The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday, 20 December, the fourth Sunday in Advent. Many of those joining together in prayer, which appears in English and Gaelic below, will also light candles.<\/p>\n
In a joint message, church leaders in Scotland said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe words of the angel to Mary bring this assurance: \u2018The Lord is with you.\u2019 (Luke 1: 28) The words are clear and unequivocal: \u2018The Lord is with you.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cNevertheless, Mary is \u2018perplexed\u2019 and clearly fearful as she tries to comprehend the words spoken to her. The message of the angel that she is to become the bearer of the Christ-child leads her to ask: \u2018How can this be, since I am a virgin?\u2019 In response, the angel speaks of the promise of the Spirit and Mary affirms and embraces the promise: \u2018Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.\u2019 (Luke 1: 26-38) It is as if Mary hears and embraces the first words spoken to her: \u2018The Lord is with you.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we come near to the point where the promise of the Advent season is fulfilled in the birth of the Christ-child, we are conscious of the renewed challenges we face within the communities of which we are a part. In the face of this, each one of us longs to know the assurance of the promise: \u2018The Lord is with you.\u2019 In the perplexities and challenges of the times, and to each one of us, the words of assurance are spoken. The Lord is with us and we are invited to embrace the promise of the Christ-child who is to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
We pray:<\/p>\n
Lord, draw near to us<\/em> Lord, draw near to us<\/em> Lord, draw near to us<\/em> Lord, draw near to us<\/em> Signed by:<\/p>\n Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church Gairm gu \u00f9rnaigh: Latha na S\u00e0baid, 20mh dhen D\u00f9bhlachd, \u00f9rnaigh aig 7f<\/strong><\/p>\n Tha faclan an aingeil do Mhoire a\u2019 taisbeanadh an d\u00f2chais seo: \u201cTha an Tighearna c\u00f2mhla riut\u201d (L\u00f9cas 1: 28). \u2019S e teachdaireachd shoilleir a tha seo, \u201cTha an Tighearna c\u00f2mhla riut.\u201d<\/p>\n A dh\u2019aindeoin sin, bha Moire \u201cfo dhragh m\u00f2r air sg\u00e0th an fhacail aige\u201d nuair a dh\u2019fheuch i ris an teachdaireachd seo a thuigsinn.\u00a0 B\u2019e teachdaireachd an aingeil gur ise an t\u00e8 a bheireas an Cr\u00ecosd a-steach dhan t-saoghal, agus on a sin chuir i ceist air: \u201cCiamar as urrainn seo a bhith, on as e \u00f2igh a th\u2019 annamsa?\u201d\u00a0 Agus fhreagair an t-aingeal i, a\u2019 bruidhinn mu ghealladh an Spioraid, agus ghabh Moire ris leis na facail seo:<\/p>\n \u201cSeall, is mise searbhanta an Tighearna; bhiodh e d\u00e8anta riumsa a r\u00e8ir d\u2019 fhacail.\u201d Tha coltas ann gun do thug Moire na ciad facail a labhair an t-aingeal rithe: \u201cTha an Tighearna c\u00f2mhla riut.\u201d<\/p>\n Fhad \u2019s a theannas an Nollaig oirnn dl\u00f9th, tha ar smuaintean air na d\u00f9bhlannan a tha romainn agus ro na coimhearsnachdan againn. Agus le seo, tha sinn uile ag iarraidh cofhurtachd a\u2019 gheallaidh seo: \u201cTha an Tighearna c\u00f2mhla riut.\u201d<\/p>\n Tha Dia a\u2019 labhairt nam facal seo rinn fh\u00e8in, a-measg duilgheadasan na bliadhna, ri gach neach againn. Tha Dia c\u00f2mhla rinn an da-r\u00ecribh, agus tha cuireadh againn d\u00f2chas fhaighinn sa Chr\u00ecosd a tha ri thighinn.<\/p>\n D\u00e8anamaid \u00f9rnaigh:<\/p>\n A Thighearna, bi faisg oirnn,<\/em> A Thighearna, bi faisg oirnn,<\/em> A Thighearna, bi faisg oirnn,<\/em> A Thighearna, bi faisg oirnn,<\/em> Soidhnichte:<\/p>\n Am F\u00ecor Urramach Marcus Strange, Primus as leth Colaiste nan Easbaigean, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba
\nAnd to all who long to hear your Word.<\/em>
\nWe give thanks that the promise of the Advent season<\/em>
\nWill soon be fulfilled in the birth of the Christ-child.<\/em>
\nMay we embrace the promise and share in the hope it brings.<\/em>
\nLord, in your mercy,<\/em>
\nHear our prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAnd to all who long to hear your Word.<\/em>
\nWe pray for the lonely and the perplexed;<\/em>
\nFor the anxious and the fearful.<\/em>
\nBe near to them as you are to us.<\/em>
\nLord, in your mercy,<\/em>
\nHear our prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAnd to all who long to hear your Word.<\/em>
\nWe pray for the families and communities of which we are a part<\/em>
\nAnd for our Nation.<\/em>
\nSustain us in these times and renew us in times to come.<\/em>
\nLord, in your mercy,<\/em>
\nHear our prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAnd to all who long to hear your Word.<\/em>
\nWe give thanks that, in all things, you are with us<\/em>
\nAnd we embrace once more the promise of the Christ-child.<\/em>
\nMay the light of Christ shine in the darkness and bring hope to the world.<\/em>
\nLord, in your mercy,<\/em>
\nHear our prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n
\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. Lindsey Sanderson, 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. Claire Fender, 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
\nagus air gach aon air a bheil miann airson d\u2019 Fhacail fh\u00e8in.<\/em>
\nTha sinn a\u2019 toirt taing dhut airson gealladh na Nollaige,<\/em>
\na choilean le breith \u00ccosa.<\/em>
\nDe\u00f2naich gun gabh sinn ris a\u2019 gheallaidh, agus gun gabh sinn p\u00e0irt ann an d\u00f2chas a\u2019 gheallaidh.<\/em>
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair, <\/em>
\n\u00e8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\nagus air gach aon air a bheil miann airson d\u2019 Fhacail fh\u00e8in.<\/em>
\nTha sinn ag \u00f9rnaigh airson na feadhna a tha aonranach agus fo dhragh;<\/em>
\nairson na feadhna a tha fo iomgain agus eagal. <\/em>
\nBi faisg orra mar a tha thu faisg oirnn.<\/em>
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair, <\/em>
\n\u00e8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nagus air gach aon air a bheil miann airson d\u2019 Fhacail fh\u00e8in.<\/em>
\nTha sinn ag \u00f9rnaigh airson ar teaghlaich, ar coimhearsnachdan<\/em>
\nagus ar D\u00f9thcha.<\/em>
\nGl\u00e8idh sinn an-diugh,<\/em>
\nagus de\u00f2naich dhuinn neart \u00f9r a-m\u00e0ireach.<\/em>
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair, <\/em>
\n\u00e8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nagus air gach aon air a bheil miann airson d\u2019 Fhacail fh\u00e8in.<\/em>
\nTha sinn a\u2019 toirt taing dhut, oir tha thu maille rinn anns gach c\u00e0s.<\/em>
\nTha sinn a\u2019 gabhail as \u00f9r ris a\u2019 gheallaidh a thug thu dhuinn ann am breith \u00ccosa.<\/em>
\nDe\u00f2naich dhuinn solas Chr\u00ecosda anns an dorchadas, agus d\u00f2chas air feadh an t-saoghail.<\/em>
\nA Thighearna, na do thr\u00f2cair,<\/em>
\n\u00e8ist ri ar n-\u00f9rnaigh.<\/em><\/p>\n
\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 Lindsey Sanderson, 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 Claire Fender, \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, 20 December, the fourth Sunday in Advent. Many of those joining together in prayer, which appears in English and Gaelic below, will also light candles. In a joint message, church leaders in Scotland said: \u201cThe words of the angel […]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37991,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71099","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\/71099","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=71099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hillside.work\/sec\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}