Prayers for Holy Week: Tuesday

Tuesday April 7 2020

A prayer for Tuesday of Holy Week, from 'Deacon Dot', aka Dorothy Getliffe DCS, Old High St Stephen's Church, Inverness

Dot has sent her prayer as an audio file. Listen below.

Lord God

The message of the cross is difficult to take.
How can death give way to life?
How can weakness be strength?

Yet your word says that Jesus, being God, took on human flesh and suffered the worst kind of death.
How can this be?

And yet we believe that your foolishness is wiser than our wisdom and your weakness is greater than our strength.

In this Holy Week Tuesday, when we are perplexed and confused about why we are in such a weak situation, we thank you, oh God, that you understand because you’ve been here before us.

Help us to trust you.

Help us Dear Lord, when everything about Holy Week reveals the riches of your mercy for sinful, broken people like us.

The tears you wept coming into Jerusalem, we would pray them for all who weep and need to be comforted this morning.

The anger you showed driving money-changers from the temple, those who are angry because they cannot meet with their friends any more.

Every encounter, every parable and action underscores Paul’s words that at the right time when we were still powerless Christ died for the ungodly [Romans 5:6], that is, you and I, and that you demonstrate your own love for us.

It is love that has sent you to the cross, that while we were still sinners Christ died and bled for us.

It is only in Christ Jesus that we can boast. In His name, we ask you to help our unbelief, that we may love you and walk in the way Jesus taught us.

And so we bring before you those who are dearest to our hearts just now.

CH4 no. 464*

Though hope desert my heart
Though strangeness fill my soul
Though truth torment my troubled mind
You have been here before.

Though confidence run dry
Though weary flesh be sore
Though conversation bear no fruit
You have been there before.

There is no threatening place
No trial I could know
Which has not known your presence first
You have been here before

In Christ who on the cross
felt all our heart and more
and cried in deep abandonment and isolation
You have been here before.

So I will not dread the dark
The fate beyond control
Nor fear what reigns in frightening images
You will be there before

Amen, Amen

* Written by John Bell. ©WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G5 9JP, Scotland