Intercession: 2 July...

From Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

Please Pray for … 2nd July 08

OUR CHURCH: Continue to pray for the Lambeth Conference (21st July-2nd August); for Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury; for all the preparations being made; for Bishops travelling to the UK from many parts of the world; for Dioceses in Britain offering hospitality. Pray for David Moxon, NZ Primate, and the contribution our Church hopes to make around holding widely differing viewpoints on matters of sexuality in dialogue/tension as we study the Bible together. Pray for an awareness – and a setting aside – of non-theological factors: suspicions of homophobia, promiscuity, extra-ecclesial funding of pressure groups & etc.

Pray also for the Catholic Church as it convenes its World Youth Day in Sydney, 15th –20th July; for Pope Benedict XVI and the hundreds of thousands of youth from all over the world who are expected to attend. Pray for the renewal of all our churches in mission and unity.

OUR WORLD: Pray for the meeting of the world’s richest nations at the G8 Summit in Tokyo in a week’s time: that they will maintain their commitment to aid to Africa: to coming up with realistic policies to address climate change; to working out strategies for dealing with the runaway price of oil.

Pray for Zimbabwe responding to pressure from Southern African states to form a ‘unity’ government. Remember Robert Mugabe & Morgan Tsvangirai; the numbers of people continuing to flee the country as the economic and political crisis deepens.

OUR NATION: Pray for planners in the Health Service as they try to work out a financially sustainable size and location for hospitals nationwide in the coming years. Pray for our medical schools; for doctors and nurses; that a standard of excellence will be maintained in our health system.

Pray for people in the medical and academic professions whose relatively low salaries in New Zealand tempt them to work overseas.

Remember schools battling endemic problems of students dropping out of or leaving school with little or no qualifications.

OUR COMMUNITY: Pray for Old People’s Homes, Malvina Major, Rita Angus, and many others; that a high standard of affordable care will be open to our aging population. Pray for people who are alone, without effective family support, or who are abused or treated with disrespect. Pray for the Staff of these Homes, that they will have the support they need in a demanding task.

Remember those responsible for our transport systems: for work on the new Transmission Gully by-pass; for initiatives in up-grading the rail network, its lines and rolling stock; for people in local government looking at cycle tracks to make cycling to and from work a real and safe option.

SICK, SUFFERING, DEPARTED: Pray for the many people in our communities suffering from Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or general senility: that they may be cared for and made comfortable.