Milestone

1,000.  That's what this is.  It's taken me a lot less time to go from 500-1000 posts than the original half K.  Not because it was special K, rather I took several longeurs - occasionally lasting months - at a time.  I've been a lot more dedicated over the two years or so.  Even so, I decided to wait until Easter Sunday to reach this totally arbitrary figure, giving blogging a break for a few days but all those zeroes does have some personal cachet for me.
I don't especially have any news to comment upon nor am I in the mood for reviewing.  Instead, here are the intercession prayers I created and read out (adopting a stentorian voice) at the 10 a.m. service in church.  I've done intercessions in the past but as with Midnight Mass about three or four years ago, I put extra effort into these.  Not so much so people can enjoy them but, with such a large crowd on the number one event in the church calendar, to hopefully bring them closer to God.


You choirs of New Jerusalem, the call from the watchmen upon mount Ephraim is ‘Your Lord has risen’, the refrain is ‘we too shall arise’. Your Lord has risen, we too shall arise.

Creator, Master, Friend,
We know that You accept from every nation those in awe of You and who do what is right. Yet sin stalks every land in greater or lesser measure. We pray your mitigation, in anticipation of the final victory, of destruction in those places afflicted most grievously: the wracked body of Syria, the tumescent pain in the Congo, the despoiled prostration of South Sudan, the internecine strife in the Central African Republic, the fratricide in Mexico, the anguish in Afghanistan and the pregnant tension in the Ukraine. Imbue in the bosoms of the displaced hope in this world and in the hearts of those bereaved, faith in the next. A special plea to You is made for the souls of the deceased in the South Korean ferry disaster; comfort and embrace the stricken families with Your Spirit, not least in the knowledge that their belovéd have been selected for an earlier passage to the Promised Land.
Your Lord has risen, we too shall arise.

O God of Hosts,
We implore of Your divine mercy, protection and well-being on our Governor, Queen Elizabeth. We ask Your blessing on our Archbishops, Justin and John and on our Bishops, James and Brian – fill them with fortitude for the time ahead. We entreat that You fill Reverend Suzanne and all the worship team with strength – physical, mental and spiritual – as they minister to Your flock. We pray for Christians everywhere, that hardship may not always be their lot and the pleasure of knowing You elevate them to new heights of mission, setting their minds on that which is above. We beseech of You, to dispense wisdom, justice and charity to those who exercise authority in this country. May shouts of joy and Paschal victory resound in the abodes of the righteous.
Your Lord has risen, we too shall arise.

Ancient of Days,
Delight will be in abundance as we enter Your courts, bold our approach to the eternal throne, but there is work to be done on Earth yet. Give us the courage to plant vines in unpromising terrain and that the fruit borne will be most succulent. The prospect of heavenly Zion is upon us, let us not fail those who also could traverse the crystal sea and revel eternally, in the company of cherubim and seraphim, with the choicest of praises at the proximity to Your brilliant visage. May we seed a holy harvest field with sweet hosannas swelling our chests and spurring us on in this vital task.
Your Lord has risen, we too shall arise.

Name above all names,
The stone the builders rejected became the capstone. We petition mercy for those who feel rejected, the ones who have fallen, by design or accident, through the cracks in society. Give solace to the sick, the lonely, the depressed, the addicted and all and any others who hold the opinion that they are excluded. Show them that the Lamb’s high banquet is open to the penitent who accept Your magnificent invitation.
Your Lord has risen, we too shall arise.

Immortal, Immutable, Father only wise,
By Your Son, Jesus, our Saviour, the grave has been conquered, the tomb is open and a brighter dawn is breaking. By Christ’s oblation, we make humble appeal to land safe on Canaan’s side those on our prayer list, we are desirous for the salvation of the souls recently departed and those in our Memorial Book we trust have gone onto greater glory and, in a moment of quietude, we pray for those who are known most pertinently to us.

Blesséd Trinity, we commit these prayers to You. Intercede for us this Easter morn and while unending ages run. Your Lord has risen, we too shall arise!