PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY MAY 2ND                                     

THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

 

Prayers of Approach

As we focus our minds,
it is easy for our minds to shoot off
in so many directions.
We find it hard to slow down,
to remove all the clutter
and concentrate on You, Lord.
In the stillness of this place,
this time,
take from us the strain and stress
as we feel ourselves rest in Your eternal love,
in the everlasting arms.
Then quietly,
the small beginnings of praise well up
as we remember
what we have in Jesus Christ.
That we have one who is with us,
who guides and strengthens us.
Who holds us through every storm of life
who leads us to everlasting life.

We confess that sometimes the storms we endure
are of our own making.
A foolish word,
a thoughtless comment,

a misguided action,
a quick judgement.
Then we have to live with the consequences,
and the guilt.
Take all that stress from us too
and replace it with Your forgiveness and peace.
Heavenly Father,
in Your hands we are safe and secure –
we rejoice in Your eternal love
and all sufficient grace.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

 
Prayers of Intercession

Jesus Christ, the true vine,
in our need
we come to You,
in weakness,
needing Your strength
for we too easily become dry and lifeless
without Your life-giving spirit.
Jesus Christ, the true vine,
teach us to remain in You
and so to find Your life flowing in us
giving strength and vigour to our discipleship.
And as we come closer to You
our lives are drawn closer to others.
Our minds turn to images of violence we have seen
on the news in places of fear and terror,

to where people are at loggerheads,
over race, religion, land, power.
Our thoughts turn to Christians
living with persecution
who face danger, simply for being linked to You.
Father, prune back all that stands in the way of peace.
Our thoughts turn to people
in leadership and power –                             

who have decisions to make over the economy

and people whose jobs and livelihood will be affected.

We pray for our nation, and its leaders.

May changes and choices be shaped by the values of the kingdom.

On our hearts are people in need in our church and community.

Wherever hearts are breaking …

bodies are failing …

minds are confused …

families are ruptured …

Lord, come with Your help and healing.

Here, too, as Your church gathered today,

we give thanks for the saints of the past

and the fruit they have borne in our community and beyond.

Like them, help us to remain in You

that we may be fruitful

and bring glory to Your name.

Through Jesus Christ, the true vine.

Amen.

 
The Grace

 

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY MAY 9TH                                       

THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

Come and celebrate our common home.

We gather with the family of humanity.

The mountains, islands and deserts.

We honour the glory of God in creation.

The lakes, rivers and seas

We come to the source of living water.

With the land, its soil, seeds and sustenance.

We give thanks for God’s generous provision.

With the forests of great trees, the lungs of the planet.

We will sing with joy and clap our hands.

We join with the whole of creation,

inspired by those who have gone before

and the prophetic voices of today.

We dare to praise and pray for another possible world.   

Amen

Prayer of Confession

For the beauty of the Earth

desecrated by pollution, extinguished by forest fires, 

choked by plastic waste,

Christ, our God, forgive us for systemic greed.

For the urgency of this hour,

ignored by apathy or procrastination

wasted by ineffective decisions and denied by economic interests,

Christ, our God and Saviour, 

forgive us for selfish short-term behaviour.

For the joy of human love,

fractured by forced migration, crushed by bereavement,

lost to typhoons, floods and starvation.

Christ, our God, bringer of justice, forgive us for this climate crisis.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

 Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

God of abundant life,

we see Your goodness all around us 

and we thank You for every part of it:

from the plants and animals 

which play their part in complex ecosystems,

to the dry deserts and stormy seas which test the limits of life.

We pray that in this time of climate crisis and ecological emergency, 

You may help us to rediscover Your love of creation 

and to reflect that in our own lives.

 

God, in Your mercy,     

hear our prayer.

 

God who speaks through unexpected people,

We thank You for contemporary prophets

who are challenging us to act on climate change;

for indigenous people and their invaluable knowledge

of the land and sea where they live,

for scientists dedicating their careers to warning us

about changes to the planet,

and for young people striking for their future.

We pray that You will help those in power 

to hear their prophetic voices.

Help them to see beyond short-term political priorities 

and business plans.

Give them wisdom and courage when they face difficult decisions.

 

God, in Your mercy 

hear our prayer.

 

God of second chances,

we recognise the damage we have done to the Earth

and the injustice we see in society every day,

fuelled by worship of profit and possessions.

We pray for the coming of a better world

with justice, kindness and humility at its heart.

We ask that You guide us to be co-creators of this new world.

Give us confidence to follow the prophetic voices,

to stand against injustice to people and to planet.

So that together, in Your strength,

we stop this climate crisis.

 

God, in Your mercy                                                   

hear our prayer.   

                                                                              

Amen.

 

The Blessing

May God bless us with wonder at creation’s glory.

May God bless us with fury at creation’s spoiling.

May God bless us with courage at this critical hour.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Rest upon us and on all creation,

This day and for the future to come.                                  

Amen.

 
Christian Aid Week Prayer

Great God, Who makes the sun to rise, and opens the heavens, 

Hear the cry of the people Who sow in hope for rain, 

but reap only despair,

Hear the cry of the people

Seeking shelter from the storm, their hopes and homes submerged

Hear the cry of the people.

When creation is hitting back, with rage and resistance

Give us hope, grant us salvation,

Give us a new relationship with creation

With reverence to tend this gift from You

And say once again of the earth and all you created

It is good.                                                                                         

Amen

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY MAY 16TH                                      ASCENSION SUNDAY

 

Call to Worship for Ascension Sunday

A new day has begun.

Hope wins!

A fresh start is granted.

Faith wins!

Today you have the opportunity to do something new.

Hope wins!

Christ is entering your life in a new way.

Faith wins!

Come, let us worship God, who is inviting us into life in a new way, 

a way that transcends death, a way of hope and faith.

Love wins!

Let us worship Christ, who overcame death to give us new life!

 

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Lord Jesus, preaching good tidings to the people,

proclaiming release to captives,

setting at liberty those who are bound:

We adore you.

Lord Jesus, friend of the outcast and the poor,

feeder of the hungry,

healer of the sick:

We adore you.

Lord Jesus, denouncing the oppressor,

exposing the hypocrite,

overcoming evil with good:

We adore you.

Lord Jesus, pattern of gentleness,

teacher of holiness,

prophet of the kingdom:

We adore you.

Lord Jesus, dying to save us from our sin,

rising to give us eternal life,

ascending to prepare our heavenly home:

We adore you.

Almighty and loving God, you loved the world so much that you gave

your only Son to be our Saviour. 

You allowed him to empty himself of his heavenly glory 

and become a suffering servant. 

Yet by your grace we have beheld his glory, 

such glory as befits the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.

Almighty God,  

we confess that we have our eyes set in the clouds

instead of on the earth You have given us.                             

We desire heavenly treasure 

but we keep believing that worldly means will help us attain it.   

Forgive us for our short sightedness.          

Draw us away from the temptations      

to seek worldly power and measures of success, 

and call us to the down-to-earth message of Your love,     

to care for the needs of those around us.       

You have called us through scripture 

to care for the widows and orphans among us;     

help us to see all those who are left out by society and are in need. 

Help us to break down the dividing walls that we have placed,    

so that we may truly be one,  

as You and Christ are one.                                                      

For it is in Christ’s name we pray.

Assurance of Pardon

We were made by God, brought forth from the earth, 

the earth that was called good when God created it.    

Your very being is good. 

You are blessed, earth-born,  

and called forth to care for the earth and all who dwell in it.  

Go, know that you are forgiven and loved

by the God who made the earth, and made you,  

and share the Good News.                                            

Amen.

 
The Lord`s Prayer

 
Prayers of Intercession

You are free, Lord,

your Ascension has set you free:

free from the constraints of human existence,

outside the limitations of time and space;

free to be here with us now,

in our worship and fellowship;

and free to be with us always;

for in your freedom

you have bound yourself to us with a promise:

“Lo! I am with you always even to the very end of time.”

We pray, Lord, for those who need to feel you close,

who need the assurance of your love,

the encouragement of your Spirit. [Silence]

 We pray for those who are persecuted,

who are discriminated against,

who are mocked because of their faith or race, 

sexuality or social standing. [Silence]

We pray for those who are imprisoned,

who are tortured,

who are exiled,

because they have fought, struggled and spoken out

for the rights of their people.[Silence]

We pray for those who are destitute,

who are hungry,

who are refugees,

because of the selfishness and apathy of the world. [Silence]

We pray for those who are filled with guilt,

who are broken-hearted, who are perplexed,

because a relationship has gone wrong. [Silence]

We pray for those who are feeling fed up,

who are in discomfort,

who are afraid, 

because they are ill in body, mind or spirit.[Silence]

We pray for those who are numbed,

who are angry,

who are desolate,

because they have been bereaved. [Silence]

We pray for those caught up in war,

and violence,

and hatred;

especially the innocent victims of these evils. [Silence]

We pray at this time of financial turmoil,

for those who have lost jobs,

those who struggle to pay bills,

and those who have the power to affect positive change. [Silence]

Be with us all, Lord:

in all our daily struggles as we seek to follow you.

Be with us all, Lord:

in our periods of doubt and despair;

and in our times of happiness, health and loving.

Be with us all, Lord:

until that time

when in your in your Kingdom of Love

our joy will know no end.                                                                  

Amen.

The Grace

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY MAY 23RD                                      PENTECOST SUNDAY

 

Call to worship - Psalm 104:

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works–
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

Gathering prayer

May the exuberant Spirit of God, bursting with the brightness of flame into the coldness of our lives warm us with a passion for justice and beauty.

May the exuberant Spirit of God, sweeping us out of the dusty corners of our apathy breathe vitality into our struggles for change.

May the exuberant Spirit of God, speaking words that leap over barriers of mistrust convey messages of truth and new understanding.

May the exuberant Spirit of God, flame, wind, speech; burn, breathe, speak in us; filling our world with justice and joy. Amen

Approach to God

“The heavens are telling the glory of God. The wonder of his work displays the firmament.”

Let us join with the heavens in wonder, to marvel at creation and to praise God, our Creator who both creates and sustains, and in every generation gives new life to the earth.

With awe, humility and gratitude, we worship our God, who, amidst the vastness of creation, still reassures us that the ‘very hairs of our head are counted’.

But in the presence of such grandeur and such Love, we do not always know how we ought to pray. We give thanks for the Spirit who makes our pleas to God in ways words cannot express.

On this day of Pentecost, we delight in the Holy, sprightly Spirit of God, dancing among us, filling the world with joyful possibility, revealing the music of the Creator.

We rejoice at the Spirit’s daring spontaneity and find ourselves caught off guard by her unexpected communications.

In a world that can seem predictable, the Spirit sparks into being new possibilities; inspiring us to forgive ourselves for past mistakes, freeing us from our bondage to past wrong.

In a world that can seem drab, the Spirit weaves ever-changing patterns in the fabric of our being.

In a world that can be hostile, mediating love, building a path from loneliness to conviviality, from antagonism to co-operation.

In a world that appears purposeless, the Spirit’s vitality shouts out a mighty ‘yes’ to life and declares the source of all living to be in the One in whom we all live, move and have our being.

Prayer of Confession

We call to mind our contrition for the state of our world in the presence of the Pardoning God, Sender of the Spirit, and Spirit. In our sorrow may we meet forgiveness pouring out on us even before we have thought and spoken and prayed and wept. So, when creation is defiled; when homes are broken by war and violence; when oppressed people long to overthrow the tyranny of the greedy and powerful, may we be assured that love prevails in individual hearts all along.

A prayer of affirmation.

May our need for blessing bring us into the nearer presence of the Comforter God, Sender of the Spirit, and Holy Spirit.

May our weakness be filled by strength from beyond our own resources because we try to follow Jesus’ way in faith and commitment.                                                             

So, when we try to do the right thing, we are reminded that Spirit works for good through our lives all along.                 

When we muster all our courage in the face of our fears, the Spirit calms the fears of the world all along.                       

When we wake up tomorrow and do not relish that day,   

the Spirit is ahead of us walking through the cool of the evening with the troubles of the day vanquished all along.  We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, who promised that Spirit to his disciples.

Prayers of Intercession

On the day when we celebrate the Churches founding,         

let us pray for her work across Christ’s world, in places whose stories we know and in places we can only leave to the knowledge of the heart of God.                                   

And especially we remember those places where those who confess Jesus as their Saviour are still persecuted for His sake.                     May they know the emboldening power of the Spirit of Pentecost and the loving assurance of the Comforter.

We pray for the Church in our land, for the Congregational Federation and all denominations that share her mission in cities, towns, villages and countryside. May they be guided by the Spiri and discern God’s will for the Church’s future and her witness.

[Some may wish to add prayers reflecting matters of concern – or celebration – in their own congregation or community.]

We pray for those experiencing illness in body or in mind, and for those who practice the healing arts of medicine and nursing. We remember families and communities emerging from pandemic still feeling the pain of loss of loved ones.      May they experience God’s love and comfort through our actions and our words.

 

And as we pray for those whose are feeling despair through the loss of employment or opportunity, we also pray that despite our feebleness we, with the assurance of the Spirit, may bring hope through the practical resolve of the church to bring healing and renewal.

Let us pray that in this land and in the world, the Spirit will inspire and raise up women and men, young and old, to dream dreams and share a vision of a world where oppression is defeated by justice, where anxiety is vanquished by hope.

Where creation is cherished and the earth’s resources are harvested responsibly for a just sharing.               

Where people everywhere will not be judged by the colour of their skin, or their gender or their creed or their orientation but by the content of their character.    

Where hate is overcome by love,                                       

and where the ‘earth will be filled with the knowledge         

of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.’                                                                                             

All this we ask through Christ Jesus, our Lord,                   

Amen.

The Grace

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY MAY 30TH                                   

TRINITY SUNDAY

Call to Worship (from Psalm 29)

Let us give to the Lord the glory of His name;

We shall worship God in holy splendour

His voice thunders over the waters and shakes the wilderness;

All in his church cry ‘Glory!’;

May God give us strength;

Let us seek his blessing of peace

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession                             

Loving God, this time, these moments are precious – set apart from all that we have to do in our lives,
A haven where we can seek together the grace you freely give, God the Father,
The peace of Jesus your Son,
And unity amongst each other, to draw near as brothers and sisters in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

God our Father, as You bring light into darkness
And hope to our world.
As Your son Jesus bring comforts to those suffering
And a full life for all.

As the Holy Spirit brings joy to our hearts
And everyday miracles of change in our world.
We come to worship You and to offer our praise.

As we look towards a life where we can live more openly as restrictions ease from the pandemic, we offer our gratitude for the strength You have given us to persevere through all the hardships of the past year, and praise You for the prospect of new beginnings.                                              We thank You, Lord God, that You have always come to Your people in the past, for Your presence and guidance through centuries of faithful worship and service in the churches of our land:
You have led generations through the wilderness that life can be,
When they have been lost, You have searched for them,
When they have been in deepest struggle and exile,           

You have brought them back home,
For Your love and commitment to all people which stays so close,

we praise You, God.

We thank You, God, that You come to us now in our lives     

as we look ahead once more,
In worship, You speak to us,
In our journey through life, You go with us,
When we look for a way, we can see it in Your son Jesus,
For Your love which calls us to follow, we praise You, God.

We give thanks, God, for the times when You will come to us in the future,
When our lives are troubled, You will be there for us,
Your promises will remain, You will hold us fast,
Your son Jesus will give us the strength, peace and comfort to go on,
For Your love which holds us forever, we praise You God.

Lord, for the times when we have ignored the path that You have laid for us, when we have rejected Your promises of change, forgiveness and hope, when we have spurned Your generous hospitality,
For the times when we have been too busy to do the right thing, in Your name, even though we know we should have,
For the times when we’ve made excuses rather than act,
Forgive us Lord.

We are but sometime sinners and ragged saints,
Help us to be renewed and refreshed once more, to rejoice again in You,
To live every day as a step forward,
Living our lives always in Your light,
And to spark that light to shine again in church and nation.
We offer You these prayers in the name of Jesus, our saviour who lived and died for us,                                     

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession                                                   

We are a world that is desperate for You, God.

When powers struggle for dominance,
and war, oppression and abuse result;
When groups of people oppose one another
because of ideology, religion or culture;
We need a God who is bigger than ourselves,
and our personal interests.

(Prayer may be offered for specific areas of conflict in the world.)

When people are disregarded and devalued
because of poverty, geography or disease;
When compassion and justice is withheld to some
because of sexuality, race or gender;
We need a Saviour who is more compassionate than we are
who includes even those we would exclude.

(Prayer may be offered for specific people and places of suffering in the world.)

When resources are mismanaged and abused,
and the world and its creatures are destroyed;
When motivation is scarce and creativity is in short supply
to address the challenges that we face;
We need a Spirit who is more powerful and more creative
than we could ever be.

(Prayer may be offered for specific issues that we struggle with in the world.)

Lord God, Loving Saviour, Empowering Spirit,
we offer You these prayers
because we need You so desperately.
Captivate us, call us and fill us,
that we may be carriers of Your eternal life
to this world that You love so dearly.                                 

Amen.

Closing Responses (from Isaiah 6:1-8)

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory.

We were lost and distant from God;

But the Lord has forgiven you.

Whom shall God now send?

Here are we, Lord, let us hear Your voice calling us.

 

Benediction

As we walk onward with God, Three in One,   

May we be called once more to faith by our rock and redeemer,        God the Father, Sent again to meet the need of the world

through our Lord and Saviour,                                                          Jesus the Son,

And inspired anew by the gusting winds of our restless provoker,      the Holy Spirit,

And may the blessing of God Almighty,                               

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,                                               

be upon each one of us,                                                   

and everyone whom we love,                                           

this day and for evermore.                                               

Amen.

 

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JUNE 6TH

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayer of Approach

We come, God of the journey: 
a people from different places,                                                different histories, different cultures. 
We come hoping to find companionship for the journey,
solidarity for the struggle. 

We gather, God of Hospitality, around your ‘welcome table’, 
a table not yet round, but rounding. 
We gather seeeking to become a ’round-table people,
welcoming of all, with no preferred seating, 
no firsts and no lasts, and no corners for the ‘least of these’. 

We yearn, God of diversity, for a new way of living and relating
as neighbours not strangers,
as brothers and sisters, not ‘them and us’. 
We yearn to live fully,

celebrating both the diversity of our human family,                            and the unity of our call to peace, love and justice.                 

Amen. 

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession

The whole of Creation shouts its adoration, to You our God;
our glorious world proclaims your power and love.
Every tree and flower tells of your might, the stars, the sun and moon, the changing seasons, of your amazing care of us.
What are we that you are mindful of us, what is humankind that you care for us so much.

What a gracious, faithful God You are,

that Your love for us is new every morning

and we awake to a new start as your new creations,

ready to soar and fly,

free from past mistakes and difficulties.

We thank you for this gift of creation,

the gift of life,                                                                              the gift of our lives,
we thank you also for the faculties which enable us to enjoy it;        our eyes to see the wonders of your world,                                    our ears to hear speech and the sound of music,                         

our lips with which to talk and sing,                                                  our hands for working                                                           

and our feet for walking.
Make us daily grateful for all your gifts                                   

and help us to use them all for your glory.

Forgive our neglect of you, our world and our neighbours.
Help us build a place of love, kindness,

honesty, truthfulness and faith;
a touching place where we can all catch hold of your vision for us and your world; where everyone is gathered in.
Help us always to do what is right, to think what is right,       

and to say what is right, for the benefit of ourselves,        

those we come into contact with, and for you our Creator,     

through Jesus Christ.                                                           

Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession                                                

Let us pray to the Lord, who is our refuge and stronghold.       

For the health and well-being of our nation,
that all who are fearful and anxious
may be at peace and free from worry:                                   

Lord, hear us.

For the isolated and housebound,
that we may be alert to their needs,
and care for them in their vulnerability:                               

Lord, hear us.

For our homes and families,
our schools and young people,
and all in any kind of need or distress:

Lord, hear us.

 

For a blessing on our local community,
that our neighborhoods may be places of trust and friendship,
where all are known and cared for:

Lord, hear us.

 

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.                                                         Amen.

 

 

Dismissal and Blessing                                                         

Go out into the world in peace,

and in Christ’s name be –
the humble who make others proud
the poor who have riches to share
the weak who help others be strong
the empty who overflow with loving kindness. 

And the largess of the love of God,
and the treasure of the grace of Christ Jesus,
and the buoyant health of the Holy Spirit
be with you now and forever.                                           

Amen. 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JUNE 13TH                             

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. (Psalm 20: 1,2)

Prayers of Approach,Thanksgiving and Confession                   

Living God, in our desire for meaning and purpose in life,
You remind us that You are available to us in our hour of need.
As we reach out in our times of searching,
You promise us that You will listen

and answer beyond our imaginings.
When we place our trust in our human enterprises,
You call us back to Your holy place, to meet with You,

and to rest in Your presence.

Forgive us for putting our trust in the things of the world.
When others look for success in their chariot and horses

in times of battle,
let us put our trust in Your ways.
When the world builds success on power and control,
let us believe in Your ways of building a kingdom

of righteousness and love.
When we fall short of all You expect of us,
let us hold to Your promise that You will pick us up again,
and set out feet on Your path once more.

So we turn from human enterprise to the Kingdom of God,
from human failure to the forgiveness of God,
from human weakness to the strength of God,
from human focus to the purpose of God our Lord.

We praise Your name,
and rejoice in the love and strength,
the purpose and the success,

the triumphs and growth that come,
not from our hands, but from Yours alone.
And when our time of prayers is over,
let us lift up our heads and look ahead with courage.

When our time of devotion is complete,
let us rise with confidence to service and commitment.
For You are our answer in our time of need.

You are our answer in the hour of our calling.
In Jesus’ name we pray.                                                       

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Loving God,
faith, You tell us,

as small as a grain of mustard seed is always enough.

Remind us, now, that prayers, small and feeble

though we may believe them to be,
will always be enough, if they are offered in a spirit of devotion
and a willingness to be close to Your will and Your ways.

Remind us that Your will unscrambles our stumbling words,
our wayward thoughts, our random ideas,

our scattered images,
and sees in them growth and purpose,

and creates from them something beautiful for You.

We pray, now, for those closest to us –
those around us in the community of faith,

on-line, electronically, in spirit and in fellowship,

those we see face to face.

For family and friends, for church and community,
for all who matter to us in the bonds of love, we pray today.

We pray for those who are our guides for life and faith,
who point us to the ways of the Kingdom –
for the teachers of our children and students,

on-line or in class,
for their diligence and commitment;
for those who teach us our faith, but what they say and do, through what they know and are;
for all who are heroes and role models for us

and those we love,
that they might all be strengthened

in the ways of righteousness.

We pray for people who serve in community and nation,
who walk in the corridors of responsibility                               

and sit in the chambers of decision-making;
for those who stand tall for what is right;
for those who give of themselves for the benefit of others,
that they may always place the greater good

above the love of self.

We pray for all in need, broken or ill at ease in body,

mind or spirit.                                                                                                                                                                 

And, in the silence, we name them before you ......

And what of us, small as a mustard seed,                               

frail as a green shoot, fearful as an uncertain plant?
Strengthen us in our growth;
take us and use us for your purposes;
let us believe in Your ways

and not in our own success and failures.  
For we are Yours, and Yours alone.                                         

In Jesus’ name we pray.                                                       

Amen.

Closing Prayer and Blessing

God is good.
God’s purposes are just.
God’s way is right.
God’s road is ours to follow.
Christ’s truth is our guide.
His message is for our salvation.
The Spirit gives us life.
Our fullness and hopefulness are secured.

So go now, in the goodness of God,
to walk God’s Way,
to follow God’s Truth,
to live God’s Life,
and to be embraced,
now and always,
by God’s blessings.                                                               

Amen

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JUNE 20TH

FATHERS DAY

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Father’s Day Call to Worship  (based on Psalm 103)

 

Come, bless the Lord with me!

For the Lord is like a father to his children

compassionate and merciful,

filled with endless love.

He forgives our sins,

and heals the sickness inside us;

he surrounds us with love and mercy

and fills our lives with good things!

Let us worship God together!

 

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Loving God,

we come on this Father’s Day,

reminded that you are the Father of us all.

You have been with us from our birth,

guiding, nurturing and sustaining us.

Father God.

we praise you.

 

You have taught us and brought us to maturity,

always concerned for our welfare,

constantly seeking the best for us.

Father God.

we praise you.

 

Whenever we have needed you, you have been there,

willing to listen and advise,

yet giving us the freedom to make our own choices

and find our own way.

Father God.

we praise you.

 

You have called us to be your family,

a people united through your son, Jesus Christ,

and through him you have revealed your love,

a love that reaches out to us day by day

despite our failure to love you in return.

Father God we praise you.

 

Teach us to live as your children –

to hear your voice,

obey your instruction,

and respond to your goodness.

Father God we praise you.

 

Teach us to bear your name with pride,

to share with others,

through word and deed,

the joy you have given us.

Father God we praise you.

 

And finally, receive our thanks,

for the fathers you have given us,

all they have meant to us,

all they have given,

and all they have done in so many ways.

Father God we praise you.

 

O God, Father that you are,

you know what is right for us,

but too often we only want our way or no way,

instead of your way.

Have mercy upon us when we turn from you.

 

Forgive us when we do not realize

your fatherly love and direction for us.

Have mercy upon us indeed,

and teach us anew how to follow you,

Father that you are.

We pray this through your Son,

our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,                                       

Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

Gracious God,

You know the joy of fatherhood and also the pain,

for you witnessed the life and death of your Son,

and you see each day the triumphs and tragedies of us,

your children.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love.

 

In Jesus you experienced the delight of being a father –

as you watched him grow and mature into adulthood,

as you saw him baptised into the Jordan,

as day by day he responded to your guidance,

faithful to the very last –

a beloved son with whom you were well pleased.

Yet you also experienced agony –

in the horror of the Cross,

the pain, the humiliation,

and the sorrow he endured for our sakes.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love.

 

In each of us you find pleasure –

when we pursue what is good,

when we honour your commandments,

when we seek your will and respond to your guidance.

But we cause you also so much pain –

through our weakness,

our repeated disobedience,

our deafness to your call and our rejection of our love.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love.

 

Gracious God,

you know the joy and the pain of fatherhood,

and so now we pray for fathers everywhere.

Help them to appreciate both the privilege

and the responsibility they bear,

and teach them to give freely of themselves

so that they may discover the happiness,

the fulfilment and the inexpressible rewards

that fatherhood brings.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love.

 

Give them wisdom, patience and dedication,

and grant them strength to persevere

when children bring tears as well as laughter,

anxiety as well as hope, pain as well as pleasure.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love.

 

Reach out, we pray, to all fathers in such circumstances –

those who question their ability to cope,

or fear they have failed;

those striving to offer support,

or feel they have nothing left to give.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love.

 

And finally, hear our prayer for children

who on this Father’s day feel pain instead of joy –

those whose fathers have died, those orphaned as children,

those who have been mistreated, rejected, abused,

and those from broken homes

who barely see or know their fathers.

Lord God our Father, reach out in love,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Benediction for Father’s Day (based on Psalm 103)

 

As you go from here, remember this:

God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting,

from generation to generation.

Just as a father has compassion on his children

so God has compassion on those fear him,

who listen to his voice, and who do his will.

Go out in the knowledge

that the everlasting love of God goes with you.

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JUNE 27TH

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

 

Call to Worship (Psalm 130)

Wait for the Lord, like those who hope in God’s mercy.
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Watch for God, like those who eagerly await the morning.
We watch for God, whose power redeems us.
Hear God’s hopeful word, like those who long for pardon.
Sing praise to God and rejoice in God’s love.

 

Opening Prayer (Mark 5)

Loving God,
we are yours.
We come as we are,
with our cares and concerns.
We long to touch you
and find healing in your embrace.
Strengthen our faith
and heal our brokenness,
that we may worship you with joy.                                     

Gracious God,
we thank you for our present abundance
and for the many blessings
you have bestowed upon this community.
We thank you for our faith,
for our knowledge of you,
and for the assurance of your love.
May all these gifts be a blessing
to those in need.

Prayer of Confession (Psalm 130, Mark 5)

Out of the depths of despair,
we cry to you, O God.
We are lost in a world
of pain and suffering.

When we put our trust in weapons of war,
we find no peace.
When we put our faith in our own resources,
we feel the ache of our true needs.
When we put our hope in the health of our bodies,
we suffer pain and find no healing.

Come to us, O God.
Forgive our doubts and fears.
Heal our brokenness,
that we may rejoice in your steadfast love. Loving God,
let your word speak to our hearts.

Come and heal our brokenness
and restore us to life.
Comfort our grieving hearts.
Teach us to share from our abundance.
By your word,
transform us into your holy people.

 

Assurance of Pardon (Psalm 130)

There is forgiveness and healing with God.
God’s steadfast love
has the power to redeem our brokenness
and make us whole.                                                             

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession                                                         

Believing in the power of Jesus to heal

and bring forth new life,                                                

let us place our prayers into His hands.

We pray for leaders, civil and religious,                                   

that they would act as true shepherds of compassion

and justice for those entrusted to their care.

We pray for those who are struggling

and suffering hardships;                                                

may the knowledge and awareness

of the blessings that God has showered upon them

bring them hope and renewed strength.                                       

We pray for the times when we encounter despair and fear,     

that may we may recall your Spirit within                             

so that our actions will bear witness to Your presence.

We pray that we may we imitate the generous acts of Jesus

and share our abundance of gifts

and blessings freely with those in need.

We pray in thanksgiving for healing.

May we not only acknowledge the power of Jesus

to heal all physical and spiritual illnesses,

but be truly thankful for this great grace in our world.

We pray for families as they encounter the conflicting values of our culture; may they be guided and directed by your Spirit.

We pray for the strength to rise from sin.

May we freely place our need for forgiveness from sin into God's hands, believing beyond all doubt that God will forgive us and raise us to new life.

We pray that those who have died

may enjoy the full hope and promise of the resurrection,

especially those most near and dear to us.

These our payers we offer in the name of Christ,                     

Amen.

The Dismissal (Mark 5)                                                         

Christ’s touch has healed you.
God’s love has restored you.
The Spirit goes with you.

Go in peace to share the joy of God’s love.

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JULY 4TH 2021

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

 

Great is our God, and greatly to be praised,

the joy of all the earth.

We have contemplated your faithful love, O God,

in the midst of your temple.

God’s grace is sufficient for us,

Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

Your right hand alone gives us the victory.

Let the sons of God be glad!

Let the daughters of God rejoice,

 

Prayer of Approach

 

 O God our Maker, you constantly renew the face of the earth.

We worship and adore you!

O God our Liberator, you constantly renew our salvation.

We worship and adore you!

O God our Helper, you constantly renew our sagging hopes and waning love.

We worship and adore you!

 Most wonderful God, let us bring our dearest joy to worship

and let our worship enlarge our dearest joy.

For your love’s sake.

Amen.

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving

 

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
joy of all the earth,
for your grace is sufficient for us,
and your strength is always there in our weakness.
You created the heavens and the earth and all that live in them
and gave yourself to us to be our guide forever.
You gave your people great leaders, like David,
to shepherd them in peace and righteousness.

Your son, Jesus, came teaching with astounding wisdom
and bringing freedom and healing at the touch of his hands.
Like the prophets he was not honoured in his own town,
and was crucified by his own nation,
but you raised him from the dead,
displaying your perfect power in his weakness.
Now he has entrusted us with his mission
of casting out evil and proclaiming your steadfast love
from the holy mountain to the ends of the earth.

Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

 

 

Prayer of Confession

 

If we have been so busy that we don’t notice the needs of others,

or have resented those who do take time to be kind and generous,

or have disgraced our faith by becoming self absorbed:

Forgive us, loving God, and save us from ourselves.

 

If we have been too proud to undertake humble tasks,

or too impatient to do tasks that have no immediate reward,

or too stubborn to seek the help of others.

Forgive us, loving God, and save us from ourselves.

 

If we have magnified small wrongs done to us,

or have allowed tiny difficulties to frustrate us,

or have been thick-skinned, inflexible or unteachable.

Forgive us, loving God, and save us from ourselves.                                                                       

Amen.

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

My fellow pilgrims on Christ’s mountain road, take heart.

God does not have to be persuaded to forgive us;

it is more likely our pride that holds us back from accepting forgiveness.

Please, for Christ’s sake,

let down your guard, open you mind and heart,

repent and accept the Gospel of free grace.

 

In Christ there is grace.

In Christ there is peace.

In Christ there is love and joy.

Thanks be to God!                                                             

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

 

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

Heavenly Father, Your Son endured rejection in this world.

You lead us likewise through a hostile world that shows no honour to Your Church or its wisdom.                                     

Do not let us lose heart. Stengthen us for opposition,         

and let us rest confidently on what You, Lord, have said.                                                                                            

Holy God, Your great and mighty work is to create faith by Your Holy Spirit in the eternal blessings of Your Son, Christ Jesus. We implore You, make Your preachers effective to proclaim Your prophetic Word, and remove all stubborn ears from our midst. Do not leave us without Your Word, but make Your home among us and restore the joy of Your salvation.                                                                                            O Lord, soften the hearts in every home.                         

Turn parents and children toward each other

in love and patience.

Banish the spirit of stubbornness and rebellion from all. Sanctify us in Your truth.                                                                                            Almighty God, protect and defend our nation from its enemies. Support our leaders, and preserve them from temptation. Through the work of all civil authorities, enable us to live a quiet and peaceable life according to Your Word.

 

Gracious Lord, in our weakness we are strong for the sake of Christ, whose grace is sufficient for every need.

Give comfort to those whose pain is chronic, whose sustained suffering is unknown, who wrestle with difficult thorns in body or mind, or who are tempted to despair.

In weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities, let us boast in Christ and His cross, by which we and our sufferings are sanctified.                                                                                                                                               

O Lord, out of Your abundant blessing You satisfy us with Christ, the bread of life.

Give repentance and faith to all who commune this day,

that finding refuge in Your Son’s true body and blood,

we may taste and see that You are good.                                   

All these things and whatever else You know that we need,     

grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God forever.                                                                   

Amen.

 

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and wherever people will hear you,
proclaim the life-changing love of God.
Do not fear your weakness,
for when you are weakest, Christ’s strength is known.
Travel lightly, live simply,
and honour those who welcome the gospel.

And may God be your protection and safe haven;
May the power of Christ Jesus dwell in you;
and may the Holy Spirit be your guide forever.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ.

Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JULY 11TH

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayers of Approach, Thanksgiving and Confession

  

God, our God
This morning we gather to worship You.
We come together, each of us from our own lives,
with our own thoughts, and hopes, and worries.
Let us bring our hearts, with all that weighs on them,

before You this morning in worship.                                                                                                                             

And unburden us, do not let us be weighed down,
but instead send Your Spirit anew among us,

and clear in our hearts and minds                              

a space to focus on You and our relationship with You.

For we come, thirsty – longing for refreshment.
For we come hungry – longing for sustenance.
We come as Your children: and long to know Your love.

And here in this place of prayer;
in this quiet and un-laboured time
we can trace the steps of the paths that brought us here.
Our Sunday morning waking and journey here;
our Saturday and the week that has been.
As Your people, we’ve known joy, comfort, fatigue, and pain;
love and hope, loneliness and strain.
But as we cast our thoughts back, Lord,
give us eyes to see that You have been with us all along.
Gives us hearts to know of Your presence,
not just today,
but every day in our walk with You,
and that in our worship we will remember Your constancy       

in every moment of our lives.

You are the God who freely loves.
You have no needs or requirements;                                     

the whole universe belongs to You:
yet as infinite, majestic and glorious God:
You concern Yourself with us.
You care for us.
You know us.

In Jesus Christ You walked among us

and demonstrated a love so perfect,
that all human history will unravel before we will comprehend its depth, width, and height.

God of justice,
We thank You for Your truth and justice.
For prophetic words of hope spoken at the right time.
We thank You for those who speak in Your name.
Those who tell truth to power,

no matter the likely consequence.

Those who seek peace.
Those who press for justice.
Those who will not be swayed from the truth.

Throughout the history of Your people,

You have given Your Spirit to prophets.
Those who bear witness to Your love,
and the transformation possible by Your power.

It is, then, all too tragic

how poorly we reflect Your love.                                             

How often we shrink from the inheritance

of being Your children;
and how readily we shirk the responsibility to love

as we have been loved.                         

There can be no excuse for our faults;
there can be no justification for the ways we inhibit the fruitful living of others;
or for the damage we do to this world and to ourselves.

We confess that we have sinned.

We have no hope but Your forgiveness;
And so we ask it: in hope and in trust that Your love,
Your perfect love – made human in Jesus Christ
who walked among us and knows every hair on our heads       

and every movement of our lives,
speaks quietly to our troubled souls:
I do not condemn you:
go, and sin no more.                                          

And so, rejoicing in the life of Christ,

and in the joy of the Holy Spirit,
we ask You restore us anew,

and shape us in Your ways.                                             

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

God of love and freedom, of hope and joy,
we pray for those who long to be free,
For those wrongly imprisoned.
For those imprisoned because of a fight for justice,
because they spoke out

against the tyranny of their government,
because they protest the actions for their state,
because they have a faith that is censored.

We pray for those who seek asylum

and refuge from their past;
and who now live in detention centres.

We pray for those who are detained for their own safety and wellbeing, but long to be free.

We pray for all those whose freedom falls victim                     

to the greater power of an unjust majority.

We pray for those whose helplessness

condemns them to a form of slave labour.
For those working unbearably long hours with little or not pay.
For those increasing number of people trafficked,

human lives bought and sold.
We pray for those who long to be free.

For those who know daily pain,                                             

and who are overwhelmed with the struggle of coping.
For those who have a diagnosis

that feels like an incarcerating sentence.
For those whose health curtails a freedom they used to know.

We pray for those who are trapped

by the snares self-contempt.
For those who disregard their own inherent worth

and loveliness,
and long to be free for love.
For those who are not free to love who, or how,

or where their heart leads them.

We pray for those who long to be free,
for those who are condemned by poverty.
For those whose hunger becomes like shackles.
For those who feel unemployment to be liberty-deprived.

We pray for those who long to be free,
for those who wish to be free of the pain of this life.
And for those who mourn the passing of one dear to them.
For all those who have loved freely and long to again.

God: Father, Son and Spirit,
You are the God who loves freely:
the God whose love is unconditional and infinite.
You love each of us eternally: enfold us into Your embrace;
grant the freedom of Your people

and the fulfilment of our prayers.

All this we pray, for the sake and in the name of Your son

Jesus Christ,

Amen.

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JULY 18TH

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayer of Approach (using Psalm 89)

I will sing of Your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.                                                     

Lord God, we gather at this brief moment of time
to give You praise for everything and forever.
Your love, like Yourself, has no beginning or end.
Your faithfulness is eternal.
The majesty of the heavens and the myriad wonders of earth
bear witness to Your providence.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (using the Ephesians passage)

Good and gracious Father,
We give thanks for blessings
of home and family,
of education and nurture,
of art and science.

For all who make peace, for all who build bridges,
for all who have learned to forgive the past, we give thanks.
For all good people, and for all lovely things,
we bless Your marvellous creation.

For our identity in Christ,
and for those who have explained this

and loved it into our lives,
we are truly grateful.
For our place in Christ’s church,
for opportunities to serve and to be served,
we say thank You.

For the wonderful story of our salvation,
for the prophets and apostles who named it,
for the scriptures which carried it into our own history,
we bless Your marvellous purpose.

We thank You that Jesus Christ did not only live for us,
but died and rose again for us.
We give thanks that He lives as the cornerstone of the universe,
that we are built with Him into a holy temple,
unseen yet strong and lasting.

He is our peace: He is peace within our own lives,
He is peace between us all, and His peace is a gift for every situation.
We bless Your marvellous name.                                           

Amen.

Prayer of Confession                                                         

You have no competitor, no rival, no substitute.
You are right and You are just, Your plans for us are good.
We cannot exhaust Your love,

we cannot get our heads around it,
but Your word declares what You are like,
and in Jesus Christ we see enough to satisfy us forever.

Lord, there are things which contradict all this.
We do not see Your will being done on earth.
We admit to times when we ourselves have failed You,
by what we have done or what we have omitted to do.
We have sinned, and we have been sinned against.
Have mercy upon us.
Have mercy on our friends.
Have mercy on our enemies,
for Your name’s sake.

O God,
our time on earth is short, and Your purpose is long.
Guide us in the business that lies ahead this week.
Help us in the things that challenge us.
Keep us faithful.
Grant us wisdom, and true humility,
as we journey with You before us and behind us,
above us and within us,
through Jesus Christ and in the power of His Spirit.                 

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession (using the Gospel passage)

Let us ask God for rest for the weary ...
We pray for those who are sick

and weighed down in body or spirit,

for those who are overworked,
for those who need a break,
for those who near  the end of life.
May they know Your peace.

Let us ask God to guide those who are lost or perplexed ...
We pray for all who need shepherding,
and for those who teach and guide others,
in their work, in their home, in their voluntary service.
May they give and receive Your peace.

Let us ask God to provide for the hungry ...
We pray for all who hunger and thirst,
for relief organisations,
for the governments of the world,
for those who rule in our Island state.
May they find peace, create peace, work for peace.

Let us ask God to open places for good news ...
We pray for people who do not know how much You love them,
and for all who share the gospel.
May Your Spirit break down barriers, open hearts,
bring peace.

Let us ask God to hear the prayers of our own minds and hearts ...

These and all our prayers we ask in the name of Jesus,
Amen.

 

 

Blessing

Do not fear or be dismayed,                                             

you are eternally safe in the arms of Jesus.
Now may the Lord God shepherd you with His Word and Spirit,
and gather you at the last into His fold.

And the blessing of God almighty,                                         

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you and those dear to you,
this day and every day.                                                         

Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY JULY 25TH

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

 

Call to Prayer                                                                                                                                          

God is near to all who call on Him.
He listens when we pray.
So let’s bring our prayers to God with confidence,
knowing that He will hear and answer (Psalm 145: 14, 18)

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession                                                                                                                             

God of miracle,
provider of daily bread,
word of life and love,
we thank You for the gift
of Your Son Jesus, living bread,
broken and shared for all.

We thank You
that even the crumbs of our lives
and of our labours
are useful to You
in the service of Your kingdom.

We thank You
for Your endless overflowing grace
that knows no bounds
even as we seek to limit it
through our bad choices.

Lord God
You heap Your love upon us
like a parent providing
for their family’s needs.
Forgive us when, like spoilt children,
we treat Your generosity as our right
or hug it possessively.
Forgive us that we have kept
what we have to ourselves
rather than offering it up to You
that You might feed and sustain others.

Forgive us that we have failed
to be concerned about the waste
that our society produces.
Forgive us when have wanted more for ourselves
at the cost of another.
We are sorry, Lord, and in need
of Your renewing grace.

As we gather now to worship You,
fill us with anticipation of Your word to us.
Strengthen us for service,
feed and renew us that we might share
in Your purpose in giving life to the world.
In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession                                                         

Lord God
As You heard the cries of Your people
in the wilderness and fed them bread from heaven,
as we remember how Jesus nourished Your people
with words of justice and compassion
hear us today as we pray for our world.

We pray for those whose daily need
for food, clean water
and proper shelter goes un-met
and for those misusing what they have
in the vain pursuit of pleasure.
Feed them with a sense of justice and fairness
That they might stand firm in their right
To a decent life for all people now.

We pray for those whose lives have been broken
by violence and crime, conflict and struggle.
Feed them with courage and anticipation
of a life beyond the barriers which hold them back.

We pray for those who are sick or sorrowing
and those who care for and console them.
We pray especially for those we know personally
who are facing difficulties at this time
and who we name in a time of silence…
Fill them, Lord, with Your healing presence
and remind them of Your promises.

We pray for those who have lost faith
in themselves and in You
and who struggle to find meaning in life.
focus their eyes on You, Lord,
and give them hope for a new day.

We pray for ourselves that we might be filled
with energy to serve You better in our daily living.
And that we might, even in our doubt,
be reminded that You will never turn away
Or abandon us.
May we always look to You
As the one who gives us life.
All this we ask in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

 

Dismissal and Blessing                                                       

Go now, to be nourished
in the love of God;
to be generous
in the way of Christ Jesus
and to be filled and fuelled
by the living Spirit.

And may the blessing of God,
Creator, Redeemer  and Sustainer
be with you and those you love
today and always. Amen.                                                                                                                                                             

Amen

PRAYERS  FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 1ST 2021

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship                                                               

In this moment we are invited to acknowledge the loving care and compassion of God for each of us, to listen to the words of encouragement, and call, even on difficult or depressing days, and God’s desires for our complete and unequivocal faithful response to the message of Jesus. Come let us worship God.

Prayers of Approach, Thanksgiving and Confession           

O God You know each of us well, love us deeply
and are able to sustain us in an enormous variety of ways.
We are humbled by our awareness of Your profound concern and involvement in our petty concerns and worries, and your keen interest in our welfare.

Given so many gifts in our daily lives to enrich us
and opportunities for love and companionship,
we come anticipating a deeper appreciation of
and wider perspective of Your grace and power.

Almighty God
We give You thanks
for all who have given their lives and talents

in the service of others;
those whose religious zeal, commitment to truth, leadership ability and qualities of service have enabled others to live more freely and fully
and brought new harmony
and understating to the world.

For all those whose faithful witness
has challenged the prejudices and closed minds of others
and enabled people to appreciate

the power of Your love in their lives.

We praise You for those who can allow another to take the lead where appropriate;
who know how to retire gracefully,
and encourage others by their example and concern for the good of the community,
rather than their own selfish interest and reputation.

For all who have lifted the standards of behaviour,
the moral and ethical codes,
and have been dissatisfied with slovenly or slapdash efforts and careless attitudes to important tasks,
we glorify Your name.

Especially for Jesus Christ,
we are grateful and how His life and example                   

has illuminated and inspired our lives
and pushed out the limited horizons of our thinking
and challenged our systems of values
and called us to look onward and upward towards You.

We know Your mercy for the penitent, O loving God.

Let us experience it once again
as we place the record of our past week before You.

We recall our lack of respect and care for others
and those set in authority over us.

We acknowledged our abuse and neglect

of our particular talents and gifts.

We have lived as if the world and its wonders

were under our control,
and needed no reference to You.

We have failed to measure up

to the standard expected of Your disciples,
and our example has not influenced the world for good.

In certain ways we have lived as if this earth and life upon it was the limit of our horizons
and have disregarded Your encouragement to strive forward and live as mature human beings

made in Your likeness.

Hear us, O God, as in silence we now confess our individual sin before You.                          

Listen to the word of promise:                                                                                                                               

If we confess our sin,
God is faithful and just and will forgive our sin,
so, I declare unto You,

our sin is forgiven.

                                                         

Thanks be to God.                                                                                                                                

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession                                                   

Great and Loving God
We know we are tenants of this good earth,
entrusted through Your grace and love

with its abundance and harvests.

Strengthen our resolve to be worthy of Your covenant with us, and make us more willing to hear, to obey,
and to act in protection of the fruit of Your kingdom of love.

Fill the leaders of our nation, and all nations,
with a healthy respect for the dignity of human life,
the worth of the individual
and the need to consider the everyday issues
as well as the wider issues in politics and society.

Sustain those with special talents –
of laughter, healing, teaching, leadership, parenting,
production of food and necessities of life –
and encourage them to see You as the source of all their gifts.

Accept we pray, Your children with their particular hopes and promise,
Inspire them to continue in their faithful way to work for the growth of love
and cooperation, mutual dependence and trust.

Startle the wavering and the tempted;
the unsure and the procrastinating
with a sharp sense of Your interest
and Your demands of care upon them.

Refresh the weary and the war-torn,
the oppressed and the suffering
with the sense of Your unlimited and unexpected mercies.

Motivate the hearts of compassionate men and women
to the cries of the hungry and the plight of the undernourished.

Shake the complacent out of their stupor of self-satisfaction,
and grab their attention and stimulate them to action
on behalf of those with no ‘clout’, or no political weight,
and no means of being heard for themselves.

Give patience to those who labour to alter the ideas of society and challenge the patterns of the growing gap between rich and poor.

Direct and embolden those who grapple with the problems of insufficient shelter and inadequate clothing,
the lack of ample resources in education,
and abuse of power, oppression and injustice.

Re-ignite the passion of those who have slumped into idle lethargy and lukewarm apathy.
Give them a boldness to correct, eradicate and transform
the wrongs which reject and isolate those
who do not fit neatly within the norms of society.

Remind the Church to tread carefully in its eagerness to be popular, or in hastily espousing doctrines that may be popular with the world.
Challenge us when we are silent on controversial issues,
when our silence condones the destruction and rejection of goodness, truth and life.

Stir up within the councils of the Church
a passion for the Gospel and the building of God’s kingdom.
Rid them of any ecclesiastical ghetto mentality
which would threaten to overwhelm the proclamation of Your love.

Guide them in the deep waters of social and political action
so that they hold tight to spiritual truth,
and reject any seemingly expedient solutions
which are alien to the teaching of Jesus,
in whose name we pray.

Amen

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 8TH 2021                       

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

 

Call to Worship

 

If you have come  here today hungry for more of the Bread of Life which feeds your soul, then I welcome you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 Jesus says: “I am the bread of life. Those who come to me shall not hunger, and those who believe in me shall never thirst.”

 

Feed us now, Son of God, as you fed your first disciples.

Feed us with that soul-food which nurtures enough love within us to outstrip the fears and enmity that ties the world up in knots.

Feed us with that spiritual bread which strengthens our hands for serving those broken and lost people whom this world deems a waste of space.

Feed us, so that we may be fulfilled with some of that joy which the universe cannot contain. For your love’s sake.

Amen!

 

Prayers of Approach and Confession

 

God our holy Friend,

you are wonderful beyond all other wonders.

You are much closer than our deepest prayers,

loftier than our songs of praise,

more beautiful than our purest hopes,

much more profound than our noblest creeds,

far wiser than all the books in the libraries of the world,

and more loving than the love of all the apostles, saints and martyrs put together.

Yet you are humble enough to lunch with a common wayfarer,

and simple enough to converse with a child.

Gladly we come to this house of prayer,

to offer our worship, renew our vows, receive your grace,  and adore your love and holiness.

 

“If you, God, should count our iniquities, 

who would be left standing?

But with you there is forgiveness and we stand in awe of such grace.”

 

Brainwashed though we are by the false values and brazen deceits of this world, we come to you, most merciful God, seeking your saving intervention in our lives.

Without you we slither further down into error and darkness.

With you we are uplifted towards light and truth.

Without you we either wallow in shame

or in vain self-justification.

With you we find healing, hope and peace.

Please forgive those sins of which we are keenly aware, and forgive us those sins which escape our recognition at the present time.

Deliver us from both sin and stupidity, and sharpen our ability to know ourselves better and to know you more surely and comprehensively as the God of our salvation.

Through Christ Jesus, our Saviour.

Amen!

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

“O people of God, put your hope in Christ!

For with Christ there is steadfast love

and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he will redeem his people

from all their iniquities.”

Thanks be to God!

 

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

 

Holy Friend, there are times when our prayers seem a weak and ineffective exercise in the face of the world’s enormous need. Please keep reminding us that though we are weak and unwise, you have infinite resourcefulness and wisdom. May the full and inexhaustible grace of Christ crucified and risen, keep us praying with faith and serving with humble compassion.

 

Holy Friend, we pray for those who feel too harried, or too broken, or too despairing to pray for themselves. Please surround them with your everlasting arms of love, and bring some warmth and hope into even the bleakest situation.

 

Holy Friend, we pray for many who are subject to injustice and abuse, and all who are used up and then cast aside like garbage. Please bring down tyrants and bullies at every level of life, and lift up the downtrodden and heal the broken in body, mind and spirit.

 

Holy Friend, we pray for young people who are put in uniforms and ordered to make war on others; to bomb villages, blow up bridges, burn harvests, strafe refugees, and take few prisoners. And also for those who are sent incognito as suicide bombers into crowded places to create maximum carnage. Please bring this world back from its addiction to anger and violence to your ways of peace.

 

Holy Friend, we pray for all who feed the hungry, tend the injured, stand with the oppressed, house the homeless, watch with the dying, comfort the grieving, encourage the handicapped, empower the weak, and befriend the very fearful folk. Please widen our love to include all your children on earth.

 

Holy Friend, we pray for your church in its glory and its shame. Help us to repent of our corporate sins, to increase our love for other denominations, to live the love of Christ among the neglected and the lost, to encourage one another in fellowship and prayer, and to live optimistically by faith and love where the secular world wrings its hands in despair.

 

Holy Friend, God and Saviour, lead us on towards that glory which you have prepared for all who love you. Through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen!

 

Dismissal

 

If you have found some of the good bread of Christ

here this day,                                       

then don’t hesitate to share it with others.

For this is the bread that increases

the more it is given away,                                               

and nourishes us best

in the presence of goodwill and laughter.

Go on your way in good spirits, for the best is yet to come.

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 15TH

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

Come from your homes,                                                 

places of tension and relaxation,                                     

of squabbles and arguments,                                           

of games and laughter.                                               

Come to celebrate in this, God’s House.

Come from your places of work,                                     

leaving behind deadlines and pressures                         

the tedium of creativity of daily tasks.                           

Come to celebrate in this, God`s House.

Come to join this community of faith,                               

In this place of prayer and praise,                                 

struggling to witness and serve,                                     

Come to celebrate in this, God’s House.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We come into your presence,                                         

to be aware of you with us.                                             

You are always aware of us,                                           

always sensitive to our needs and joys.                           

You invite us to be with you,                                           

to have a place near you.                                               

Your presence is joy, light, comfort,                               

your nearness is holy, awesome,wonder.                         

In the play of sunlight through rainbows,                         

in the sounds of music and laughter,                                 

in the touch of friends and loved ones,                           

in the sweet perfume of blossom,                                     

in the taste of bread and wine,                                       

your presence is known.                                                                                                                                 

But also in the warm dark,                                             

in the silence, in the solitude,                                         

in the scent of fear, in the sourness of tears,                     

you are with us, your presence surrounds us.                                                                                                   

As we come before you, we realise our faults,                   

we remember or sins,

we feel remorse for our selfishness,                                 

we repent and feel ashamed.                               

You welcome us, you greet us with a smile,                     

you forgive and renew,

you give us new hope, new life.                                       

You love us into your presence.                                   

We bless and thank you. We praise and adore you.           

We enjoy being with you, and with each other,               

in the name, the spirit and the presence of Jesus.             

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Journeying God,                                                           

we ask for you to be with all those at risk when travelling,  those who fly, sail, ride or walk.                                       

We pray especially for refugees and those fleeing war, hunger or persecution.                                                   

We pray for those who offer hospitality, relief,

food and shelter, those who are good Samaritans,

friendly neighbours and welcoming communities.               

God, journey with all who need you.

Renewing God,                                                               

we ask for you to be with all those who begin something new this week, a new job, a new friendship,

a new responsibility.                                                 

We pray especially for those taking up positions of power and authority in governments around the world.               

We pray for those who are faced with redundancy,             

the death of someone in the family

or a friend or with an ending.                                     

God, renew all who hope in you.

Listening God,                                                               

we ask for you to be with all those who are worried

and afraid.                                                      

We pray especially for those with no one to turn to,           

no one who cares, no one who will help.                         

We pray for those who are prepared to listen,                   

to share the problem, to stand in solidarity.                   

God, listen to all who call to you.

God be with us, renew us, listen to us                             

And help us to work with you to answer these prayers, 

In the name and Spirit of Jesus Christ.                             

Amen.

 

Blessing

Ever-Living God,                                                             

the source of all life,                                                       

prompt us into new beginnings.

Ever-present God,                                                           

travelling alongside us,                                                   

guide us to walk in your way.

Ever-loving God,                                                              surrounding us with care,                                               

help us to detect your presence.

In the name of Christ.

Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 22ND                     

TWELTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Approach to God

Ancient of Days,
Holy Mystery,
El Shaddai…                                                                   

God, we call on You
by the names we have,
taking on our lips
words that cannot contain You.

You are always more
and as we turn to You,
You have already turned to us
and called on us:
My people!
My beloved!

To wait before You
and meditate on You –
this is what restores us.
To know again
that You are the Living God –
this is what reawakens our hope.                                                                                                                       

So we gather in Your presence
and offer You our love and thanks
for keeping the world turning,
for infusing all that exists with the breath of Your Spirit,
for looking on us with warmth and pride
because we are Yours.

We pray in the names
of Your Community of Love –
Source, Saviour, Sustainer.
Amen.

 

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Multi-talented, Multi-tasking God!
It is from You that we derive our creative instincts.
We are makers and crafters,
designers and builders
of relationships and social systems,
of ideas and projects,
of agreements and policies,
of tools and artworks.                             

Thank You that our lives are the better
for what has been made by hands and minds
in our own generation and those older and younger.       

Thank You for those whose skill and faith, time and money
have brought into being houses of prayer; sanctuaries of worship.                                                                                 

Thank You for all the ways that cathedrals, temples, monasteries have served Your purposes,
making visible a glimpse of Your glory and grandeur;
moving people into an encounter with You;
speaking of the longer story we are part of.

Gracious God,
You know us well.
We are not always at our best.                                         

Sometimes we get weary,
our smiles fade,
our energy runs low,
and in a depleted state
we become bad company.                                         

Sometimes we fail to look after ourselves
and blame others for our un-met needs.                           

Sometimes we despair
that our good work
does not count for much
and we retreat into paralysis.                                         

Hear our sorrow and untangle us, good Lord.

You do not condemn;
You forgive.
You do not create lost causes
but human beings in Your own beautiful likeness.
Recreate us today for Your love's sake.
Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Today we pray for our brothers and sisters across the world who long for the freedoms we take for granted –

To worship together in a dedicated building, or anywhere.

Bring Your comfort and protection to those who have lost loved ones and are themselves at risk of injury, torture or death because of objections and opposition to the faith they profess and practise.

We cry out to You for a world able to live and let live;
a world able to celebrate the diverse strands of belief and ritual, affirming our common ground of treating others as we wish them to treat us.

Give us a curiosity for other ways of understanding You.
Surprise us with the insights of other paths to You.
You are Mystery,
You are Intimacy,
give Yourself to us
that we may give ourselves to You,
and bring alive Your kindness and compassion
in all we do.

These and all the concerns we carry in our hearts today,
we bring in Jesus' name.
Amen

 

Blessing

As we go from here,
may God go with us

Keeping us close,
keeping us connected,
keeping us a community of faith.

May God bless us in the days ahead,

Deepening our trust,
encouraging our hope,
amplifying our love.
Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 29TH                           

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

We gather to worship the Lord.
Not with empty rituals.
Not with doctrines and traditions.
But with all our hearts.

The Lord our God is king.
God rules with justice and equity.
God loves righteousness and hates wickedness.
God's kingdom will last forever.

We gather to worship the Lord.
With ears ready to listen.
With hearts ready to receive.
With faith ready for action.

The Lord is faithful and true.
The Lord is our beloved.
We are the Lord's beloved.
The Lord is ours and we are the Lord's.

Because God is good.
Because our hearts are filled with love.
Because we care for one another.
We gather to worship the Lord.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lord God, Jesus said that he came to that we might life     

and have it more abundantly.                                           

We praise you and we thank you for his purpose in coming  and we pray to you that we might indeed experience the fullness of the life that he has promised. 

Take from us, O Lord, all those things that blind us to the wonders of your presence and the glory of what you are

doing in our midst.

 

Lord, we thank you for the refreshing wind of your Spirit    for how you breath into us new life and new hope         

and lead us to new understandings.                               

In you we find wholeness for both body and soul.       

We pray now, O God, that this wholeness may not only not only grow within us - but that it might enter into and transform the lives of all your children.

Prayer of Confession                                                       

(This prayer picks up on the themes of James and Mark.)

For those times when we have hurt those closest to us,
when we have been slow to listen,

quick to speak,

quick to anger,
forgive us, Lord, and fill our hearts with righteousness.

For those times when we have hurt those we encounter,
when we lose control of our tongues,
forgive us, Lord, and fill our hearts with righteousness.

For those times when we have hurt the weakest and most marginalised,
when we take advantage of power, wealth or status,
forgive us, Lord, and fill our hearts with righteousness.

For those times when we have hurt Your creation,
when we know how to care for it but fail to act,
forgive us, Lord, and fill our hearts with righteousness.

For those times when we have hurt You,
when we seek ritual over faith,

when we hear Your call but do not act,
forgive us, Lord, and fill our hearts with righteousness.

Forgive us, Lord, and help us reset our relationships
that they may be filled with a love and compassion that reflects Yours,
the King of righteousness.
Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

God our health and salvation, bless our prayers as we now pray for others.                                   

Let the efficacy of prayer when blessed by Christ’s hands stretch far beyond the limited range of our concern,         

and probe much deeper than our compassion can ever reach.

 

We pray for the lost and all who go searching for them,     

for the fallen and the merciful who give them a hand,       

the timid souls and those who speak up for them.

 

We pray for the nations and advisers who have influence with governments, for the different races and all who treasure the smallest and weakest,                                 

for those at war, and the peace-keepers who stay the bloodshed, and peacemakers who try to bring a just reconciliation.

 

We pray for the hungry millions                                       

and the agencies and donors who attempt to feed them, the homeless and those who house them,                         

for refugees and each country that gives them a new start.

 

We pray for the handicapped and the therapists who encourage and enable them, the oppressed and those who empower them,

the alcoholics and other drug addicts                             

and each clinic or adviser that offers some respect and hope.

 

We pray for the diseased and the nurses who touch and tend them,the injured and the surgeons and carers who rehabilitate them,  the mentally ill and each counsellor who patiently works for their well being.

 

We pray for the dying and those who stay with them to the end, the sorrowing and pastors and loved ones who comfort them,                                                                for the inconsolable and those special friends who do not become impatient or expect a rapid recovery from grief.

 

We pray for the unemployed and those who recognise their despair, for the unemployable and all who understand their frustration, for those in sheltered workshops and the supervisors who encourage and affirm them.

 

We pray for the church in its many denominations and congregations,for its leaders and members who elect them,                                                                            the pastors and those who train and pastor them,            the new members who may feel impatient with staid ways, and established members who forget what it is like to be new comers.

 

Loving God, our health and salvation,                              channel love through our praying,                                    and show us how to practice love in activity

as well as in prayer.                                        

In the name of Christ Jesus.

Amen!

 

Blessing

As we go from this space,
give us eyes to see afresh the beauty of relationship,
give us ears that are quick to listen,
give us mouths that are slow to speak,
give us hands whose actions are compassionate,
give us feet to walk only with You.

And give us a heart to know and share the blessing of God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that the whole world may be transformed.
Amen

 

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5TH                              FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to worship

Merciful Lord
Praise Your Holy Name.

You created the universe out of love
Praise Your Holy Name.

We live only by Your grace and love
Praise Your Holy Name.

In Your image and likeness,
You created us to form relationships with others.
Praise Your Holy Name.

With thankful hearts, we worship You
Praise Your Holy Name for evermore.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Loving and gracious God,
we come before You to give thanks

for what You have done for us.
We celebrate Your Name

and offer You praise because of Your Holiness,
yet You are a living God in whom we trust and believe.
We thank You, God, for the rainy season and for health.

Oh God, we thank You for the life we have,
for the air we breathe and for our relationships

with those who are both close and far away.
We thank You for Your infinite goodness,
which deepens our trust in You.

God of mercy, increase our faith
so that we may develop a deeper understanding of You
and a deeper relationship with You.

 

Prayer of Confession

Gracious God,

You who know us better than we know ourselves,
there are countless times that we have sinned

against You and our neighbour.
Have mercy on us and forgive us.

Consciously or unconsciously,
through our words, attitudes and actions,
we have broken our relationship with You,
with our neighbours and even with the environment.
Have mercy on us and forgive us.

Restore, O gracious God,

our broken relationships and guide us in Your paths.
For Your glory and the building of Your Kingdom
Have mercy on us and forgive us

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Gracious God,
We pray for our broken world and for peace.
We pray for the children of all nations,
for men and women longing to be reunited with their families.

Gracious God,
We pray for the removal of all types of barriers

which stunt or destroy relationships.
We pray for new ways to create closer relationships

with God and others.

Gracious God,
We pray for all nations,

churches and faith-based organisations,
to encourage and empower us all
to build loving and supportive relationships
that reflect the image and likeness of God.

Gracious God,

We pray for those known to us,

members of our own families,

congregation

and community, who are in any kind of need, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual.

We especially remember the bereaved,

those in hospital or care homes.

May all for whom we pray

find peace and wholeness by your Spirit.

Amen.

The Blessing

May the Lord of strong and stable relationships
help you to live wisely and in peace.
May the Son guide your paths.
May the Holy Spirit lead you into wisdom.
Amen

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayer of Approach                                                               

Almighty God, Creator, and Ruler of all,
we come this day to worship You
and to ask Your guidance upon our lives.

We come to be still,
we come to listen,
we come to be noisy,
and we come to offer ourselves to You.

Prepare our hearts to receive Your word
and up lift our spirits

as we spend time together worshipping You,
so that when we leave this place of worship
we may feel renewed and refreshed.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession                                 

Loving God,
we thank You for Your constant guidance in our lives
and for all the ways You encourage, challenge,

strengthen and renew us.
We thank You that we still hear Your quiet words
whispering to us in the silence of our own hearts.
We thank You that through song, prayer, preaching,

worship mission and service,
we are still able to hear Your voice.
Through fellowship and community,
we can feel Your presence in what we do and say.

We thank You that when we see the fields of corn
and hear the birds singing,
we are hearing You
and when the wind blows,
we feel You.

We thank You that through Christ's life,
work, teaching, death and resurrection
You speak to us
and that Your Holy Spirit inspires,

comforts and empowers us each day.

We thank You for the times we have felt lost
and have felt Your hand take hold of us
and lead us forward – through difficulties,

life`s problems and illnesses.

We thank You for Your healing touch.

Be with us now, directing our ways
so that we may glorify You in all that we do and say.

Holy God,                                                                         

we come before you in confession

seeking to experience your forgiveness.                             

We are grateful that confession leads to peace

and leaves us with the assurance that we are forgiven, cleansed,

and set free by Your grace.                                 

Without confession, we stay stuck

in our same old patterns of sin.

Forgiving God,
You have asked us to bear fruit in our lives
and to share our faith with others.

Yet so many times we have failed You in doing this.
We have let You down and let ourselves down.
Our thoughts and words have failed You;
we have missed opportunities to speak up for our belief in You,
choosing to remain silent instead of witnessing for You.
Our discipleship has been weak and often non-existent.
We are ashamed of our weaknesses, faults, greed,

selfishness, envy, and pride.
Our faith has been shallow,

and we have failed You in so many ways.

In Your forgiving mercy and grace
cleanse our hearts and minds that we may better serve You
and so that we can feel strengthened
to follow You more faithfully each day.
Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession                                                         

Gracious God
we pray for those who struggle against You

in thought, word and deed.

We pray for those who knowingly flout Your will
and exploit others for their own gain.

We pray for those who put their trust and faith in false gods,
who know there is something missing in their lives
but deny that it is You –
instead seeking refuge in money, possessions, and success.

We pray for our world that is broken and in pain.
For those who are in sorrow and need.
For the hungry, poor, and lonely.
For the sick and bereaved.
Be their rock and constant companion through difficult and dark days.

Draw near to all and grant the peace of Your presence,
the healing of Your touch and Your guidance
and assurance of love
so that all who are weak and weary
may walk in hope and faith.
Amen

Blessing                                                                               

The God who called us here
is now sending us out into the world
to put the words we have heard

into action.                                                                       

As we have worshipped together
now let us leave here renewed and refreshed
to share the good news with those we meet.
Amen                                                                                                                              

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked
but instead delight in wisdom of the Lord.
In God we will delight!

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.

In God we will delight!

God will watch over them and they will prosper.
In God we will delight!

Come, you happy people, you who delight in the Lord,
let us worship the Lord with gladness.
In God we will delight!

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of wisdom,
Whose knowledge is too wonderful for us,
Who created the world and all that it contains,
Who knows each blade of grass and hair upon our head,
We are grateful for the part we play in Your vision for creation
And we offer You praise for Your infinite love for us and our world.

God of parables,
we give You thanks for Jesus,
who brings Your wisdom to us through parables and stories,
through love and action,
through prayer and sacrifice.
We thank You that even when we are not wise enough to grasp Your message,
Your love for us never falters
and Your patience with us is unceasing.

God of inspiration,
we thank You that we are not You,
that we do not have to hold all that You hold,
that we have limits and we are limited,
yet You still trust us to be partners in Your creation.

By the power of the Holy Spirit,
encourage us in our journey with You,
inspire us to live for Your kingdom,
seeking Your wisdom in all we say and do.

Merciful God,
we confess that we think we know what is best.
We go our own way instead of Yours.
We fill our needs before the needs of others.
We speak to suit our mind instead of Your will.
We take without question and use without thought.

Forgive us for relying on our own wisdom instead of Yours.
Forgive us for the times we have ignored the injustices
our greed and desire for dominance have created.
Forgive us for when our words cut and hurt and harm
instead of lift up and heal and renew.
Forgive us for the ways in which we place ourselves at the centre of Your creation
instead of part of it.

Amend what we are,
direct what we shall be,
so that we may delight in Your wisdom
and walk in Your ways,
To the glory of Your holy name.
Through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

 

 

Prayers of Intercession

Let us bring the needs of the church, the world,

and all in need,
to God's loving care.

God of heaven and earth,
through Jesus Christ You promise to hear us when we pray to You in His name.
Confident in Your love and mercy
we offer our prayer.

Empower the church throughout the world

in its life and witness.
Break down the barriers that divide,
that, united in Your truth and love,
the church may confess Your name,
share one baptism,
sit together at one table,
and serve You in one common ministry.

Guide the rulers of the nations.
Move them to set aside their fear, greed, and vain ambition,
and bow to Your sovereign rule.
Inspire them to strive for peace and justice,
that all Your children may dwell secure,
free of war and injustice.

Hear the cries of the world's hungry and suffering.
Give us, who consume most of the earth's resources, the will to reorder our lives,
that all may have their rightful share of the food, medical care, and shelter,
and so have the necessities of a life of dignity.

Restore among us a love of the earth You created for our home.
Help us put an end to ravishing its land, air, and waters,
and give us respect for all Your creatures,
that, living in harmony with everything You have made,
Your whole creation may resound in an anthem of praise to Your glorious name.

Renew our nation in the ways of justice and peace.
Guide those who make and administer our laws
to build a society based on trust and respect.
Erase prejudices that oppress;
free us from crime and violence;
guard our youth from the perils of drugs and materialism.
Give all citizens a new vision of a life of harmony.

Strengthen this congregation in its work and worship.
Fill our hearts with Your self-giving love,
that our voices may speak Your praise,
and our lives may conform to the image of Your Son.
Nourish us with Your Word and sacraments
that we may faithfully minister in Your name,
and witness to Your love and grace for all the world.

Look with compassion on all who suffer.
Support with Your love
those with incurable and stigmatised diseases,
those unjustly imprisoned,
those denied dignity,
those who live without hope,
those who are homeless or abandoned.

As You have moved toward us in love,
so lead us to be present with them in their suffering
in the name of Jesus Christ.

Sustain those among us who need your healing touch.
Make the sick whole.
Give hope to the dying.
Comfort those who mourn.
Uphold all who suffer in body or mind,
not only those we know and love
but also those known only to You,
that they may know the peace and joy of Your supporting care.

O God,
in Your loving purpose
answer our prayers and fulfil our hopes.
In all things for which we pray,
give us the will to seek to bring them about,

for the sake of Jesus Christ                                                   

Amen.

The Blessing

Beloved,
may you know the limits of your humanness
and learn to lean on the limitlessness of God,
may you be wise enough to trust not your own wisdom,
but the wisdom of God.

And may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you,

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you
and give you peace.

Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Approach to God

Holy God, Maker of All,
we come to You in worship
offering our praise and prayer
in wonder at all You have made.

With all creation our voices rise to You
and proclaim Your enduring faithfulness.

Come to us in the power of Your life-giving Spirit
and enliven our hearts and minds
to respond in faith and trust
to the knowledge of Your love and grace.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Generous, loving, and life-giving God
we thank You for the precious gift of this world
and for the glory of the creation in which it is set.

We thank You for sustaining us in life
and nurturing us each day of our lives
as we grow in faith and commitment
to the good news of Jesus Christ
and in growing awareness
of our responsibility to nurture the life of the world
and of our duty to care for all creation.

We thank You for Your word in Scripture
in poetry and prophecy and law,
and the living Word who is Jesus Christ,
One with You in the beginning
through whom all things were made.

We thank You for Your Holy Spirit
that brings us to new life in Christ,
leading and inspiring us
to bear witness to Your
goodness, glory and love.

Before You, O God, we confess our sin;
we acknowledge our brokenness,
and the brokenness of our world.

We have said and done
many things which cause harm
to ourselves, to others, and to the world,
and for which we are truly sorry.

We have failed to say, and do
the things which show love
to each other and for You.
We admit that we often fail
to live and behave as You command.

We exploit and abuse the gifts of creation,
and live lives careless of our environment
and of the lives of those who share this world with us.

Knowing that You are compassionate,
merciful, and ever-faithful,
we ask Your forgiveness,
and Your healing of all that is wrong;
that You will restore us to fullness of life
to serve and love the world in Jesus' name.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

O God, You have promised to hear all our prayers
offered in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Hear us now, as we pray for our world and all its peoples,
for Your church, and for ourselves.

O God of life, hear us and sustain us.

We pray for Your work in creation,
and for all that You have made;
sun moon and stars,
earth and sky and sea
all that lives and breathes
this is the work of Your hands.

Teach us to treasure and nurture
the gift You have given,
that what we have received as blessing
may in turn bless generations to come.

O God of life, hear us and sustain us.

May Your church in the world
speak and act to proclaim the Good News
of life given, of life renewed,
of life in fullness that is Your promise;

Lead Your people into new unity of purpose
to be Your prophets in our own time,
speaking out and challenging
injustice, exploitation and persecution,
seeking peace, justice and reconciliation
between peoples and nations,
to bring an end to the destruction
and violence that is fed by greed
and the lust for power.

O God of life, hear us and sustain us.

We pray for people of every nation,
and for their leaders:
that those who have power and authority
to shape our society and our world
may have wisdom and understanding,
to discern Your intention and Your will,
to work to preserve and restore
the damage inflicted on nature
by human greed and selfishness.

O God of life, hear us and sustain us.

Pour out Your Spirit upon us, O God,
that we may have the courage
to speak to our convictions
and bear powerful witness
in our own lives and lifestyles
to Your desire for a just sharing
of this world's resources,
that every person in every place
might live with dignity.

God of life, hear us and sustain us.

As You did in ancient times,
so Jesus did also, feeding the hungry
healing the sick, protecting and saving
Your people in time of distress and danger.

Help us to live in the world
as those who seek to help and to heal
the wounds of heart and mind
of body and soul,
in making Your love known.

O God of life, hear us and sustain us

For we offer all our prayers in the name of Jesus,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever
Amen

Blessing (The words of this blessing are from Guatemala)

The peace of the earth be with you
The peace of the heavens too;
The peace of the rivers be with you,
The peace of the oceans too.
Deep peace falling over you;
God's peace growing in you.

Amen 

     

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 3RD 2021                    EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

O Lord our God, how great Thou art!
When we look up at the stars on a clear, dark night
and see the vastness of space
and realise You made and designed all that,
we see something of Your greatness and awesome power.

When we see the clear blue sky on a summer's day
and the bright sunshine showing everything in glorious technicolour
and realise You made and designed all of it,
we see something of Your greatness and awesome skill in creation.

When we see on the television nature programmes
highlighting the amazing variety of animals and environments
and realise You made and designed all that,
we see something of Your greatness and awesome skill in design.

And when we remember that You gave Your son,
Your nearest and dearest,
to die for us on the cross to take away our sin,
we see something of Your greatness and awesome love for us.

O Lord our God,
how great Thou art,
and how we praise You, worship and adore You!

We confess:
Although Your greatness and power and love can be seen all around us,
so often we don't see it.
So often we tend to see the bad rather than the good,
the negatives rather than the positives,
the problems rather than the way forward,
the things that pull us down rather than what lifts us up.

We can let out troubles, fears and doubts take over
and stop looking to You,
floundering in the dark
rather than walking in the light,
and being led and guided by You.

So often we can let life get on top of us
instead of sharing it all with You,
looking to You to lead us through it.

Sorry, Lord.
Forgive us.
Work in us by Your Holy Spirit.
Speak to us through Your word.
Open our up hearts and minds to You,
to who You are and to how great You are,
and to what You can do when we love You, trust You and follow You.

Meet with us now
and help us to know You with us
to know the difference that You make in our lives,
and to worship You and learn from You.

For we ask this for Your glory and praise.
Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Our gracious God and loving heavenly Father,
we thank You that we matter to You
and that everyone matters to You so much
that You even gave Your son,
to become one of us and die for us.
You raised Him back to life to sit at Your right hand,
crowned with glory and honour,
so that all who trust themselves to Jesus,
can end up sharing in His glory in heaven for ever as Your family.
We thank You that in Jesus,
we see how much we matter to You.

When we think of these things,
what can we do but be amazed?
And gladly give You these offerings of our money and of ourselves,
asking that You use them to help others know how much they matter to You.

Loving Father,
we ask that You guide our feet
that we may walk in the footsteps of Your son Jesus.
We ask that You guide and council those
going through hard times
and struggling to find solutions.

Send them a Comforter.
Soften the ‘hardening hearts' of those in difficult relationships.
Help them to make the decisions that are right for them.
Where people are suffering injustice,
we cry out for wrongs to be righted and for there to be justice.

Bless all children and those who care for them.
For those suffering abuse – a place of safety
that they may know love.
For children in warzones – peace.
For those suffering hunger – food from Your great world's bounty.

And this Challenge Poverty Week
we pray that You would open people's eyes and hearts
to see that people matter, no matter how poor they are,
help us to treat them with dignity and respect,
valuing and appreciating them,
and playing our part to help people out of poverty
and build a fair and just society.

All this we ask in the name of Your Son Jesus,
who died for us that we may be forgiven our sins.
Amen

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 10TH 2021                          NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayer of Approach

Almighty God,
we come before You with heads bowed in reverence and awe.
We are aware of the grace extended to us,
that we, mere specks in the immensity of Your creation
have not earned this privilege.
Yet, in Your unfathomable love You invite us to come.
We are in awe of Your creation                                                in all its rich power and diversity,
amazed that You offer humanity insights into its workings.

Dear Lord
we acknowledge that we do not earn the right to approach
through our riches, intellect or positions of power,
all are welcome in Your presence through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
That same Jesus taught us that human standards of importance do not matter to You. Instead, a contrite heart and a willingness to set self aside in Your service
gain the reward of entering Your presence.

Heavenly Father,
as we stumble along Your way
help to keep us to the path of obedience that Jesus trod
that we may continue to enjoy the glow of Your presence.
Amen

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Heavenly Father,
we come to offer the thanks for the blessings that we enjoy.
We give thanks for the many seen and unseen people who contribute to our daily life.
We thank You for those who grow and prepare our daily bread,
we thank You for those who develop and maintain
the energy supply and transport systems                                that we have access to.
We give thanks for those who work to keep us safe,
those in the forces and the police.

Lord we are grateful for the array of carers

who help to support us,
those who work to heal us,
those who help us in our frailty,
those who help develop medicines to fight disease.

Almighty God,
we thank You for the gift of Your word –
‘a lamp for our feet and a light for our path'
and the example set by Your son, Jesus Christ.
These are gifts beyond all measure.

For all this and much more we offer our humble thanks.
Amen

Prayer of Confession

We bring before God our sins of commission and omission,
Your word has sometimes remained closed,
gathering dust when we were most in need

of its comfort and direction.
We have been guilty of harsh words
when words of support or encouragement were needed.
We have misused the time You have given us,
pursuing our own desires

instead of seeking the path You want for us.
We are forgetful of loving our neighbour
and following the example Jesus set for us.

In a moment of silence we bring before You our sins.

Almighty God
we ask for Your forgiveness
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of intercession

• We pray on behalf of those who are suffering because of world events, natural disaster, wars, climate change, and other challenges.                                  Silence
• We pray for those who find themselves suddenly in changed circumstances, both positive and negative, bereavement, loss of job, birth of a child, entering a new opportunity.                                                                            Silence
• We pray for young people, particularly at times of transition, moving primary to secondary leaving school, times of examination.                                 Silence
• We pray for those involved in ministry and mission work both local, nationally and internationally. Silence
• We pray for guidance for those making decisions in industry and government that they would be open to God's prompting.                                                            Silence
• We pray for those who are in times of illness, financial hardship, suffering from addiction.                                  Silence
• We pray for those who are suffering persecution                because of their Christian faith.                                        Silence
• We pray for those who are yet to make a commitment to follow Jesus as their Lord.

       Silence

 

All these our prayers we offer in Christ`s name,                     

Amen.

 

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 17^TH                                    HARVEST FESTIVAL

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

As we celebrate our plenty and give thanks for our food, Father, we praise you for all you have done

and for all you have given.                                                                     

For shelves that are laden

and cupboards that are full.                                                   

For food available, varied, and affordable for taste and for flavour, for a healthy appetite and the means to satisfy it.     

For all that is symbolised in this Harvest Service,                     

Creator and Sustainer of all,                                                 

We thank and praise you.                                                                                   

For Provider and Producer,

God and farmer working together in harmony.

For all in the food chain from field to factory,

retailer to consumer,

each one depending on the others.                                         

Creator and Sustainer of all,                                                 

We thank and praise you.                                                                                            

For our countryside;                                                             

Fertile, diverse and beautiful,

supplying so much of what we 

need;             

Our food, our water, crops for industry,

energy and medicine.                                                         

Source of our leisure, relaxation and renewal.                  

Creator and Sustainer of all,                                                 

We thank and praise you.                                                                                                            

As we celebrate your goodness

so we confront our own sin,                                               

our greed and insensitivity, our failure to appreciate what we have and the opportunities you have given,                         

Our readiness to complain, our unwillingness to praise.         

Father, forgive and renew us.                                                                                          

Food taken for granted,

work unappreciated and poorly rewarded;                           

Self-centred blindness to other’s needs.                                  Deliberate deafness to the cries of the hungry,                        Coldness of heart to those deprived of affection,                     

Father, forgive and renew us.                                                                                         

May our sins be forgiven,                                                     

Our blindness, deafness and coldness of heart be healed.         

May your renewing spirit rest on us                                   

and fill our nation with your love and hope.                             

In Jesus’ name.                                                                   

Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

We pray for those whose lives are caught up with your creation,

and who work with you in tending and nurturing it;                                                                                                       

those afraid for their future, those struggling to survive;

all whose livelihood and existence is under threat.                                                                                                           

May they know your presence and be conscious of the help that you bring. Through both may they find hope for their future.

We pray for the hungry and the homeless,

the broken and bereaved.                                     

For all for whom this day brings sadness and little joy.                                                               

For the lonely and the helpless, for those whose hope has been shattered and their faith destroyed.

 

For the struggling and the oppressed,                                     

for those without power to negotiate or bargain;

for all whose work goes unrewarded,

whose produce is undervalued.                                           

For all who feel unwanted,

believing their skills are no longer needed.

For all who struggle to change the system, striving for justice and fair trade, trying to overcome political blindness and public insensitivity.                                                                         

For all who influence our thinking, our buying and consuming; for all who formulate policy and manage the market; for fairness and compassion in all walks of life.

For responsible stewardship in our using of your world; for sustainable consumption as well as production; for care for creation and compassion for each other.

For farmers, their families and communities and all who depend on them and for all who are worried about tomorrow and facing difficulties today.

For retailers and suppliers and for all involved in the processing and transporting of food.

For urban communities far removed from food production; for children and young people with little knowledge of where their food comes from.

For those that go hungry and those who endeavour to feed them; for relief agencies and aid workers giving help and healing to those in need,

For ourselves that we may eat with joy and with care; for land and livestock and love for those who care for them,

For the ability to appreciate your generosity and a readiness to recognise our dependency on each other and on you.             

Lord, in your mercy, hear these our prayers,                       

Amen.

 

Blessing

Bless to us, O God                                                               

The sun that shines above us                                                 

The rain that falls upon us                                                     

The earth that sustains us                                                     

The air that surrounds us                                                     

The love that binds us.                                                         

Amen

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 24TH                                 

LAST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Triumphant praise and joy;

These we bring as we enter Your court

with praise and thanksgiving,
Bowing our heads and joining in prayer.
For You O God are gracious and Your mercy everlasting.

This is the day You have made for worship
and we thank You for it.

We thank You for each other,
for the people we are

and the places we have come from.
For all that we shall become as we walk with You.
For all You have given, we praise and worship You.

We thank You for the love of Christ encircling us,
Your Spirit guiding us,
so that we might bring our lives before You,
in praise and worship.

Loving God,
You are ever at work in our lives and
striving to help and strengthen our world,
heal and comfort, forgive and restore,
undo wrongs and establish right.

Merciful God,
we have not been humble.
We have discouraged others from seeking You.
We have not sought Your wisdom.
We have been rude and selfish in our own wants and actions.
We have hurt others by intended words spoken

and actions not done –
some known to us and other unknown to us.

We know what we have done.
Please forgive our faults.

While we deserve only judgement,
You offer us grace,
and the hope of life renewed.

Merciful Father
we praise You that through Jesus Christ
we are forgiven we are renewed
and through Him we are taught how to live and serve

God of restoration,
in our blindness and ignorance,
You open our eyes and lead us to truth;
in our arrogance and defiance,
You still our souls and teach us humility;
in our weakness and displacement,
You protect us and lead us home;

And so we praise You and thank You,
with all our hearts.

Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord who taught us when we pray to say
Our Father ….

Prayers of Intercession

O God,
We come to You, because we know You'll hear our cry.
We come to You, because You call us near to You.
We come to You, because You deliver and save.
We come to You now with our prayers and petitions.

In the noise of voices
calling for revenge and restitution,
for judgement and punishment,
we pray for the courage to speak out
for restoration.

When grief and pain, poverty and persecution
leave people blind to grace and compassion,
we pray for the courage to carry the light
of comfort and consolation, love and forgiveness.

Where the quest to even the score
has left our world angry and wounded,
we pray for the courage to release our grievances
and seek wholeness for all.

As You intercede for us, Jesus,
we intercede for our world that all may know
the Good News of restoration in Christ.

We pray for the local and universal church.
Give us the humility to walk in Your way.
We pray for the leaders in our nation
and the nations around the world.
Give them the courage to walk in peace.
We pray for those who are in need.
Give us ears to hear their cries and be agents of Your mercy.

In our praying, heavenly loving Father,
we choose to celebrate,
in the midst of grief we because it reminds us of hope,
and brings comfort to our broken hearts;
we choose to celebrate,
in the midst of poverty because it speaks of wealth beyond material things,
and gives dignity to our humbled hearts;
we choose to celebrate,
in the midst of conflict because it turns us to peace,
and restores humanity to our angry hearts;

we choose to celebrate,
in the midst of suffering because it lightens our darkness,
and inspires strength in our fragile hearts;
we choose to celebrate,
in the midst of injustice because it defies evil,
and renews determination in our compassionate hearts;

Though crosses may loom, and opponents gather,
through our devotion to You
we choose to embrace and enjoy
for our own sake, and that of the least,
the healing power of celebration.
As we lift our own hidden prayers to You in silence,
for You hear even that which is unspoken.

(silence)

Taking comfort from our prayers
may we comfort one another through Your love
and the sharing of our experience.

God of wholeness,
we celebrate the healing You bring to us and our world,
and we celebrate the promised wholeness
that awaits all of creation
in Your eternal reign.

Hear our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen

 

Blessing

May the God who hears your needs
and answers the cries of your hearts
be with you today and always,
a sure and certain strength.

And may the faithful love of the Creator,
the healing presence of the Christ,
the life-giving power of the Spirit
attend you this day and forevermore
Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 31ST

(ALL SAINTS)

Call to Worship

 

There is one God;                                                                 

One God of all that is or ever will be.

One God who is worthy of our undivided love.

Therefore, whenever you come to worship God,

exalt as much as you can.

No praise can be high enough, no honour noble enough,

no poetry or music can scale the true heights of God’s beauty.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise God as long as I live.

I will sing praises as long as I have being.

 

The beauty and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all!

 

 

 

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

 

God of the starry hosts that fill the universe with light,

you are with us,

Help us to love and adore you.

God of waving corn and fruiting vine, you are with us,

Help us to love and adore you.

God of male and female, child and adult, black and  white,

you are with us,

Help us to love and adore you.

God of Mary’s Child, of healed lepers and forgiven sinners,

you are with us,

Help us to love and adore you.

We pray for more of that grace

which can make much out of a little

and bring glory out of defeat.                                             

Through Christ Jesus our hope and joy.

           

We confess our failure to love, without restraint, this one, compassionate God.

If we have tried to serve many masters, only to be torn in different directions, becoming frustrated and fractured.           

Lord have mercy.

 

If we have tried to serve a shallow god that is made in our own likeness and have ended up bored and fruitless.                   

Christ have mercy.

 

If we have tried to serve the god’s that others foist on us,       

and have found they leave us restless and discontented.       

Lord have mercy.

 

All wise and all loving God,                                                 

we confess we have not been whole hearted and single minded in our devotion  to you.                                                                         

Through the saving grace of Christ Jesus,                                overrule our folly and forgive our wanderings and rebel            Restore us to that spiritual sanity for which we were created.   

With all our being may we love and honour you,                     

and know that peace and joy

which nothing else can ever equal.               

For your name’s sake.                                                           

Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession 

 

On those days when we are tempted to judge others,             

may we instead pray,                                                         

and when we are in danger of sliding into pessimism,             

may we turn to you for help;                                                 

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

At those occasions when world hunger & homelessness seem overwhelming, give us the tenacity to do what we can

and encourage others to do likewise;                                     

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

In moments when the threat of disease or disablement looms over us, and what is worse, when it threatens our loved ones, please help and guide us;

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

At those seasons when the world seems to have gone crazy with suspicion and fear, and when they turn again to more violence and terror,                 

come to our aid;                                                                 

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

In situations where politicians seem arrogant and foolish, and the church looks like wringing its hands, please give us wisdom to seek solutions;

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

At those times when the divisions in the church provoke scorn, and when we are tempted to make excuses rather than repent and mend our ways,

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

On occasions when death, broken relationships and divorce, cause havoc among our friends or in the church,                 

show us how to be agents of Christ Jesus;                             

living God hear our prayer,

And help us to overcome evil with grace, mercy and peace.

 

God of infinite reserves,                                                     

you have entrusted people with a massive responsibility.

With your help we can do far more than is humanly possible,

without you we will do far less.

Fill us with your Spirit,

that we may be channels of your saving, healing love.              Through Christ Jesus,

light of the world and the love of our lives.

Amen.

 

Dismissal

 

“Hear O Israel: The Lord your God is One Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.”

 “And you shall love your neighbour as you love yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these”

 

The Grace

           

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7TH 2021             

THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT

Prayer of Approach and Call to worship

We meet as family                                                   

in the presence of our heavenly Father.
We meet as brothers and sisters in Christ,
accepting the responsibility this places upon us –
to love one another as You have loved us.

We meet as Your lights in this dark world,
and pray that through our words and our lives
others might be drawn into Your family,
and accept You as their Saviour and Lord.
Amen

This is the day that the Lord has made.
This is the day when God can be found.
God of all, breath of life,
Living water, Saviour, Friend.

Come as the hungry, feed on God's Word
Come as the thirsty, drink of God's Love
Come as the faithful, worship God's Lord.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Heavenly Father,

When we walk with You,
in the light of Your love,
it is Your glory seen,
not ours.

When we talk of You
to those whom we meet,
It is Your words that speak,
not ours.

When we minister
to people in need,
it is Your hands that heal,
not ours.

When we worship You
and offer our lives,
Your name is glorified
always!

The Lord is our salvation,
the rock upon which we stand,
the light by which we walk,
the strength by which we overcome.

Therefore we shall live by faith
and fear no one,
for the Lord our God is with us,
walking beside and before us,
sheltering us from harm.

It is the Lord's song that we sing,
God's praise within our hearts,
God's word upon our lips
and the reason that we live.

Heavenly Father,
we confess that God is love                                       

and we are God's children.
There is no fear in love,                                           

and we love because You first loved us.

We confess to You that we have sinned in thought, word and action.
We are truly sorry.
We ask for Your forgiveness Lord.

Deliver us from the power of evil                               

for the sake of Your Son.
Who through His death and resurrection,                   

we have been raised to new life.
We ask You to transform our lives and teach us how to walk in Your way.

You asked for my hands,
that You might use them for Your purpose.
I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them,
for the work was hard.

You asked for my mouth
to speak out against injustice.
I gave You a whisper that I might not be accused.

You asked for my eyes
to see the pain of poverty.
I closed them, for I did not want to see.

You asked for my life,
that You might work through me.
I gave a small part, that I might not get too involved.

Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve You—
only when it is convenient for me to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.

Father, forgive me,
renew me, send me out
as a usable instrument,
that I might take seriously
the meaning of Your cross.
Amen

Prayers of Intercession

We thank You, Lord, for all that You have done for us; for all that You have given us; and for all that You have been to us.                         We remember and celebrate Your constant grace,  care and provision; and our faith grows as we recognise the goodness that we enjoy. 

But, Lord, You have also given us the gift of prayer, and You have invited us to bring our requests to You, for You love us, and You listen to our needs and desires.

And so we pray...                                        

For ourselves and our loved ones, that we might find all we need in You.

Each one is invited to pray in silence for themselves and their loved ones. ...    

                            

For our community and our country, that none may be in want, and all may share the goodness of this place.

Each one is invited to pray in silence for their community and country. ...                                                        

For our world and its peoples, that the riches of the earth may be enjoyed by all, and that we may all turn away from greed.                 

Each one is invited to pray in silence for the world and its peoples.

Teach us, Bounteous God,                                         

To make thanksgiving, sharing, giving and enjoying, the habits by which we live

And the practices by which we build Your Kingdom among us.                                                      

In Jesus` name,                                                     

Amen.

Closing Prayer

Loving and ever-present God,
we believe that Your grace is sufficient for all things.
Comfort us anew by Your presence.
Allow that in our weakness we may be made strong,
in our grief, consoled,
and in our ignorance, wise.

Protect and guide us that we may know the way to take and that at each crossroad of life we may see the right path to choose.
Safeguard us by Your power, uphold us Your kindness,
and warm us by Your love.

By Your divine grace help us to do what is right,
to act courageously, to love our neighbours, to forgive our enemies.
By Your grace, bless us through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY NOVEMBER 14TH 2021

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Where swords are turned to ploughshares

and spears to pruning hooks

where the guns fall silent

and the rumours of war cease

We see the love of God

written on the hearts of men and women

And offer our thanksgiving to God

 

Where man says’ I am my brother’s keeper’

and the guardian of his days

Where mothers’ sons grow old

in lands free from strife

We see the love of God

written on the hearts of men and women

And offer our thanksgiving to God

 

Where enemies destroy the barriers that divide

and No Man’s Land becomes home to each and all

Where colour, creed and nation

unite not stand apart

We see the love of God

written on the hearts of men and women

And offer our thanksgiving to Go

 

Where silent remembering inspires songs of freedom, justice, truth

and the sacrifice of old shapes the passion for our future

Where those who gave their lives and youth

let us age in years and wisdom

We see the love of God

written on the hearts of men and women

And offer our thanksgiving to God.

 

Where courage never fades in the battle for the right

and power is given to the weak, the least, the last

Where compassion finds a home

to root out fear, mistrust or pride

We see the love of God

written on the hearts of men and women

And offer our thanksgiving to God.

 

O God of peace,

you know us from before we were formed in our mother’s womb.

Forgive us when we only have good intentions

and do not commit ourselves to concrete action for peace and justice.

Grant that our actions and our words may always promote peace.

 

O God of justice,

you judge our human race with mercy.

Forgive us when we allow your image in us to be marred

as we remain passive in face of so much violence and exclusion.

Grant that our actions and our words may always promote peace.

 

O God of love,

you have created humankind to be one great family.

Forgive our inability to be reconciled with others,

both our dear ones and our enemies.

Grant that our actions and our words may always promote peace.

 

O God of grace,

you have given us the gift of speech to be an instrument for change.

Forgive us for the times when we have spoken too hastily

without thinking of the consequences,

or have remained silent out of fear or indifference.

Grant that our actions and our words may always promote peace.

 

These our prayers we offer in the name of the Prince of Peace, who taught us when we pray, to say together,

Our Father, which art in heaven …………….

 

 

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict,     

and ask that God may give us peace:

       

for the service men and women who have died           

in the violence of war,                                             

each one remembered by and known to God;             

May God give peace                                                                              

for those who love them in death as in life,               

offering the distress of our grief                               

and the sadness of our loss;                                     

May God give peace 

                                                               

for all members of the armed forces                         

who are in danger this day,                               

remembering family, friends                               

and all who pray for their safe return;                       

May God give peace                                                                              

for civilian women, children and men                         

whose lives are disfigured by war or terror,

calling to mind in penitence

the anger and hatreds of humanity;                           

May God give peace                                                                               

for peace-makers and peace-keepers,                       

who seek to keep this world secure and free;             

May God give peace                                                                             

for all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership, political, military and religious;                 

asking for gifts of wisdom and resolve

in the search for reconciliation and peace.

May God give peace                                                                            

O God of truth and justice,

we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know.             

Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.                                                   

As we honour the past,

may we put our faith in your future;                         

for you are the source of life and hope,

now and for ever.                                                 

Amen

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21ST 2021

CHRIST THE KING

THE SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT

Call to worship (Psalm 24:7-10)

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors!
That the King of glory may come in.                         

Who is the King of glory?                                         

The Lord, strong and mighty,
The Lord, mighty in battle.

We lift our hearts in worship,                                   

Come O empowering King.                                       

Lift up your heads, O gates!                                     

And be lifted up, O ancient doors!
That the King of glory may come in.                         

The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

We lift our hearts in worship,                                 

Come O Christ our King

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Hallelujah to You O Lord our King,                             

You are robed in majesty
and girded with strength.
For establishing the world through Your decrees
which are very sure;                                             

You are the God who is and was and who is to come,
who reignS over all that come before Your throne,

Lord Jesus Christ, our Faithful Witness,
the Firstborn of the dead,
and ruler of all.
You put to right the wrongs against Your children,     

We praise Your name, O Lord our King.

For loving us and freeing us from our sins by Your blood,

and making us kingdom priests and priestesses
serving God our Sovereign,

Jesus, You are the "Alpha and the Omega,"
the Almighty; rescuing widows, orphans,

and those in bondage;
reigning in victory,
coming in the clouds.                                  

Loving God on this day we celebrate Christ as King,
yet we fail to let Him reign in our lives,

our thoughts and deeds.
We spout vain words – of worship, honour and adoration while in His name we conquer,

impose dominion and injustice,

To God be the glory we say, and Christ be our sovereign but we lash out in anger

when others do not do as we say.
Imposing views on holiness, living the King's way;
and far too often we do not make time to pray.

On others we impose our own will, not Yours
especially on the weak, the poor, the vulnerable.
We design rules to satisfy ourselves, our wants, our desires and in Jesus' name we declare some less human than others.

Lord we have wronged You,

Forgive us we have sinned.
Help us begin again,

to love again,

to live again
the Faith we espouse,

and to espouse the Faith that we live.

Caring for others, not counting the cost,
righting the wrongs that selfishness brings

Lord may our lives once again point the way
to You the Good Shepherd, and Your paths of Peace
where abuse is unheard of, and Jesus is King.           

In His name we pray,                                               

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Merciful God,
You know too well
That we worry and have fears
That sometimes doubts and apprehensions seem to overwhelm us
Often, our faith is little or there is none,
Yet you call us to come to You
Your ears are open to our prayers
Hear us now, O Lord.

We pray for all who suffer
To all for whom this global pandemic is a daily nightmare.
For the sick, for those who care for the sick.
For those whose jobs are affected
And who worry about the next meal or how to be safe
For those battling with loneliness and isolation.
Lord, be our healer, our provider, and our abiding presence.

We pray for all who continue to live with injustice
Whose lives are filled with violence and abuse
Those who face discrimination and are treated unfairly
Those who ask, how long before there is relief?
Those who are asked ‘what did you do?' instead of ‘how can we help!'
Lord, please grant that Your Spirit will move us to collective actions of love and care.

We pray for those in authority
As they make tough response decisions concerning the COVID pandemic
As guidelines become more challenging
And health care workers and health systems

become over-stretched
Lord, be our wisdom, our strength and guide.

We pray for Your church,
Help us to find new ways of being a community
Where all are truly and honestly welcome
Where our liturgies do not leave out anyone
Where we are relevant to old and new generations
Lord God, make us Your disciples indeed.

We pray for ourselves
Give us a heart that trusts You completely
Grant us grace to do what is right, to fight for justice, and to speak up for those who cannot do so for themselves.
Give us thankful hearts
Hearts that would see You in everyone,

and welcome all as we would welcome You
Lord, help us to mirror You.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,

our Lord and Saviour.                                     

Amen

 

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28TH

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Call to Worship

 

The light shines in the darkness                               

and the darkness has not overcome it.                       

We are easily distracted by the darkness that comes with unease and anxiety.                                         

Source of light, shine in our lives and in your world with your renewing hope.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

 

Almighty and everlasting One,

You break into our world

in ways that are loving and transforming:

In a tired and violent world,

you are peace, and you are hope.

In a hectic and busy world,

you are calm, and you are rest.

In a harsh and unforgiving world,

you are tenderness, and you are mercy.

In a cold and dark world,

you are comfort, and you are light.

And so, we are moved to worship you

as the one who created us,

the one who redeems us,

and the one who guides us,

one God, this day, and forever.

 

You do not desire us to live in darkness

or in sinful exile,

you call us to liberation through confession,

so out of desire to be free we confess to you, our sin.

God of hope,

we confess that too often

we prefer darkness to light,

and that we are easily distracted

by our plans to yours.

We accept lies as truth,

exploit neighbours,

abuse the earth,

and choose strife instead of peace. 

In your mercy,

hear our silent confession of sin.

forgive what we have been,

help us amend what we are,

and direct who we shall be.

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

We know that when God thinks of us,

God does not remember our sin,                           

but remembers us in the light of His own steadfast love and mercy for us.      

Know that you are forgiven

and forgive one another.                                         

Amen. 

 

Prayers of Intercession

In our weakness you are strength. 

In our darkness you are light.

In our sorrows you comfort and peace. 

Help us to pray, O God,

with our hearts as well as our lips and to serve you with our strength as we can. 

Into each situation we name and picture,

visit with your steadfast love.

 

We give you thanks for moments of joy and celebration in our lives,    for times of excitement and expectation;

for love given and received,

for friendships that furnish our life with meaning

and happiness, and for family who show us some picture of unconditional love. 

In all relationships and interactions

keep us mindful of your call

to see you in one another.                                       

Lord in your mercy.                                                 

Hear our prayer.

 

We pray for this country

and the countries of this world

and for all those who frame laws and shape society, who keep the peace and administer justice. 

In governments and countries where the innocent are punished and the weak serve the wealthy

and where injustice rules,

move in the hearts and minds of rulers so that,

more and more, your people throughout the world will experience freedom.         

Lord in your mercy.                                                 

Hear our prayer.

 

We remember with sadness the divisions in the world, and that our world is not at peace;

we remember the places of war and tension,             

we remember that too often this is a world where violence is too easily chosen as a way to life.             

We recall before you the places where people are misused and often scorned.

Lord in your mercy                                                   

Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who suffer and are ill                   

and for those people who mourn and fear

for the future and what it may bring.                         

Surround them with your love, support them with strength and open our hearts and our eyes to see how we might be comfort in situations of hurt and pain.             

Bless our homes and families that love, and joy may dwell there and keep those who are absent from us within your care.                          Lord in your mercy.                                                 

Hear our prayer.

 

Eternal God, you hold all souls in life,

the dead as well as the living are in your care. 

We thank you for your people of every age and place and for those dear to our own hearts who have entered into your heavenly presence. Keep us in communion with them

and bring us with them at the last to dwell in your light.

Hear us as we offer prayers in silence for your people in need…

 

Lord in your mercy,                                                 

Hear these our prayers which we offer in the name of Christ,            Amen.

Closing Prayer

 

Lord Jesus,

Master of both the light and the darkness,

send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do

and seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day,

We who are anxious over many things,

look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways

long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy

seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness,

yet seeking the light.

To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!'

Amen.

 

The Grace

 

 

 

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 5TH                           

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Prayers of Approach, Thanksgiving and Confession

From the Book of Baruch in the Apocrypha,                     

we find these words:

“Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; for God will show your splendour everywhere under heaven.”

Let us pray.

Living God, in our worship,
we seek to be ready to meet with You.
We prepare ourselves;
we still ourselves;
we organise ourselves;
we get ourselves in the right frame of mind.
And now we come to You in prayer.

We come with thanksgiving,
for the beauty of this day,
for the wonder of life,
for the fellowship of this place,
for the freedom to meet and worship,
and for the Gospel message of this Advent Season.

So we rejoice, with the universal Church,
as we journey through Advent in worship and in faith.
Make us ready for the coming of our Lord.

But are we ready yet?
Are we really prepared to meet You here?
Are we properly ready for the wonder of the Incarnation?

We look at how we are and who we are,                         

and we wonder how we will look to You.

We still wear our garments of sorrow and affliction.
For life may have been tough for us this week,
and the burdens we carry might be hard to bear.

We're still dressed in the garments of failures,                 

promises made and promises broken,
acts of kindness missed and acts of sinfulness offered.

We are still clothed in unrighteousness.
And we are ashamed.

We're still dressed in the garments of doubt and uncertainty.

We are not perfect.
We have so many questions.
But mostly, we hide them under our coats of respectability,
our jackets of strength,
our coverings of faithfulness,
our public image of certainty,
while underneath we are shabby and grey.

Are we ready?                                                               

Are we prepared for You to look on such as us?

But just when we want to turn away in our shame,
Your message comes to us again.

"Put on the beauty of the glory from God",
for you deserve my love, dear children.

"Put on the robe of the righteousness",
and don't be fearful of my wrath, for this is the message that comes from God.

"Put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting,"
for you need no longer be ashamed.

Ready?

Yes, we can be ready, not through our own purposes,
but by offering ourselves to God;
not through our own efforts,
but by believing that our                                               

"God will show your splendour everywhere under heaven",
even for the likes of each one of us.

So now we can be prepared.
Now we know You can look on us and smile.
Now we can recognise again

that You and Your people are one.

Merciful God,
You sent Your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.                                   

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Living God,
You call us, in readiness for the coming of Jesus,
to look to ourselves, that we might be properly prepared for Christ in our lives.
But we cannot, and should not, live in isolation from others, separate from their needs and concerns,

their hurts and anxieties.
So we pray for others, in the knowledge,

and the gratitude, that, right at this moment,

other people will be praying for us.

We pray for the Church,
for this congregation here,
for all who minister to one another

in the community of the faithful,                                     

in the compassion of our caring,

and in the mission of the Gospel,                                 

individually and together.
May the Peace of Christ bless us.
May the Love of Christ work through us.
May the Light of Christ shine in the darkest places.

We pray for our community, our country, and our world.
Bless with compassion and tenderness those we know     

who work tirelessly for the good of others.

Bless with wisdom and character those who have responsibilities in both local and national government.
Bless with purpose those who are leaders, teachers and role-models for us all.
Bless with Your strength those who walk the corridors of power, and who make decisions for the good of all humanity.

We pray for those in need:
those close to us;
those who struggle for direction;
those who are no longer able to stand tall

with purpose and commitment;
those who are weak and frail;
those who are ground down by worries and troubles.
And in the silence, we name them before You:

We name them, those You already know.
And we leave unnamed those who You also know.
For we recognise that everyone is an individual under Your loving gaze.

We pray for ourselves,
as we prepare in thoughtfulness for the coming of Jesus,
that we might be honest with ourselves

and open to Your grace,
and all to the greater good.

And we give thanks for the Communion of Saints,
those who have prepared our way,
who have offered us their guidance,

and wisdom, and example,
that we might boldly walk the paths of righteousness

and truth.                                              

Bind us ever with them,

that we might journey on as one people under God.         

Amen

Closing prayer and Blessing

God is working.
Let us be ready for God's Love
Christ is coming.
Let us be ready for His Peace.
The Spirit is with us.
Let us be ready for Her transformation.

And may the Blessing of God the worker,
Christ the redeemer,
and the Spirit the sanctifier,
rest upon us, and all those we love,
today, through this Advent,
and every day beyond.

Amen.

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 12TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Prayers of Approach and Confession

Surely God is my salvation:
Let us sing praises to the Lord,

I will trust, and will not be afraid:
For God has done glorious deeds.

God is my strength and my song:
We proclaim God's name.

God has become my salvation:
Throughout all the earth.

You will draw water with joy:
Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

From the wells of salvation.
Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

God of hope, who brought love into this world,
be the love that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought peace into this world,
be the peace that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought joy into this world,
be the joy that dwells between us.

God of hope, the rock upon which we stand,
be the centre, the focus of our lives
always, and particularly in this Advent time.

God is the source of our joy,
But our sin often hinders our joy and the joy of others.
Let us confess our sins before God and one another.

 

Gracious God,
with joy You brought us into being.
You created the world and called it good.
And yet we have done so much to quell that goodness:
we have fought with one another

and failed to live in peace;
we have shut out the stranger

and disparaged the immigrant;
we have ignored the needy and judged the poor;
we have fallen short of Your command

to be Your Beloved Community.

Forgive us, Merciful God,

and bring us back to the joy we find in You.
This we pray in Your holy name.                                     

Amen.

Assurance of Pardon and Forgiveness:

The prophet Zephaniah reminds us of these truths:

God rejoices over us with gladness;
God renews us in love;
God will exult over us with loud singing.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I proclaim:
Our sins are forgiven.
Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Watchful at all times,
let us pray for strength to stand with confidence
before our Maker and Redeemer.

That God may bring in his kingdom

with justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That God may establish among the nations
his sceptre of righteousness,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

 

That we may seek him in the scriptures
and recognise Christ in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That God may bind up the broken-hearted,
restore the sick and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That the light of God's coming may dawn
on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That with all the saints in light
we may shine forth as lights of the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

 

Blessing

The peace of God,

which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.                     

Amen.

 

PRAYERS FOR DECEMBER 19TH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

CALL TO WORSHIP

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

We gather to bless the Lord our God.

He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.

He has provided for us a mighty Saviour, Christ Jesus Emmanuel.

Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed are they who trust in the promises of God

and wait patiently for the revealing of his glory.

 

WORDS FOR AN ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING:

 

The fourth candle of Advent is the Candle of Love.

God's love is a perfect love.  It holds nothing back.                            God, in love, gives us everything we need

to live a life of hope and peace.

 

The bible says that "God so loved the world that he gave his only

Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have

eternal life."  Jesus shows us God's perfect love.

 

This is what love is like: Love is patient, love is kind and

 envies no one.  Love is never boastful or conceited, rude or

 selfish.  Love is not quick to take offense, it keeps no records of

 wrongs, it does not gloat over other people's troubles, but rejoices

 in the right, the good, and the true.   There is nothing that love

 cannot face, there is no limit to its faith, to its hope, to its

 endurance.

Love never ends.  We light the candle of love to remind us that

Jesus brings us God's love and shows us how to love others.

Love is like a light shining in a dark place.  As we look at this

candle we celebrate the love we find in Jesus Christ.

 

 

Let us pray:

Thank you God for the love you give us. 

We ask that as we wait for all your promises to come true,

and for Christ to come again, that you would remain present with us. 

Help us today, and everyday, to worship you, to hear your word,

and to do your will by sharing your love with each other. 

We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem.            Amen.

 

 

The Lord`s Prayer              

    

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

Let us pray in silence to our God and thank him for all his benefits.... 

 

Our souls praise you, O God, and spirits rejoice in you, our salvation,

For as you did unto Mary, you have done unto us: you have been mindful of us,

and of our humble state, and you have been merciful to us. 

So, O Lord, like Mary, we declare, the greatness of your name. 

We proclaim your might, and the wonderful deeds you have done. 

We affirm your power, we herald your dominion,

and we tell of the glory of your love and grace towards us and towards all people.

Thank you God for coming unto us,

for taking on flesh and walking among us,

for leading us into the warmth and safety of this sanctuary

and of your own tender heart. 

Thank you for the babe of Bethlehem, thank you for the Spirit that dwells within...  Lord, hear our prayer...

 

Help us each day, O God, to rely upon your promises

and to put our trust in you anew. 

Grant us wisdom and discernment and a faithful keeping of Christmas,

a keeping in which we give that which is most important,

your love, your hope, your peace, and your joy. 

 

Help us to pass on these gifts in deeds of caring and sharing,

make us your instruments - your vessels - your flesh....  

Lord hear our prayer...

 

Grant O God, to those who have gathered from far off places

a time of joy and peace with their families and friends

and safe travel when they return

and grant too O God that those who are alone

may be visited and cheered. 

Help us be mindful of them....

Lord hear our prayer...

 

We remember too O Lord, those who are homeless

and those who are hungry this day... 

Lord hear our prayer....

 

We remember, O Lord, those who mourn today.... 

Lord, hear our prayer...

 

We hold before you, O God, those whom you have especially placed in our

hearts this day, we lift them to you in silence.

O Emmanuel, hope of the nations and their Saviour: blessed be thy name.

Amen

 

 

 

Blessing

 

Go in peace, love and care for one another in the name of Christ,

and may the hope, the joy, and the love of God

dwell richly within you;

may God grant unto you a humble spirit

and an a compassionate heart,

and may his strength, his tenderness,

his wisdom and his grace guide you

and support you both now and forever.

Amen

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 26TH

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS

God of all things
we praise You as the ‘All' –
in all, through all and with all.

We come to You in worship,
help us to bring our all –
the good, the difficult, the broken,
the weariness, the indifference, the passion,
the hope, the hopeless,
the joy, the anger,
the reality of our lives.

We have waited through Advent,
through dark days and expectant nights.                                          We have declared Your presence at Christmas,
In the highs and lows, joys and pains.                 

We look to You now, to gather us all together,
to clothe us and to dwell in our hearts.                                              Grow in us the desire to be Your kingdom builders, peace makers, psalm singers,
justice bringers, creation carers, welcomers and forgivers.

Let us praise Your name,
in harmony with the angels and hosts,
sun and moon,
mountains and hills,
trees and animals.
Let all the people praise You,
for You alone are exalted.

Praise God from the heavens.
In the heights and depths.
All God's angels; all God's host, all God's children!
Praise God, sun and moon and all the shining stars!
You highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
We join with all creation to praise our Maker.

Praise God all the earth.
Deep rolling oceans and sea creatures, open sky and unfolding clouds,
fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind and gentle breeze.
Mountains, hills, trees and grass, wild animals and cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
We join with all creation to praise our Maker

Praise God,
all you Kings and Queens, lawmakers and lawbreakers,
young and not so young, sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers,
all people from far and wide. in town and village,
mainland and island, all that lives and breathes,
all that stands and all that crumbles,
all that comes and all that goes,
all that has been and all that will be.

Praise the name of the Lord,
We join with all creation to praise our Maker
Amen

Loving God,
we remember that from the very start,
the Good News of Jesus was not just for a select few,
but for all.                                                                         

You were born and grew and lived on this earth.

Help us in the heights and depths of our lives,
to not only know where to look for You,
but to recognise You in our midst.

Help us to look into the difficult places of our lives,
and to know You present with us.                                                                                                         

Help us to recognise You in all people,
welcoming, including and caring for all.

Help us to think and act beyond ourselves,
loving Your creation and making choices that are unselfish, generous
and compassionate toward all living things.

In our praying and singing,
speaking and listening,
giving and receiving,
may You be honoured and glorified,
and all people be dignified and acknowledged as Yours.

Join our voices together in an unending hymn of praise to You,
and hear us now as we pray together,
in the words that Jesus taught us
and that have been said by our friends and forebears in faith throughout the ages.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

You are with us, O God, to knit us together in mutual love and caring.  You pour out abundant gifts that enrich our existence

and challenge us to give our best.

Let the words of our mouths proclaim the dawn of redemption

That Christ inaugurates. 

Let the actions that arise from our hearts and minds

spread abroad the good news of his reconciling love.  

Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of Him who is the Saviour of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; and with that love burning, make this world of ours a world of Hope and Promise - for all peoples, and for all times.

Lord hear our prayers for those people and those situations you have placed upon our hearts this day.  And bring to our hearts and minds - and to our lips - those for whom you wish us to intercede.

All these things we ask and pray to you about in the name of Christ Jesus - he who was born under the light of a star, and who gives to us the light we need to walk into each day

as your holy and beloved people.                                                      Amen.

 

The Grace