Today was our HMF fundraiser during which I led two lots of prayers. I used extracts from this year's DVD along with two prayers from Crumbs of Hope by Clare McBeath and Tim Presswood.
The first extract - 'United in Mission,' the first of the 'extras' on the DVD - uses a montage of clips from past HMF videos including that wonderful moment when Ida said to David Coffey, in response to a question about how they'd coped over the years, 'we'd no flamin' option.' If you don't (didn't, she died last year) know Ida, (or David Coffey who's just in the left hand side of the shot), she's the white haired lady with the lovely smile, who laughs. The church at the close, behind the wire fence, is Mersey Street Tabernacle - Ida's church.
Here are the prayers, in case you don't have access to Clare's and Tim's book and would like something that makes the connections ...
Prayers from a Home Mission Church
Everlasting One
Come, let us gather before the faithful GodThe everlasting one who has travelled with her people
Across the bounds of time and place
Through birth, growth, and death
Weaving in and out of the joy and pain of our lives.
Come, let us gather before the faithful God
The everlasting one who calls us to share our journey
Through the decades, wherever we find ourselves
From our beginning to our departing
As we weave the joy and pains of our lives together.
Keep us Keeping On
Faithful God We thank you that you don’t give up on us
Keep us keeping on
Give us patience not to give up on you
Keep us keeping on
When the time ahead is uncertain
Keep us keeping on
When progress seems slow or non-existent
Keep us keeping on
When we are weary of working within the system
Keep us keeping on
When the challenges of our world seem too great
Keep us keeping on
When the burden of caring gets us down
Keep us keeping on
When we are tired and worn out
Hold us in your love
Prayers copyright Clare McBeath and Tim Presswood/Inspire publishing
PS If you have a problem with feminine language for God, you could use 'God's people' since God is neither male nor female.
PPS We raised £125 for HMF, so all in all it was a worthwhile event