EDINBURGH NORTHWEST KIRK
JANUARY PRAYER DIARY
I lift up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
maker of heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121 : 1 - 2)
Prayers for each day
12 Jan Rufus Chapman for a good recovery from hip replacement surgery on Friday, 9 January
13 Jan Julia and her family
14 Jan the restoration of Gaza and its people
15 Jan peace in Ukraine
16 Jan political leaders in Europe in uncertain times
17 Jan families and friends of the dead and injured in the Swiss tragedy in Crans-Montana
18 Jan service of bereavement at Cramond Kirk
19 Jan Jessie Fubara-Manuel, our Pastoral Assistant
20 Jan for the Moderator, Rt Rev Rosie Frew. Today, The Moderator will travel to the Scottish Refugee Council Offices in Glasgow, to meet with their Chief Exec, Sabir Zazai.
21 Jan for refugees in our city
22 Jan the ministry of New College, Edinburgh, in the training of ministers
23 Jan Emma Mcmillan in her studies
24 Jan the Kirk Session of Edinburgh North West Kirk
25 Jan our services at Cramond and Pennywell
26 Jan staff working in 121 George Street
27 Jan Holocaust Memorial Day
28 Jan for those recently bereaved
29 Jan for the ministry of our local churches in Davidson’s Mains, Blackhall and Drylaw
30 Jan Open Doors Ministry: Iran. Pray for the persecuted Church in Iran. Despite persecution, the Church in Iran is growing steadily.
31 Jan for the CrossReach ministry of Queen’s Bay Lodge, Joppa, providing residential care to old people.
Reflection
Address by the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally
3 October 2025
Today, as I respond to the Call of Christ in this new ministry, I remain rooted in my first calling: to follow Christ, to know him – and to make him known to the world.
Reflecting on the experiences which have prepared me for this role, I am deeply thankful to the people, the churches and communities of the Diocese of London. It is my deep privilege to have shared ministry with you for almost eight years. In discerning this step, it has not been easy to accept that I will be leaving you.
Washing feet has shaped my Christian vocation as a nurse, then a priest, then a bishop. In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty, the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love. With humility and grace, we uphold and support those in need of our help. We do this to the best of our ability, in small ways and big, according to our own very particular gifts. That too is the service which I offer to the Church today.
Given the many struggles of our Church and of societies here and around the world, I am often asked where I see hope. I have the privilege to see hope in communities, chaplaincies and churches in the Church of England and across the wider Anglican Communion. In parishes across this nation, I see faithful clergy and congregations worshipping God and loving their neighbours. I see thousands of churches running food banks and homeless shelters. I see hospitals and prison chaplains caring for people and families in times of desperation. I see Church of England schools educating a million children across this country. I hear parishioners ringing bells and inviting people to pray.
I hear the quiet hum of faith in every community, the gentle invitation to come and be with others, and the welcome extended to every person. In all of this, I see hope – because I see the person of Jesus Christ, reaching out to us all...
In an age that craves certainty and tribalism, Anglicanism offers something quieter but stronger: shared history, held in tension, shaped by prayer, and lit from within by the glory of Christ. That is what gives me hope. In our fractured and hurting world, that partnership in the Gospel could not be more vital.
Hope is made of the infinite love of God, who breathed life into creation and said it was good. Hope shimmered in the courage of Abraham and Sarah and the challenging call of the prophets. Hope resounded through Mary’s ‘yes’ to God’s call to bear His Son. Hope is found in Christ’s triumph over sin and death.
Hope doesn’t skip over grief, pain and messiness of life but enters into it, and tenderly tells us that God is with us.
If you have a prayer request or a favourite prayer which you would care to share in a future Prayer Diary, please e-mail office@cramondkirk.org.uk