Bind us together, Lord, that we may find out what living in true unity can be.
Give us the know-how to unknot our ties to division
and instead free us to be one as You are one.
Turn us away from the ways of the world,
which foster conflict, opposition and polarisation.
May we be peacemakers and peacekeepers in our homes,
in our churches and among those we know.
Gracious God, we acknowledge today that sometimes
our faith is not as constant as it could be,
our actions are sometimes low on love and compassion,
our humility is sometimes swallowed up by self-importance.
In this place where You are present among us, wherever we happen to be,
and which is made sacred by that,
we seek Your forgiveness and mercy.
May the risen Jesus bring us before the empty tomb
and remind us that he is alive and brings us new life.
We thank You for new beginnings and fresh understandings,
for the strength to move on and to be the church for others.
We thank You that You cast out fear and bring light to darkness.
Empower us to walk in Your path, and to trust in You.
God our Father,
We know we face many challenges in life,
as do all people who try to live with any conviction.
We ask You will bless the Church of Scotland at this difficult moment
and turn what looks like a poor strategy
into something that brings new possibilities and fresh vigour to the nation’s faith.
We pray for other churches in this country and through the world
responding to the needs of people where they are
and bringing the good news in word and action.
Be with them in all that they do, in their work and worship and fellowship.
And we pray for all who are going through times of turmoil,
who feel distracted, fearful and unsure of when and how things could change.
Bring hope to them, and bring peace and security.
For all those on our minds at this time, we pray, especially this week for:
Ruth, Stuart, Margaret, Malcolm,
Robert H, Evelyn, Eleanor,
John N, Ela, James, Emily,
Anthony, Jill, Cath, Henryk
Amy, Andrew, Jo, Peter,
Ron, Bill B, Mary, and Jean…
Our prayers are offered to You, God of compassion,
and we thank You for hearing us, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Leith St Andrew's Parish Church 