Category: Call to Prayer & Reflections

Call to Prayer 18th July 2021

Call to Prayer: Sunday 18th July 2021 Prayer @ 7pm

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Where do we find ourselves today? Does the light of the day still shine and does the way ahead seem clear and certain? Or; does darkness fall and the way ahead seem uncertain and hidden in the shadows? In whatever situation we find ourselves, the Psalms speak to us and the Psalms speak for us. They speak to us and for us in every situation of life.

Perhaps there is nowhere that this is more evident than in the 23rd Psalm. The resonance of the ancient, yet immediately present, words of the Psalmist can be sensed, such that even now we can hear those words speaking into the depths of who we are: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd…Even though I walk through the darkest valley…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me’. (Psalm 23) To read and to hear the words evokes a response in the very depths of our being. We are addressed by God and the Psalm offers to us words of response: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley…I fear no evil’. ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord’. Wherever we find ourselves today, the Lord speaks to us and graciously offers us words of response. We pray:

Gracious Lord
And faithful Shepherd,
Lead us to the place of your presence
And speak to us your word that brings life.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord
And faithful Shepherd,
Lead us to the place of still waters And restore our troubled souls.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord
And faithful Shepherd,
Lead us on the paths of righteousness
And deliver us from evil.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord
And faithful Shepherd,
Lead us through the valley of shadows
And bring us to the place of safety.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord
And faithful Shepherd,
Lead us to the place where the table is renewed
And the cup overflows for all.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Lord
And faithful Shepherd,
Lead us to the place where goodness and mercy abide
And to the house of the Lord forever.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)

Musings from the Manse

This week’s gospel lesson (Mark 6:14-29) has had me thinking about choices and consequences. John the Baptist made the hard choice to be a truth teller and lost his head because of it. Herod Antipas made a silly promise at a dinner party and ended up having to deliver the head of John the Baptist on a platter in order to save face.

On the surface these situations may seem far removed from what most of us face in daily life, but I wonder if things are really all that different. If this is true, am I more like Herod or John the Baptist; am I a truth teller or someone caught up in all the trappings of power and prestige?

I suppose there’s a little of both characters in my constitution depending on the situation. I strive as a Minister to be a truth teller and to be fearless in my proclamation and living. Yet, there is still a lot of Herod in me. I am a daughter of privilege just by the fact that I am a white female living in the United Kingdom.

I have work, a wonderful place to live, plenty of good food, clean water, transportation, and more than enough clothes and possessions. I am wealthier than ninety-plus percent of all the world’s people.

To what ends would I go to “protect” that privilege? What would I really be willing to sacrifice in the name of justice and equity? Am I willing to speak truth in love–even if the truth exacts a high price from me personally or, worse yet, from those whom I love?

I think of the many brave men and women of every generation who have made hard choices and suffered the consequences for those choices, who chose justice over saving face and dishonour above honour.

Would I be willing to do likewise? I know what Jesus calls me to do. The gospel is clear about that, and it doesn’t take a Theological degree or a vocational call to figure it out.

The simple fact is that every single choice you or I make in life is either a choice for good or ill. Oh sure, the outcome and ripple effect may not be clear at the time, but do not be fooled; there is a price to be paid by someone, somewhere.

What we eat, what we buy, what we choose not to buy or consume, whether we speak out for right and truth or remain silent it all makes a difference. It kind of boggles my brain to ponder it all but ponder such things we must.

As Christians, people who bear the name of Christ, we must take seriously the command to love our neighbours as ourselves 24/7, not just when it is convenient or when someone is watching us.

Or in the words of Micah 6:8, “. . . and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

There is always a cost to being prophetic, even today – but that doesn’t mean we should avoid it. But approach with care, there is a danger, a risk, of self-righteousness – of assuming that we have got it right, that we have the answers, of comparing our supposed ‘innate goodness’ over and against those we might challenge. And that is why Jesus taught humility and love – so that our words and actions might always be proportionate, and our motives sincere and true.

And the key for us all is: who or what rules our motives and actions?

May Christ truly be the centre of who we are, and all we do and say.

 

Rev Nik Wooller

11th July 2021

Call to Prayer July 11th 2021

Call to Prayer: Sunday 11th July 2021 Prayer @ 7pm

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What is the future shape of the society in which we live? To ask the question is to invite any number of different answers and many of the answers will reflect the uncertainty of the times. In all of our lives, there is perhaps a greater element of uncertainty than there has been in previous years. Each of us will respond to the challenges of our times in different ways and many will ponder the question and ask: What does the future hold?

The Apostle Paul lived within the society of his time and offers us a vision of our place within the world. That vision is shaped by an understanding of how we share in the purpose and plan of the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’. We share in that understanding as those who have received the ‘promised Holy Spirit’. Within this vision, we find that we are adopted as the children of God and discover our place according to the purpose and plan of God. (Ephesians 1: 3- 14) If we cannot yet describe the future shape of our society, we know that, whatever the future holds, we live as those whose destiny is shaped by the purpose and plan of God. We pray:

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You adopt us as your children
And include us within your purposes.
May we find our place in the world and purpose for our lives
As we respond to your gracious initiative in Christ.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You adopt us as your children
And offer to us forgiveness.
May we know the healing power of forgiveness
And offer forgiveness according to the measure that we have been forgiven.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You adopt us as your children
And make known your intention
To gather together all things in heaven and earth.
May our lives on earth reflect the life of the world that is to come.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You adopt us as your children
And make known to us the word of truth.
May we always speak according to the truth
And may our words reflect the One who came to us full of grace and truth.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You adopt us as your children
And seal us with the promised Holy Spirit
May we rediscover our place in the world and renew the purpose of our lives
As we receive the gracious gift of your Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)

Call to Prayer 4th July 2021

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At certain times in our experience we are especially conscious of our strengths and, at other times, of our weaknesses. In our times of perceived strength, we are confident of our capacities and abilities. In our times of perceived weakness, it is often otherwise. We might easily imagine that it is in the former situation that God is especially close to us. However, the experience of faith and of the grace of God suggests otherwise.

The Apostle Paul discovered this in the course of his own spiritual experience and came to realise the sufficiency of the grace of God in his life. This discovery is madein the times when he senses that he is at his weakest and not in his times of perceived strength. (2 Corinthians 12: 9) In the spiritual journey that each one of us makes, the sufficiency of God is often known when we come to the end of our own strength and discover the ever-renewed grace of God.

We pray:

God, whose grace is revealed,
In the One who embraces the Cross,
May we know the sufficiency of your grace
In the times of our deepest need.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God, whose grace is revealed,
In the One who embraces the Cross,
May we walk in the company of those who suffer
And so share in the grace that you provide.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God, whose grace is revealed,
In the One who embraces the Cross,
May we experience the strength you provide
In the times of our greatest weakness.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God, whose grace is revealed,
In the One who embraces the Cross,
May our lives be renewed as we live out our response to your grace
And so share in the community of grace.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God, whose grace is revealed,
In the One who embraces the Cross,
May your grace, sufficient in days past,
Be sufficient in all the days that are to come.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)

 

Call to Prayer 27th June 2021

Print version The Gospel of Mark records the story of a woman who reaches out to Jesus and does so from the depth of her suffering. She does so because she ‘had heard about Jesus’ and longed to find healing. The Gospel describes how a large crowd was following Jesus ‘and pressed in on him’ and it is from the midst of the crowd that the woman reaches out. In the moment that she does so, Jesus senses ‘that power had gone forth from him’. In response to his question: “Who touched me?”, the woman comes ‘in fear and trembling’ and tells ‘the whole truth’. In response, Jesus affirms that her faith has yielded wholeness and peace. (Mark 5: 21-43)

In times of suffering, we may find ourselves worn out and uncertain as to the strength of our faith. Whether from the depths of the crowd, or; in the loneliness of our isolation, Jesus invites us to reach out and experience the healing and peace of God. We pray:

Living God,
Move among us
And invite us to reach out to your presence revealed in Jesus.
When we are fearful,
Calm our fears and bring us safe into your presence.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Move among us
And invite us to reach out to the One who inspires faith.
When we sense our faith ebbs low,
Renew our faith and reassure that your faithfulness abides forever.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Move among us
And invite us to the place of healing.
When we are broken,
Lift us up and remake us in your image.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Move among us
And invite us to the place of peace.
Where peace seems absent,
Fill the place of absence with your abiding presence.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Move among us
And invite us to step out of the crowd.
Where we are hesitant to do so,
Reassure us that you see us and know us and accept us as we are.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)

Call to Prayer 20 June 2021

Call to Prayer: Sunday 20th June 2021 Prayer @ 7pm

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‘We’re all in this together!’ When we hear such a statement, it implies that we share together in the difficulty being faced. No one is exempt and we all have to face up to the challenge that confronts us. There are times, of course, when we wonder if this is entirely true! Nevertheless, the last months have brought home to us the fact that, in facing up to the challenge of the pandemic, no one is exempt.

In the Gospel of Mark, the disciples find themselves in a boat one evening with Jesus. They have left the crowds behind and are in a situation in which they might have said: ‘We’re all in this together!’ Except, Jesus is asleep even as a storm arises ‘and the waves beat into the boat’ and the boat seems set to be overwhelmed. The disciples are all in this together, but what about Jesus? The disciples ask him: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” In response, Jesus rebukes the wind and calls to the sea: “Peace! Be still!” He then asks the disciples: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” It is as if he is asking them: ‘Did you think that I was not in this together with you?’ (4: 35-41)

The challenges of these last months have left us with many questions. However, we may be sure of this: In all we face, Jesus is with us in the boat in the midst of the storm and we can say: ‘We’re all in this together!’ We pray:

Lord of the winds and of the sea,
Be with us today
As we turn to you and listen for your voice.
Whether in the midst of quiet or of storm,
Speak to the depths of who we are.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of the winds and of the sea,
Be with us today
As we leave behind that which is past
And face the challenges of this day:
Speak your word to us in this present moment.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of the winds and of the sea,
Be with us today
As we sense the depth of the challenges we face
And fear that we shall soon be o’erwhlemed:
Speak to us in the still, small voice of calm.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of the winds and of the sea,
Be with us today
As you have been with us
In all the days that the storm has raged:
Speak the words that calm the storm and cease the rage.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of the winds and of the sea,
Be with us today
As we hear the words you have spoken
And know the peace of your presence renewed:
Speak the words that inspire faith and reassure us of your abiding presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)

Call to Prayer 13 June 2021

Call to Prayer: Sunday 13th June 2021 Prayer @ 7pm

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‘Seeing is believing!’ The saying is one that we are all familiar with and it finds expression in music, film and everyday speech. In essence it means: To see is to believe. However, the reality of life is that we see so much that it becomes increasingly difficult to say we believe simply on the basis of what is before our eyes. The multiplicity of images and information that are presented to us threaten at times to overload the senses.

The Apostle Paul offers us a way of seeing things differently. Instead of saying: ‘Seeing is believing!’, it is almost as if he reverses this and says: ‘Believing is seeing!’ Paul was very conscious of the challenges he faced and of the passing nature of what he saw around him. In facing the reality of this in his daily life, he is confident that he has found a way to live that is not dependent solely on what he sees. Rather, he affirms: ‘we walk by faith, not by sight’. (2 Corinthians 5: 7) Paul looks ‘not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen’, and by faith he ‘sees’, beyond the temporary, the way that God has marked out. (2 Corinthians 4: 18) In our daily lives, we seek to see the world through eyes of faith. We pray:

Everlasting God,
Whose way is known to those who live by faith,
Grant us that we might walk by faith
And so live for you
That our lives reflect the glory of God.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Everlasting God,
Whose way is known to those who live by faith,
Grant us the assurance that, as we walk by faith,
We are not alone
And that we walk in the company of your Son.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Everlasting God,
Whose way is known to those who live by faith,
Grant us the knowledge
That we walk in the company of your people
And in the community of your Spirit.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Everlasting God,
Whose way is known to those who live by faith,
Grant us that we might see
The complexity of this world
Through eyes enlightened by faith.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Everlasting God,
Whose way is known to those who live by faith,
Grant us to see, by faith,
The image of God
In each life shaped by your hand.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Everlasting God,
Whose way is known to those who live by faith,
Grant us that, at the last,
We will come into your presence
And share in the life everlasting.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)

Call to Prayer 6th June 2021

Call to Prayer: Sunday 6th June 2021 Prayer @ 7pm

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‘Are we there yet?’ We can easily picture a small child enquiring plaintively from the back of the car as to whether, or not, the destination has been reached? Indeed, even as we mature, we can all readily identify with the sentiment as we enquire as to whether, or not, our desired destination has been reached? Over the past months, we might perhaps have been tempted to succumb to the frustration of a journey’s end delayed and to rather lose heart.

As one who had journeyed and who continued to journey, the Apostle Paul was not unfamiliar with the challenges of doing so. In response to those whom he sensed were ready to succumb to frustration, Paul affirms the basis on which we should continue to journey and concludes: ‘Therefore we do not lose heart.’ What is that basis? It is the assurance that the One who ‘raised the Lord Jesus from the dead’ will also raise us with him and bring us into God’s presence. We share in the life of the risen Lord Jesus and the challenges we face on the journey are to be set in the light of this. We might not be there yet but, as we share in the life of the risen Lord Jesus, we are those who ‘do not lose heart’. (2 Corinthians 4: 13-5: 1) We pray:

Living God,
Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
Be with us on the journey before us.
Be with us when the path is smooth
And the horizon is clear.
Lead us on to the place of your presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
Be with us on the journey before us.
Be with us when the path is broken
And the way obscured.
Still lead us on to the place of your presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
Be with us on the journey before us.
Be with us as we face the challenges seen
And those as yet unseen.
In all we face, may your abiding presence remain.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
Be with us on the journey.
Be with those who grow frustrated
And who feel disheartened.
Renew us that we may discover your presence once more.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Living God,
Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
Be with us on the journey.
Be with us that we might share
In the life of the Risen Lord
And the life everlasting in your presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal 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)
  • 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)

Call to prayer 30 May 2021

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The vision of the Lord offered by the prophet Isaiah is one in which the presence of the living God fills the Temple and we hear resounding from every corner the cry:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; The whole earth is full of his glory.’

The Temple itself is shaken as the fulness of God’s presence is revealed. The prophet Isaiah can do no more than acknowledge who he is before God. Yet, even as he senses his own weakness, he hears the voice of the Lord calling: “Whom shall I send?” In response, Isaiah says: “Here am I. Send me!”

Today, in the midst of all we face, the fulness of the living God is made known to us in Creation and revealed through Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and by the Holy Spirit as our Sustainer. In our weakness, we also may hear the voice of the Lord calling: “Whom shall I send?” In response, we also may say: “Here am I. Send me!” We pray:

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord Almighty;
Living God, may your presence be known to us
Even in our weakness.
May we know you as your presence is revealed
And as your calling is renewed.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord Almighty;
Living God, may your presence be known to us
In all the gifts of Creation.
May we receive these gifts as a sacred trust
And treasure all that you have given to us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord Almighty;
Living God, may your presence be known to us
In the One whom you have sent to redeem us.
May we share in the life of Christ
And in the life of the body of Christ.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord Almighty;
Living God, may your presence be known to us
In the One whom you have poured out upon us.
May we be renewed by the Spirit
And share in the life the Spirit gives to us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord Almighty;
Living God, may your presence be known to us
In our worship in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
May you receive us as we are
And accept us in our weakness.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

  • Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
  • Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
  • Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
  • Rev. Dr David Miller, Moderator, United 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. Claire Fender, 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)