Good Friday prayer for the world

Jesus, our crucified friend, and brother and Lord,

Today we are witnesses to the story of the awful and wonderful events of good Friday,

the story passed from generation to generation; 

the story of your love

giving itself for us, once and for all.

On this day we remember that you know what it is to suffer

And so we lift to you the places of suffering in our world today.

We lift to you places of war and unrest where people fear for their lives and don’t know where to turn.

We lift to you the places where people are hungry, where there isn’t enough to go around.

We lift to you the millions of people who are displaced and longing for a safe place to settle and build a life, to make a home, each one known and beloved to you.

We bring to you those people we know personally who struggle with daily pain – physically or mentally or spiritually -  or those who live with uncertainty about their future because of sickness.

Merciful Saviour, even as you hung from the cross you were urging your disciple and your mother to look after each other. As we remember this we bring to you those in our community who are on the outer, who crave love, who long for a sense of community and safety, a place where they can flourish. 

May we, your church, be a place of welcome and belonging - a place to call home.

The day you handed over your power and let yourself be killed

Was the day that changed the course of history

And still has the power to change everything,

to change everything in our lives, to change everything in our world.

May we, because we know you and love you and follow you, be a part of this change, be a part of the healing that this hungry world longs for.

In your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen