Following the announcement in the Scottish Parliament by the First Minister today (4th January 2021) and pending updated guidance from the College of Bishops, our Churches will no longer be open to the public for either services of worship or private prayer. So from now on we must all pray at home.
We will be reflecting and praying about what we can offer by email, on-line and on paper over the next few days and would appreciate your prayers as we do this. The on-line Coffee Morning will still take place on Tuesday mornings on Zoom using the same details as before (if you have mislaid the joining details, email James and they will be provided by return).
Keep safe, keep well and we can all look forward to when we can gather again in the presence of God and each other for worship. In the meantime, we can all help to look after each other via the phone, email etc.
May God bless you all.
Two prayers from the Scottish Prayer Book
In the time of any common Plague or Sickness.
O ALMIGHTY and merciful God, with whom are the issues of life and death: Grant us, we beseech thee, help and deliverance in this time of grievous sickness and mortality, and sanctify to us this affliction, that in our sore distress we may turn our hearts unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
For Hospitals and Infirmaries.
ALMIGHTY God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ went about doing good, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people: Continue, we beseech thee, his gracious work among us in all hospitals and infirmaries; console and heal the sufferers; grant to the physicians, surgeons, and nurses, wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; prosper their work, O Lord, with thy continual blessing; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
So good to see prayers from the Scottish Prayer Book. I fervently wish it was used more often as it brings so much more comfort than than the bland modern versions and, as shown by the two prayers used, it has prayers relevant for almost every conceivable occasion.