Here is a prayer of intercession suitable for use on October 23, 2011 (Proper 25A, Ordinary 30A). It was written by Rev. MaryAnn Rennie, a minister of Corstorphine: St. Anne’s Parish Church in Edinburgh. She suggests:
“If you have access to power-point and your congregation are comfortable with the notion of having a visual focus for prayer, why not choose three “visions” from the week’s news/local events to focus prayer around. A sung response could be used to separate the “visions,” [for example, Ubi caritas et amor].
Prayer of Intercession
(based on Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 22:34-46; I Thessalonians 2:1-8)
God of the mountaintop
in prayer You walk us to the highest point
from which we are offered
an opportunity
to view the world as You see it,
and the world as You would wish it to be.
There is much to be thankful for,
for we enjoy opportunities
of good health and reasonable living standards;
of times of relaxation and times to work;
of a roof over our heads,
and opportunities to feed our bellies,
and our imaginations and the aching of our hearts.
From your vantage point
we praise You for all that is good for us,
and allow You
to draw our eyes from our concerns
to those of our neighbours,
our community,
our world.
In prayer
our eyes are drawn
to see those in need of love
in our community,
both here in church
and in the parish of which we are part.
Help us not to be afraid of what is different or unknown to us,
but instead willing
to offer friendship
and accept the opportunities
to grow in knowledge and experience.
Our eyes are drawn
to places of power and leadership
as we look for those who govern
to offer leadership
in difficult times.
May those who seek to serve
as politicians and leaders of communities
find themselves shaped
by the words, hopes and ideals
of those who place their trust in them.
Our eyes are drawn
to places of hunger and need.
Teach us to share
the resources we would covet,
and enable us through the activity of Your Spirit
in prayer and with action
to be part of a creation
where all are treated fairly
and all have enough to eat.
As You,
Lord of vision,
draw our eye back to the world of which we are part
may our lives be shaped by You
to offer others a vision
of Your love
shown in our faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
— Rev. MaryAnn R. Rennie, posted on the Starters for Sunday on the Church of Scotland website.
For other possible Prayers of the People for October 23, 2011, see:
For more worship resources related to the texts for October 23, 2011 (the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost), click on Proper 25A in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.
