Who is good at writing prayers? I've been asked to do the intercessions for Mothering Sunday.

[SlubberFailedAtLent]

I know it's like asking someone else to do your homework for you but I am seriously pants at writing prayers.

I really, really want to read out the prayers that make the congregation actually listen and not fall into a catatonic stupor or immediately start thinking about despite the red currant jelly in the fridge being 2 years past its sell by date it's probably still OK to use with the lamb that's in the oven isn't it.

This is an example of what I've been given

We pray especially for those who live in areas where daily life is difficult due to war, famine or disease.....

[snore]

All help very gratefully received.

I don't know, but I do sympathise. Snore snore snore on the 'areas where daily life is difficult'.

I always think that shorter is better - I seem to have a finite amount of concentration for genuine prayer, and then I start thinking about the redcurrant jelly.

I've also found that something that picks up on the sermon or the hymn or the reading that preceded it helps - so something like 'We've just been thinking about what our mothers do for us - lets pray now for those who don't know their mothers'.

HTH.

yes GrendelsMum I agree. As far as I can make out there are going to be candles and the children are feeling things

I've gone off on one with my made up prayers atm. Can I put in a prayer about family planning do you think? [controversial]

I'm deffo going with something about maternal mortality in the developing world.

When I do intercessions, I pray for our church family, local community, country and the world.

If it is a family service, I would keep the intercessions very short - just one point in each area.

Intersperse them is a 'Father, in your mercy...hear our prayer', or something equivalent.

If you want to give it a mothering focus, you can pray for all mothers/parents. If you have lots of visitors in your service, pray for them. Pray for those who do not have mothers.

There should be a standard CofE prayer for Mothering Sunday.

There's quite a good one on the Mothers' Union site, but again it's pretty rather unspecific and bleh.

Are intercessions meant to to be a bit vague - so people can put their own personal bits into the prayer in their head?

Also pray for those who are not mothers and for whom that is a source of sadness to them - this is a very real issue for many at our church. They find Mothers' Day very difficult.