The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday, 14 March, as they have done on Sundays throughout the year of the coronavirus pandemic. Many of those joining together in prayer, which appears in English and Gaelic below, will also light candles.
In a joint message, church leaders in Scotland said:
“We have endured much during these past months. Personally and communally, we have endured challenges which we could not have anticipated, or imagined, even a year ago. We have endured much and undoubtedly there have been times when the limits of our endurance have been tested.
“Woven into this has been the recollection of that which has also endured, the steadfast love of God. The Psalmist recalls the people of God to a remembrance of the ‘steadfast love’ of the Lord which ‘endures for ever’. (Psalm 107: 1) As we remember and recall, we bear witness to the truth that the love of God spans the whole breadth of our lives and embraces all that we experience and endure. This is given supreme expression in the self-giving of God in Jesus Christ: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’. (John 3: 16)
“In all we have endured and will endure, the ‘steadfast love’ of the Lord ‘endures for ever’ in the God whose love is revealed in Jesus Christ.”
We pray:
God whose love endures
And is revealed in Jesus Christ,
May we hear the words of the Psalmist
Who calls us to remember:
The steadfast love of the Lord endures for ever.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose love endures
And is revealed in Jesus Christ,
Be with us in all we endure at this time.
Grant that we may know your love
In days of light and in days of shadow.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose love endures
And is revealed in Jesus Christ,
Be with all who find themselves
At the limit of their endurance
And embrace them in the depths of your enduring love.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose love endures
And is revealed in Jesus Christ,
As a mother comforts her child
May you comfort all who call upon you.
Hear us, as we give thanks for all who have nurtured us in this life.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose love endures
And is revealed in Jesus Christ,
Grant to us a vision of a community and society
That will endure in times to come
And hear us as we pray: Thy Kingdom Come.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose love endures
And is revealed in Jesus Christ,
May we live our lives
In response to the gift of the life of your Son
In whose life is love embodied.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Signed by:
Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
Rt. Rev. Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
Rev. John Fulton, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Donnie G. MacDonald, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Paul Whittle, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
Rev. May-Kane Logan, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rev. Claire Fender, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)
Gairm gu ùrnaigh: Latha na Sàbaid, 14mh dhen Mhàrt, ùrnaigh aig 7f
Is iomadh rud a ghiùlain sinn thairis air a’ bhliadhna seo chaidh. Tha gach aon againn, agus gach coimhearsnachd, air rudan a ghiùlain ris nach robh gin againn idir an dùil aig tòiseach na bliadhna an-uiridh. Gun teagamh, aig amannan, bha eallach oirnn cha mhòr ro throm ri ghiùlain.
Am broinn na bliadhna, ged-tà, tha cuimhneachan geallaidhean Dhè, geallaidhean a ghràidh a tha cho daingeann anns gach càs. Tha an Salmadair gar earalachadh gus moladh a sheinn dhan Tighearna:
O thugaibh moladh mòr do Dhia,
is buidheachas faraon,
Oir tha e math, ’s mairidh gu bràth
a thròcair ghràsmhor chaoin.
(Salm 107: 1)
Fhad ’s a chuimhneachas sinn na thachair anns a’ bhliadhna seo chaidh, bidh sinn a’ togail fianais dhan t-saoghal gu bheil gràdh Dhè gar cuairteachadh agus gar lìonadh anns gach teanntachd agus cruaidh-càs. Tha an fhìrinn seo air a cur an cèill ann am fèin-ìobairt Dhè ann an Ìosa Crìosd: Oir is ann mar seo a ghràdhaich Dia an saoghal: gun tug e aonghin Mhic fhèin. (Eòin 3: 16)
A dh’aindeoin gach rud a ghiùlain sinn agus a ghiùlaineas sinn fhathast, “mairidh gu bràth a thròcair ghràsmhor chaoin” anns an Dia a dh’fhoillsich a ghràdh ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:
A Dhè, tha do ghràdh buan,
agus tha e air fhoilleasachadh dhuinn ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Cluinneamaid faclan an t-Salmadair
a bhrosnaicheas sinn gus cuimhneachadh
gum mair gu bràth do thròcair ghràsmhor chaoin.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè, tha do ghràdh buan
agus tha e air fhoilleasachadh dhuinn ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Bi maille rinn anns gach teanntachd agus cruaidh-càs.
Deònaich gum faigh sinn eòlas air do ghràdh,
ann an làithean solasach agus ann an làithean dubhach.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè, tha do ghràdh buan,
agus tha e air fhoilleasachadh dhuinn ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Bi maille riuthasan uile
air a bheil eallachan ro throm ri giùlain,
lìon iad le do neart agus do ghràdh a mhaireas gu bràth.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè, tha do ghràdh buan,
agus tha e air fhoilleasachadh dhuinn ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Mar a tha màthair a’ toirt comhfhurtachd do leanabh
thoir chomfhurtachd dhan a h-uile neach a ghairmeas ort.
Èist rinn, agus sinn a’ toirt taing dhut airson gach aon a dh’àraich sinn sa bheatha seo.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè, tha do ghràdh buan,
agus tha e air fhoilleasachadh dhuinn ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Deònaich dhuinn sealladh air coimhearsnachd do shluaigh
a bhios daingeann agus seasmhach,
beò nad sholas.
Èist rinn agus sinn ag ùrnaigh: thigeadh do Rìoghachd.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè, tha do ghràdh buan,
agus tha e air fhoilleasachadh dhuinn ann an Ìosa Crìosd.
Treòraich dhuinn gus am bi sinn beò
ann an tìodhlac na beatha a thug thu dhuinn nad Mhac.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
Soidhnichte:
Am Fìor Urramach Marcus Strange, Primus as leth Colaiste nan Easbaigean, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba
An Ceart Urramach Màrtainn Fair, Moderàtor Àrd-Sheanadh Eaglais na h-Alba
Am Fìor Urramach Leo Cushley, Àrd-Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn agus Dùn Èideann
An t-Urramach Iain Fulton, Moderàtor, Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte na h-Alba
An t-Urramach Pòl Whittle, Moderàtor, Eaglais Ath-Leasaichte Aonaichte (Alba)
An t-Urramach Dòmhnall G. Dòmhnallach, Moderàtor, an Eaglais Shaor
An t-Urramach Màrtainn Hodson, Àrd-Stiùiriche, Aonadh Baisteach na h-Alba
An t-Urramach Marcus Slaney, Cathraiche Roinn-Dùthcha, Eaglais nam Methodach (Alba)
An t-Urramach May-Kane Logan, Cathraiche, Caidreachas Co-thionalach ann an Alba
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Rùnaire na h-Alba, Feachd na Slàinte
Adwao Bittle, Comann nan Caraidean (Cuagairean)
An t-Urramach Claire Fender, Àrd-Neach-Stiùiridh Roinn-Dùthcha, Eileanan Bhreatainn, Eaglais an Nàsaraich
Aoghaire Chris Gbenle, Aoghaire Roinn-Dùthcha, Mòr-Roinn na h-Alba, Eaglais Chrìosdal air Saoradh le Dia
Easbaig Francis Alao, Eaglais Dhè (Alba)/ Eaglaisean nam mìon-shluagh còmhla ann an Alba (MECTIS)
An t-Urramach Fred Drummond, Stiùiriche, Caidreachas Soisgeulach (Alba)
