Intercessions – Proper 17

Today, here, in this place,

we stand on holy ground.

Let us not enter, nor remain, unthinkingly.

for this is your house, not ours

a house of prayer, 

the place where we meet you in bread and wine,

in eachothers’ faces.

Here, let us tread gently;

let us walk carefully.

When we leave today,

when we walk out of the church door,

we will walk into your creation, your world:

here there are signs of your majesty and holiness

wherever we look, whenever we listen.

In your world,

may we walk gently, leaving no mark,

leaving no destruction.

Help us to see you; open our eyes,

and having seen and heard,

let us be changed and humbled.

We pray for those who are facing difficult futures;

those who are old and frail,

or who have difficult medical diagnoses to face;

Those with difficult financial or life-changing decisions to make.

Help us to listen first, and speak second,

when someone shares bad news with us;

help us to be more like Moses than Peter.

In the bad news of others,

help us to acknowledge our own fears,

and so to be able to listen, even when it’s painful.

And when we remember those who have died,

give us the honesty to say that death is not ‘nothing at all’;

it is painful and sorrowful, despite our hope for eternity with you.

Today we give you thanks,

because there is holy ground,

there are glimpses of you,

we do, sometimes, hear you speaking.

We give you thanks 

for your love for both Peter and Moses,

And for your love  for us, 

whether we get it right or wrong. Amen

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