General synod opened with these prayers of faith and hope offered by The Rev’d Suzanne Grimmett.
Loving God,
In Jesus you came embodied to us
Sharing our joys and bearing our sorrows.
We thank you for the gift of life itself,
For this beautiful and fragile planet,
and for the gift of one another.
Fill our hearts with strength and courage
That together we may bear witness to your love and grace.
Through our lives and by our prayers
Your kingdom come
God of peace,
We pray for nations of the world
where violence, occupation and war-mongering
have robbed your people of safety.
We pray for all those who have fled homelands,
And those who live in fear in their own homes.
For those traumatised by what they have seen or done,
For those buried under bombed out buildings
or mourning the disappearance or death of those they love
Move the hearts of those in power
That they may respect life and surrender to the power of your peace.
Through our lives and by our prayers
Your kingdom come
God of life,
Draw us together as we follow Jesus
Into places we would rather not go
Make us, your Church, into the people you would have us be
And send us as one united body
To heal and reconcile, forgiving as we have been forgiven.
Draw close to us as we gather for this Synod.
Give us the discernment to recognise wisdom
and the generosity to respond with compassion.
Grant us the humility to be subject to one another in love
Through our lives and by our prayers
Your kingdom come
God of healing,
Surround with your gentle care
all those who are in sickness, sadness or any other trouble.
Be alongside those who despair
and strengthen those who feel they can no longer cope.
We pray in silence for those whose needs lie on our hearts
And whose cares we carry….
Through our lives and by our prayers
Your kingdom come
God of resurrection,
Who broke the bondage of death,
May we know the power of new beginnings,
And be surprised by possibility
We are your body.
Make us like you,
and when are days are done,
may we, with all your saints,
know the fullness of your unending joy.
Through our lives and by our prayer
Your kingdom come
