Praying Together 2021

149 Gather Light a candle as a sign of God’s presence and sit quietly. Ring a bell or chime to start the prayer. May the peace of Christ be with you! And with your spirit. COLLECT Saint Bartholomew is listed among the twelve apostles who were friends of Jesus. Let us pray for our friends. (pause) O God, thank you for giving us Jesus as our friend. Bless all our friends and help us to be good to them. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the first letter of St John 3:19-24 When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. But even if we don’t feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him. God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. If we obey God’s commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit that he has given us is proof that we are one with him. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. RESPONSE Gathered as members of God’s family, let us pray for the needs of the world. For joy in the life of the Church: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For courage to ask God for what we need: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For the strength to follow Christ: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For our friends that they will be safe and happy: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For the prayers in our hearts today: (pause while students offer their prayers aloud) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. DISMISSAL May God’s Holy Spirit fill us with joy. Amen. May God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Ring the bell or chime to signal the end of the prayer. Extinguish the candle. “When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth.” Tuesday St Bartholomew 24 August 2021