‘I lift up my eyes to the hills: from where is my help to come?’ Psalm 121
I wonder how often you find yourself in situations where you want to say something but can’t find the right words?
This can often happen and is made worse when the situation is one that is fraught or stressful. This happens not just in conversations with other people, but sometimes in our lives of prayer.
This page provides reflections and prayers for times of bereavement and loss. I hope that in those times you will find these prayers enable you to express your hopes and fears and to reassure you that you are able to place yourself in God’s hands. When we pray, we may feel alone but we are stepping into a constant pool of prayer, which always surrounds us.
Our clergy will always be willing to arrange to talk with you about your prayer life or any matter. Please do let us know if you would like a talk with any of us.
Father Bob
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so where I am, there you may be also.John’s Gospel 14:1-3
Just as I am Lord Jesus Christ, from the loneliness of my grief I reach out to you.
I come just as I am with my fears and my worries, not putting a brave face on it and pretending any more.
Lord – it’s like a dream, a nightmare, and yet I know what has happened is real.
I’m confused, lonely and a bit frightened.
Lord Jesus – to you I pour out my grief, my tears, my pain, my confusion.
Please bear it with me and give me your peace. Amen
Hanging on
Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you. Amen
The intensity of grief
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, silence the pianos and with muffled drum, bring out
the coffin, let the mourners come…
He was my North, my South, my East and West, my moon, my midnight, my talk, my song.
I thought that love would last for ever.
I was wrong. Part of ‘Stop all the clocks’ by W.H. Auden
Moving on in trust
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year ‘give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown’.
And he replied ‘go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than any light and safer than any known way!’
So I went forth and finding the Hand of God trod gladly into the night. M. L. Haskins
O Lord, you have made us very small and we bring our years to an end like a tale that is told:
help us to know that beyond our brief day is the eternity of your love. Amen
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen