Contact us at:
St. Stephen's Church
St. Stephen's Street
Worcester WR3 7HS
Please note that these are all personal phone numbers.
There is no phone in the church.
Reverend Andy Todd
Priest-in-charge
Tel: 07806892165
Email: revandyt@outlook.com
Reverend Lindsey Coulthard
Assistant Curate
Tel: 07879366294
Email: ljcoulthard@yahoo.co.uk
Michelle Walsh
Parish Administrator
Tel: 07961 097497
Email: mwalsh.ststephens@outlook.com
Daily Prayer
Friday
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to note the wounds;
to toil and not to look for rest;
to labour and ask for no reward,
except knowing that we do you will.
Amen.
(adapted from St. Ignatius of Loyola)
Psalm 121 - Read by Lindsey Coulthard
The Lords Prayer - Read by Lindsey Coulthard
This can also be watched from our Facebook page by following this link:
God’s Bathrobe by Michael Coffey
(As used in Linsdey Coulthard's Reflection - Sunday 30th May)
God sat Sunday in her Adirondack deck chair
reading the New York Times and sipping strawberry lemonade
her pink robe flowing down to the ground
the garment hem was fluff and frill
and it spilled holiness down into the sanctuary
into the cup and the nostrils of the singing people
one thread trickled loveliness into a funeral rite
as the mourners looked in the face of death
and heard the story of a life truer than goodness
a torn piece of the robe’s edge flopped onto
a war in southern Sudan and caused heartbeats
to skip and soldiers looked into themselves deeply
one threadbare strand of the divine belt
almost knocked over a polar bear floating
on a loose berg in the warming sea
one silky string wove its way through Jesus’ cross
and tied itself to desert-parched immigrants with swollen tongues
and a woman with ovarian cancer and two young sons
you won’t believe this, but a single hair-thin fiber
floated onto the yacht of a rich man and he gasped
when he saw everything as it really was
the hem fell to and fro across the universe
filling space and time and gaps between the sub-atomic world
with the effervescent presence of the one who is the is
and even in the slight space between lovers in bed
the holiness flows and wakes up the body
to feel beyond the feeling and know beyond the knowing
and even as we monotheize and trinitize
and speculate and doubt even our doubting
the threads of holiness trickle into our lives
and the seraphim keep singing "holy, holy, holy"
and flapping their wings like baby birds
and God says: give it a rest a while
and God takes another sip of her summertime drink
and smiles at the way you are reading this filament now
and hums: It’s a good day to be God
Prayers for a range of situations we hope are helpful
A Prayer for the Outbreak
God of
compassion,
during this Coronavirus
outbreak
be close
to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.
In their loneliness, be their consolation;
in their anxiety, be their hope;
in their darkness, be their light;
through him who suffered alone on the cross,
but reigns with you in glory,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For medical staff
and all working at the front line
of fighting the outbreak
Gracious God,
give skill, sympathy and resilience
to all who are caring for the sick,
give your wisdom to all those searching for a cure,
And support all who are working
to keep people safe.
Strengthen them with your Spirit,
that through their work many will be restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
If you know people who are ill
Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe.
Especially we hold before you (N…. and N….).
Comfort and heal
them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
If you know people who are ill
Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe.
Especially we hold before you (N…. and N….).
Comfort and heal
them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayers for families with children
A version of the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, you are in heaven
and your name is special and wonderful.
May your plans become reality,
and all you desire happen in our world and in yours.
Please give us all we need to get through today.
Forgive us for all we have got wrong,
and help us to do the same for those who hurt us.
Keep us from doing things that are wrong,
and protect us in these hard times.
Everything in heaven and on earth is made by you and belongs to you,
and that’s the way it will be …. Always. Amen
A prayer for the world
God of love and hope,
you made the world and care for all creation,
but the world feels strange right now.
The news is full of stories about Coronavirus.
Some people are worried that they might get ill.
Others are anxious for their family and friends.
Be with them and help them to find peace.
We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists,
and all who are working to discover the right medicines
to help those who are ill.
Thank you that even in these anxious times,
you are with us.
Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe.
Amen.
A bedtime prayer
Loving God, you are
always with me.
You are with me in the day and in the night.
You are with me when I’m happy and when I’m sad.
You are with me when I’m healthy and when I am ill.
You are with me when I am peaceful and when I am worried.
Today I am feeling (name how you are feeling) because (reasons you are
feeling this way).
Tonight, I
especially want to ask you to look after (name the people you want God to help).
Help me to remember that you love me and are with me in everything tonight and
always.
Amen.
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