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Bishop Nigel's Prayer
Eternal God,
you call us to be a pilgrim people,
grant that we may run the race
that is set before us
with stronger faith,
firmer hope and greater love;
that, persevering to the end,
we in our generation,
may bear the baton of the
gospel with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Amen.
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"We walk by faith and not by sight"
2 Corinthians 5
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The Rt Rev David Gillett Bishop of Bolton at a confirmation service at St Philip's Stubbins in Ramsbottom.
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Give us O God:
Thoughts which turn into prayer,
Prayer which turns into love,
Love which turns into deeds.
Amen. (Anon)
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Canon Anne Hollinghurst,
Bishop's Chaplain, writes…
A running track bearing the form of a cross, is the symbol on the badge that you will have receive during your pilgrimage visit. It has sparked many thought-provoking responses and no doubt when people ask you about its significance, you will be able to share in your own words something of what it means.
For me, it speaks of my own experience of faith as a journey of discovery and a journey of trust. Christian faith is not something we tack on to our lives like a hobby or interest - it is not about becoming a
member of a 'religious club'. It does not fit neatly into one compartment of our lives - God's call to each one of us is to take up the adventure of faith as the path itself.
The path is none other than the way of the cross and the way of Jesus. There can be times of great struggle on our pilgrimage, but the horizon of hope to which we look is one of life constantly renewed and
holds the promise of resurrection.
The 'gospel' or good news is always fresh - it is the message of God's love shown to us in Christ. Sometimes as Christians we get anxious about how we can pass on this good news to others and it is important then to remember that it is not just about words. To carry the baton of the gospel faithfully, each of us is called according to the late Brother Roger of Taize, to 'love and say it with your life.'
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Lord, you have taught us that all
our doings without love are nothing worth:
Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
Without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ's sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
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Lord, renew my faith
that I may know how much you love me and accept me;
deepen my faith that I may stand secure
when doubts assail and darkness threatens;
strengthen my faith as I share with others
the joy and peace you offer to us all;
and restore my faith when those around
find it so meaningless and without value.
Lord, renew our faith
that our worship may be filled with life and joy;
deepen our faith as we learn together
and discover the riches of your Word;
strengthen our faith as we work with those
of other Faiths with courtesy and confidence;
and restore our faith in the power of your
Spirit who brings new life to our world;.
Amen
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What would it mean to live
In a city whose people were changing
Each other's despair into hope?
You yourself must change it.
What would it feel like to know
Your country was changing?
You yourself must change it.
Though your life felt arduous
New and unmapped and strange
What would it mean to stand on the
first page of the end of despair.
Help us Lord to stand on the first
page of the end of despair with vision
and hope in our minds, compassion
in our our hearts and a faith
which speaks of the love of
Jesus Christ our Lord.
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"Faith is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace." (Martin Luther, 1552)
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