While the Prayer Diary topics on Sundays in particular are intended to lead us into prayers of worship, praise and thanksgiving, the topics on many other days (though not all,) could also lead us into prayers of praise and thanks, as well as prayers of petition. 

Open or download the Daily Prayer Diary (PDF) HERE

There has been a recent growing interest in the concept of Pilgrimage.  

Increasing numbers of people engage in pilgrimages while the idea of pilgrimage and being 'on the way' is often used to describe the Christian Life.  

The theme of the 2016 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was 'People on the Way'. 

Some years ago, a small group of people at St Cuthbert's Church in central Edinburgh began to explore themes arising from the life of St Cuthbert and Celtic Christianity in general. In time, this informal group came to include people with no formal connection with St Cuthbert's, and a loose network of interested folks met every couple of months or so to share in some worship inspired by Celtic traditions and explore some aspects of contemporary Christian life through the lens of some of the lives of Celtic saints and the theses of the Celtic Christianity of our lands.  

This loose grouping was called 'The Way of Cuthbert'. The 'Way of Cuthbert' is no more, but developing out of some of the ideas and themes that were explored and with new people expressing an interest in joining in some kind of similar group a series of seminars and a loose network of interested people is emerging called 'The Pilgrim Way'  

More information, including a Daily Office, with suggested readings, comments etc and details of planned seminars, HERE  

Sunday Mornings

'Time for Prayer'

Every Sunday before the 11am service, in the Memorial Chapel between 10:15am and 10:45am  

This is a weekly Time for Prayer providing space for silent prayer with a specific focus on the day's services and those leading them, plus other topics of particular concern for the church and the world.This is a 'come and go time' - stay for as long or as little time as you are able 

Tuesdays

Every Tuesday

10:15am - 10:30pm : Short time of prayer Every Tuesday in the Memorial Chapel, for anyone in the building.  

First Tuesday each month

12pm - 12:30pm : Short Service of Reflection with Holy Communion on the first Tuesday each month in the Memorial Chapel. The Ministry of Praye for Healing is offered immediately after this service. 

Wednesdays

soul space

On the first Wednesday of each month (Septermber - June) Church is 'open house' from 12:30pm - 2pm and 5pm - 7pm. Come and go whever you want during this time for space, quiet and personal reflection. Short times of optional worship at 1pm and 6pm  Details of themes and dates HERE or more general information, HERE

The prayer printed below may assist you in your own prayers for St Cuthbert's. You are encouraged to use this prayer - and to pray for our congregation's life and work.

Ever loving God,
whose servant Cuthbert gave himself to a life of prayer,
reached out to those in need,
healed the sick and spread the good news;
may we be faithful to the teaching and way of your Son,
and may we be filled with the Holy Spirit,
to enable us to show and share your love.

Inspire our ministers,
guide our elders,
and uphold all who bear responsibility within our congregation.
Make us wise stewards,
faithful witnesses,
and willing servants,
in the service of building your kingdom.

Grant us your grace that we may worship you in spirit and in truth,
minister your healing and wholeness,
show your care and compassion,
welcome any and all,
grow in faith and discipleship,
and bear witness to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be all glory and praise,
for ever and ever;
Amen.

Prayers for peace are needed for many places in the world and sometimes it is hard for us to know how to pray and what to pray for.

Prayer too is sometimes not enough. With such savage violence being perpetrated against innocent people in conflicts across Syria and Iraq our prayers for those who have been driven out of their homes and who are under threat of genocide are also for appropriate intervention to save lives and restore the dignity of those threatened by the forces of such shocking evil.

Nothing in all creation will, however, diminish our heartfelt prayers for abiding peace across the nations of the earth. Please join with us in this prayer . . .

A Prayer

Jesus, Light of the World in whom hope endures and burns brighter than the sun, we give you honour and praise.

Reconciling Jesus, through whom all relationships that are broken may find a way to heal, we give you honour and praise.
Compassionate Jesus, for whom justice is immersed in grace and in whom there is a longing to bring all creation back to God, we give you honour and praise.

Almighty God, whose heart breaks for the suffering we cause to one another, we bring our prayers to you for every place where deep division and enmity have brought peoples to war or the brink of war. And we pray for all those who fall victim to such conflict:

• For the innocent bystander of every conflict, for those who are collateral damage and those who are so displaced that they lose everything and every security they ever had.
  
• For those whose sons and daughters are sent to fight and who under orders are killed and maimed and whose lives are devastated forever after.
  
• And we pray today, for the soldier, and the General, for the politician and for the enemy.

Most especially we pray for wisdom among the nations so that the right things are done to save the lives of innocent women and men and children trapped in unthinkable circumstances in Gaza, and on Mount Sinjar, a hill far away from shelter and safety and peace.

We pray that one day the sun may rise on a world that does not have war built into its economy and that one day the sun may set on a different way of dealing with our differences so that the dividend of peace may outweigh the dividend of war.

So with earnestness of heart we pray for peace in the lands of the bible and in every war torn place on earth:

• That enmity may be replaced with understanding
• That the dignity of every human being should be preserved
• That hatred be set aside for the sake of peace
• Tthat out of the ashes of destruction may rise a land where all may live secure and free.

And this we pray, in the strong name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

Adapted from prayers used by the Rt Rev John Chalmers, at the General Assembly

If you are interested developing your prayer life, or exploring different ways of prayng, you might find this leaflet helpful (pdf) Praying with Pebbles

More prayer resources, including reflections on differnt ways of praying, are available  HERE and HERE

---

For Website issues only, please contact :

For all Church or calendar related issues, please contact :

St Cuthbert's Parish Church. 5 Lothian Road. Edinburgh. UK. EH1 2EP

---

St Cuthbert's Church	soul space	OASIS	Pilgrim Way
Podcasts / Recordings	YouTube videos	Church of Scotland blogs	St Cuthbert's Church