The Second Intercessions Handbook - (42) PRAYER TREE
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (42) PRAYER TREE
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(42)PRAYER TREE The visual impact of a small, bare ‘tree’ can be considerable. Like a Christmas tree, it can be the bearer of our prayers, and the act of writing and hanging a prayer on the tree can be a satisfying way of participating in prayer for all ages…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (41) PALMS UP, PALMS DOWN
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (41) PALMS UP, PALMS DOWN
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(41)PALMS UP, PALMS DOWN This is a way of getting started with a congregation or a group in prayer. It helps people to become aware of themselves and their concerns, and of God and his possibilities. It depends, as so often, on the confidence of the leader in not taking it too qu…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (40) ALL SAINTS (AT ANY TIME)
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (40) ALL SAINTS (AT ANY TIME)
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(40) ALL SAINTS (AT ANY TIME) All Saints Day on 1 November isn’t the only time to celebrate the saints of the Church, large and small, local and universal. But if this is the chosen time there’s an interesting symbiosis between this remembrance and that of Guy Fawkes four days la…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (38) HARVEST
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (38) HARVEST
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(38) HARVEST Harvest presents particular problems and opportunities. The traditional harvest festival locks into our rural nostalgia but may leave us feeling strangely disconnected from everyday concerns rather than fundamentally integrated into earthy realities, as it would have…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (44) SAND AND WATER
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (44) SAND AND WATER
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(44)SAND AND WATER The basic elements of earth, wind, fire and water always seem to strike a chord when used in prayer. The following intercession uses two elements which echo common experiences on our spiritual journey. The size of the congregation or group will affect how the p…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (39) REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (39) REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(39) REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY Interestingly, the annual act of remembrance seems to be gaining in impact in recent years. Perhaps it’s because those who have direct memories are becoming fewer in number and we realize what we’re in danger of losing…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (35) EASTER AT EMMAUS
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (35) EASTER AT EMMAUS
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(35) EASTER AT EMMAUS The Emmaus story in Luke 24 has enduring appeal in its humanity, its wonder and its mixture of simplicity and complexity. Obviously these prayers would work best if this Gospel reading has been used. The prayers follow the developing narrative of the story –…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (37) PENTECOST
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (37) PENTECOST
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(37) PENTECOST Pentecost lends itself to the use of its strong images, but other festivals and seasons of the year also have symbols attached to them which can be used to reinforce and enliven the intercessions. The response here would have to be introduced and rehearsed, or prin…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (24) THE PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT US
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (24) THE PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT US
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(23) SOMEWHERE NEARBY If our prayer is going to connect with the world we’re part of for the other 167 hours a week when we aren’t in church, we need to remember the raw-edged realities around us and not domesticate them into tidy, bland packages. These intercessions need to be a…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (23) SOMEWHERE NEARBY
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (23) SOMEWHERE NEARBY
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(23) SOMEWHERE NEARBY If our prayer is going to connect with the world we’re part of for the other 167 hours a week when we aren’t in church, we need to remember the raw-edged realities around us and not domesticate them into tidy, bland packages. These intercessions need to be a…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (25) RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (25) RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(24) THE PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT US The Lord’s Prayer is prayed millions of times every day. The problem is to mean what we pray! But Jesus was giving his disciples a framework for prayer which we do well to explore thoroughly all our lives and in all our praying. There are other pla…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (26) DOORS
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (26) DOORS
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(26) DOORS Sometimes a common image with a range of interpretations can provide a helpful peg for intercession. The visual reinforces the aural. Here the image of doors takes the intercession into both familiar and unfamiliar territory…
glimpses of glory - Seventh Sunday of Easter - Year C
glimpses of glory - Seventh Sunday of Easter - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
The Seventh Sunday of Easter Almighty Father, who through your great love raised your Son into glory, help us to know we are not alone, to know we dwell in you and you in us, to know that the ascended Lord is with us always, and that your Spirit comes to guide and strengthen us. …
the second intercessions handbook - PRAYING FOR THOSE YOU FORGET