2nd August

Give Us Today Our Daily Bread

Hands reaching up to receive you,
hands of all shapes and sizes,
work-worn or untouched by hardship,
wrinkled or softly smooth
shining clean or ingrained through toil,
aged or fresh with youth.
All reaching out in their hunger,
coming with various needs,
needs unknown to one another,
yet familiar and important to you.
“Ask”, Jesus said, “and you will receive”.
We ask, not once, but time after time.
Give us today our daily bread,
food for body, mind and spirit.
And, as we pray, there comes a realisation,
that in a strange way, we are the bread,
able to feed one another,
wounded and fragmented,
yet drawn together as one loaf
by our shared love for you.
Help us to know that whenever we gather in your name
we can be bread for your disposal,
feeding others and being fed,
never to be turned away hungry.
There is always enough and to spare.
For the mystery of this sacrament, we offer our thanks.

Let’s pray together
in this moment –

Letting go of distractions and irrelevant thinking

present in the here and Now
with God

Creator of all that is

As we become aware of the stars the universes the enormity of creation –
a spaciousness opens in us
and a sense of Awe
Wonder

And there is some fear as we ponder the scale of creation and the smallness what is our usual thinking

We notice the gratitude that comes up in us
for the beauty, the fragile power in the gift of life

Life is beautiful and precious – thank you

God of holiness and simplicity
When we are still we feel your presence
So close
So much a part of us
We are thankful for the witness of the faithful church
For Christians worshiping praying and working
With mercy and with sweet kindness
And for all the acts of gentle service to the suffering

We ask forgiveness for the church where
it cheapens grace
Where it wields secular politicised power
Where it is pretentious
Where it oppresses
Where it colludes with oppressors and abusers
Where it is hard and unforgiving
Where it sets itself up as a force
Where it thinks and acts as better than others rather than their humble servant

Now
Fully present
We give thanks for the people who whispered a confirmation of your presence to us
Taught us how to be aware

And for the great Saints and the ordinary extraordinariness

Together
Now

We remember those in desperate need
hungry children in our community
people who are held in slavery in Norfolk
those who are oppressed
those who have lost hope
for the sick among us
for the sick and suffering everywhere
for the lives of suffering of so many animals
please forgive us

Now
We remember
those who are mourning –
Elizabeth as she grieves her mother
Gary and Richard as they grieve the loss of Jackie

We pray for them
peace and bright hope even in sadness

we give thanks for the life of those who have died
and for those who have lived faithful lives consciously in your presence
in stillness

Now
Let us Pray for ourselves and those we love best
God Blessings
in ordinary humble and holy lives

Amen

O Lord, our God, provider and refuge
Increase our faith to trust in your provision
For you know our every need
even before we bring it to you
Whatever you provide is good
and just right for our circumstances
For provision and increase, blessing and abundance
We thank you Heavenly Father

Forgive us for mistaking our wants and desires as needs
Give each of us this day a heart of gratitude
which is ever thankful for the Giver
for the One who has provided
for the One who, unlike His gifts, will never fade away
Give us a heart of gratitude which refuses
to seek more than you have given
For provision and increase, blessing and abundance
We thank you Heavenly Father

May we learn from the boy who offered the little he had
Surprised, no doubt, that Jesus saw any usefulness in it
May we, like him, give willingly, not reluctantly
Knowing that you will provide all that we need
and more, plenty to share with others, to meet their urgent needs
May we learn that nothing is impossible with you,
that you alone can move mountains
to make a way for your children
for you are able to accomplish abundantly more
than we could ever dream or imagine
For provision and increase, blessing and abundance
We thank you Heavenly Father