Prayer of Intercession
Sunday 21 March 2021
Fifth Sunday in Lent 
Prepared by Sunita Suna
For the World and Hong Kong

Gracious God, we offer our prayers of intercession to you.  We join the Ecumenical family today in praying for the churches and people of all faiths in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

• We are thankful for the faithful witness of Christians during times of persecution and those who survived times of occupation, the new-found freedoms that the people here have experienced, that they might be used for the good of all.
• We pray for peaceful relations with Russia and among all the ethnic groups in these lands; the healing of old wounds; just economic development that benefits all citizens in these countries, and for those who live and work abroad; that they might together strive for justice, peace and the well-being of all.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

• God of peace and justice, we are extremely concerned about the political unrest followed by the military coup since 1 February in Myanmar.   Mass protests have been taking place across Myanmar since then.  The elected leaders and members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party are among those detained. Dozens of protesters have been killed, many are young people, by police firing allegedly with an intension to kill.  Journalists, too, have been abducted or detained.  While in the past years the Rohingya Muslims have faced an ethnic cleansing with the tacit approval of the government, the current crisis can further aggravate the situation both for the Rohingya Muslims as well as the prospect of democracy after years of military dictatorship.  We pray that there is mediation by the UN  and specific governments to bring an end to this coup and establishment of democracy without any further loss of innocent lives.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

• God, we are thankful for the Vaccine's advent against COVID-19, but this has also exposed the underbelly of inequality with rich countries hoarding the vaccines and poorer countries are scrambling to get the vaccines.  A new UN report warns that the disruption of healthcare services caused by Covid-19 may have led to an estimated 239,000 maternal and child deaths in South Asia. In addition to those directly affected by the coronavirus, the pandemic restrictions have been harmful as they cut off programs like nutrition benefits to immunization. Healing God, we lift the women and children, who are worst hit, in our prayers. May you guide the governments and charities in acknowledging these hidden issues and devising new policies with compassion so that preventable diseases will not take away so many lives. 

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

• Loving God, we are heartbroken by the mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia area, seemingly targeting Asian Americans and the loss of eight lives, many of them women. Amid a surge of hate crimes in the United States, the hurt, outrage, anguish and fear felt by many is palpable. God, protector of justice and the prince of peace, we pray for the protection for the vulnerable, comfort for the grieving and transformative power for those harbouring ill will towards people of different races, religion, languages, culture. 

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

• Creator God, you have created us in your image. Yet, we discriminate against each other based on our various identities, such as gender, sex, religion, ethnicity, race etc. Japan has made its first judicial ruling on marriage equality after a court decided that the government's failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Loving God, we rejoice in the symbolic victory for the Japanese LGBTQ community, a step toward equality. May we never waver from God's love and grace for all, regardless of gender and sexuality.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

• Creator God, you created this beautiful planet earth and expected us to be its stewards by caring for your beautiful creation. However, we have failed you on this commitment from us through our indifference and greed for the fossil-based extractive economy.  We are particularly concerned about the return of hazardous smog to Beijing, a visual reminder that the world will gradually go back to normal in a post-covid era; after more than a year of “lockdown” / slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, carbon emissions will once again rise. We pray for discernment to realize what was wrong with "business as usual." God, grant us the courage and wisdom to push for changes that would reverse the course and keep us from further plunging into a climate crisis.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

• Compassionate God, while due to Covid-19, millions of people across the globe have lost their jobs and livelihood options, Hong Kong is no exception.  The current unemployment rate of Hong Kong climbs to the highest level in almost two decades.  We pray for those in our city struggling financially that you will provide and sustain them.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

For the Congregation

• And finally, we pray for our own vibrant and caring congregation God. We pray for Ate Jenny for her ongoing rehabilitation and Jeanette for her treatment. We remember Bruce and his mom in the United States. We uphold in our heart, Tory’s mom, who is receiving palliative care. We pray to God for comfort, courage and patience in countering life frailty. May they all experience God’s steadfast love and great faithfulness. 
• We also pray for Doris Lee, who is leaving the Council and the MOE Committee. We are grateful for her devoted service during the past year. We pray for her good health at this time of new responsibilities with a new job and for her sister Jeanette Lee and family. 

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

Prayer of Intercession
Sunday 14 March 2021
Fourth Sunday in Lent 
Prepared by Amber Tong
 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us unite our hearts in prayer of intercession. After each petition I will say God of Light and everyone shall respond Hear Our Prayer.
 
Dear Lord, we are grateful that an increasing number of vaccines now offer hope to ending the Covid-19 pandemic. Communities and families that were kept apart physically may have more opportunities to gather and enjoy the comfort of each other's presence. Yet, we remember that the coronavirus can escape control in many places, whether in Brazil, India or even in Hong Kong. As we brace for a potential fifth wave of the local outbreak, we pray for prudent policies as well as honest, transparent investigations into the safety of current vaccines so that scientific advances can truly serve the people.
 
God of light,
Hear our prayer.
 
Dear Lord, our home city of Hong Kong is undergoing drastic political changes in front of our very eyes. This week, China’s top legislature approved a resolution to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system. As Christians, we remember that our allegiances are ultimately to God. We pray for those who are exiled or jailed due to their political beliefs, and for God to rise up a new generation of leaders with the needs of the people as their guiding star.
 
God of light,
Hear our prayer.
 
Dear Lord, we pray for the people around the world who are living under violence, oppression or exploitation, which are often fueled by the corruption of power and inequalities. We remember the victims of latest school abductions and attacks in Nigeria, human rights activists arbitrarily killed in Philippines, protesters murdered in Myanmar, garment workers in Egypt who died in a clothing factory fire, and more. May God bless and console the righteous while condemning evil. Help us to see through the lies of the world and find your truth.
 
God of light,
Hear our prayer.
 
Dear Lord, you have given us this beautiful planet to live on, yet in our selfishness we have often failed to be good stewards. At the grim 10-year anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, we reflect on our share of blame in climate change and Earth for future generations of God's children. We pray for the people still healing from Fukushima and other catastrophes. Grant us the wisdom and compassion to deeply engage in the broader discussions about climate change that they helped to spur.
 
God of light,
Hear our prayer.
 
For the Ecumenical prayer cycle we lift up in prayer today the churches and people of all faiths in Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.
 
We are thankful for the spectacular beauty of the changing landscape of forests, lakes, mountains and glaciers; churches that are advocating and implementing measures to redress climate change that is dramatic here and throughout the world; those who have opened their doors and hearts to people migrating to these lands; the support for justice, peace and interfaith work that comes from these countries.
 
At the same time, we pray for the poor and marginalized who struggle in these rich countries; personal and investment practices that support environmental sustainability; growing openness to becoming more multi-ethnic, multifaith societies; those who are affluent that they will contribute to making the world and their societies more just for all; a Church that is prepared to be a voice in the struggle for indigenous people rights.
 
God of light,
Hear our prayer.
 
Dear Lord, we give thanks to the community at KUC, which has continued to serve and fellowship even as we yearn to return to church on Sundays. We pray for the renovation of the church, as the second round of scaffolding has been installed. We pray for the smooth works being carried, and God’s protection to the workers and everyone who come in and out the church.
 
We pray for the healing of Jenny, Kevin, Jeanette and Tory’s mom, Pat Andrews, who has just been diagnosed with two large clots in her lungs. We pray for Pat’s comfort, lack of pain, and getting good rest. We are grateful, God, too for Tory and her sister's recovery.
 
Together, we uphold our senior members in our hearts: Mrs Samuel, Mrs Chang, Judy and Peter. May God protect them and fill their days with peace.
 
We thank you for the service of the Church Council. As they prepare to meet this afternoon, we pray for your presence and guidance.
 
God of light,
Hear our prayer.
 
As one, let us all pray in the way Jesus himself has taught us. You may say the Lord’s prayer in your own language.
 
 

Prayer of Intercession
Sunday 7 March 2021
Third Sunday in Lent 
Prepared by Rey Asis

O Forever Living and Loving God, with You, anything and everything is possible. You make Your presence felt to us – from the first glorious stream of morning sun to the minutest speck of dust. You always tell us we are not alone and that we will never be alone. For that, Lord God, we thank You and we give You praise.

There is so much uncertainty around us – from vaccine equity to democracy, from a loved one’s health to a city’s struggling heartbeat. We come before You, Lord God, with our heads bowed down, our hearts and arms open, as we bring our prayers on this Third Sunday in Lent:

Tomorrow is International Working Women’s Day. We celebrate the presence and the power of the women in our lives. As we bring them in our prayers, we as a community choose to challenge, choose to change perceptions, practices and laws that put women at risk. We draw our strength from them who choose to stand up for equality, justice and a world without violence, hatred or patriarchy. 

We bring in our prayers Ma Mya Thwate Thwate Kaing and the many people of Myanmar who have fallen to the military junta’s bullets. As You welcome them to Your kingdom, we pray for Your guidance over the millions of people whose only wish is to be free from the longest eclipse of military autocracy. May people’s democracy eventually reign in Myanmar.

We join hands with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) in their Nine Days Prayer. They have become a target of state repression. As they wage a legal battle to unfreeze their bank account, red-tagging and vilification has endangered the lives of priests, nuns and laypeople in the RMP.  We echo their prayer that “steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; that righteousness and peace will kiss each other.”

We pray for the people of New Zealand. May the earthquake bring little damage to the homes and lives of our sisters and brothers living there. 

We pray for the people of Hong Kong. May the vaccine be made available to all, that it will calm our anxious hearts and strengthen our fighting spirits. Challenges abound us, be it nature or man-made. As we pray for the 47 and their families, we pray for everyone in our church, in our community, in our city.

We pray for our brothers and sisters who facing health challenges – Jeanette, Ate Jenny, Tory, her sister and brother-in-law, Kevin’s father. We are praying for everyone in our congregation, the leaders in our council and trustees and the various ministries. We pray for KUC’s partners here in Hong Kong and everywhere. 

In the ecumenical prayer cycle, we pray for the people and churches of Ireland, United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

Lord God, our lives are now taking on a virtual turn. Digital technology has brought us together to praise you every Sunday. Our messages have now become hashtagged - #YesToLovingYourNeighbor, #ChooseToChallenge. As we struggle through the old and new challenges unfolding right before us, as we yearn for the physical company of a friend, we are blessed knowing that Your love for us has been there long before the internet. That You all along may have been giving us the heart sign. 

With You, Lord God, we are at peace, and we shall not want. We pray to continue spreading Your love, justice and hope. This we pray through Your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.