Prayers

‘Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.’
(Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

Let us worship our Creator God,
who has given us the miracle of life
and sustains us through the sacred rhythms of planet Earth.

Here we are, Creator God, Lord and Spirit,
standing before you, grounded on the earth,
our hands stretched high like a tree.
You fill us with amazement, wonderful God. Amen.

Creator God,
we bring to you all that is growing within us:
for you to bless and nurture.
We bring our prayers for the spread of your kingdom:
for you to bless and nurture.
We bring the initiatives for justice multiplying among nations:
for you to bless and nurture.
We bring the hopes and dreams, tiny and big,
of all your children around the world:
for you to bless and nurture.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God of mystery,
Sower, Saviour, Spirit,
we worship you;
and we ask you to give us:
eyes to notice where the seeds of your kingdom are growing,
courage to show them to others,
faith enough to help nurture them,
and a heart that delights in their harvest. Amen.

God of all,
you do not force growth but nurture it.
Forgive us when we want too much too soon.
You do not start big but start small.
Forgive us when we want too much too soon.
You do not sow greedily but graciously.
Forgive us when we want too much too soon.
You do not hurry the harvest but hallow it.
Forgive us when we want too much too soon.
Forgive us, and accept the work of our hands,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Living God,
from a mustard seed to a tree, from I to we,
in you we grow. Amen.
In the mystery of the unseen, from brown field to green,
in you we grow. Amen.
By faith and not by sight, by day and by night,
in you we grow. Amen.
Forgiven and freed, through word and deed,
in you we grow. Amen.
As we sow and reap, as we laugh and weep,
in you we grow. Amen.
May your kingdom come, Father, Spirit, Son,
as in you we grow. Amen.

God of grace and growth,
you have called us to plant the seeds of your kingdom
in the fields of your world,
and to trust you for their developing and flourishing –
and so we praise you.
For the abundance of your creativity:
we praise you.
For the transforming nature of your Spirit:
we praise you.
For the power of small beginnings:
we praise you.
For the mystery of hidden growth:
we praise you.
And for the harvest we are invited to delight in:
we praise you.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God of the rich and the poor, of the powerful and the vulnerable,
we pray for the leaders of the G7 nations meeting in Cornwall,
for the people they govern,
for the people of other nations they can support,
and for the world they can protect through their decisions.
May wisdom be planted, generosity grow, and co-operation flourish.

We pray for a growth in resilience, awareness and togetherness
across all the nations of the world
as they continue to tackle the covid pandemic,
as they confront environmental issues.
and as they reach out to communities crippled by need, war and natural disasters.
May integrity be planted, urgency grow and healing flourish.

We pray for the church in this place and around the world
as we seek to serve those around us,
to reach out to those in trouble,
and to share the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
May faith be planted, compassion grow and hope flourish.

We pray for those in the charity sector
who seek to support those in crisis,
to feed the hungry,
to embrace those displaced by war,
to protect wildlife and the environment, and planet that we all call home.
May trust be planted, resources grow and lives flourish.

We pray for those in sport,
for those they inspire,
for the enjoyment they bring,
especially all the nations taking part in the Football Euros,
for those preparing for and hoping that the Olympic Games will take place,
for all those at grass roots level struggling to keep their clubs going.
May respect be planted, opportunities grow and talent flourish.

And we pray for those whose faces we have seen on our screens
and in our papers this week.
for the family of Sarah Everard,
for little Artin and his family, and all those who have died crossing dangerous waters,
for Jimi Olubunmi-Adewole and his family and all who have died trying to save others,
for all who have enriched our world and for all who are at the mercy of others.
May justice be planted, goodness grow and peace flourish -
in Jesus name. Amen.

Living God,
open our eyes to the goodness of your creation. (look around)
Help us to care for it like a gardener (mime digging)
with times for planting, watering, harvesting and rest. (mime each one)
Help us to live in the rhythms of nature, (quietly tap a slow rhythm)
treading lightly (gentle ‘on the spot’ steps)
and hearing your voice call softly in the evening. (hand behind ear, listening).
Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve God’s world.
It is beautiful and you are part of it.
It is our sacred commission to help God love it.
Amen.

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