Singing, we pray to you, O Lord… To all the ends of the earth, Reveal Your saving power O God

Creator God,

We offer thanks on this day for our Earth Mother. Teach us to honour her as we should. We also think with grateful hearts of our own mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters, and the many others who mother us and give us life. We honour these people and we give you thanks for them. We ask you, Creator, to bless all who work for peace and justice. Expand for each of us the sacred circle of compassion, that we might bear witness to your love, and humbly serve our neighbours, who are your children.

Singing, we pray to you, O Lord… To all the ends of the earth, Reveal Your saving power O God

Creator of every element – of flesh and bone and spirit; of kinship, friendship, and community – we are mindful today of our sisters in spirit. Many women from our province have been murdered or are missing, and we hold in our hearts their families and friends, who today are reminded of their loss. Hear our lamentations, and theirs. Many among us have other needs or cares. Show yourself to those among us in distress. Bear our sorrows and cares, we ask, and supply our many needs.  We name aloud the needs known to us: _________.

Singing, we pray to you, O Lord… To all the ends of the earth, Reveal Your saving power O God

Almighty and eternal God, grant a peaceful end and eternal rest to all who are dying. Today we ask especially that you hold our sisters in spirit in the palm of your hand. In your mercy, lead all who grieve to your comfort and give hope to those who mourn.  Even in our sorrow, reveal to us the infinite richness of your promises to all your people.

Singing, we pray to you, O Lord… To all the ends of the earth, Reveal Your saving power O God

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let those he gathered from all the directions – from east and south, from west and north – tell their story and give praise.

Amen.

Written by Dorothea Toews and offered in Worship on May 13

Keep us safe in Jesus and His Resurrection.  In Your Mercy, Lord, Hear Our Prayer.

In our world, we offer lament for regions characterized by political unrest resulting in violence, particularly in Egypt and Russia.  We pray for all countries being reshaped by the economy and regions experiencing disasters and shifts related to climate change.  Locally, we continue to pray for an end to random acts of violence, domestic abuse and ongoing peer disrespect and disregard resulting in bullying.  We grieve over the escalating suicide rate and pray for those known to us and in our circles whose lives are marked with the stigma and daily struggles related to mental illness.  God’s love in the world is meant to extol life, not extinquish it; to commend life, not condemn it; and to protect life, not punish it.

Keep us safe in Jesus and His Resurrection.  In Your Mercy, Lord, Hear Our Prayer.

We pray for students discerning their vocations and preparing for their place in society.  Replace their fears and doubts with faith and confidence.  We remember graduates of Booth University Colllege who convocated this afternoon.  Thank you God,  for this community and the many tables and venues where we engage, particularly the one of benevolence to the ministry of Agape Table.  We pray for all members, including the leadership, and for the cumulative collection of creativity among us.  We remember those in our community with shifting familial responsibilities – new babies, children leaving or returning to the nest, or parents needing assistance in the aging process – while maintaining personal and professional commitments.  We remember those who have come and gone, whether it be in life or death.  Give us guidance as we actively work to sustain the earth entrusted in our care.  May we be wise in our transportation options, product selection, and safely preserve our greenspaces…..and may we thoroughly enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Spring.

Keep us safe in Jesus and His Resurrection.  In Your Mercy, Lord, Hear Our Prayer.

At this time, we are called to remember those among us and around us needing prayer.

Please take a moment to mention aloud or in your heart those in need. 

O Father, grant your peace to those who have died; comfort to those who mourn.

May we take a few moments silence to consider the giving and taking; life’s beginnings and endings; and our comings and goings.  Lord, what we have not, give us; what we know not, teach us; what we see not, show us; and what we are not, make us.

Keep us safe in Jesus and His Resurrection.  In Your Mercy, Lord, Hear Our Prayer.

As we come to the time in our service where the banquet is set, thank you for feeding us, whether we are hungry or full, where we need not ask but you give.  Again and again, you fill us with your body and blood and we are better for having met in this place.  May the gifts of this table extend beyond these walls – so as we are given, so we give.  As a new week unfolds and awaits us, we invite your presence in our everyday living – may we see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly, DAY BY DAY, AMEN

Written by Nancy Constantine and offered in Worship on May 6

Deliver them, O Lord, from the way of sin and death, and continually open their hearts to your grace and truth. Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Fill them with your holy and life-giving Spirit, and teach them to love others in the power of that Spirit. Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Send them into the world beyond these walls, and grant them the grace and courage to bear witness to your love in all things. Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Be with them in their lives of discipleship, and bring them to the fullness of your peace and glory. Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Almighty God,

receive into the arms of your mercy

all who will be baptized and confirmed this day,

and make them your own for ever;

that, having tasted of your goodness,

they may ever hunger for your continuing presence

in their walk of faith. Amen.

Adapted from the baptismal liturgies of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Church of England

Lord, in your mercy…… hear our prayer.

God,

Thank you for this worshipping community. For some of us, this is the place we come to meet you, and for others of us, it has become one of many places you are found. We ask you to bless richly the relationships that form as we gather. Teach us to love and support each other, in faith and doubt and joy and sorrow. Thinking of those whose needs we know, and thinking of those who serve us by leading, we name our prayers aloud. ______________________________.

Lord, in your mercy…… hear our prayer.

God,

We pray for this beautiful world you have created. As we observe earth day, we are mindful of this planet’s remarkable beauty and its ability to sustain life through countless interdependencies. We confess that we often fail to respect the earth as our mother. We get carried away, as children sometimes do, with all that we want and think we should have. Teach us to honour the earth that gives us life. Teach us to ask each day for our daily bread, and no more, so that all may live.

Lord, in your mercy…… hear our prayer.

God,

In our circles of life, we must sometimes come to places of death and dying. Give us courage to look death in the face, respecting it as part of our journey and yet ascribing to it no lasting power. Walk with us as we watch for the new life that comes out of death. Guide us into new relationships and communities when we must let go of other ones. Keep all of your faithful, living and dead, safe in your loving care.

Lord, in your mercy…… hear our prayer.

Amen.

Written by Dorothea Toews and offered in worship on April 22

We have not seen… but we believe.

Sometimes the things we have seen so strongly contradict our convictions that our prayers become endless questions: “Why? How? When? Are you even listening?” You say you hear our groanings. You say you love us, would give us every good gift. You died – not for our sins only, but for the whole world. Like Thomas, we would prefer proof. Where is the God of signs and wonders? Show yourself! Let us see your hands and feet and side! Grant peace to the world you love so much! Speak, so that we know you hear us!

We have not seen… but we believe.

In the midst of our doubt, we pray for the world. God, feed the hungry. End injustice. Assist the helpless. Protect the vulnerable. Stop war. Heal broken bodies and minds. Replace greed with compassion. Replenish the air, earth, waters.

We have not seen… but we believe.

In the midst of our doubt, we pray for the church. God, strengthen your people around the world to do the tasks you have left for us to do: to love one another, to care for orphans and widows, to forgive debts, to declare good news, and to make disciples of peace.

We have not seen… but we believe.

In the midst of our doubt, we pray for our communities. God, make st. benedict’s table a family that cares for each member well. Multiply the loaves and fishes in our baskets for Agape Table, so there is always more than enough food to go round. Give us the grace to include people in our circles, rather than exclude them.

We have not seen… but we believe.

In the midst of our doubt, we pray for ourselves, and for those whose needs are on our hearts. We name aloud those who suffer.

God, take our brokenness, our loves, our deepest needs, and care for them as only you can.

We have not seen… but we believe.

In the midst of our doubt, we pray for the dead. God, many we love have left this life, and we do not know where they have gone. Care for them, be gentle with them, grant them all the good things you promise your children. Comfort us as we mourn. Give us peace when we face our own deaths.

We have not seen… but we believe.

Amen.

 Written by Mari Raynard and offered in worship on April 15

Lord, who governs all days, lead also the people You have called Your own. Remind us that Your word is written in our hearts and it is truth You desire in our inmost places. Call to us when we have strayed and welcome us into Your arms when we return to You in repentance.

Lord in Your mercy                                    Hear our prayer

Heavenly father, we pray for our world. We ask for peace amongst families, and peace between nations. We ask for food for all to eat and houses for all to sleep. And we ask for hope that you would come to save the poor. Inspire our hearts to pursue a world where those in need will want no more.

Lord in Your mercy                                     Hear our prayer

We pray for those who grieve and those who are unhappy; for the burdens of our hearts and the weight of sorrow upon us. Comfort those who suffer, in their dark night grant them glimpses of the dawn.

Lord in Your mercy                                    Hear our prayer

Lord I pray for the community of this church, St Benedicts table. I pray for the strengthening of relationships and for the courage to seek out others in friendship. As we have been loved, may we also love those in our midst

Lord in Your mercy                                    Hear our prayer

We pray for those who have died. Be our comforter Lord, in our regrets and our words left unspoken, in our thoughts of lives that might have been. You have swallowed death in victory Lord, but still we feel it’s loss. We ask for the hope when we shall all be changed and the perishable shall be clothed in the imperishable.

Lord in Your Mercy                                    Hear our prayer

May our souls be at rest once more and may the power of the Lord fill us. Let us rejoice in our salvation for he has done great things for us, He has delivered our souls from death , Lord may we trust in Your redemption and mercy.

We ask all these things through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen

Written by Kate Schellenberg and offered in worship on April 8

Lord in Your Mercy                                                      Hear our Prayer

God we pray for the leaders of our church May they see you in all people and share your compassion with every person they meet.  May all ministers, bishops, and deacons, lead all people throughout the services this week with a spirit of love and wisdom.   We pray for all churches who are limited in financial resources but overwhelmed by the needs of the communities they serve, may supports come their way and may they know that from the smallest effort rooted in love much  more can happen then what they can possibly imagine.

Lord in Your Mercy                                                      Hear our Prayer

God we remember all the needs of all ministries through out the world including the clinics of Haiti, the sisters of Burlington Ontario, Agape Table, and all those working here in various volunteer positions throughout the city of Winnipeg.  May they be blessed with the resources they need to do your work here on earth.

Lord in Your Mercy                                                      Hear our Prayer

God we are called to take this moment to speak the names of those we hold in our hearts at this time.__________________

For all those names spoken and unspoken, and for those we may have forgotten, we ask you God to take our prayers and may it be your will that is to be done.

God we are called to remember all those who have died, may we lift up our sorrow to you and find support from friends and family.  May those who providing comfort to the mourning seek your love and compassion to the one they journey with.  May there be healing for the bereaved as they take time and walk gently with their grief.

Amen

Written by Helen Holbrook and offered in worship on April 1

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

God of reconciliation, work in us with your abiding presence; cleanse our hearts with your everlasting truth. Make us to know your ways fully and deeply, O Lord; teach us your paths and fit us to be your people, so that from the least of us to the greatest, all will know you, love you, and seek your peace.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

When we are sick and far from you, merciful God, your steadfast love endures forever. When we cry to you in our trouble, you save us from our distress. You forgive us and remember our sin no more. Make yourself known to all who are anxious and needful; help us to put our whole trust in you.

We lift up by name those known to us.

<pause>

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Grant a peaceful end and eternal rest to all who are dying, O God. Comfort we pray those who grieve, and encourage those who mourn.  Even amidst our sorrow, reveal to us the fullness of your promises.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Amen.

 Written by Jon Sears and offered in worship on March 25

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

We pray for your Chosen People of Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem. By your grace we have been grafted onto this holy tree of life. Honour your eternal covenants with your Chosen Ones so that your glory will be revealed in Zion & all nations will know that YOU are God.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

Even as we were dead in our transgressions & slaves to our sinful natures & desires, we have been made alive in Christ & saved by grace alone. We stand before you God, with all of our flaws & shortcomings, acquitted by your mercy through faith in Christ. In sheer wonder let us boast only of the magnificence of your gift of salvation, the boundlessness of your love, the depth of your grace, and the height of your kindness.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

Almighty God, we pray for troubled parts of the world: Syria – where rioting & human rights abuses continue to swell; Iran – where a perilous dictatorship flexes its nuclear muscles against Israel & the West; Afghanistan – as it grieves the loss of innocents shot by a U.S. soldier. Bring calm, peace & justice. We also pray for those nations continuing to rebuild after natural disasters – Haiti & Japan. Grant them strength, faith & steady progress in their efforts.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

Gracious Lord, you have blessed Manitoba with a mild winter, early spring days & favourable flood conditions this year. We give thanks & ask your continued blessing on our farms, businesses & communities. Let us serve you & honourably support each other.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

We pray for this community of St. Benedict’s Table and our priest, Jamie Howison. Bless the missions we’re connected with –  El Shaddai in Haiti, Agape Table & other core ministries in Winnipeg. We entrust in your loving care all who are anxious or distressed in mind or body, especially those we name before you..

For those named aloud, and those held in the quiet of our hearts, and especially for those for whom we have forgotten to pray, comfort & relieve them in their needs and strengthen them in their struggles.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

We remember those near to us who have departed, & we pray for all those who mourn loved ones or experience other losses in life. Ease their pain, & bring them your enduring peace.

Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer

Into your hands, oh Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

 Written by Rhonda Roman and presented in worship on March 18

we come to you from restless and tiring places

seeking your comfort and guidance

We greet spring-time with hope, and yet are saddened by devastating effects of climate change around the world. We ask for your healing of creation.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

1. As we think of Bible camps, Christian Universities, Christian organizations and congregations across the world, we pray for the global Church. As one body, help us to be generous, gracious and Christ-serving.

We thank you for this community of believers and your presence with us. Guide us to serve one another and the wider community. Bind us together with your holy spirit.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

2. Today, especially, we remember the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster victims in Japan. We also remember those still suffering from both emotional and nuclear affects, and seek your guidance as we struggle with energy issues in our own country.

We pray for all who suffer as victims, participants or onlookers of war, and ask you to bring peace to our broken world.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

3.  We pray for the needs of others – for friends with addictions, sickness, sorrow and physical pain. For these named aloud, those spoken in the silence of our hearts and especially for those whom we have forgotten to pray…

(space to pray.)

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

4. Comfort and fill us with your holy spirit as we remember those for whom we grieve, those who are dying, and those who mourn. Remind us that you are with us in suffering.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

Merciful God,

accept these our prayers

for the sake of your Son

our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen

Written by Anna Bigland – Pritchard and offered in worship on March 11