Theme “Care”
Good News in Troubled Times
When chill winds seem mired with sorrow,
When the tired heart dreads tomorrow,
Still your hearth may trust its embers,
Still the mind can pause, remember…
Not all hope is lost in grieving,
Not all joys are past believing.
Though blue skies grow dim with warning,
Some view dawns, fair light adorning.
While fraught news may travel
You call us out of the singularity of our everyday world
Spirit of life, love, and community, you have called us into a world of the common and the shared.
In the concerns and worries, the need, and the want of our usual comings and goings we find it hard to stop and consider deeply what we are doing. In the hurry of a working day, in
Pastoral prayer for unsettled times
You might want to adjust your position for comfort, close your eyes, or soften your gaze. There might be a posture that helps you feel more prayerful. Whatever works for you. Do whatever you need to do to get into the right state of body and mind for us to pray together – to be
For a better world
We light this chalice as a reminder of the tradition that holds us,
and the values and aspirations we share as a community:
our commitment to the common good,
our care for those who are downtrodden,
and our yearning for a better world that’s yet to be,
where all may know true freedom, justice, equality,
Chalice lighting and prayer
Chalice lighting
As we light this one small flame,
let it stand for the unquenchable fire of light and truth
which burns brightly at the start of creation,
and in every human heart
that is kindled with the divine flame.
Prayer
Strong Father God, protect us from harm. Show us how to care for those weaker than ourselves.
Loving Mother God, embrace and