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Intercessions for the Feast of St Simon & St Jude (Proper 25): Cornerstone and Foundation

Isaiah 28.14-16, Psalm 119.89-96, Ephesians 2.19-22, John 15.17-27

Sunday 28th October 2012 is like Clapham Junction for the Church of England as no less than four possible tracks converge on this day. Your church may treat it as the Feast of St Simon and St Jude, as my own does, or simply as the Last Sunday after Trinity, or as the Dedication Festival or as Bible Sunday. Visual Liturgy lists the possibilities in the same order as I have, and the Bible Society kindly lets us off the hook by saying ‘28 October or any day you choose‘.
 
There are overlapping ideas between the lectionary for the saints and for the dedication festival, though not the exact readings – both are focused on the idea of Christ as capstone, cornerstone and foundation of the Church. I hope intercessions based on this will therefore be useful for most of you, and I apologise if what follows is of no relevance to you whatever…

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This is the Collect:

Almighty God, who built your Church upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the chief cornerstone:
so join us together in unity of spirit by their doctrine,
that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you;…
 
Isaiah: …thus says the Lord God, See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation…
 
Ephesians:…You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.
 
Gospel…You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. (ie ‘we’re all in this together’?)
 
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¶The Church of Christ

O Lord of heaven and earth,  who built your Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets,  with Christ himself the head corner-stone; Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you. We pray that, as St Simon and St Jude were faithful and zealous in their mission, so may we, with ardent devotion, be faithful in ours.
 
Bless the worship of your church in this place that we may hear the living Word through the power of your Holy Spirit.*

Lord, who sent us a sure foundation, in your mercy hear our prayer.

 
 
 

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace; and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquillity your kingdom may go forward, till the earth be filled with the knowledge of your love.**

Lord, who sent us a sure foundation, in your mercy hear our prayer.

 
 
 

¶The local community

Lord, you have taught us that we are members one of another and can never live to ourselves alone: we thank you for the community of which we are part; for those who share with us in its activities, and for all who serve its varied interests. Help us, as we have the opportunity, to make our own contribution to the community and to be good neighbours, that by love we may serve one another.***

Lord, who sent us a sure foundation, in your mercy hear our prayer.

 
 
 

¶Those who suffer

Loving Lord, we pray for all whose lives are paralysed by fear: set free all who put their trust in you.

We pray for all lonely people, especially those who, coming home to an empty house, stand at the door hesitant to enter. May they, like the two on the Emmaus road, ask your Son in. Then, by his grace, may they find that in loneliness they are never alone and that he peoples empty rooms with his presence.****

We pray for all those in physical pain, that a way may be found to alleviate it.

Lord, who sent us a sure foundation, in your mercy hear our prayer.

 
 
 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we thank you for the glorious company of the apostles, and especially on this day for Simon and Jude. Into your hands we commend our souls and bodies, our families and friends departed. Light us all with your holy grace and allow us never to be separated from you, but one with all the company of heaven.

Lord, who sent us a sure foundation, in your mercy hear our prayer.

In the words of St Jude,***** as we “contend for the faith once delivered to the saints”,

Now unto Him that is able to keep [us] from falling, and to present [us] faultless before the presence of His glory with  exceeding great joy, to the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

Lord, who sent us a sure foundation, in your mercy hear our prayer.

 
 

 
 
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*C N R Wallwork, from the Lion Prayer Collection p.345

** From a prayer of Francis Paget

*** Frank Colqhuhoun, anthologized in Angela Ashwin’s ‘Book of a Thousand Prayers’

****E M Farr, quoted in the Lion Prayer Collection, p.160

*****From the Epistle of Jude , a brief document addressed to the Church, as explained by James Kiefer.

The illustration depicts a Byzantine mosaic of a surveyor measuring out the foundations for a building. From the remains of the great palace in Constantinople,  mountainpix via Shutterstock.

 
  
 

3 comments on this post:

UKViewer said...
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Thanks Laura. 🙂

24 October 2012 17:51
Di Millington said...
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Lovely prayers, I have added your blog to my toolbar!

Lay Anglicana said...
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Thank-you very much Di 🙂

25 October 2012 19:12
25 October 2012 19:07

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