus toinnte. Ach nach èisteamaid a-rithist ri àitheantan an lagha, gus Dia a ghràdhachadh agus ar coimhearsnach a ghràdhachadh mar sinn fhèin, agus nach dearbhamaid gu bheil a h-uile rud a’ crochadh air a sin, agus nach leanamaid an dà àithne seo, a threòrachas sinn tro ar ceistean uile.”
Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:
A Thighearna ar Dia,
tha sinn a’ tighinn gad ionnsaigh,
gad ionnsaigh-sa, an Tì a labhair rinn ann an làithean a dh’fhalbh.
Agus tha sinn a’ guidhe ort gun labhradh tu rinn san latha an-diugh.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Thighearna ar Dia,
tha sinn ag èisteachd ri d’ Fhacail
agus ris an gairm gus do ghràdhachadh le cridhe
agus anam agus inntinn.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Thighearna ar Dia,
Mar fhreagairt, bheir sinn dhut
ar cridheachan agus ar n-anaman fhèin,
le fios gun tug thu fhèin gach nì a bh’ agad tro Chriosd ar Tighearna.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Thighearna ar Dia,
Tha sinn a’ tionndadh gad ionnsaigh,
gad ionnsaigh-sa, a rinn sin nad ìomhaigh fhèin,
agus a rinn ar coimhearsnach san ìomhaigh sin.
A Thighearna, na do tròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Thighearna ar Dia,
Tha sinn a’ siubhal maille ri ar coimhearsnaich,
a’ feuchainn ris an gràdhachadh a-rèir d’àithne.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaighean.
A Thighearna ar Dia,
tha sinn nar seasamh ri taobh ar coimhearsnaich,
le fios gu bheil thusa nad sheasamh maille 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)