It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. At a time when so much of the debate about the EU referendum is based on personal and national self-interest, it’s well worth reflecting on the symbolism of the the EU flag. Whether its designers were aware of this or not, it taps into very ancient …
Prayers
Lament for Aylan
So small, so still So beautiful in life So unbearable in death Carried by the sea Carried by our tears Carried gently in strong arms. O God Open the eyes of those with power To see your children in their desperate need; Open the arms of those in government To welcome those who come to our …
A Prayer for the Situation in Calais
The Rev Phil Jump, Regional Minister for the North Western Baptist Association and JPIT Team Member from the Baptist Union of Great Britain, has prepared this prayer to coincide with the publication today of a joint statement by our church leaders on the situation in Calais. God of all …
Praying after the Election
‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The words above come from Psalm 46. They are a response to several realities that the Psalmist outlines in earlier verses; not least that “nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall”. We might not …
JPIT Prayer Update – For those in peril on the sea
The statement made this week by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rt Rev John Chalmers reflects the sentiments of many, and expresses eloquently our Christian response to the devastating news of the hundreds of deaths of refugees seeking to cross from Africa into Europe. We are dismayed that …
For Wednesday 1st April – Pray and Fast for the Climate
Pray and Fast for the Climate Earth Hour was celebrated on 28 March. It is described as the world’s largest environmental event. At 8:30 to 9:30 pm local time in 172 participating countries lights are switched off on monuments, public and office buildings. With over 1,400 landmarks and close …
The challenge of Palm Sunday
There are many ways in which God’s people are called to worship; sometimes through the great words of a Psalm, maybe a choral anthem, a shared recited response, or perhaps a simple invitation through silence and stillness to “tune in” to his presence. However we are summoned – worship is an …
Je suis – Prayer Update January 2015
“Je suis Charlie” – until a few weeks ago, it was a phrase that people would have struggled to understand, yet the recent attacks in Paris and the world’s response to them have turned it into a global expression of solidarity. For people of faith, it is a phrase we may well have mixed feelings …
Homelessness and the Housing Crisis – Prayer Update November 2014
With Advent fast approaching, many Christians will be reflecting on the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. There was no welcome for a mother about to give birth to a unique child, ‘no room at the inn’ for the Light of the World. As John’s Gospel reminds us, this was to be the pattern of Jesus’ life: “He …
Why Fast for the Climate? – Prayer Update October 2014
Saturday 1st November sees the launch of Pray and Fast for the Climate – a campaign calling on Christians to pray and fast on the first day of every month until December 2015 when Paris will host the 21st UN Climate Change summit. Fasting is a longstanding spiritual discipline within the …