Prayer of Intercession
Sunday, 29 January, 2012
Robert Lam

Dear Lord:

We come to you this morning grateful for the holidays of the Chinese New Year and the time of reunion and fellowship with our family members, relatives and friends.

We remember at this time the ecumenical cycle of prayers for the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland ,Iceland Norway and Sweden. We give thanks to the rich and varied heritage of the churches, large and small. We give thanks to the ecumenical and spiritual renewal movements that bring new intensity and depth to the Christian faith. We also give thanks to these countries for their witness for justice and peace that may become a strong example to the rest of the world.

We pray for those churches in these countries trying to find new vitality so that they can be faithful witness to the Gospel. We also pray for the refugees and migrants who seek a better life in these countries.

We pray for the world.
We remember the continued violence in Iraq,in Syria,in Nigeria ,the riots in Senegal and as we just heard from Hans, the possible outbreak of violence in South Sudan.
Lord, we pray for the peacemakers in their midst. We ask that through them, there would be more opportunities for peace instead of violence, understanding and forgiveness instead of hate and vengeance.

We pray for China.
We remember the migrant workers who are now or will soon be leaving their family to begin their journey back to the cities. We pray for their safe journey and for the elderly parents and children who remain.
We remember the recent arrests of dissidents. We remember Yu Jie, Li Tie, Chen Wei, and Chen Xi. Lord, their names may not be familiar to us but we give thanks for their presence and perseverance in fighting for human rights and fairness in China. We pray for their well being, for their safety, peace and strength under arrest.

Here in HK, we continue to pray for a caring society. We ask for your wisdom on the issue of mainland Chinese mothers giving birth in Hk.

We pray for KUC and the various programmes related to peace and justice. We pray that we may continue to serve you and to bear witness to your presence. We give thanks to the HK$1million received from Government for upgrading works to the church sanctuary. May we be good stewards of this fund.

We complete our prayers by saying aloud the Lord’s prayer.

Prayer of Intercession
Sunday, 8 January, 2012
Rey Asis

Oh God of justice and peace, we come to you in all love and humility. We thank you for giving us the gifts of life, love and learning. Such gifts we share not only with loved ones but with our brothers and sisters, especially those who are in need.

We likewise seek your forgiveness for we sometimes take these things for granted, when we think only about ourselves and what we want, and succumbing to the indifference and individualism that a profit-centered system breeds and promotes.

With this, we seek your guidance and love. We seek your strength and fortitude. We seek you in our prayers:

For an end to the escalating sectarianism in Nigeria whose recent attacks in Gombe had many people killed and injured

For peace and justice to reign in Iraq where 70 people have been killed in bomb attacks targeting Shia Muslims in Southern Iraq and its capital, Baghdad. We pray for the souls of those whose lives have been lost.

For Burma whose people continue to aim and struggle for democracy and genuine freedom.

For the people of Mindanao, especially those in Pantukan, Compostela Valley province who have lost their loved ones, families, homes to a landslide due to rain and the ongoing illegal mining in the area.

For the people of Hong Kong, especially those needing proper provision and resettlement, especially during these cold days of Winter and when the government enforces laws against illegal subdivided flats.

In particular, for Edmund Padilla, who has to face violence and intolerance simply because he is gay. We pray for all brothers and sisters who struggle against ostracism and discrimination.

For Our Congregation, we pray for the health and well-being of senior members and those who are sick. We thank you for Lucia who is now home and recovering.

We pray for all our friends and visitors at our church community. May they feel at home here in Kowloon Union Church as we share the love of Christ.

Let us give ourselves a moment of silence as we pray for our own intentions to God.

(silence)

Let us all pray the Lord’s Prayer. You may pray in your own languages.