Lord God
Our joy, our delight
we praise and thank you that through Christ Jesus the path of life has been made known to us
life, which blesses, nourishes, loves
life, which we can see through buds turning to leaves
life, which we see in the contentment of a new born child
life, which we see in the caring touch of a friend
for all this, and more, we thank you
we bring before you all this day, known and unknown to us, for whom life is not joyous, happy, worth living
The children who have never seen trees or grass
the isolated, who go days without seeing another person, let alone feeling the warm touch of companionship
the couples who long to hold a child in their arms, but cannot
[pause]
Comfort them all, in your great mercy and love, Lord God
may they come to know you are with them
may they come to know the beauty of life around them
and grant to us the willingness to be the ones who offer the warm hand of friendship to the isolated
the understanding and empathy those who long to be parents need
and the willingness to challenge structures which mean the most deprived in our land and throughout your world cannot have beauty in their lives, in their communities.
[pause]
Christ our King
We praise and thank you for sending your Holy Spirit, which swept through your disciples
granting them the confidence to reach beyond their comfort zones and familiarity to preach of your resurrection
their actions and words called added to your disciples and began to build your church
we thank you for their words and the words and actions of generations, a unbroken chain of faith
through which we, too, have heard that Christ is risen
He is risen indeed
As have Christians throughout the world
all our family, our brothers and sisters
we bring before you, Christ Jesus, those in your body who are persecuted for their beliefs
those who struggle to cast off the burden of guilt
those who cannot imagine speaking out to others of their belief of a risen Christ to others
Send your Holy Spirit to each one
to bring comfort, support or challenge
so in their lives you may be honoured
and given all the glory
and grant to us, to, the power and conviction to be part of your living, breathing church
in this parish
and in the communities in which we live and work and shop and rest and play
that, in your time all may know
Christ is risen
He is risen indeed
Amen