Time for Reflection
Our first item of business is time for reflection. I remind members that, from this week, this will usually be the first item of business every week. It will last for a maximum of four minutes, and will be recorded in the Official Report. Those present in the chamber are asked to refrain from opening and closing the doors during this time and to remain silent. I ask members and those seated in the galleries to respect the time for reflection.
Our time for reflection leader today is the Reverend Dr Graham Blount, the Scottish Churches parliamentary officer.
The Reverend Dr Graham K Blount (Scottish Churches Parliamentary Officer):
I will now read some words from Psalms, which express the common ground of Christian and Jewish faith, and from the new hymn book that celebrates the common ground of faith shared by the Scottish Churches:
"If the Lord does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; if the Lord does not protect the city, the sentries stand guard in vain. In vain you get up earlier, and put off going to bed, sweating to make a living—since he supplies the need of those he loves."
"Let us build a house where prophets speak
And words are strong and true;
Where all God's children dare to speak,
To dream God's reign anew . . .
Built of hopes and dreams and visions . . .
Revealed in time and space;
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
Prayers of faith and songs of grace.
Let us build a house where all are named,
Their songs and visions heard,
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed
As words within the Word.
Here the outcast and the stranger
Bear the image of God's face;
Let us bring an end to fear and danger
All are welcome, all are welcome in this place."
Let us pray. Living God, the creative spark of your love set our world spinning, and brought us to life; your determined love, your commitment to us, took shape in the back streets of Bethlehem, and soon got entangled in politics; the lively power of your spirit is here and now, lifting us out of ourselves, to new horizons.
O Lord, all the world belongs to you, and you are always making all things new; at this time to reflect on a new beginning, we put our trust and our hopes in you; you know what we are made of, and you have trusted us with daunting responsibilities.
Strengthen us to meet that challenge—we cannot do it on our own; give us wisdom to understand our nation, its people and their problems; give us compassion to feel their pain and their hopes, and integrity to respond bravely and honestly; let a hunger and thirst for justice be the passion of this place.
God of grace, as Parliament, we pray for the people of Scotland, for their common weal and their personal needs, celebrating their rich diversity and knowing that many are hurting. Today especially, we pray for folk caught up in the horror of domestic violence, that we may see beyond words and really make a difference.
As people, here and beyond, we pray for our Parliament, offering our faith and our vision, that this may be a place where folk can come when they have no one else to turn to, a place of listening and of healing and of hope. We pray for one another, for folk we see as friends, rivals, colleagues and opponents, aware of the pressures and the failings and the possibilities we share.
So may the peace of Christ, which goes beyond our understanding, keep us close to one another and to our God; may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the friendship and fellowship of the Holy Spirit go with us now and always. Amen.