The Scottish Episcopal Church and 13 other denominations join together in prayer at 7pm on Sunday, 31 January, “to recall the One who remembers us”. 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:
“The remembering of the past is an integral part of what it is to be human. In our remembering, we recall the persons and the events that have shaped us and made us who we are. In the act of remembering, we often seek to make sense of and come to terms with the past. In the depths of our remembering, we acknowledge and lament loss. At this particular time, we are profoundly conscious of the depth of loss within the communities and nation of which we are a part.
“In the Book of Psalms, the Psalmist affirms that God ‘remembers’ and that, in particular, God remembers the covenant made with the people of God. The One who forges a relationship with the people of God, is the One who remembers the covenant forever. (Psalm 111: 5) In our remembering, we recall the One who remembers us and does not forget all that we endure in these hard times.”
We pray:
God who remembers,
Be with us in our remembering this day.
Be with us on the journey
That takes us from the past
And into the future that lies before us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God who remembers,
Be with us in our remembering this day.
Be with as we recall those who have shaped us
And the events that have made us.
Grant to us grace and healing in all we recall.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God who remembers,
Be with us in our remembering this day.
Be with us in sorrow and in loss
And come beside all who mourn this day.
Come beside us and do not leave us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God who remembers,
Be with us in our remembering this day.
Be with those who serve in hospitals and in homes
And who, by their medical and nursing skills,
Provide comfort and hope to those who suffer.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God who remembers,
Be with us in our remembering this day.
Be with us as community and nation
And strengthen us in all we endure.
Even in the darkness, may we find your light renewed through Jesus Christ.
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. Lindsey Sanderson, 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, 31mh dhen Fhaoilleach, ùrnaigh aig 7f
“Tha cuimhne air ar n-eachdraidh bunaiteach dhuinn uile. Nuair a chuimhneachas sinn air ar beathannan fhèin, bidh sinn mothachail de na daoine agus na tachartasan a dhealbhaich sinn. Bidh sinn a’ feuchainn ri ar n-eachdraidh fhèin a thuigsinn, agus bidh sinn a’ meòrachadh air na tha sinn air call. Agus gu sònraichte aig an àm seo, bidh sinn mothachail air call agus caoidh nar coimhearsnachdan agus nar dùthaich.
“Ann an Leabhar nan Salm, tha an Salmaidh a’ dearbhadh gu bheil cuimhne aig Dia, agus gu sònraichte gu bheil cuimhne aige air a’ chùmhnant a rinn e leis a shluagh fhèin. Mar a tha e sgrìobhte, “cuimhnichidh e gu bràth a cho-cheangal.” (Salm 111: 5). Nar cuimhne fhèin, tha sinn a’ cuimhneachadh an Tighearna aig a bheil cuimhne oirnne, agus cha dìochuimhnich e ar càs ann an uair ar n-àmhghair.”
Dèanamaid ùrnaigh:
A Dhè a chuimhneachas oirnn,
bi maille rinn agus sinn a’ cuimhneachadh air iomadh rud.
Bi maille rinn air an t-slighe
eadar an-dè agus a-màireach.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè a chuimhneachas oirnn,
bi maille rinn agus sinn a’ cuimhneachadh air iomadh rud.
Bi maille rinn, agus sinn a’ cuimhneachadh air na daoine agus na tachartasan
a bha cudromach ann an dealbhadh ar beathannan.
Deònaich dhuinn gràs agus slànachadh nar cuimhneachan.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè a chuimhneachas oirnn,
bi maille rinn agus sinn a’ cuimhneachadh air iomadh rud.
Bi maille rinn nuair a tha sinn fo bhròn,
agus bi maille riuthasan uile a tha ri caoidh an-diugh.
Bi ri ar taobh agus na trèig sinn.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè a chuimhneachas oirnn,
bi maille rinn agus sinn a’ cuimhneachadh air iomadh rud.
Bidh maille ri luchd-obrach ann an ospadalan agus taighean-cùraim,
a bheireas comhfhurtachd agus dòchas len cuid eòlais don fheadhainn a tha a’ fulang.
A Thighearna, na do thròcair,
èist ri ar n-ùrnaigh.
A Dhè a chuimhneachas oirnn,
bi maille rinn agus sinn a’ cuimhneachadh air iomadh rud.
Bi maille rinn mar choimhearsnachd agus mar dhùthaich,
neartaich sinn nar càs.
Deònaich gun lorg sinn do sholas ann an Ìosa Crìosd as ùr, fiù ’s san dorchadas.
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 Lindsey Sanderson, Moderàtor, Eaglais Ath-Leasaichte Aonaichte (Alba)
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)
