Prayers of the People

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession

     It was the practice at Augustine for a long time prior to Covid to have an open time of prayers. During Prayers of the People, members of the congregation were invited to stand and express their prayers, both of thanksgiving for blessings and joys, and intercession for people or events of concern to them. Someone with a handheld microphone would circulate through the sanctuary for those who wished to speak. Those offering prayers would finish with the words - “This is my prayer”, and the congregation responds - “This is our prayer”.

     For some time now the worship committee has been looking for ways to restore that practice in our post Covid environment. There are health issues with sharing the microphone and the challenges of accommodating people on Zoom. We have provided a time for silent, personal prayers, and we have prayer request forms for those in the pews. However, that is not a satisfactory substitute for the previous practice, which we hope to resume.  After Easter we will experiment with a modified version of the original practice.

     We will again invite people to offer personal prayers during the prayer time. The liturgist will begin the prayer with the proper address to God, to whom we pray, and perhaps offer some prayers. The floor will then be opened. Those who wish to pray will be asked to come to the aisle so the person with the microphone can continue to hold it and eliminate passing the mic. Worshippers on Zoom will be invited to type their prayers using the chat function and the liturgist will offer the prayer. As the prayers said through the mic will be amplified through the speakers, they should be audible to listeners on Zoom. When all who desire have spoken, the liturgist will conclude the prayer.

     The offering of prayers should be respectful of all others who are present in the worship and also to those who may also wish to pray. Specific prayers usually work best in this format when they are short and concise, although we recognize that may not always be possible when there are deep personal emotions or grief for the one offering the prayer.

     We will invite each person and the congregation to finish and respond with the traditional words.

     We will attempt this for a few weeks following Easter. We would encourage your feedback as evaluate the process, and continue or modify the process.

            Worship Committee