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Gathering

(After Grenfell Tower Fire)

 

Let us gather in a faith
shaped by trust
that lives the questions
understands silence
and journeys together

Let us gather in a faith
shaped by truth
that lives with enigmas
recognises doubt
and comes together

Let us gather in faith
shaped by love
that lives the rumour
that appreciates hope
and worships together

In all the questions we have
and longings we hold
let us seek God
who is as close as our next breath

 

Prayers for Others

 

Loving God
May we listen, O god
open our hearts
and our living
to create a space
to listen and learn
and unlearn and relearn
how we might live and organise the world

and affirm you in the world
as love’s response
and truth’s word
and peoples cry for rebalance
in Grenfell
in our culture
in our economy
in our politics
may we listen
and meet you there
beyond words

and affirm you in the world
as the way of peace
in Syria
and Qatar
and Saudi
and Yemen
too many places
and may we listen
and meet you
where silence holds the truth
and invites us to grow

and affirm you in the world
as the banquet for the hungry
and the celebration for the poor
and the healing for the broken
and the hope for the lost
in places of hunger
and in communities hurting
and where terror has changed us
and meet you
holding everything
in a silence greater than our narrow way of living in the world

and affirm you in the world
as love for our family
and comfort for the anxious
and companion for the lonely
and strength for all who grieve
and meet you
God far greater than anything we face
or explain
or question

that we might trust our world to you
so be it
Amen

 

Greater than Silence

                            Psalm 13

Reflective Prayer

 

Loving God
may we find you here among us
in the places we need you to be

May we find you in the hurts we have
and the joys we know
in the longing
and in the hope
in the confusion
as much as in the wonder

God of us all
love that holds us
shapes us
hurts and celebrates with us
in equal amounts,
may we know love’s presence
hope’s longing
and joy’s promise

so that when heaven seems silent
and questions are deep
and waiting is long
we hold to the trust we have
and the faith we hope in
that you are never far
indeed closer than a hair’s breadth

and when we find the love of neighbour
and the presence of our community
and the welcome of the stranger
and the celebration of life
then let us celebrate your gift
of life and each other
that makes us one

So creator God
in all the different reasons for us being here today
and all the questions we carry
and the hopes we hold
along all the different journeys we have taken
that have led us here
and this moment of sharing the diversity of life
among us all
and the support we need
and the care we can give
in the love that makes us
and calls us your own
may we journey here together
make our kingdom real
in a moment of generosity
and love
as we have each known such love
and will know again

So be it
Amen
 

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