Category: Prayers

 

Wassail – Prayers for trees and fruitfulness 

4th January 2025

Wassailing and the blessing of fruit trees traditionally takes place at some point during January – after the solstice when the days are growing longer and before the trees fully form their buds. Wassail means good health!

For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

A reading Genesis 2: 4b, 8-9, 15-17

In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there planted the human whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took and placed the human in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

Lord God who first planted the garden of Eden,

bless the gardens we too tend.

Wassail!

Lord God who made every tree to grow,

bless the trees we have planted.

Wassail!

Lord God who gave us trees with fruits pleasing to the eye and good to eat,

bless these trees with such fruits.

Wassail!

Lord God who made us to be your gardeners,

bless the work of our hands.

Wassail!

Lord God who created birds and insects, bugs and all manner of creatures 

to be our companions and helpers in the garden,

bless them one and all.

Wassail!

Lord God whose earth produces food in due season,

may we share that equally and generously with all our kith and kin.

Wassail!

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1-2

Prayers for the feast of the Holy Innocents

28th December 2024

Thus says the Lord, “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children   and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31: 15

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

Yet we fail you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

Yet we fail you.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

Yet we fail you.

A reading from Matthew 2: 16-18

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
    wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

Response

Thus says the Lord, ‘Not only in Ramah but in Ramallah too

is the sound of wailing  and lamentation heard!’

In Rafah, Jabalia and Khan Yunis too

is the sound of wailing  and lamentation heard!

In Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam of North Darfur

is the sound of wailing  and lamentation heard!

In the refugee camps of Arkoum,  Adré and Farchana, Chad

is the sound of wailing and lamentation heard!

In Goma, north east in the Democratic Republic of Congo

is the sound of wailing and lamentation heard!

In the gang warfare in Haiti

is the sound of wailing and lamentation heard!

In the aftermath of earth quakes in Vanuatu

is the sound of wailing and lamentation heard!

In the small boats crossing the Mediterranean and the Channel 

is the sound of wailing of wailing and lamentation heard.

In the underground shelters and the streets of Kharkiv, Lviv, and Odesa

is the sound of wailing and lamentation heard!

Lord, how is it we do not hear and do not respond?

Lord, how is it that our governments ignore the cries 

and yet continue to send arms?

Lord, how is it that politicians say they understand people’s concern

and yet just sit on their hands?

Lord, how is it that financial institutions perceive the risks

and yet continue to provide the funds?

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!” Isaiah 49:15

Prayer

Merciful God, Mother and Father of all,

remake in us new hearts for love, 

new minds for wisdom, 

and new resolve for action.

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

where the wolf shall live with the lamb, 

where refugees will not have to fear a tyrants rage.

Help us to reshape our world as a place

where the leopard will lie down with the kid, 

where those of minority faiths will not fear oppression.

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

where the calf, the lion and the fatling  will be led by a child,

and where no child will be sidelined by those in power.

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

where the cow and bear, the calf and cub, will eat together,

where no one will go hungry because someone has hoarded the surplus.

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

where the lion eats like an ox, 

where the CEO will dine like a delivery driver – and vice versa.

Help us to reshape our world as a place where the

where the baby shall play over the hole of the asp, 

where babies will sleep to the lullabies of the wind turbine.

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

where the toddler will put its hand on the adder’s den, 

where all will be inoculated against childhood diseases.

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

where no one will cause injury or destruction, 

where all will be treated as holy. 

Help us to reshape our world as a place 

that is as full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters that cover the sea.

Amen. (With material from Isaiah 11 6-9)

At the Solstice 

21st December 2024 

And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. Genesis 1:14-15

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Isaiah 45: 7-8

I form light and create darkness,
    I make weal and create woe;
    I the Lord do all these things.

Shower, O heavens, from above,
    and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,
    and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;
    I the Lord have created it.

A response:

A turning point in the year is reached, 

and as the longest night reaches its peak

and the shortest day 

recedes to its briefest span –

so the sun’s year turns again.

The dark draws back 

its day time occupation, 

and gradually reframes itself once more 

as night.

But before we rush on, 

let’s take time to embrace the dark 

that gives us rest – and time to pause – 

with long evenings when books and loved ones 

can calm our souls.

And before we rush on, 

let’s take time to ponder how 

the Advent days of expectant waiting 

have kept pace with the darker nights – 

and how even now 

the mornings’s dawn still holds off 

as if waiting for that greater light.

And those of us who have walked in darkness 

will see that light, the dawning 

of the day that ushers in new beginnings, 

new life, the sun reborn, 

the birth of the Christ child.

As the sun-shaped days take hold, 

it is the evenings that first draw back 

releasing the season’s extra light,

the assurance of the Son’s salvation.

From now on the days will lengthen, 

extending once more the working day. 

As we look up to the skies and down to the earth, 

let righteousness sprout forth. 

As seasons turn and new years begin, 

together we shall journey on into God’s kingdom.

May God bless us in the darkness.

May God bless us in the light.

May God bless us in each season.

May God bless us with salvation in the birth of the Son.

Amen.

A voice cries out 

30th November 2024

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22

You Lord, are the source of all good things:

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation:

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives:

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Jeremiah 23: 5-6

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

A reflection on Isaiah 40:3-5

A voice cries out:  In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord –

Let us open our hearts and minds to receive the wisdom of God, 

to attune our ears to the word of God, 

and focus our eyes to see the wonder of God’s creation. 


A voice cries out: Make straight in the desert a highway for our God –

Let us set straight the trajectory of decisions 

that will cut carbon emissions, 

that will cut the use and abuse of plastics

and that will target a sustainable future.

A voice cries out: Let every valley be lifted up –

Let us share our national wealth 

to cancel the impossible debts of the majority south, 

to give them the financial power to adapt to climate change 

and to lift their people out of poverty.

A voice cries out: Let every mountain and hill be made low – 

Let us remove all that  impedes the development of other economies, 

let us share our technology and resources, 

let us remove unequal trade restrictions 

and let us be ready to learn from others in return.


A voice cries out: Let the uneven ground become level,
    and the rough places a plain –

Let us make level the global playing field, 

treat everyone as equals, removing all prejudice and bias, 

welcoming the stranger and the migrant,

and embracing everyone as brother and sister.

A voice cries out: Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed –

Let us recognise that we are all one creation, 

that together we reveal the glory of God’s gift to us, 

and all of us our able to reflect that glory throughout our lives.

A voice cries out: Let all people shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Prayers at Armistide

9th November 2024

In the UK today is know as Armistice Day, recalling the armistice signed in 1918 bringing an end to the fighting in the First World War.
The end of that war and the threat of future war, did not and has not avoided further armed conflicts not the death and destruction that warfare creates.  

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; Isaiah 12:2

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

A reading from Psalm verses 1 and 2, from The Message and from the RRSVA

If God doesn’t build the house,
    the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
    the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
    and work your worried fingers to the bone.

Don’t you know he enjoys
    giving rest to those he loves?

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
    the guard keeps watch in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives sleep to his beloved.

Response

Forgive us when we trust in our strength, 

and not yours.

Forgive us when we trust in our own wisdom, 

and do not seek yours.

Forgive us when we turn to threats and ultimatums, 

and do not seek dialogue.

Forgive us when we make up our own minds,

and do not spend time listening to the other.

Forgive us when ignore the past, 

and focus only on our own suffering.

Forgive us when fail to seek justice, 

but rather seek to oppress.

Forgive us when we fail to understand, 

but rather shout out our views all the more loudly.

Forgive us when we steam roller the opposition, 

and do not seek a compromise.

Forgive us when we fire weapons, 

and do not seek peace.

Loving God, 

have mercy on us.


Have mercy 

on all those we have injured through war.

Teach us to heal.


Have mercy 

on all those we have trapped in a spiral of revenge.

Teach us to to forgive.


Have mercy 

on all those we have trained in war fare.

Teach us to be peace makers.


Have mercy 

on all those who have been sucked into the tradition of war.

Teach us the story of reconciliation.


Have mercy 

on all those who work in the arms trade.

Teach us to make plough shares.


Have mercy 

on all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed.

Teach us to build communities of love.


Have mercy 

on all those habitats and ecosystems we have uprooted.

Teach us to plant trees.


Have mercy 

on the soils and bodies of water that we have polluted.

Teach us to till and restore the land.


Have mercy 

on all those whose faith we have undermined. 

Teach us to love one another with humility.

Amen

The Joys and Sorrows of Civilisation 

12th October 2024

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading:  So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: ‘You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors ….. he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.” Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised. Acts 13: 16, 17a, 22b,23

Reflection 

Roots secure us to the past, ensure that we are part of the continuity of creation; shoots  and branches  take our lives forward into the as yet unformed future. Without the next generation there will be no ongoing continuity. The gospels of Luke and Matthew both locate Jesus within a human family tree;  the prologue of John’s gospel locates him as co existent with the beginning of all creation. Later in John’s  gospel, Jesus affirms his coexistence with the Father and the ongoing coexistence, through him, of all believers, all God’s children. 

For gifts of past generations

We thank you God:

For the gift of fire for cooking and heating

For the gift of clean water and sewers

We thank you God:

For the domestication of cattle and horses,

Cats and dogs, sheep and pigs, 

Hens and geese

We thank you God:

For the gift of gardening and arable cultivation,

sowing and reaping, 

growing and harvesting

We thank you God:

For the gift of healing and caring, 

of medicine and surgery

For the understanding of the intricacies of mind and body 

We thank you God:

For the gift of story telling and drama, 

of art and observation 

means of sharing grief and joy.

We thank you God:

For the gift of learning and research, 

of teaching and sharing

We thank you God:

For the gift of exploration and endeavour, of travel and communication 

We thank you God:

For the gift of worship, of self realisation and of the knowledge of God.

We thank you God:

But what shall we pass on to generations to come?

Do we offer gifts or burdens?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Clean air or choking smog?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Living water or dying oceans?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Renewables or fossil fuels?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Biodiversity or widespread extinction?

 Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Fertile soils or inhospitable dust?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Balmy summers or wild fires?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Snow capped mountains or drowned coastlines?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Homes for all  or camps for migrants?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

May we be wise guardians of what we have received 

Skilful custodians of what we consume

Generous donors of what we hand on

That the future of creation will be bright and beautiful, 

fair and just.

Amen

The blessings of creation

5th October 2024

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job  33:4

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading:

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone

when the morning stars sang together
    and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? Job 38:4-7 


Lord,  we should not cease to be amazed at the wonder of creation, 

the diversity of colour, shape and size,

the ingenious adaptations of plants and animals,

the interconnectedness of all living things.

Response:

Then Job answered the Lord: ‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
    I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
    twice, but will proceed no further.’ Job 40:3-5


Lord, we should not forget the immense timespan of creation,  

the geological age that have gone before us,  

and the ages yet to come. 

Forgive us when we exaggerate our importance, 

when we claim knowledge we do not have

and when we exceed our competence.

A further reading:

But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of every human being. Job 12:7-10, 13

Lord, teach us wisdom. 

Give us humility to learn from others, 

patience to observe what is true,

and contrition to make amends for our mistakes.

Show us how to find joy in simple things, 

contentment with less, 

and  delight in companionship with all creation. 

A final reading:

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 104: 31-34

Lord, may your creation flourish, 

may we ever be thrilled by what we see, 

uplifted  by what we experience, 

and delighted by what we can offer you. 

The Grace.

Blessings for Creation

28th September 2024

(You may wish to adapt these prayers to suit your local green spaces, nature reserves, parks etc)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and all that is within me bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits;

Bless the Lord, all you works of his,

in all places of his dominion; 

bless the Lord, O my soul.

Ps 103: 1-2, 22

Reading: And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!” Revelation 5:13

Response:
Everliving God, the heavens declare your praise and yet cannot contain your glory. 

We join with all creation in honouring you.

for frosty mornings and blue skies, 

and the fresh air we breathe:

We bless you, creator God;

for robins, sparrows and starlings, 

and all who visit our gardens:

We bless you, creator God;

For strong limbed trees and supple saplings, 

and all the strength they embody:

We bless you, creator God;

For fruits and roots, and leaves and shoots, 

and all the nourishment they provide:

We bless you, creator God;

For cats and dogs, our companionable friends, 

and foxes  and deer, our wilder friends:

We bless you, creator God;

For winter flowers and bumble bees, 

for winter’s work and rest: 

We bless you, creator God!

Let’s  offer intercessions for the well being of our local environment 

We pray for the work of the Wetlands Trust protecting birds and their habitats, and we give thanks for our local Wetlands reserve.

We pray for the work of Kew Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank, for their work in protecting and nurturing plants and we give thanks for beauty of the gardens.

We pray for the work of the park rangers maintaining the wildness of Richmond Park with its great diversity of plant and animal life. We pray too for the work of Holly Lodge enabling the Park to be accessible to all.

We pray for those who work to protect the biodiversity of the Thames, and we give thanks for the wildlife returning to its waters.

We pray for the Friends of Sheen Common and of Palewell Common and for their safeguarding of these local green oases. We give thanks for joy that comes from playing and running, from playing sports and walking dogs.

We pray too for local gardeners and keepers of allotments, and for all who put out food and water for birds. We give thanks for the beauty of the front gardens we walk past.

As we notice the wonders of creation that surround us, 

we pray that what we see we will love,

and that what we love, we will protect, 

and that what we protect, will be blessed by God. 

Amen. 

Prayers following a general election

6th July 2024

 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Colossians 3:12

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Matthew 25: 31- 45 

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”  And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”  Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?”  Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 


Loving God 

who called upon the first humans

to care and nurture all that had been created,

we ask your blessing on those we have elected 

to create a new government to direct the ways of this nation.

Bless those we have elected with compassion 

that they will be mindful always of those in need.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. 


Bless those we have elected with kindness 

that they will look upon everyone they serve with love.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. 


Bless those we have elected with humility 

that they will not consider themselves more important than those they serve.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. 


Bless those we have elected with meekness 

that they will not be swayed by powerful interests.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. 


Bless those we have elected with patience 

that they will not use short term popularity to divert them from long term needs.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. 


Bless those of us who have been the electorate 

that we will do all that is within our power 

to enable that rule that brings about your kingdom of love 

here on earth as in heaven.

Amen.

Pentecost-tide

25th May 2024

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job  33:4

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Job 38:4-7: 

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone

when the morning stars sang together
    and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?”

Response and reply:-

Lord,  we should not cease to be amazed at the wonder of creation, 

the diversity of colour, shape and size,

the ingenious adaptations of plants and animals,

the interconnectedness of all living things.


Then Job answered the Lord: 

‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?   

I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer;   

twice, but will proceed no further.’ Job 40:3-5


Lord, we should not forget the immense timespan of creation,  

the geological ages that have gone before us,  

and the ages yet to come. 

Forgive us when we exaggerate our importance, 

when we claim knowledge we do not have

and when we exceed our competence.

But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of every human being. Job 12:7-10, 13


Lord, teach us wisdom. 

Give us humility to learn from others, 

patience to observe what is true,

and contrition to make amends for our mistakes.

Show us how to find joy in simple things, 

contentment with less, 

and  delight in companionship with all creation. 

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 104: 31-34


Lord, may your creation flourish, 

may we ever be thrilled by what we see, 

uplifted  by what we experience, 

and delighted by what we can offer you. 

The Grace.