The Lord is risen, he has risen indeed!  Alleluia,  Alleluia.

As we celebrate the new life of Resurrection, let us pray to the one true God, who brings the promise of eternal life to us all.

We pray for our Churches throughout the world that today stand empty, but like the empty tomb, are alive in the body of our risen Lord, and in every home that worships him today.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We ask God’s blessing on our own churches, The Barn and St Luke’s, and on Father Peter and all who have worked to keep our worship alive and vibrant in these unusual times.  For our family and friends who at present we cannot see face to face. For the great gift of communication, in all its forms and the power it has to keep us connected, as family, community and church.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Our Risen Lord, we ask for your blessing and loving care for all those who work tirelessly in our NHS, in our Care Homes, in our Emergency Services.

All those who take that extra step to help and look after others, with little or no thought for themselves.  Be with them Lord, provide and reassure them in the truly loving and caring work they do.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Dear Lord let us not forget the refugees, the homeless, those who still suffer, now even more, in those war torn parts of God’s world.

For those agencies who struggle to help them.  May our world leaders and those more powerful countries not neglect their responsibilities towards them.

The second Commandment is this “You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself”.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

There are Lord, so many today who need our prayers, all those suffering with the coronavirus, those whose treatment has been ‘put on hold’; those who suffer from mental illness, anxiety, abuse, we ask for your loving care for them all.  In our own community we remember especially today:

Shelagh Cochrane, Alan Hay, Juliet Low, Serge Lowrie, Joan Pritchard, Johanna Procter, Mary Smith, Kevin Willoughby, Max Weston

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With the words of Resurrection fresh in our hearts and minds, we commend to your eternal love those many thousands who have died, of all nationalities

and beliefs, that they may all live with Our Risen Lord. in your kingdom for ever.

We remember today from our own community Juliet Daley, Mary Allman.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, we thank you for the precious gift of new life; may we never again take it for granted, but live each moment in the fullness of life that Jesus has gained for us.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.