God of mercy, we thank You for the moments of joy we have

and the moments of joy we share with other people.

We know You remain with us in times of hardship

and we thank You for being by our side.

Today, we come with grateful hearts for the gift of life

and, at the root of it, the hope You give to all who seek You.

Grant us your peace.

We pray for all living with crippling guilt either at things they have done

or things they cannot forgive themselves for that others have put aside.

We pray that they may find a new impetus for living to the full

and know Your peace and joy dwelling once more within them.

We pray for the stubborn, arrogant and heartless –

those who inflict suffering on others without conscience.

Melt their hearts and change their attitudes.

May they see the full humanity of people they oppress.

And we pray for people going through times of difficulty –

those who seek You and those who don’t think of doing so.

Be near them with comfort and strength, and may they know your presence.

We pray especially this week for:

Mary, Peter, Cath, Hendrik,

David, Leona, Margaret,

Ged, Murdo, Joy,

Jess, Mary, Leigh,

Eric, Catherine, and the Wexelstein family,

Irene, Raphael and family…

We pray for them and for others on our minds, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.