Melton Mowbray URC

Melton Mowbray URC Melton Mowbray United Reformed with Freeby Church are a member church within the URC fellowship. We

05/06/2026

Come, let us return to the Lord, for he will heal us and bind us up.
Let us pray.

O Most High, your appearing is as sure as the dawn;
You come to us like refreshing showers,
like the spring rains that nourish the earth.
We meet You here seeking Your wisdom.
We praise You seeking your blessing.
We listen to You seeking your direction for our lives.

O Risen Lord, we meet You here,
aware that Your love is steadfast
whilst ours is like a morning cloud, as dew that evaporates quickly.
We bring you our worship, poetic prayers, and rousing hymns,
yet You ask for steadfast love.
We give You our time hoping you will be pleased with us,
yet You ask for knowledge of God and Your ways.
We worship you on Sundays but all too often ignore You on weekdays;
yet You demand mercy, and lives lived with a sacrifice of praise.
Forgive us, Risen Lord, and give us time to change.

We gather in Your presence, Most Holy Spirit,
knowing our faith will make us whole,
longing for Your power within us, yearning to follow Your lead
as we worship, evangelise, witness, and serve,
showing the Church’s mission in our world.
Give us the grace to accept the forgiveness You bring,
forgive ourselves, and forgive those who have hurt us. Amen.

Like the sick in need of healing, as sinners in need of wholeness,
we listen to Your word, O God, read and proclaimed,
and pray that, through Your Holy Spirit,
we may live it in our daily lives. Amen.

O Most High, we pray for the Church,
in places of persecution and places of indifference,
that we develop a steadfast faith in You, that we exhibit mercy,
and that our rituals, practices, and services of worship
glorify You as they lead us to right living.

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Risen Lord Jesus,
we pray for those who yearn for You and the healing You bring,
victims of crime ignored by the authorities,
women, children, and men fearful of not being believed
when they disclose abuse,

mothers and children yearning for peace whilst men make war.

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Most Holy Spirit, we bring before You our own communities…

those in need whom we can help…

places where we can be salt and light…

those known to us ill in mind, body, or spirit…

those in the news today…

and those who are suffering known only to You…

Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

May the One whose love never ends,
the One whose faithfulness led him to the Cross,
and the One whose mercy is unfailing,
allow you to love others, keep you faithful, and help you embody mercy.
And the blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you, now and always, Amen

29/05/2026

;Come, worship the God who is not alone.
Come, worship the God whose life is shared love.
Come, worship the God who makes room,
who calls us into community,
and who meets us here.
Let us worship God together.

Loving God,
you are not distant or alone.
You are a God of relationship and shared life.
We come to you tired of loud voices
and weary of noisy dominance.
We come looking for a better way to live.
Draw us closer to you.
Root us in your love.
Shape us by your Spirit,
so that our worship, and our lives,
may reflect who you truly are. Amen.

God of shared life,
we confess that we often imagine you badly.
We turn you into a watcher rather than a companion,
a ruler rather than a presence,
an echo of our anger rather than the source of love.
We confess that we cling to control,
we seek certainty over compassion,
and we mistake dominance for strength.
We confess our fear of difference,
our temptation to choose sides,
our habit of turning faith into a badge instead of a way of life.
Forgive us when we shrink you
to fit our anxieties and our anger.
Forgive us, and remake us
in the image of your generous, relational love. Amen.

Hear the good news.
The God we meet in Christ does not seek to shame us or abandon us.
The love of God restores us.
The grace of Christ meets us.
The fellowship of the Spirit renews us.
In God’s shared life, we are forgiven, we are welcomed, we are made new.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

God of relationship,
we pray for a world fractured by fear and power.
Where voices are silenced,
teach us to listen.
Where leaders rule by anger and force,
raise up communities shaped by shared wisdom and humility.
Where difference is treated as threat,
teach us the courage of hospitality.
We pray for the Church:
when we hoard power, soften us;
when we fear disagreement, steady us;
when we forget love, remind us who you are.
We pray for those who feel isolated,
those pushed to the margins,
those told they do not belong.
Draw them into circles of care,
and draw us outward to meet them.
God of grace, love, and fellowship,
hold us all in your shared life. Amen.

For the Spirit of Peace
that calms our mind
and stills our life,
we give you thanks.
For the Spirit of Love
that touches hearts
and reaches out,
we give you thanks.
For the Spirit of Joy
that lifts our soul
and gives us faith
we give you thanks.
For the Spirit of Power,
that gift of grace
for this your church,
we give you thanks.

Go now in the shared life of God.
Resist fear with love. Resist domination with relationship.
Resist loneliness with community.
And may the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
hold you, guide you, and send you,
today and always. Amen.

22/05/2026

Spirit of the Living God,
on this day, especially, we celebrate you.
You moved over the waters at creation,
you stirred among the elders in the wilderness,
you danced like flame upon the gathered church.

We thank you for your nearness.
You are breath and fire,
movement and life.

We praise you for your abundance,
which is poured out on us all,
and given without reserve.

And yet, we confess
that we do not always live
as people shaped by your Spirit.
We resist your movement
when it unsettles us.
We silence the voices
that make us uncomfortable.
We cling to what feels familiar
and call it faith.

At times we have forgotten
that your Spirit rests on all flesh.
Not only on those we expect,
or on those we respect.

Forgive us, O God.
Breathe into us again.
Where we are tired,
renew us.
Where we are divided,
draw us together.

Spirit of the Living God,
fall afresh on us now,
that we may live as one body:
shaped by grace,
sent in hope,
and alive with your transforming power.
Amen.

Friends, hear the good news:
God’s grace is bigger than our fears,
stronger than our resistance,
and deeper than our regrets.
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
By the Holy Spirit, we are made new.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us bring our prayers before God, who hears us with love and responds with grace.
Spirit of the living God, you are poured out on all flesh.
You bind us together in one body, and you hear the prayers we carry.
Spirit of God, hear our prayer.
We pray for the church in all its diversity:
for congregations filled with joy and excitement, and for those tired or uncertain.
Where voices have been silenced, breathe courage.
Where communities are divided, weave understanding and trust.
Spirit of God, hear our prayer.
We pray for the world you love:
for places of conflict and fear, communities caught in violence or injustice,
and leaders entrusted with power and responsibility.
Pour out your Spirit of wisdom, restraint, and peace.
Spirit of God, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who feel overwhelmed or worn down:
those carrying heavy burdens, grieving loss,
or struggling with illness, anxiety, or isolation.
Where hope feels thin, be breath and comfort.
Spirit of God, hear our prayer.
We pray for those whose voices are often overlooked:
the young and the old, the unheard and the unexpected,
those on the edges of accepted community.
Help us recognise your Spirit speaking through them
and learn to listen with humility and care.
Spirit of God, hear our prayer.
We pray for ourselves:
for openness to your movement,
for courage to follow where you lead,
and for trust in one another as we share your work.
Make us faithful threads woven into the fabric of your love.
Spirit of God, hear our prayer.
Into your keeping, O God, we place all for whom we pray,
trusting your Spirit to hold, to heal, and to renew.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the Spirit of God rest upon and within you.

May you be woven together in love,
and strengthened for the journey ahead.

Now go in the peace of Christ,
motivated by the love of God,
and empowered by the breath of the Spirit.
Amen.

15/05/2026

O God the Holy Ghost
Who art light unto thine elect
Evermore enlighten us.
Thou who art fire of love
Evermore enkindle us.
Thou who art Lord and Giver of Life,
Evermore live in us.
Thou who bestowest sevenfold grace,
Evermore replenish us.
As the wind is thy symbol,
So forward our goings.
As the dove, so launch us heavenwards.
As water, so purify our spirits.
As a cloud, so abate our temptations.
As dew, so revive our languor.
As fire, so purge our dross

Christina Rossetti (AD 1830-1894)

God, greater than all our ideas of you, we praise you.
We know of kings and presidents, we know bosses and bossy people,
but you are greater than any of them.
The universe is your realm,
the human heart is your throne, and we praise you.
Jesus, crucified, risen and ascended, we praise you.
We walked alongside you. We saw you die. We found your empty tomb.
Now we know God has welcomed you home, and we praise you.
Spirit of God, go-between God, we praise you.
You show us God’s wisdom. You show us God’s will.
You give us hope of God’s kingdom here on earth, and we praise you.
God, greater than we can imagine,
Holy dance of new life, of transformation,
Lifting humanity into heaven, we praise you.

We praise you, yet your ascension seems
so far removed from anything we know,
that it’s easy to put it, to put you, to one side.
The world we know is one of struggle and hardship,
of error and failure, of sickness and death.
What has your heaven to do with that?
What have you to do with the hopelessness we find in human life?

We are tempted to put you into a box marked 'heaven',
and to take you out on Sundays for an hour.
We are tempted to forget the way you always work:
bringing light out of darkness; joy out of sorrow; life out of death.

We give thanks for Christ’s ascension;
that though we haven’t the words to describe it,
our humanity is part of God’s endless life.
Help us to see all people in the light of that staggering truth;
especially those with whom we disagree.

We give thanks for the hope God gives us,
that no power, not even death, can conquer love.
Through wars and rumour of war, through natural disaster,
through lack of work or money or home,
through ills striking body, mind or spirit,
help us to live in the light of that hope.

We give thanks that though ascended, Jesus is with us till time’s end.
May we who love him offer that good news to all who still need him as their friend.

All our prayers, spoken and silent, we give to God,
through Christ, in the Holy Spirit’s power. Amen.

May God lift our hearts to heaven;
may God’s kingdom come, God’s will be done, right here on earth.
and the blessing of God, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit,
is with us and all people, now and always. Amen.

08/05/2026

Father God, our Creator,
we praise you for your amazing love, and for the gift of life.
We’re sorry that we’ve not always trusted you,
listened to you, or obeyed you as we should.
We’ve failed to love you as you have loved us,
and we’ve failed to love others.
Too often, we’ve hoarded your gifts,
and not shown others the mercy we have been shown.
We give you thanks that you haven’t given up on us in our sin.
Instead, from the very beginning,
you planned to send your Son, Jesus Christ,
not to condemn the world, but to save it.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we remember your costly sacrifice:
Your cry in the Garden: “Not my will, but yours be done.”
Your cry from the cross: “Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing.”
And your cry from the resurrection: “Peace be with you.”

Holy Spirit,
we thank you that you are God with us and in us.
Comfort us in our loneliness and grief.
Fill our hearts with divine love,
and shape us from the inside out
that we might be humble, obedient and faithful disciples.

We offer ourselves and our gifts to you now,
that they may be used and transformed
for the sake of your Kingdom and glory. Amen.

Holy Spirit, Comforter,
we pray for all those who need your comfort today:

those who are grieving the loss of loved ones.
those struggling with poor physical and mental health.
those facing personal battles with addictions.
those trapped in poverty and systems of injustice.

May they know your presence, receive your hope, and be touched by your joy.

Holy Spirit, Advocate and Counsellor,
we pray for all those who need your vision and direction today:

for political leaders, that they will use their power for the good of all people.
for young people considering what to do with their lives. Give them wisdom to
discern the gifts you have given them, and the call you are placing on their lives.
for our denomination, Synods and local churches, that we will be open and
responsive to wherever you would lead us.

May we know your leading, and be bold in love and witness,
sharing in the life of your kingdom. Amen.

Let the majesty of the Father
be the light by which you walk,
the compassion of the Son
be the love by which you walk,
the presence of the Spirit
be the power by which you walk.
May peace flow
as a gentle stream
through your soul,
love’s pure warmth
soften your heart,
and joy in the Lord
shine in your face
and all your words.

01/05/2026

Ever-present God,
within the busyness
of this, and all days,
be at the heart of
all we do and say,
the focus of our lives,
that quiet whisper
of encouragement,
the gentle nudge
if we should stray,
our wisdom, strength
and purpose for today.

In you, O Lord, we take refuge,
You are our shelter in distress.
Let us never be ashamed,
but save us in your righteousness.
O Lord, turn your ear to hear our cries;
come quickly to deliver us,
and be our rock and firm defence,
our stronghold and security.
You are our fortress and rock;
for your name’s sake be our sure guide.
Preserve us from life’s traps;
You are the refuge where we hide.
Redeem us, LORD, O God of truth;
We commit our spirits to you.
We trust You, LORD,
for You are truth.

We come to You now, Most High,
to hear Your word, Jesus Christ, our way, truth and life,
read and proclaimed.
Break open our hearts to let in Your light,
that we may listen, understand and follow. Amen.

O Most High,
we live in a time with such pain and confusion!
Like the Psalmist of old we cry to Your for deliverance,
from the nets set to ensnare us and from the brokenness of our world.
We pray for all who live in pain;
victims of war and terror
those worried where their next meal is coming from
those homeless and hounded, and all in need.
Help us, who proclaim Your way,
to respond with love, compassion and wisdom.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

O Risen Lord,
we live in a time when truths compete for attention,
when alternative facts fill our airwaves
and when it’s hard to know who to trust.
We pray for victims of lying lips:
migrants and asylum seekers demonised for simply seeking safety,
victims of abuse and trafficking not believed due to male power,
scientists highlighting we do to the Earth, our wounded mother.

Help us, who proclaim Your truth,
to respond with love, compassion and wisdom.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Most Holy Spirit,
we live in an age fascinated by death and decay,
which denies abundant life to the poor and excluded,
yet holds up visions of a wealthy life unattainable to almost everyone;
we pray for those denied fullness of life:
prisoners who are offered no chance at rehabilitation
those sentenced to death
and those deliberately kept poor for evil economic purposes.

Help us, who proclaim Your life,
to respond with love, compassion and wisdom.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, as we go,
do not let us stray from Your path, for You are the Way.
Lord Jesus Christ, as we go,
do not let us distrust Your promises, for you are the truth.
Lord Jesus Christ, as we go,
do not let us rest in anything other than you, for you are our life.
Bless us, good Lord,
that our lives may reflect Your life,
our truths be always Your truth,
and our way be always Yours. Amen.

24/04/2026

Come and worship the living God,
whose goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.
Come and worship the living God who gathers us to his side,
as a shepherd gently gathers in the flock.
In the name of Jesus:
Come and worship, for all are welcome here!

God, who is like a good shepherd,
we are your people.
You count each one of us as your own.
You call us brothers and sisters of Christ.
You know us by name and by nature.
Shepherding God,
we worship you.

God, who is like a good shepherd,
we are your people.
In Christ you have gone ahead that we might follow.
In Christ you have opened springs of living water that we might be refreshed.
In Christ you have conquered death that we might live without fear.
Shepherding God,
we worship you.

God, who is like a good shepherd,
we are your people.
We know your voice,
the voice that draws us closer, the voice that sends us out,
the voice that injustice cannot silence, the voice that sets the prisoner free.
Shepherding God,
we worship you. Amen.

Good Shepherd, your sheep need protection.
So much in the world threatens to harm or destroy them.
They are oppressed, exploited, unjustly treated,
prey to conflict and violence. We pray for . . .
We ask that the world may know life in all its fullness.
In your love and mercy: Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, your sheep need good pasture.
So many in the world do not have enough to eat. -
Their lives are narrowed by need as they struggle to exist.
We pray for those we know . .

We ask that the needy may know life in all its fullness.
In your love and mercy: Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, your sheep need healing.
So many are sick and in pain.
Incapacitated by illness, sorrow, anxiety,
their journey through life is hard. We pray for . . .

We pray that those in trouble
may know life in all its fullness.
In your love and mercy: Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, your sheep need guidance.
So often they do not know the way they should go
but stumble along blindly, not listening for your voice.
We pray for guidance for the Church . . .

We pray that we may know life in all its fullness.
In your love and mercy: Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, your sheep need saving.
So often they stray from you and get lost,
needing your costly forgiveness,
needing you to risk all to fetch them back.
We pray for ourselves . . .

We pray that we may know life in all its fullness.
In your love and mercy: Hear our prayer.

In the name of the Good Shepherd who lay down his life for the
sheep. Amen.

Go now in the peace of the Shepherd:
gathered in his love,
guided by his voice,
guarded by his grace.
May Christ, the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls,
lead you into abundant life,
And may the blessing of God Almighty
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be amongst us and remain with us
this day and for evermore. Amen.

17/04/2026

God of revelation and good news,
help us today to find you in our worship,
in the words we share and the music we hear,
help us to try to answer some of our questions,
and stir us into asking more
as we seek to continue learning and growing together. Amen.

Risen and living Jesus,
who will meet us wherever we are ready to look,
in reading scripture, in breaking bread,
in worshipping and giving thanks:
here we are. Use us, reassure us,
and help us to love you and each other more.
Loving God, we come before you as your people,
to sing your praises, to hear your word in scripture,
to give thanks for and respond to your love.

We come to worship today just as we were,
as we were made, and we celebrate again
that act of creation and creativity.
We thank you for your many gifts,
for the beauty of the world all around,
for the plants and flowers
growing anew in the spring weather.
We thank you for the Easter celebration we have recently enjoyed,
remembering that your love is a gift not just for one day but for every day of the year.
We thank you for the church, for the fellowships we belong to,
and for our families and friends, the people we love
who gives our lives richness and depth.
We ask that you help us as we try to live out your love in our lives
and in how we treat other people,
transforming our world together, celebrating you make all things new.

Gracious God, we know that you love you each one of us
and nothing can separate us from that love.
We celebrate your mercy and your readiness to forgive.
Therefore, trusting in your abundant grace,
we think of the mistakes we have made
and the times we have acted in ways which
are contrary to the values of your kingdom.
We have hurt others through action or negligence,
we have not struggled for justice but accepted injustice,
we have not shared what we have but acted with selfishness.
Through Jesus our sins are forgiven,
and we pray for help in our efforts to do the best we can. Amen.

Writing and story-telling God,
sometimes your stories are hard for us to read,
sometimes we have many questions
and struggle to make sense of what you tell us;
and so we pray for the spirit to be with us today,
as we read your scripture
and think about what it means for us today.
Holy Spirit, reach in our minds and our hearts
and make us ready to ask the difficult questions
we sometimes hide from. Amen

May the love of Jesus Christ
bring us wholeness,
the grace of God the Father
grant us peace,
the breath of Holy Spirit
instil passion
and the unity between them
give us strength
for this and every day. Amen

10/04/2026

We give thanks to You, O Ancient of Days,
for You give us new and everlasting life,
an eternal inheritance that will not wither or decay.
You reveal our salvation to us and bring us joy.

We give thanks to You, Risen Lord Jesus,
You are to us more precious than gold.
Even though we cannot see or touch You,
we believe and rely on You even as we doubt,
and long for that day when You will be fully revealed.

We give thanks to You, Most Holy Spirit,
for in You we find our joy and fulfilment;
in You our restless hearts find their repose,
our ancient hungers are satisfied,
and we discover our salvation.

And yet, despite our thanks, O Trinity of Love,
we complain and grumble.
Despite the gifts You lavish up on us,
we demand more.
Despite the faith we have,
we find it easy to fail to trust in You.
Despite the satisfaction You bring,
we crave for more and plunder the earth and its people.
In our relentless hunger we forget both the simple things of life,
and the simplicity of life itself.

Give us time, O God, to change.
In Your loving kindness help us turn our lives around.
In Your insistent love help us to
love and forgive ourselves,
love our neighbours,
and, in this, rediscover our love for You. Amen.

People of God, hear the good news!
The Lord is your portion and cup;
the Lord gives you good counsel and is ever before you.
The Lord does not give you up nor abandon you to the Pit,
but instead shows you the path of life and fullness of joy.
So, accept the grace on offer and discover
everlasting pleasure in God’s service. Amen!

When our hearts and minds are fearfully locked from inside, O God,
slip in behind our defences and appear to us, as Your word,
ancient, yet ever new, is exposed, proclaimed, and lived.
That we may feel your peace, see your wounds, and believe. Amen

O Most High,
we bring our prayers to You for our world, the Church, and ourselves.
We pray for places where hope runs thin,
where warfare, famine, disease and violence run rife…

Rise up, O Most High, a people of hope,
that looks beyond the crises of our time
to see and work for the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading hope that You bring.

God, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Risen Lord Jesus,
we pray for the Church
persecuted and ignored, glorious and sinful, serving and shameful.

Rise up, O Risen Lord, a hopeful Church,
that looks beyond itself, its problems, and its crises,
to see its imperishable, undefiled, and unfading mission that You give.

God, in your mercy hear our prayer.

O Holy Spirit,
we bring to You ourselves and those we love.
We pray for those in any kind of need,
those in the news, and those forgotten about;
those who are hungry and destitute, and those who have too much;
victims of crime and those who harm others.

We pray for those in need in our own community

We pray for those we love who are ill in mind, body, or spirit…

We pray for ourselves

Rise up, Most Holy Spirit, hope in our hearts
that we may remember our ultimate future is imperishable, undefiled, unfading
and in your hands alone.

God, in your mercy hear our prayer.

You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart's eternal spark
You are the door that's open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Saviour this very day.

03/04/2026

Forty days alone,
a wilderness of thoughts,
tempting and inviting thoughts,
which could so easily have distracted you
from your task, your mission,
your vision.
Yet you emerged, stronger and more attuned
to all that had to be done,
despite a time constraint
that to our eyes would have seemed hopeless.
We too live in stressful times.
Demands are made of our time,
that leave so little
for the important things of life.
We are easily distracted
in the wilderness of our lives,
by every call to go this way or that,
to turn stone to bread
leap from mountains,
and do all that would keep us from the truth.
We listen to the voices of this world,
and ignore the one who endured all this
and so much more,
and emerged triumphant,
that we might not have to suffer so.
Forgive us, Father,
when we get distracted from our task.
Forgive us those times when we try
to be all things to all men,
and fail to be anything to anyone
You were a man of suffering
acquainted with grief,
loved and despised in equal measure.
You understand humanity,
know our failings,
love us despite the people that we are.
When we, like Peter, deny you
by word or action,
forgive us.
When we, like Judas, are tempted
to follow a different path,
forgive us.
When we, like those in the crowd
allow you to be crucified,
forgive us.
Bring us to the foot of the Cross
to stand next to the one who,
looking into your eyes declared
‘Surely this is the Son of God'

father forgive them
they didn't know what I was doing
when I slipped into humanity disguised
my light shone in a darkness
they could not comprehend

forgive them all
my dear, dull accomplices
who don't know the cost
of an immortal’s su***de

they tried to keep us
from this meeting here

forgive the crowd
making the necessary choice of Barabbas

forgive Pilate’s wife
whose conscience nearly ruined everything

forgive Judas
his kiss of death

father forgive them
they don't know what we are doing

forgive them
they didn't know what they were building

we were architects
and these rough beams were cut
to meet our most exacting standards

forgive them
they don't know what will be executed here

how might they understand
these hammer blows would be
the final acts of our first creation

like workmen at the launch
of some great enterprise of state
they come to watch
the ceremony of our fierce ambition

and as they hoist me up to you
before this brutal act of love
extinguishes my mortal life completely
father forgive them
they don't know what they're doing

Let the majesty of the Father
be the light by which you walk,
the compassion of the Son
be the love by which you walk,
the presence of the Spirit
be the power by which you walk.

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