Diocese of Bath and Wells Prayer Calendar – August 2016 Focusing on Bath deanery
1 August As a group from St Michael Without attends New Wine this week, refresh us all, Lord. May we always be awakening to your purpose for each of us as fruit of your vine. 2 August Bless the ongoing refurbishment of the hall at Church of the Ascension in Bath, Lord, the weekly holiday club and the hoped-for Baptisms in September. Build us up in courage and renew our faith and identity in you. 3 August Jesus Christ, you healed the sick and yet you suffered. By faith in your resurrection, may those at St Philip & St James Church in Odd Down and at Combe Hay Church be filled with your power. Bless Revd Alan Bain there, recently returned from the International AIDS conference in Durban where he was reporting for the World Council of Churches. 4 August We pray for the congregation of St Luke’s in Bath and that you continually strengthen the new expression of church in the Moorfields area of the parish, Lord God. Grant that we, as your followers, may reveal your glory to the greatest and the least. 5 August Father of all, prosper the work for good in Twerton: The Rec House connecting with adults and young people through music and creative arts; Rose Cottage Café and Community Centre as a place of transformation and hospitality; Life365 reaching out to young people, children and families; and Revd Richard Wilson at St Michael’s, also Rural Dean. In your family, the world is caught up in the love of your Son; may we somehow show that today. 6 August - Transfiguration of Our Lord Everlasting Lord, you fulfil the law and the prophets by your incarnation and continual outworking. We pray with the Christ Church (Julian Road) community as they come together to discern their future direction. Bless Brenda Wall there, a Reader in training, and Church Wardens Alex Soboslay and Malcolm Wall. Hold all in that place true to their commitment to 'beauty in worship, honesty in doubt and service to our community’.
7 August – Trinity 11 We rejoice in the licensing today of Revd Christopher Hopkins, who was a training curate, as priest in charge at Baltonsborough and West Bradley and West Pennard in Glastonbury deanery. Prompt us, Lord, to daily examine your call to each of us. 8 August We thank God for opportunities to know the joy of serving others. Praise you, Lord, for St Saviour’s Church in Larkhall and your guidance for the nearly-completed Community Hub building project. Reward the congregation’s faith with the final tranche of funds as they have stepped out, trusting in the vision you have given, that many local families will come to know you. Their prayer is to channel your blessing on Larkhall and all who live and work there. 9 August Your flock, Jesus, is greater than we can imagine. We pray for the meeting tonight of Batheaston Churches in Partnership: St Catherine's and St John's, and your RC Church of the Good Shepherd. We offer thanks for all we take for granted in our communities as Batheaston hopes for someone to take on the Post Office which closes this month. 10 August As All Saints Weston with North Stoke and Langridge say goodbye to Revd Preb Patrick Whitworth after 21 years, we pray for the team there who take up the challenge and that the church would grow during this period. Thank you for Patrick’s dedication, Lord, and may it yield fruit of your love into the future. 11 August We can all pray with St John's Weston: “We are a small church with a big vision. Our aim is to take God very seriously, but ourselves not seriously at all. We love to be in contact with people in our community.” Lord, by your infinite grace, magnify the effect of our efforts that we can keep perspective on ourselves. We pray also for St Nicholas Kelston and the Churchwardens there. 12 August Freshford, Limpley Stoke and Hinton Charterhouse ask that, along with the refurbishment of churches, their new witness through website and social media is blessed and that the application for a kids and family worker is done with vision and discernment for that area. May we see your revealed love in whatever way we walk today, Lord. 13 August God of brilliant light, answer St Swithin's Walcot prayer that they be a home of grace in the heart of the city: sustain them in their vacancy, be in the fellowship at the Gateway Community Centre in Snowhill, and prosper the Next Step appeal which has been set up to fund an ambitious new building project for the Genesis
Trust on Walcot Street. Let every corner of our lives and minds be illuminated by you. 14 August – Trinity 12 Lord, you commanded us to tell your good news, baptising in the name of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit. We pray for CMS mission partners Ben and Katy Ray and their commissioning church, HT Combe Down together with the other churches in the benefice, St Michael’s Monkton Combe and St James the Great South Stoke. May your Spirit equip and inspire us all to show and tell the Good News of Jesus. 15 August - Blessed Virgin Mary Bless the ministry, faith and lives of all who worship at St Mary the Virgin Swainswick and at All Saints Woolley. Thank you for their faithfulness, Lord. Grant that our hearts are humble, open and turned towards your voice. 16 August Rock of Ages, true to us at all times of our lives, we pray for the 'Holiday at Home' for Seniors starting today at Holy Trinity Combe Down and St Andrew's Community Church in Foxhill, and for this month’s children's holiday club there and their youth trip to Devon last week; that they all draw leaders and attendees closer in relationship to you. 17 August We pray for Widcombe Parish: for redevelopment and building work at St Matt’s, for the project to replace the organ at St Thomas à Becket, for returning students in September, and for outreach to local community and businesses. May your harmonious power be in this work, Lord God. In the shelter of your infinite compassion, may we join the voice of need to make songs of joy. 18 August Thank you, Father, for Revd Preb Simon Hill’s ministry in this diocese as director of clergy development. Thank you for our clergy and for the universal Church, for Readers and for so many more who respond with willing generosity to your sacrifice and love. Bless Simon as he prepares for his new role as Archdeacon of Taunton and be with his family as they move house and support him. 19 August Day after day, you are always new, Creator God. May the youth of St Barnabas Bath be renewed in faith and vision as parish worker Chris Porter takes a group today to the Soul Survivor worship event for the first time. Let that renewal be in us and all people; in that church’s new midweek all-age coffee and cake drop and their foodbank, and at St Peter's Englishcombe with Revd Dr Catherine Sourbut.
20 August Thank you for the gift of parish life, Christ our brother, and for neighbours and for strangers. Let the ministry of St Stephen's and St Mary's, and the Charlcombe Churches, and Revd Philip Hawthorn there, be a blessing to all, pointing to your spiritual work in the lives of those living there and in all our lives. 21 August - Trinity 13 With St Nicholas Bathampton we give thanks for three new home groups and pray for deepening relationships encouraging one another to feed on God’s Word and apply it in our lives. We thank you Lord for youth worker Dan Mak who asks for prayer for boys and girls to have a growing hunger to know Jesus. May this busy church be blessed with good quality candidates for an administrator vacancy. Thank you for the diversity of church families in our diocese, working for your glory, Almighty God. 22 August Healer and Consoler, influence with wisdom the consultations on the renewal of the ministry of the Magdalen Chapel Holloway. Let its history as a sanctuary for lepers, pilgrims and children in special need be a radical voice in the city. Provoke us all to step up to the cruelty of injustice in some way today. 23 August We pray in gratitude for Revd Jonathan Philpott, joining us from the Diocese of Bristol, to be priest in charge of Berrow and Brean benefice in Axminster deanery. Keep our eyes on the horizon as we watch for signs of your Kingdom and keep our hearts in the gift of divine contentment as we rejoice in each fresh day. 24 August - Bartholomew the Apostle Your friend and servant St Bartholomew sowed the seed of your holy and eternal word far to the east of his homeland, Lord. Let the monthly prayer gatherings at St Bartholomew’s Bath plough rich soil of knowing and yield bright grain of truth. You share our burdens as we yolk ourselves to you. 25 August Hear the prayers, merciful Lord, of St Mary’s and St John’s Bathwick: for growth in faith and deepening sense of mission; new relationships and future residents of the new housing development; for Bathwick St Mary CE Primary School where headteacher Kevin Burnett is preparing for retirement and Kevin Purkiss is becoming head. We thank you for our leaders, Lord, as we each lift them to you now. 26 August We come to you seeking guidance and encouragement, Father. Bless the new chaplain at the University of Bath, Revd Preb Dr Nigel Rawlinson, and his new ministry there with students, families and staff. Continue to direct and strengthen
All Saints Weston in their vacancy. May your church throughout the world point to life-giving truths. 27 August We give thanks for Bath Abbey’s ministry to hundreds of thousands of tourists each year and pray God’s blessing on all who visit the churches across our diocese. We pray too for those who worship faithfully at the Abbey and for its Footprint project at a key phase of its development. 28 August - Trinity 14 We praise you for your generosity and for the love that it has inspired in the people of St Swithun's Bathford as they serve as a link church to CMS mission partner Freda Carey. Lord, thank you for Freda’s work in theological education in Pakistan; protect her, keep her wise in understanding your teachings. Give us hearts to learn and to give in return. 29 August May the strong loving family of St Mary’s Claverton be led by your wisdom, Father, and encouraged by the Spirit’s work in their aim to serve the parish better, especially those who live, work or study on Claverton Down. Be with all who minister to their communities and fortify their intentions with your blessing. 30 August Today we ask for simplicity – to see a glimpse of you, even in what we think of as your absence. In humility we are welcomed before your throne of glory. 31 August Bless, Lord of abundance, Revd Preb Anthony Perris who retires today from Preston Plucknett and Revd Canon Brian Pearson who is retiring from being our Associate Director of Vocations. We give thanks for their ministries and ask you to watch over their transition to new ways of serving you in retirement. Send your prayer requests to:
[email protected] Anglican Cycle of Prayer: www.anglicancommunion.org/resources/cycle-of-prayer.aspx
