The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 9 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.<\/p>\n
Churches Together In England continue to pray each Sunday at 7pm and are using the hashtag #prayersofhope to share the message on social media.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement, church leaders in Scotland said:<\/p>\n
Have you ever been afraid? Even as we ask the question, we know the answer. Have you been especially afraid at any point in these recent months? Once more, to ask is to know. Collectively and as a society, have we experienced in recent decades anything comparable to the fear and anxiety that has gripped us during the Covid 19 pandemic? Fear and anxiety paralyse us and, as we now see, fear and anxiety can at times paralyse a society and leave it profoundly uncertain.<\/p>\n
The Gospel of Matthew records that early one morning the disciples of Jesus were afraid. They had spent the night in a boat on the water and had been \u2018battered by the waves\u2019 and now they find themselves terrified and unable to recognise the presence of Jesus. Jesus speaks to them and says \u2018do not be afraid\u2019. In response, the disciple Peter steps out of the boat and walks towards Jesus. However, as he does so, fear begins to overtake him once more and he cries out: \u2018Lord, save me!\u2019 In response, Jesus reaches out his hand and brings him to the place of safety. (Matthew 14: 22-33)<\/p>\n
Today, to the fearful and to the anxious, Jesus reaches out his hand.<\/p>\n
Lord, you are our Creator and our Maker.
\nWe are fashioned in your image
\nAnd all that we are is known to you.
\nHear us as we cry out and respond to us in our time of need.
\nLord, in your mercy,
\nHear our prayer.<\/p>\n
Lord, your Word has become flesh and lived among us
\nFull of grace and truth.
\nAs the living Word comes, we respond with open hearts
\nAnd ask that you will meet us in the place where we are today.
\nLord, in your mercy,
\nHear our prayer.<\/p>\n
Lord, you see all that takes place around us
\nAnd nothing is hidden from your sight.
\nYou see waves that batter us and the storm that seems unceasing.
\nCome to us in response to the depth of our need.
\nLord, in your mercy,
\nHear our prayer.<\/p>\n
Lord, your presence is revealed in the life of your Son.
\nHe knows us as we are and even now he prays for us.
\nMay he hear us when we are anxious
\nAnd respond when we are afraid.
\nLord, in your mercy,
\nHear our prayer.<\/p>\n
Lord, you inspire in us faith
\nAnd yet we confess that our faith is weak.
\nHear us when we cry: \u201cLord, save me!\u201d
\nAnd in response reach out your hand to all who cry to you today.
\nLord, in your mercy,
\nHear our prayer.<\/p>\n
Signed by:<\/p>\n
Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
\nRt. Rev. Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
\nMost Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
\nRev. John Fulton, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
\nRev. Dr David Pickering, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
\nRev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
\nRev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
\nRev. May-Kane Logan, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
\nLt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
\nAdwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
\nRev. Jim Ritchie, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
\nPastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
\nBishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)\/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
\nRev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
An robh an t-eagal ort a-riamh? Tha an fhreagairt againn cho luath \u2019s a tha sinn a\u2019 cur an ceist oirnn fh\u00e8in. A bheil an t-eagal air a bhith ort anns na m\u00ecosan seo chaidh gu s\u00f2nraichte? A-rithist, tha an fhreagairt againn uile. An robh an leithid de dh\u2019eagail oirnn a-riamh, gu coitcheann, \u2019s a tha air a bhith oirnn ri linn Covid-19? Bidh an t-eagal agus iomagan gar re\u00f2thadh, agus mar a tha sinn a\u2019 faicinn a-nis, faodaidh iad r\u00ecoghachdan agus coimhearsnachdan a re\u00f2thadh cuideachd, agus m\u00ec-chinnt throm fh\u00e0gail air a h-uile duine.<\/p>\n
Leughaidh sinn ann an Soisgeul Mhata gun robh an t-eagal air deisciobail \u00ccosa aon mhadainn. Bha iad air an oidhche a chuir seachad ann an eathar air an uisge, \u201cair an tilgeil mun cuairt leis na tonnan\u201d agus an uair sin bha dearg-eagal am beatha orra, agus cha b\u2019 urrainn dhaibh l\u00e0thaireachd \u00ccosa aithneachadh. Labhair e riutha, agus thuirt e, \u201cNa biodh eagal oirbh.\u201d Agus fhreagair Peadar e, agus thug e ceum \u00e0s an eathar agus choisich e a dh\u2019ionnsaigh \u00ccosa. Ach fhad \u2019s a rinn e sin, thuit an t-eagal air a-rithist, agus ghlaodh e, \u201cA Thighearna, s\u00e0bhail mi!\u201d Agus sh\u00ecn \u00ccosa a-mach a l\u00e0mh agus rug e air, agus thug e gu \u00e0ite s\u00e0bhailte e. (Mata 14: 22 – 33)
\nAn-diugh, tha \u00ccosa a\u2019 s\u00ecneadh a-mach a l\u00e0mh dhaibh-san uile a tha fo eagail agus fo iomagain.<\/p>\n
A Thighearna, chruthaich thu agus dhealbh thu sinn.
\nTha sinn dealbhte nad \u00ecomhaigh fh\u00e8in,
\nagus tha sinn uile gu l\u00e8ir aithnichte dhut.
\n\u00c8ist rinn, agus sinn a\u2019 glaodhadh, agus thoir cobhair dhuinn nar feum.
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair,
\n\u00c8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/p>\n
A Thighearna, chaidh d\u2019 Fhacal a dh\u00e8anamh na fhe\u00f2il agus ghabh e c\u00f2mhnaidh nar measg,
\nl\u00e0n gr\u00e0is agus f\u00ecrinn.
\nTha am Facal be\u00f2 a\u2019 tighinn dar n-ionnsaigh, agus tha sinn ga fhreagairt le cridheachan fosgailte.
\nThig, a Thighearna, agus coinnich rinn far a bheil sinn an-diugh.
\nA Thirgheana, na do thr\u00f2cair,
\n\u00c8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/p>\n
A Thighearna, tha thu a\u2019 faicinn gach rud a thachras mu thimcheall oirnn,
\nagus o d\u2019 fhradharc chan eil n\u00ec sam bith falaichte.
\nTha thu a\u2019 faicinn na tonnan a tha gar tilgeadh, agus stoirm nan seachd s\u00econ.
\nThig, a Thighearna, agus de\u00f2naich dhuinn cobhair nar feum.
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair,
\n\u00c8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/p>\n
A Thighearna, tha do l\u00e0thaireachd air fhoillseachadh ann am beatha do Mhic.
\nTha e e\u00f2lach oirnn, tha e ag eadar-ghuide air ar son.
\nDe\u00f2naich gun cluinn e sinn nuair a tha sinn iomaganach,
\nagus gum freagair e sinn nuair a tha sinn fo eagal.
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair,
\n\u00c8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/p>\n
A Thighearna, tha thu a\u2019 brosnachadh ar creideimh,
\nach tha sinn ag aideachadh gu bheil ar creideamh lag.
\n\u00c8ist rinn nuair a ghlaodhas sinn, \u201cA Thighearna, s\u00e0bhail mi!\u201d
\nAgus s\u00ecn a-mach do l\u00e0mh dhaibh-san uile a tha ag glaodhadh riut an-diugh.
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair,
\n\u00c8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/p>\n
Soidhnichte:<\/p>\n
Am F\u00ecor Urramach Marcus Strange, Primus as leth Colaiste nan Easbaigean, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba
\nAn Ceart Urramach M\u00e0rtainn Fair, Moder\u00e0tor \u00c0rd-Sheanadh Eaglais na h-Alba
\nAm F\u00ecor Urramach Leo Cushley, \u00c0rd-Easbaig Chill R\u00ecmhinn agus D\u00f9n \u00c8ideann
\nAn t-Urramach Iain Fulton, Moder\u00e0tor, Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte na h-Alba
\nAn t-Urramach Daibhidh Pickering, Moder\u00e0tor, Eaglais Ath-Leasaichte Aonaichte (Alba)
\nAn t-Urramach M\u00e0rtainn Hodson, \u00c0rd-Sti\u00f9iriche, Aonadh Baisteach na h-Alba
\nAn t-Urramach Marcus Slaney, Cathraiche Roinn-D\u00f9thcha, Eaglais nam Methodach (Alba)
\nAn t-Urramach May-Kane Logan, Cathraiche, Caidreachas Co-thionalach ann an Alba
\nLt. Col. Carol Bailey, R\u00f9naire na h-Alba, Feachd na Sl\u00e0inte
\nAdwao Bittle, Comann nan Caraidean (Cuagairean)
\nAn t-Urramach Jim Ritchie, \u00c0rd-Neach-Sti\u00f9iridh Roinn-D\u00f9thcha, Eileanan Bhreatainn, Eaglais an N\u00e0saraich
\nAoghaire Chris Gbenle, Aoghaire Roinn-D\u00f9thcha, M\u00f2r-Roinn na h-Alba, Eaglais Chr\u00ecosdal air Saoradh le Dia
\nEasbaig Francis Alao, Eaglais Dh\u00e8 (Alba)\/ Eaglaisean nam m\u00econ-shluagh c\u00f2mhla ann an Alba (MECTIS)
\nAn t-Urramach Fred Drummond, Sti\u00f9iriche, Caidreachas Soisgeulach (Alba)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday 9 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 […]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}