Village Shepherd

Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Multi-faceted God, I can only ever glimpse a small part of you. Sometimes I'm helped by other people's images, but at other times those time-honoured pictures are a barrier for me. For my generation, "Lamb" is hardly an animal to be taken seriously. Help me to see beyond surface pictures. Help me understand that similes and metaphors can never give the whole picture, and that if they don't work for me, I'm free to drop them and use other images. But help me to remember that what works for me, may not necessarily work for other people.

Multi-faceted God, the richness of worship of your Church should be a cause for rejoicing because its variety enables many very different people to reach you, but differences in worship are often causes of dissent and argument. Help us to remember that we all worship you, the one true God, and help us to recognise each others' talents and gifts rather than each others' shortcomings and failings, so that together we may enable others to reach you.

Today we pray especially for the Church in Portugal and its Bishop, and for the Church in and its Bishop

Multi-faceted God, we are made in your image and we too are multifaceted. But you are at one within yourself whereas we are fragmented and alienated from each other. Enable us so to rejoice in our differences that they become a source of strength instead of a source of tension. May we gain peace on earth through a recognition of each others' needs, and may we resolve together to ensure that all people are treated with respect so that their basic needs are met.

We pray especially today for ...

Multi-faceted God, remind us of the power of names and titles, both to support and uplift, or to denounce and denigrate. May we learn to treat all people as individuals, rather than as nameless and faceless members of some group or class. Prevent us from labelling other human beings in such a way that we ignore their worth or abuse their humanity, and keep us aware of all those hidden prejudices which cause us to despise others.

Multi-faceted God, one of your titles was that of Healer. We hold within your presence those of our friends and families who are sick, and ask you to once again touch them with your healing touch. We name them before you....

Multi-faceted God, many of your titles refer to your kingdom, and we realise your kingdom most fully in the next life, after our physical death. We remember before you all those who have died recently, and give thanks for their lives, and we ask your strength and support and love for the friends and families they leave behind them. We name them before you now ..... and remember those who commemorate loved ones who have died at this time in previous years....

We ask these prayers through Jesus Christ, the unblemished Lamb of God.

Merciful Father,

Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.