Thanksgiving and intercession 14 August 2016

Vine Planting God

may all praise and thanks and glory be to you and you alone

for we are blessed beyond measure that in you we find our source, our life, our faith

united in and through Jesus Christ our Lord

joined through the branches of the vine to the whole worldwide church

Today, we especially thank you for Christians known to us, by whose lives we came to know Jesus Christ as our Lord, our Saviour, our friend

To others, they may not be influential or famous or powerful, but their faithful witness supported us in hard times,

while always pointing to their source in you

So we pause to remember before you, Christ Jesus, those who quietly and unassumingly led us to you

[pause]

Christ Jesus

pioneer and perfecter of our faith

throughout your world, our brothers and sisters fix their eyes on you

yet some face hostility, persecution, verbal and physical threats, death even for that faith in countries such as Nigeria, Iran, Sudan

we cannot understand the torment they face in witness to Christ

and we stand in awe of their faith in such adversity

We pray they may know we are joined to them in faith, as part of the vine

and that through your holy spirit they may know they are supported in prayer throughout the church

Life Giving God

we thank you that you give us families and friends to share the journey of life with

bless our families, surround them in your love, especially those who are far from us

whether physically distant, or distant in mind or soul from us this day

for their health and wholeness, we pray

for their joy and fulfilment in all they do, we pray

[pause]

Almighty God

we praise and thank you that you are ultimately in control

we recall before you all we have heard and seen and read in the news this week

locally, nationally, internationally

and hold all these places and people and situations out to you

knowing you are present in them all

you care for them all

you love them all

[pause]

Amen