Rt Rev Colin Sinclair offers us this prayer as we deal with a new illness in our communities.<\/p>\n
A prayer as we face the Coronavirus (COVID-19)Living God,<\/strong><\/p>\n In our hour of need we turn again to you, for we have nowhere else to turn. Rt Rev Colin Sinclair offers us this prayer as we deal with a new illness in our communities. A prayer as we face the Coronavirus (COVID-19)Living God, In our hour of need we turn again to you, for we have nowhere else to turn. We put our faith in you, because you have proved your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5883"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5883"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5885,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5883\/revisions\/5885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burnheadchurch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWe put our faith in you, because you have proved your faithfulness time and again.
\nWe reaffirm our love for you because you have never let us go.
\nWe thank you that you are not distant from us.
\nbut have drawn near, in your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
\nHe has shared our life, tasted our death and defeated it;
\nHe understands our worries and our fears.
\nHelp us to respond as your children now.
\nWe pray for this pandemic spreading across our world,
\nremembering all who have lost loved ones.
\nand praying for those seriously ill at this time.
\nWe uphold the National Health Service.
\nas it responds to this added pressure on its already overstretched services.
\nWe pray for doctors and nurses and all in the caring professions,
\nwho work to help and support people as best they can.
\nWe remember those working behind the scenes.
\ntesting samples, confirming results, giving information to patients.
\nWe uphold others trying to understand this virus better.
\nworking to create an effective remedy.
\nWe pray for our Governments in Westminster and Holyrood,
\nas they work with the best medical advice.
\nto guide us on how we should respond.
\nand what action we should take.
\nWe pray that these guidelines might be taken seriously.
\nand that all would put them into action.
\nMay this crisis bring out the best in us, not the worst.
\nHelp us to live by faith and not by fear;
\nto build bridges not barriers,
\nand to resist all who would speak ill of any other group.
\nMay we not forget our responsibility to one another,
\nnot least to the vulnerable and voiceless in our communities.
\nHelp us to find ways of keeping in touch and offering reassurance.
\nto those with underlying health issues;
\nfor any who feel particularly vulnerable.
\nor in danger at present.
\nAs the virus spreads.
\nwe pray for the disruption it causes to normal life,
\nbringing new fears and anxieties:
\nWe pray for those who have been laid off as their work disappears;
\nfor financial hardship for individuals and businesses;
\nfor the impact on the economy and pensions, when austerity has already left its mark.
\nWe pray for those whose trips, both for business and pleasure, have been cancelled;
\nand others where events, long anticipated and planned for, have been postponed;
\nfor those making contingency planning for home based work or child care or exams.
\nMay our inconvenience not blind us to others\u2019 loss.
\nWe remember those.
\nwho cannot visit loved ones in locked-down care homes;
\nfor the elderly whose social contacts have been severely curtailed;
\nhelp us to find creative ways of keeping in touch,
\nof assuring them they are not forgotten or ignored.
\nMay congregations find new ways of living though this time.
\nMay we not forget our faith, but draw strength from it.
\nSo may our worship be heartfelt,
\nour fellowship deepen.
\nand our service increase.
\nGod of grace and God of mercy,
\nhear our prayers at this time.
\nStrengthen us, by your Spirit, so that:
\nwe may carry on our lives as best as we are able,
\nlooking out for others,
\nshowing love in action,
\nbeing faithful in prayer,
\nand bringing encouragement, hope and peace;
\nalways trusting in you.
\nour Rock and our Redeemer.
\nThese prayers we bring to you.
\nin Jesus\u2019 name.
\nAmen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"