God of love,

lover of humankind,

we pray for your church,

here locally, in the UK and across the world

that it will be a place of wholeness, breadth, inclusion and welcome,

a place which shows clearly your love for all your children.

In our lives, as ambassadors for you,

keep us from narrowness,

Help us not to be be judgemental

help us to be brave in our friendships with people different from ourselves.

God of love,

lover of humankind,

we pray for your world, 

driven apart and divided

because of race, religion, gender, creed and colour.

We pray for peace with justice,

remembering all the places in the world

where people are divided, 

where war blights ordinary lives,

where people live in fear.

God of love, help us to be at peace.

God of love,

lover of humankind,

we bring our loved ones to you.

We bring our families and friends

We bring our loved ones who are ill…

We bring our loved ones who have died…

We bring those we find difficult,

those who we are wary of because they’re different,

and those we find it hard to love…

Help us, like Simeon and Anna, to see your face wherever we go,

whomever we meet.

On this feast of Candlemas

we give thanks for the snowdrops and daffodils

poking their green shoots through the winter soil, 

reminding us that, with Mary and Eve,

we are on our journey back to paradise.

Make us hopeful people,

people of light in darkness,

people of warmth and welcome.

Amen

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