A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. Proverbs 10:1As we celebrate Father’s Day, we give thanks for all the father figures in our lives, who have guided and helped us. We pray for all the young fathers in our congregation, who are bringing up their children to love and serve Jesus, and for all the grandfathers who have such a great influence on the next generation.We pray for all those taking important exams at this time, that they may know the presence of God and His peace, realising that although they may seem vital, they are only one step on life’s road.We pray for all who are stepping out into service of God through ordination. We pray for their families, whose lives will change tremendously. We ask for blessing for the churches which they will complete their training in.We pray for all the farmers at this critical time of growing. We give thanks for all those who care for livestock, the shepherds and herdsmen, the vets and stable lads. We ask for God’s blessing on all the farming community in Altcar and surrounding districts, for a good summer and harvest. ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ Genesis 8:22
The bishops of the Church of England have issued a call to put prayer and participation at the heart of the General Election campaign as the UK prepares to go to the polls.Speaking after the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he is seeking a dissolution of Parliament ahead of an election on 4 July, Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell urged people to set aside time amid the heat of the coming campaign to reflect and pray for our nation and our world.They also issue a plea to everyone to put “good grace and a commitment to truth and integrity” at the heart of the campaign.The Church of England is launching a campaign known as #PrayYourPart – to promote prayer and participation in the life of our nation and communities, both as voters and as citizens.A series of daily thematic reflections written by bishops, drawn from the Bible and exploring major themes will be published shortly, covering the final three weeks up to polling day. Throughout the coming weeks, a range of Christian voters from across England will be invited to share what they are praying for for the nation, through a series of videos under the banner #PrayYourPart.Archbishops Justin and Stephen said: “The coming General Election is a critical moment in the life of our nation, which will shape our future by electing those who will make decisions affecting generations to come.“It is a time for us all – people of all faiths and of none - to ask important questions about what kind of country we want to be.“We are facing epic challenges both in our country and our world: from questions of war and peace, to poverty and injustice and very future of the Earth God has given us.“Faced with such huge questions, our instinct as Christians is to turn to God in prayer and so we want to put prayer at the very heart of this campaign. “We are therefore inviting everyone who is willing to dedicate the next few weeks as a time not just to think about the big questions but to pray for our nation and our world. And we want to invite everyone to think about how we all can play our part both as voters and, more broadly, as citizens.“We would add a plea that no matter how big the issues as stake over the next few weeks, this will be a time marked by respect for one another, for good grace and a commitment to truth and integrity.“It is our prayer that, even in the heat of the debate, we will treat each other with respect and kindness.“And we give thanks for the dedication of all who stand for public office in service of our communities – often at great personal cost - and those who support the process.”Our own Bishop John urged us all to support the Church of England’s #PrayYourPart campaign: “As a nation we face crucial choices for our future and I believe that it is every Christian’s duty to play their part. I support the Church of England’s #PrayYourPart campaign and encourage you as individuals and worshipping communities to join in prayer at this time. We must call for politicians to bring justice to our region so their choices make a bigger difference to the lives of all who live and work in our diocese. My hope is that this campaign will enable us to focus on the issues and challenges we face, on a vision for a better country. I hope that all parties conduct themselves in a spirit of calm, graceful and wise reflection. I hope that you will #PrayYourPart in the important decisions that affect us all."And so we pray together with him:Loving FatherLook with kindness of the people of this nation as we make important decisions about our futureWe give thanks for those called to serve in public office and pray that they may be gracious, truthful and courageous in setting out their visions.May we, as your faithful disciples, play our part in ensuring your kingdom values are heard at this time In the name of the one who was called to serve, our Saviour Jesus ChristAmen.
