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A national day of prayer and action for the global pandemic of coronavirus has been organised for this Sunday. The organisers are Archbishop Justin Welby, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood (the Free Churches Moderator), Archbishop Angaelos of London (the Orthodox Church) and Pastor Agu Irukwu, the Pentecostal representative. They write, ‘This Mothering Sunday we are calling all churches to a national day of prayer and action. At this time, when so many are fearful and there is great uncertainty, we are reminded of our dependence on our loving Heavenly Father and the future that he holds. At 7pm this Sunday, light a candle of hope in the windows of your homes as a visible symbol of the light of life, Jesus Christ, our source and hope in prayer.’ Also churches are looking to livestream services. The Baptist Union hosted an online prayer broadcast, with 2,300 joining in, and has a number of resources online.

Coronavirus is now a pandemic. Our government is taking various measures to reduce social contact and contain those infected. Newspaper editors are urged to avoid spreading panic. Jesus told his disciples, ‘I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes’. Jesus told his disciples to focus their lives upon the Kingdom of God and Kingdom values. Pray for Christians to set an example of putting fear in its rightful place. Continue to pray for the protection of the elderly and those with existing health conditions, asking God to provide solutions amid the challenges they may have with hospital appointments and prompting wise choices as they assess their involvement in community activities. The government's Cobra committee is co-ordinating the nation’s response to coronavirus. May God be with each minister, civil servant and official in this committee; may they neither over-react nor make erroneous choices.

Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis has been warned by campaign group Right to Life that if the government introduces abortion that surpasses what is legally required, the group will take legal action. The current proposals would allow abortions on demand for any reason up to either 22 or 24 weeks, but abortions for disabilities, including Down's syndrome and cleft lip, would be available up to birth. A poll has shown that 58% of Sinn Féin voters and 54% of DUP voters want their country’s new abortion laws to allow a termination only when the mother’s life is at risk. Only 5% of all voters support introducing abortion through the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, as outlined in the proposed framework.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his first Budget in the House of Commons on 11 March. Parts of it appear to have been written at the last minute as coronavirus spreads across the nation. His spending plans include a £5bn emergency response to support the NHS and other public services with statutory sick pay for all who choose to self-isolate, even if they don't have virus symptoms. Benefit claimants will be able to claim sick pay on day one, not after a week, and there is a £500m hardship fund allocated to help vulnerable people. To try to save businesses from liquidation, firms with fewer than 250 staff will be refunded for sick pay payments for two weeks, and small firms will be able to access ‘business interruption’ loans of up to £1.2m. Business rates will be abolished for firms in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors with a rateable value of less than £51,000.

The Archbishop of Canterbury suggests the following items for prayer on Sunday 15 March in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer: a) For the work of the Holy Spirit in drawing people to faith in Christ. b) For equality of opportunity, and for the Church to represent fully the rich diversity of the communities it serves. c) For the work on climate change, particularly in the light of the CofE’s commitment at General Synod to go net zero in carbon emissions by 2030. d) For us to grow the youth presence and ministry in the Church. e) For those who are deprived and marginalised, and for a continued Church presence in areas where financial challenges are felt most keenly. Please also pray for wisdom for all who are preparing for the 2020 Lambeth Conference, which episcopal brothers and sisters from all over the world are due to attend. See also

Christian Concern’s ‘Stand and Speak’ series running up to Easter wants Christians to put the love of Jesus at the heart of society. We often think politics, laws, and public policy are untouched by concepts like love. It would be a stretch to describe love as the primary characteristic shown by MPs, civil servants, or judges as they go about their work. But the connection between these parts of society and love is stronger than we often recognise. Jesus said we should love God with all that we have and love our neighbour as ourselves. He himself drew attention to love as the principle underlying all of the law of Moses. It is Christ-shaped love that we aspire to. We long to be like him, willing to give up our own comfort to see others do well. That is why we sometimes say things that no one else will say - not for the sake of being controversial but because love demands it, that we speak truth to power, in love.

Alex Salmond is on trial for carrying out 14 sexual assaults on 10 women. He has pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges alleged to have happened while he was Scotland's first minister and the leader of the SNP. The first woman to testify, a former government official known as Woman H, told the court that she was scared to come forward at the time because he was a ‘powerful man’. She raised the allegations after getting ‘flashbacks’ around the time of the #MeToo movement. The charges include allegations of assaults and rape at Mr Salmond’s official residence in Edinburgh. She said she had emailed a colleague the day after the first attack to say she would not be attending a sporting event with him. She said she felt ‘hunted’ by Mr Salmond. Nine other women will also be giving evidence.

We must continue to look to God and pray that people would not become unduly fearful. Pray that the coronavirus will not have any negative effects on the preparations for, and progress of, many Christian and secular Easter celebrations across the country. When times are at their worst, Christians should be at their best. We saw glimpses of this in China. Christians facing state-sponsored persecution are out in the streets giving out masks and sharing the love of Christ with their non-believing neighbours. That behaviour comes from knowing that this world belongs to God, and that He is able to wipe away every tear from our eyes. The government is advising hospitals to carry video-based patient consultations, and is moving towards the ‘delay - second stage’ to slow the spread of the virus. Pray that their precautions are successful, and that no further action ‘stages’ will be needed. 

A 23-year-old woman taking legal action against an NHS gender clinic says she should have been challenged more by medical staff over her decision to transition to a male as a 16-year-old teenager. At the hearing, lawyers will argue that children cannot give informed consent to treatment delaying puberty or helping them to transition. The clinic runs the UK's only gender-identity development service. Pray for the two claimants, Keira Bell and Mum A - the mother of a 15-year-old girl with autism who is awaiting treatment at the clinic. Pray for stricter control of the puberty blockers that pause the development of breasts, periods, facial hair and voice-breaking. They are meant to give children more time to weigh up their options before going through the physical changes of puberty. Their impact on brain development and psychological health is not fully known.

We live in turbulent and troubled times. The floods and other troubles facing rural Britain are just the tip of an iceberg: across the world, nature, society and church are being thoroughly shaken. These are the times of ‘signs’ that, variously, warn of God’s judgment, call us to repentance and herald Jesus’s return. Pray that God’s people will understand the times and know what to do, always being ready to give an account for the hope that is in us, and work to bring in His harvest. The season of Lent is traditionally marked by fasting and abstinence. It is a time to consider our ways. Many churches will set aside special times to meet, pray and study the Bible. Pray for Christians, both rural and urban, to understand how what we eat and how we live affects God’s creation, the land and those who farm it.