SUNDAY PRAYERS JANUARY 5TH 2025

EPIPHANY

Call to Worship

We gather wondering, 'Where will we find the Babe born in Bethlehem?'                 

We will find the Babe in the laughter of children, in the wisdom of grandparents.

We gather asking, 'where will we find the Child of Christmas?'                                 

We will find the Child where the needy are gifted with hope,
where the oppressed are set free.

We gather wanting to know, 'where will we find the Christ

who has come for us?'                                                                                         

We will find our Hope where fear is overwhelmed by grace,
where hatred is overwhelmed by love,
where all people are overwhelmed by joy.

Prayers of Approach and Confession

We have heard of your grace, Shaper of stars;                                                        from those set free from injustice;
from our children who whisper of your joy;
from greeters of dawn's fresh start;
from late risers who listen to the stories of the needy.

We have heard of your Light, Bright Star of the morning:                                        which can illumine the shadows of our lives;
which can show the path to God's heart;
which can point the way to where we become servants of the gospel.

We have heard of your promised peace, Wisdom's Radiance:
that peace which can end war, as well as heal our hearts;
that peace which can conquer our fears, and flood us with faith;
that peace which can enter our lives and overwhelm us with hope.

We search for your light, Star Caster, but too often end up settling for the dimness of temptation. Our motives for seeking to find Christ are not always pure, for we expect him to fulfil our desires, rather than your hopes for us.                               

We want the gifts of wealth, health, success, fulfilment, rather than those of servanthood, of compassion, of peace.                                                                  Forgive us, Shaper of our lives, that we are so foolish to put our needs ahead of your grace. Help us to be like those wise people of so long ago, who found hope, instead of a destination; who found grace, instead of gratitude; who found salvation, instead of a sign. As we journey with your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, fill us with the light of your joy and love.

Assurance of Pardon

Up, on your feet! Grace has been poured into our hearts,                                     

love has flooded our souls, the light of hope shines in us.
This is the light which has come to all,                                                                 

the light we will carry and give to everyone we meet.                                              Thanks be to God.                                                                                                Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

God of wonder and mystery,
God of the stars and the universe,
God of winding ways and straight paths,
we gather today with gratitude for the gift of your constant presence,
your trustworthy guidance,
and your daring risk-taking with us.
You dare to love us despite our inability to respond fully.
You dare to care for us, despite our challenge in caring for others.
You dare to walk with us, despite our fickleness.

On our own journeys toward the stars and guiding points you put before us,
you continue to lead us forward,
guiding us by the teachings of Jesus
to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly in your loving shadow.

As we struggle with the political wrangling of this world,
the wars waged for both justice and greed,
the violence committed daily against the innocent,
let alone the pain of broken relationships and loss,
you remain steadfast in your care and devotion
for your entire creation throughout the universe.
It is almost too much to take in sometimes.
And even in our doubts and disbelief,
our struggle to understand and constant misunderstanding,
and our flat-out ignorance about your ways,
you remain constantly present to us.

We pray for peace in this world, Lord,
the kind of peace in which we celebrate diversity,
are joyfully challenged by adversity,
and share in the joy that is to be found everywhere.

We pray for those who are lonely,
that you might lead us to reach out and be friends.

We pray for those who are hungry,
that you might lead us to offer sustenance.

We pray for those who are lost,
that you might lead us to give hope and direction.

We pray for the countries of the world,
that we might find a way to work together to lift one another up.

We pray for our leaders,
that your Spirit might guide them to set an example for our country and the world
to work together rather than against one another.

We pray for the Congregational Federation,
that we may seek to build up the Body of Christ.
We pray for ministers, deacons and members
that they may continually seek your Spirit                                                           

in their lives and their daily decisions
as they serve their congregations.

And we pray for ourselves,
that we might continue on this journey,
learning the lessons you offer,
seeking the fullness of your perfection,
and live as you would have us live.

These prayers and hopes we offer in confidence                                                     

and gratitude for your love and presence,                                                              Amen.

 

The Dismissal

God sends you out by a different road.
May you find those who have been left by the side of the world.
Jesus walks with you down a different road.
May you serve those who are lonely and frightened.
The Spirit illumines a different road.
May take you take our sisters and brothers by the hand
to walk in wonder and grace.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JANUARY 12TH

THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Call to Worship

Come, all who seek a deeper understanding of God's presence in our world.
Come with open hearts, seeking the Spirit that moves among us.

As Jesus was baptised in the Jordan, He stood alongside all humanity.
Let us seek to live lives of compassion, justice, and love.

Let us worship the God of love, who calls us all beloved.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We thank you that when we baptize ourselves
in the frigid waters of fear, you come to gather us up,
drying us off with grace, wrapping us in the warm and comforting towel                 

of your Spirit.

We thank you that when our faith becomes
as threadbare as the carpet beneath our feet,
you come, your work boots on, your tool belt around your waist,
building a new foundation for us, whistling, 'my hope is built
on nothing less . . .'

We thank you that when we worry that someone
else has taken our place in your heart,
you show us where our name is etched,
so you can always feel us with every beat.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers of thanksgiving to you,

as we bring also our prayers of confession.

We know what it is like to be singed by the flames of our lives, Holy God.           

We look for ourselves in all the wrong places - success, power, adulation.               

We carve our names in the granite walls of work,                                                    hoping we will be remembered when we are gone.                                                 

We have gone through the waters of baptism,                                                       

but live as if they have not changed us.                                                               

We need to hear your sure word, 'do not fear,' .

Our failures do not cause you to stop loving us, for you continue to claim us, gathering us up in your compassionate arms.

In our baptism, we discover not the end, but the first step of our journey

with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Assurance of Pardon

God's words of comfort and restoration are more powerful than any foolishness,

any mistakes, any sins we commit.

This is good news: we are God's people!
By water and word, by the Spirit of God's redeeming grace,                                   

we are marked and sealed as God's beloved children.                                              Thanks be to God!                                                                                                Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

Loving God,
as we reflect on Jesus' baptism and the blessing of Your Spirit,
we lift up our prayers for the world,
trusting that You are with us in our hopes, needs, and challenges.

We pray for Your Church across the world,
that it may be a source of hope, compassion, and justice.
May we, as Your people, remember our baptismal calling                                       

to be a light in the world,
sharing Your love with humility and courage.                                                          Empower us to follow Jesus' example of radical compassion,
reaching out to those in need and advocating for justice in our communities.

 

We pray for leaders of all nations,
that they may seek wisdom, integrity, and a commitment to peace.
May they govern with justice,
and may their decisions bring life, safety, and hope to all people.
Strengthen them to care for the vulnerable,
the poor, and those who seek refuge and freedom.

God of Comfort, we lift up all who suffer today,
those who are burdened by illness, loss, or isolation.

We pray for those facing oppression or hardship,
that they may feel Your strength beside them.

Grant healing to the sick, peace to the grieving,
and community to the lonely.
Help us to be Your hands and feet,
bringing comfort and love wherever there is pain.

Creator God, we pray for the earth,
Your beautiful creation.
Guide us to be responsible caretakers,
tending to the planet with respect and wisdom.
May we work together to protect it,
ensuring a future for generations to come.

Finally, Lord, we lift up our own lives,
asking that You would renew our faith and open our hearts to Your Spirit.

Help us to live as Your beloved children,
caring for others, standing up for what is right,
and offering compassion to all we meet.
In Jesus' name, we pray.                                                                                      Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

May you go forth with the assurance
that you are deeply loved and cherished by God.

May you find your true identity in God's unending love,
just as Jesus was called the beloved Son at His baptism.

May the Holy Spirit rest upon you,
filling you with peace, joy, and a sense of belonging.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JANUARY 19TH
SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

Opening Prayer

O God of steadfast love,
at the wedding in Cana
your Son Jesus turned water into wine,
delighting all who were there.
In our worship today                                                                                            transform our hearts by your Spirit,
that we may use our varied gifts
to show forth the light of your love
as one body in Christ.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We thank you Lord,

that you bring us rest for our weary hearts,

peace for our troubled minds,

and joy at seeing your face.

We anticipate the wedding feast,

the celebration of your presence

and our connection forever with you.

 

We thank you Lord,                                                                                             

that when our lives run dry,

we rest in the hope that you will replenish us.

We await the hour when you come and reinvent the world.

 

We trust you Lord,                                                                                               

to take the emptiness of religion

and fill us with the richness of new creation in you.                                               

We confess before you Lord,                                                                               

those things which separate us from you and from one another.

We submit ourselves to your transforming power

and your wisdom to make us into our true selves,

the people you made us to be.

 

With joy, we praise you Lord,                                                                               

for your wonderful power and grace,

coming once to give us what we needed

and coming again to make all things complete.

 We place our trust in you.

Help us also to believe in the glory you have revealed

as we look expectantly toward the fullness of the future you bring.

Come, Lord Jesus.                                                                                                Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

God of wedding parties and new wine,

of love and laughter, dancing and singing,

we pause to pray for those among your worldwide family

who today may be feeling left out in the cold. 

 

Bless the many people who must toil for such long hours

that there is no time or energy to laugh or sing.

 

Bless your children who feel so demeaned and exploited

that they view even angels of mercy with suspicion and fear.

 

Bless the many folk who are caught in vicious circles of evil

and can see no way to escape.

 

Bless those among your children whose every waking hour is spent in pain,

and whose sleep is at the best fitful.

 

Bless those people who are drawn to Christ and new life,

yet who fear the scorn of family, friends or workmates.

 

Bless your children who once tasted the new wine of Christ

but have now slipped away into indifference, or maybe despair.

 

Bless those folk who with much trembling,

hand their lives over to you this day.

May they find faith and courage for the days to come.

 

Bless the people of your church,

that abundant love may flow in our prayers

and our prayers flow into generous words and deeds.

In the name of the Christ who makes all things new.                                              Amen!

 

The Dismissal

 

Go now, with your trust in Christ 
who has quenched your thirst with the wine of God’s love.
Do not be silent about God’s faithful love,
but shelter in the warmth of God’s wings
and keep your hearts honest.

May God rejoice over you and call you “My Delight;”
May Christ Jesus bring out the best in you, to his glory;
And may the Spirit equip you all with gifts for the common good.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in the name of Christ.                                                                                          Amen.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JANUARY 26TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

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.

 

Waiting God, you know us all too well. We listen to this episode in the life of Jesus.

We hear the astonishment of the people gathered in worship                                 

as Jesus proclaims the mandate and scope of his ministry.

It is what they had hoped for and also what they have feared.

Change and challenge are always difficult.

We are more inclined to turn our backs on opportunities of service

than pitch in to affect the needed changes that will promote healing and wholeness.

Forgive us when we give lip service to you and then slip into inaction.                     

Give us courage to be willing disciples.                                                                 

Help us to be people of promise and hope.                                                           

In Jesus' Name, we offer this prayer. 

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

Jesus has opened the doors for service to each one of us.                                       

We have been freed from our fears and doubts.                                                      Rejoice, dear fiends!                                                                                           

In Jesus' Name, we are forgiven and healed.                                                          Thanks be to God.

Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

As the prophet Isaiah rang out, “Arise, shine; for your light has come;”

empower your Church, O God,

to ring out the Good News of the Light of your son Jesus,

which pierces even the deepest darkness.

 

As a star rose high into the nighttime sky

to draw the nations to the Christ-child;

send your blessing, O God, on this nation, and every nation,

and draw the whole world to your peace and truth.

As John the Baptist guided throngs of people to the edge of the wilderness

and baptized Jesus in the River Jordan,

we pray that you would guide our country and our leaders

to the ways of justice and righteousness.

Like the Magi who travelled from afar

to bring gifts and celebrate the Savior’s birth;

we pray for this community,

and for those who celebrate their own birthdays and anniversaries;

As Jesus climbed the mountaintop,

and proclaimed blessings on the people of the world;

we pray for the sick and the distressed, the poor and the lame.

We especially pray for those near and dear to us.

As Jesus called his disciples to leave their nets and boats, and follow him;

we pray for those we love and who have answered your call

to follow Jesus to your Heavenly Kingdom. Give them your peace.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World,

hear our prayers, and make us reflections of your Light,

that the places of darkness in our world would be pierced by your Light,

and that all nations would be drawn to you and be overwhelmed with joy.           

Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon you!
You have been called,

You have been anointed,

You have been given a task.
So go out from this place

into the mission field that is the world.
Go carrying Good News to the world:

news about freedom from oppression

and healing for the afflicted.
The time of the Lord's favour is now!

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS FEBRUARY 2ND

CANDLEMAS

Scripture Sentences

In the beginning God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,

and God saw that the light was very good, and he separated light from darkness.”

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me shall never walk in darkness

but shall have the light of life.”  

    

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Lord God, you are the source of everlasting light.                                                    Your son was presented in the temple forty days after his birth.                             

He was recognised by Simeon and Anna and welcomed as the promised Messiah.

May we like them, behold the glory of Christ.                                                   

Grant that we may stand before you with hearts cleansed by your forgiving love.

We worship you, loving, listening God.                                                                 

We offer you our prayers and praises                                                                 

drawn to your light and seeking your way.

Father eternal, giver of light and grace,                                                                 

we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,                                         

in what we have thought, in what we have said and done,                                      through ignorance, through weakness,                                                             

through our own deliberate fault.                                                                         

We have wounded your love and marred your image in us.                                     

We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins.                                           

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past;

and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light.

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon us,

pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,

and keep us in life eternal.

Like Simeon, may we grow old in hope and wonder.                                               

Like Anna, may we be in love with you all our days.                                               

May we be open to truth, open to surprises.                                                         

May we let your spirit into our lives.                                                                     

May we let your justice change our behaviour.                                                     

May we live in the brightness of your joy.                                                              Amen.     

            

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

Almighty God, we give thanks for the welcome given to the child, Jesus,               

by Simeon and Anna, seeing that in his life there would be joy,                              sorrow and suffering, and for the example they have set us.

As we remember the older and retired people in our churches,                           

we thank you and pray for their work with children, young people

and families in our communities.

We pray your Holy Spirit may inspire them to use and share their experiences of life with wisdom, humility and gladness. We pray for the work and service of all homes and day centres for the elderly and those in need.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

Lord, we pray that churches across the world                                                       

may always be ready to travel along your way and in your direction.
Bless and guide our ministers and leaders
Help us to be alive to your Spirit, who searches all our hearts                                 

and renews our lives as we offer our faith and obedience.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

We pray for nations and leaders as they live through conflicts and struggle with identity. We think of Ukraine and the Middle East
We remember those suffering in natural disasters and extreme weather both at home and abroad, whether it be floods or famines.
We pray for all those people sacrificially working to bring aid and help                      where it is most needed.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

We pray for the families and communities we represent                                          asking that we may have a spirit of generous love,

understanding and respect for those who are different from us.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

We pray for all finding their life-journey tedious, lonely or uncertain,
those who are ill or vulnerable.                                                                             

Be their strong comfort in times of need.                                                             

Bless and protect their families and their careers.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

Lord, we remember for those who have died                                                         

and pray for those who miss and grieve for them.

Christ is the light of the world,                                                                             

a light which no darkness can quench.                                                                 

May our candles today be a symbol of your love and warmth and hope.
You turn our darkness into light, in your light shall we see light.
Grant us and all who have known you in their hearts                                             

a share in your eternal kingdom.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

In a moment of silence                                                                                       

we make our particular concerns known to God.

Open our eyes, Father
To the light of your glory
In the world you have made
In the people around us
And in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                               

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

Merciful Father, accept these prayers                                                                     

for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.                                                  Amen.

Nunc Dimittis

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace                                         

according to thy word.                                                                                     

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation;                                                             

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;                                       

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles                                                                       

and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

The Dismissal

The Lord Jesus give light to your eyes,       

light to your minds,                                                                                         

light to your hearts,                                                                                           

light to your whole lives,                                                                                   

That you may witness to Christ Today and forever

Turn from the crib to the cross.                                                                           

May you go to carry the light of Christ.                                                                 

May you shine with the light of Christ`s love.

 

The Grace

 

SUNDAY PRAYERS FEBRUARY 9TH

FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Call to Worship

Jesus calls us
to praise and prayer,

to song and silence;
Jesus calls us to worship.  

 

Jesus calls us
to hearing and healing,

to service and solidarity;
Jesus calls us to love.

 

Jesus calls us
to advocacy and action,

to protest and provision;
Jesus calls us to justice.
Let us heed the call of Christ.
Let us worship together with joy.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Holy God, you are the God above and beyond all things!  

With trust, hope and humility in our hearts and minds, we gather to praise and worship you, the God who always hears and answers our prayers.

God’s promises are trustworthy and honourable, and so with thankful hearts and minds, we praise and worship our God who understands and guides us.

Ever-loving and Faithful God, you are utterly to be trusted! God’s mercy and love does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, the powerful or the humble, but instead, God pours blessings and grace upon all people who respond to God’s gracious and generous acts of love and compassion.

 

Awesome God, we come in reverent wonder before our God!  

Every day and night, we have been blessed by the wonders of our God,

whose ways are beyond our understanding, but whose mercy never fails;

and whose gentle powers are shown through God’s unfailing kindness

to people who are weak and in need of strength, encouragement

and hope for the future.

Ever-present God, your faithful love endures for ever, and ever and so we give thanks with all our hearts.

You Son called the disciples from their everyday lives to a life of faith in action, forgive us when we fail to respond to your call with faith.                                     

Forgive us when we are shackled by our narrow understandings of discipleship and our clouded sense of purpose.

Forgive us when we are frightened of the future                                                     

or pull back from the demand of your calling.

Forgive us when we fail to sense your presence in our past,                                   

to acknowledge your grace in the present moment,                                               

and to trust you for our future.

Through your Spirit, we offer ourselves in discipleship.

We stand together as your disciples.

We seek renewed and renewing faith.

Touch us now with your Spirit, Lord                                                                     

and grant forgiveness and the assurance of your pardon.                                        Amen

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession   

 

As the prophet Isaiah rang out, “Arise, shine; for your light has come;”

empower your Church, O God,

to ring out the Good News of the Light of your son Jesus,

which pierces even the deepest darkness. 

 

As a star rose high into the nighttime sky

to draw the nations to the Christ-child;

send your blessing, O God, on this nation, and every nation,

and draw the whole world to your peace and truth.

 

As John the Baptist guided throngs of people to the edge of the wilderness

and baptized Jesus in the River Jordan,

we pray that you would guide our country and our leaders

to the ways of justice and righteousness.

Like the Magi who travelled from afar

to bring gifts and celebrate the Savior’s birth;

we pray for this community,

and for those who celebrate their own birthdays and anniversaries.

 

As Jesus climbed the mountaintop,

and proclaimed blessings on the people of the world;

we pray for the sick and the distressed, the poor and the lame.

We especially pray for _____.

As Jesus called his disciples to leave their nets and boats, and follow him;

we pray for those we love and who have answered your call

to follow Jesus to your Heavenly Kingdom. Give them your peace.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World,

hear our prayers, and make us reflections of your Light,

that the places of darkness in our world would be pierced by your Light,

and that all nations would be drawn to you and be overwhelmed with joy.              Amen.

 

The Dismissal

 

You call us,

Wanderer of seashores and sideroads,

inviting us to sail out of our smug harbours

into the uncharted waters of faith

to wander off from our predictable paths to follow You

into the unpredictable footsteps of the kingdom;

to leave the comfort of our homes and accompany

You into the uncomfortable neighbourhoods we usually avoid.

 

As we face this coming week in our simple, sometimes complex,

constantly uncertain lives,

speak to us:

of that hope which is our anchor;

of that peace which is our rock;

of that grace which is our refuge.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS FEBRUARY 16TH

THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Call to Worship

Jesus declared, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

May we learn to depend on God’s abundant provision instead of the world’s grasping for wealth as we worship today.

Jesus declared, “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.”

May we learn to follow Christ’s call to provide for the hungry as co-creators of God’s kingdom as we worship today.

Jesus declared, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

May we learn to pay attention to those who suffer and mourn and to extend God’s comfort and hope to those who need it as we worship today.

Jesus declared, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.”

May our worship teach us to rejoice in that day and every day as we live out the good news in our families, neighbourhoods, community, and world!

 

Prayers of Approach and Confession

God of the Universe,
God of our lives,
You know us better than we know ourselves.
You see beyond the façade we present to the world – and You love us to the core.

Today, as we gather in Your marvellous presence
may we know that we are welcomed with the open arms of love.
May that knowledge inspire us to live more fully for You.

Forgive us when we fail to live into the wonderful potential that You lay before us,
for the times when we begrudge others their joy and blessing,
for the times we fail to notice – or ignore –
those who suffer and whose suffering we might begin to address.

Forgive us when our vision is narrow and our hope is restricted
Especially when Your imagination knows no bounds
and Your capacity to love is beyond measure.

Lord, forgive us
and, as Your beloved, renew us to live into the freedom and the bounty You set before us, enable us to make a difference by sharing Your love and blessing in all that we do.

God, present here,
transform the worship that we bring until it reflects Your glory and majesty,
transforming our everyday lives to reflect our Creator in all that we do,
here in this place and in the places You lead us for Your glory.
Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

God of light and truth,
as Your blessing rests upon us
may we be open to Your word that lives in us, written on our hearts,
may we be open to Your light and truth
that guides us in every part of our daily journey with you,
may we be open to Your light and truth
that lead us in ways we do not yet know, with companions we may not choose.

May Your light and truth enable us to see Your unpredictable Spirit alongside us,
giving us courage to venture into unknown territory with You.

Spirit of God, we pray for peace.
Not only the cessation of war, but that peace that is beyond our understanding.
Peace that is forged when closed fists are opened in sharing,
when closed hearts are opened in caring
and when closed minds are opened to possibility for all to share
in the rich resources of the earth and of all creation.

God, You have equipped Your Church with all the gifts that are needed
to build Your kingdom.                                                                                         

May we be willing to change the narrative from one of scarcity                             

to one of abundance.
May each of us seek to discern Your purpose for our lives
and offer ourselves willingly in service.
May we harness the gifts and know the power of Your Spirit
as He weaves his way in and around us,
changing us and enabling us together to bring good news for every generation.
May we nurture one another in faith,
learn from one another and work together with You, Creator, Redeemer, Spirit.

God, You have blessed us with every good thing,
may we be a blessing to others, here and everywhere, now and forever.
Amen

 

The Dismissal

The Spirit of God is upon you and has anointed you.

You are the salt of the earth and you bring light to the world.

You are not too young or too old,

you are not too rich or too needy

to bring good news to the impoverished,

to give a hand to the broken-hearted,

and to live out freedom and pardon

through the gifts you have been given.

Do not be frightened, for you are never alone.

The God in whose image you are made

will walk with you and guide you today, tomorrow, and every day.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS FEBRUARY 23RD

SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Call to Worship

 

Strength is commanding

the wind and sea to obey,

Strength is wielding

a slingshot in the face of a raging giant.

Strength is accepting vulnerability

from inside the boat,

Strength is standing in solidarity

with the powerless.

Strength is turning a cheek,

Strength is loving an enemy.

 

We come to worship

a God who redefines our vision of strength.

 

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Creator God,
This is the day that You have made!
This is the day you have called Holy:
Sabbath day, a rest day, a time-out,
out of the world and into the presence of God: a day for rejoicing.

Make us glad this morning in the House of the Lord.
Remove from us our distractions, our heart-worries,
our to-dos and should-haves and all the constant stress & strain.
And in its place, O God, give us more of You.
Here in your House, our hearts are filled with peace
our mouths with laughter,
our tongues with shouts of joy.

 

Fill us to brimming and overflowing with the joy of the Lord:
A good measure of God, pressed down,
shaken together and running over.
We are glad, yes, we are glad indeed,
to be together in the House of the Lord!

Holy God,

we confess that we do not always love our neighbour.

We confess that we have despised others,

even to the point of hatred.

We confess that we have been hurt by others.

We confess that forgiveness and reconciliation at times

are just impossible for us.

We know that nothing is impossible in You.

We come to You, seeking healing and wholeness for us.

Help us, whenever possible, to live in peace with others,

to seek reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness.

For Your Son came and lived among us,

was betrayed and denied,

abused and put to death.

He rose again,

and came with the message of peace to those

who had denied him and abandoned him.

May we walk in his ways.

 

Assurance of Pardon

For nothing is impossible with God.

There is no place you can go,

no end of the earth you can run,

where God cannot find you.

There is nothing on earth or beyond death

that can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You are forgiven.

You are loved.

You are reconciled to God.

Go and live with the love of God.                                                                          Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

God our Father, in whose eyes all life is precious,

help us to value the worth of every individual,

whom you have created in your image.

 

We pray for victims of violence or hatred,

especially people who have suffered innocently.

May they find the healing of body, mind or spirit which they need.

We ask that the causes of division and hatred may be brought down.

Where there is prejudice because of colour, language, religion or culture,

help us to see things through the eyes of others,

and act towards them as we would like to be treated ourselves.

 

We also pray for people who have been the cause of hurts to others.

Enable them not only to admit their mistakes,

but also to use their time and energy for the benefit of others

and the welfare of society.

 

We pray for family relationships in our society.

Thank you for those who are our own families,

or who have been like family to us.

Bless them with the love in return which they themselves have shown.

We ask for your healing and reconciling love

in family disputes or misunderstandings.

We especially pray for children and young people

caught up in problems not of their making,

and for the anxiety and tensions this may cause.

Give them good friends and wise counsellors,

and support from their peer group and schools.

 

Loving God,

as we have promised you our devoted service in words and prayer,

give us the strength of your Holy Spirit

to enable us to keep our promises,

for you are the source of our lives and our strength.                                              Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

 

You have sung the songs of faith.

You have heard the challenges of scripture.

Go now,

continuing your sacred journey

in an attitude of service and grace.

Love your enemies

and pray for those who do you harm.

Care for those who are evil

as well as for those who are good,

knowing how to set boundaries.

And the presence of your God goes with you.

 

The Grace 

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 2ND

THE SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

 

Call to Worship

Beyond our busyness,
above the cold winter floor, there is a glory rising born of heaven
and reaching out to each one of us, a light that shines through the clouds,
an invitation seeking all of who we are
that transfigures the world,
that transforms darkness into hope,
that brings life from a cross
where old life end and new life is born.

In glory Jesus meets us here,
raising us from depths of valley to the height of the mountain,
carrying the weight of our humanity to the heights of heavens glory.

Let us worship from the mountain and hear again
“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

 

Prayers of Approach and Confession

We worship you, O God, with songs of praise.

We worship you with words of prayer

and with ears that listen for you to speak                                                             

your saving truth into our lives.

We worship you in the silent spaces

where we struggle for hope and for courage.

We long for a glimpse of your glory:

the glory that shines in the darkness

and the darkness cannot overcome it;

the glory that touches lives with a beauty so holy

that it heals the wounded soul;

the glory that gives strength to the weary.

 

Holy God, you call us to faith, but so often we walk by sight:

We want fact to be truth and truth to be obvious.

We seek answers that resemble what already lies in our field of vision.

We value clarity more than reality, what we can see more than what may be,            what conforms to our picture more than what shocks, surprises,                              challenges or confounds us.

Light of the world, forgive us when we privilege our own sight                               

and thus become blind.

Open our eyes to you – your deeper truth and your life within us,

so that we might look around us and within us and see anew.

In faith, may we come to know you more fully, love more deeply,

and see the world and everyone it as you do, according to your grace. 

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

Brothers and sisters, regardless of how you see, you are loved by Christ,

who came to bring sight to the blind in mind and spirit,

who knows your blind spots and gives you new vision.

In His name, know that your sins are forgiven.                                                      Thanks be to God!                                                                                                Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

God of Glory,

as you once revealed yourself to Moses face to face,

so you have shown yourself to the world in the glory of your Son.

Help us by your Spirit to know him by faith,

to love him with all our heart,

and to serve him with all of our being.

Help us to hold fast our confidence in your saving glory.

 

God of Glory,

your disciples once saw Moses and Elijah point to Jesus

as the fulfilment of the covenant of Sinai and all the prophets’ words.

Reveal yourself now to us in your Scriptures

that we may behold him whose suffering and death

give life to the whole world.

Help us to hold fast our confidence in your saving glory.

 

God of Glory,

you once came to a world lonely and afraid

and showed to us the face of love and hope.

Use us to reflect your glory and grace in our world

and so represent you here to those who are alone,

those troubled by fears and sins,

and those whose hearts are grieved by their own faulty decisions

or the harm of others.

Help us to hold fast our confidence in your saving glory.

 

God of Glory,

your Son came to reveal your kingdom

through words and works of mercy.

Give to the sick your healing and to the suffering your hope, especially…

 

May your saving will and the glory of your steadfast love

support all who call upon you in the day of trouble.

Help us to hold fast our confidence in your saving glory.

 

God of Glory,

you once spoke through a cloud to your disciples of old

that they might see Jesus by faith even when earthly eyes cannot see.

Grant to us this bold and courageous faith

that we may see Jesus,

trust in him for our salvation,

and be ready to receive him when he comes again in clouds of glory.

We are your house, O Lord, and the people of your promise;

Help us to hold fast our confidence in your saving glory.                                          Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

 

Go now, and speak of what you have seen of God’s glory.
Do not cling to the holy moments
when heaven overshadows you,
but as the Lord lives, listen to Christ and follow him
from the places of revelation
to the places of mission.

May God shine the light of glory into your hearts.
May Christ be with you and never leave you.
May the Spirit renew the image of God within you.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ.                                                                                          Amen.

 

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 9TH

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Call to Worship

Lent calls us to journey, this and every day,
following Jesus wherever he leads us.

Lent calls us to journey:
to the place where God covenants with us,
to receive the new names we are given.

Lent calls us to worship together,
to tell future generations the good news.

Lent calls us to practice justice,
to bring God's hope to all people.

Lent calls us to faithful living,
to trust the One who gives us life.

Lent calls each of us to take up our cross,
to trust the One who bears it with us.

Lent calls us to journey with God.

Let us worship God, who walks with us,
this and every day.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Jesus, you came that we might have life, and have it abundantly
You poured living water into lives that were parched and thirsty
You fed souls that were hungry with the bread of life
Lord, we offer you our praise and thanks.

You brought healing through a touch that knew no prejudice or barrier
You brought Salvation through the cross,
You brought a means through which humanity could be made right again               

with its Creator
Lord, we offer you our praise and thanks.

You brought comfort to the sorrowing, liberty to the poor
You accept us as we are,                                                                                     

and mould us into the people we were meant to be.
You enable broken lives and relationships to be made whole again
Lord, we offer you our praise and thanks.

Hidden God,

we bring to this sanctuary

and place on this table,

our burdens and brokenness,

our self-image bruised and hurting,

our fears, shame, doubts and anxieties,

the raw materials we ask You to bless and change,

that in our dark tunnels

we may begin to see light

and in our desert experiences

we may find You. 

In the blazing light of your love
our failings are illuminated;
our failure to give,
our failure to love,
our failure to follow,
our failure to serve,
our failure to be the people
you would have us be.

Forgive us and renew us.
You know our nature,
know our failings.

Enfold us in your arms
that we might daily know
your forgiveness and healing love.

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness.

Our sins are forgiven in Christ`s name.

Thanks be to God!                                                                                                Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

God of the blessed
we praise you,
for mercy shown, grace given,
living water, Spirit’s power.

God of the oppressed
we bring to you
the broken ones, forgotten ones,
exploited and abused ones.
Bring freedom and release,
love and compassion
to damaged hearts and souls.   

God of the distressed,
we bring to you
the grieving ones, hurting ones,
suffering and wounded ones.
Bring wholeness and healing
comfort and relief,
to broken bodies and minds.          

 

God of the dispossessed
we bring to you
the lonely ones, the homeless ones,
thirsty, tired and penniless ones.
Bring hope and sustenance
physical and spiritual food,
to hungry bodies and souls.                          

The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
May the peace, love and compassion of the Lord
Be with you now and always
Amen.

 

The Dismissal

 

Friends,

As you go from here,

rid yourselves of every weight that slows you down,

especially the sin that so easily impedes your progress.

Run the race that God has set before you,

keeping your eyes on Jesus Christ,

on whom your faith depends, from start to finish.

 

The Grace

 

 

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 16TH

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT 

Call to Worship

Return to the Lord your God, for God is gracious.

Confess to the Lord your God, for God is merciful.

Repent to the Lord your God, for God is slow to anger.

Praise the Lord your God, for God abounds in steadfast love.

Worship the Lord your God.

Together, let us worship God!

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Lord, we thank you that as a mother you gather your people to you:
You are gentle with us as a mother with her children;
you weep over our sins and our pride:
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgement.
We thank you that you comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds:
in sickness you nurse us,
and with pure milk you feed us.
Lord we thank you that by your dying we are born to new life:
By your anguish and labour we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness:
through your gentleness we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead:
your touch makes sinners righteous.
We thank you Lord, that in your mercy heal us:
in your love and tenderness you remake us.
In your compassion you bring grace and forgiveness.

Jesus, you call us to deny ourselves.
Yet we trust in our own works                                                                              rather than in God’s grace.                                                                                    Jesus, you call each of us to take up our cross.
Yet rather than allow our selfishness and sin to be put to death,                              we cling to what we know.

Jesus, you call us to follow you.
Yet we fear where faith will lead                                                                            and what it might change in our lives.

We confess the sin that separates us                                                                      from one another and from God.

Assurance of Pardon

People of God, hear this good news.                                                                      God’s covenant with us is true.                                                                              God is faithful even when we fail.                                                                          Through the Holy Spirit,                                                                                        God gives us the gift of faith and makes us righteous.                                          Believe in the good news                                                                                      that you are set free to live as children of God.
Thanks be to God!                                                                                                Amen. 

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Lord God, in your holy word today we heard that you ask us to come to you—and that more—you seek us out like hen seeks out her chicks; that you offer us the protection and the safety of your strong wings. Help us O God to stop each day and to listen for your call; to pause and allow you to overtake us; to wait and to have your warmth and your wisdom overwhelm us:                                                       

Lord, hear our prayer.

Father and Mother of us all, you have given us many images of what you are like in the law and the prophets and through the ministry of Christ Jesus our Lord. 

You have been compared to hen seeking out her chicks,

to a rock which cannot be moved,

to a mother suckling her child,

to a wind which cannot be controlled and a fire which cannot be quenched,

to a woman seeking out a lost coin,

to a king who invites everyone to his wedding feast,

to an eagle who stirs up her wings and shields the young in her nest,

and in each of these images we learn more about you.  

Grant us, O Lord, a personal image of your presence— an image which will sustain us we seek to love you with all our heart and soul mind and strength and as we seek to love one another as Jesus loves us:                                                         

Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we stop here today to think not only of ourselves and our needs. 

We pause not just to have our cups filled by your love; we stop as well on behalf of others.  We hold before you those whose cups are filled with bitterness and anger, those who have lost their way and who worship success and the idols of our world, we name them before you and ask that you give them new hearts,                          hearts that are filled with goodness and with faith.                                             

Lord, hear our prayer.

Lift too we pray, O God, the burdens that are upon us for those around us: here in our church, our community, and our world.  We name these burdens and we hold these people before you now in the silence of our hearts.                                       

Lord, hear our prayer.

All these our prayers, both spoken and unspoken,                                                  we offer in the name of Jesus.

Amen

 

Sending Prayer

 

God of mystery,

we journey with Jesus during this Lenten season

with the certain hope that you will recreate our world

so that all people will live in peace and justice. 

Call us out of the wilderness of apathy

and help us to reach out to those who do not know hope or love. 

Hear the longings of our hearts

and the cries of those who yearn to live in peace and justice.                                  Let Easter burst into a world waiting to be recreated.                                              Amen.

 

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 23RD

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Call to Worship

 

The season of Lent can be barren and lonely,
but God goes with us

through the wild wilderness.
Our lives are lived

in seasons of transitions and transformations.
Lent is a time to ponder

God's providence and persistence.
Together, we seek fruitfulness,

for it has been promised to us;
the barrenness of Lent

will give way to the fruitfulness of Easter.
In this season of penitence and pondering,

let us gather before God.
We come, as a family,

to wait for the Lord with strength and courage.
Come, let us worship God!

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

O God, You are our God, the One in whom we trust.

We’ve gathered together today to worship You—

to open our hearts and minds to Your presence.

We long to meet You here, and to hear Your voice.

 

We come with confidence,

because we’ve met You here before;

we’ve been awed and inspired by Your glory and Your power.

We come with gratitude,

because we’ve known Your steadfast love—

a love which is better than life itself.

 

And so we praise You,

lifting our voices, lifting our hands

in joy and expectation.

 

Come among us in Your power.

Pour out Your spirit on our thirsty souls,

that we may be filled with Your goodness and love. 

God of abundance, you have promised to provide us with more than mere survival; in seeking to satisfy our deepest hungers, we shall find an even more profound sustenance than human imagination could envision.

In your holy love, you have given us so much: talents and treasure in unlimited supply.  But often, we spend these on superficial needs.                              

We throw away our plenty on little hungers and petty desires. 

We seek the fleeting delight of novelty, of prettiness, and of veneer. 

We follow the urges to momentary importance; to the notice of a fickle society more interested in noise and sparkle than in mundane sturdiness. 

We chase after happiness while neglecting joy; we chase after romance while neglecting love; we skim the surface while fearing the depths. 

Forgive us, we pray, for our fearfulness, as we rely more upon our own human illusions of control and satisfaction, even though we know that these illusions separate us from you. 

Forgive us for not trusting in your grace, in your abundance, in the covenant promises that you have renewed with every generation. 

In Christ, may we learn to love you more than we love ourselves. 

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

Come, all you who are thirsty.  If you take the first step, if you are willing to plunge once again into the waters and to emerge into new life,

you will receive a love beyond all you can envision. 
We turn our hearts to God, and by grace our hungers are satisfied,                          our thirsts are sated;                                                                                            through Christ we are made whole;                                                                      by the Spirit we are led forth as God's people.                                                        Thanks be to God!                                                                                                Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

Holy God, Healer and Liberator, we lift up before you those people who are at this very moment suffer from either accident, disease, their own folly, or the cruelty of others.

 

At this moment, many fellow humans beings are crying out against the cruelty of captivity: Hostages and abducted children, prisoners of war and political detainees, and many mistakenly convicted.

 

At this moment many of our fellows are suffering physical and mental abuse: Battered wives and children, others beaten up by robbers, tortured for information, verbally abused and denigrated, left with untended wounds, threatened with the injury of loved ones, molested or slowly killed.

 

At this moment there are people who are traumatised by sudden injury: victims of industry or road accidents, soldiers wounded in battle, civilians bombed or terrorised, those maimed by the carelessness of others, and some who for personal thrills have taken big risks and lost.

 

At this moment there are thousands who are in terror or despair because of natural disasters: flood and house fire, cyclone and earthquake, avalanche, drought or lightning strike, storm waves or volcanic eruption.

Holy God, help your Church to do whatever we can to lessen the many sufferings of humanity. Encourage each of us to rest our own pain and grief in your infinite mercy, and to not cease from righteous anger, prayer and appropriate action while injustice and neglect exist anywhere on this planet.

Please have mercy on our Church, O God.

Through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen!

 

A Blessing

 

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,

and they go right on producing delicious fruit.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 30TH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

MOTHERING SUNDAY

Call to Worship

 

We gather together to worship

our loving, nurturing God,

who, like a mother,

knows us intimately,

loves us unconditionally,

teaches us the way we should go,

and comforts us in times of need.

Praise be to God,

the Source and Sustainer of life!

 

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

 

We join our hands in this family circle, Lord,

and raise our voices in thanks to You.

Because of Your great love, we know the love

of parents, child, brothers, sister.

 

You have done great wonders in the world,

yet You hear the prayers of each of us,

small as we are.

 

Your understanding is beyond our imagination,

but You care enough to listen to us,

and You understand our hurts and fears.

 

Your hand created the heavens, the stars, the moon,

and Your power keeps them in their places,

yet You still have time to touch our lives.

 

When our enemies threaten us,

when our selfish natures lead us into sin,

You are there to shield and guide us back to You.

 

 

When we are hungry, tired, or lonely,

you provide us with food, rest and comfort.

 

You have even provided a wonderful future for us,

a future free from fear or pain or worry

where we will live with You forever,

together in the oneness of Your love.

 

We give thanks to You, the God of heaven,

our Abba whose love endures forever.

 

Lord, many of us read Your Holy Word
And are inspired, encouraged, and grateful.
But some of us are tempted to doubt
That Your grace could ever produce
these kinds of virtues mentioned there in our lives.

Some of us are tempted by resentment and unforgiveness
because of those who have let us down.
Some of us are tempted to condemn ourselves for past failings,
and all of us remember times when we have fallen short.

Forgive us for doubt, resentment,
unforgiving hearts, self-condemning attitudes.
Remind us of your forgiveness, always available in Jesus Christ.

In spite of our failures and sin,
We trust in Your power to transform our lives.
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus,
so that our lives may bring Joy to Your world
and praise to Your Name.

Amen.

 

 

The Lords` Prayer

 

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

Holy One,

we gather in your presence to give you thanks

and to celebrate the gift of your motherly love,

both gentle and fierce,

both strong and humble,

both kind and true.

Your love has given birth to the whole of creation,

supports and nurtures us,

cares enough to correct us,

and challenges us in ways that strengthen and transform us.

We offer you praise and thanksgiving

for your unfailing presence in our lives

and all of the blessings you so generously offer us.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

 

Loving God, we thank you for the gift of motherhood and for the many

examples of faithful mothers in scripture, like Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth,

Mary, and Lois. We give thanks for mothers the world over. We celebrate

all those who have nurtured and cared for us, remembering especially,

birth mothers, adoptive mothers, surrogate mothers, aunts, grandmothers,

teachers, neighbours, and all women who have mothered us.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

 

God of generations,

thank you for the gift of faith.

kindled and rekindled in us through the years.

And thank you for those what have taught us the Faith

in sincerity and love.

Today, we give special thanks and praise for our church mothers,

the women who, like Timothy’s mother and grandmother,

steadily and without much recognition

teach a new generation of children about the love of Jesus.

 

And we celebrate the matriarchs

who build up with compassion and strong shoulders

young women and girls,

revealing a deep spiritual life and love

woven into the fabric of our church family.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

 

God of compassion and joy,

we know motherhood is a wide spectrum

and our life together is big enough to stand in solidarity with all mothers.

For the seen and unseen grief and struggles of women and mothers,

we ache with you.

For the seen and unseen joys of motherhood,

we rejoice and celebrate with you.

 

May God bless all women on this special day;

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit,

One God, the Mother of us all.                                                 

Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

 

Go into your week,
knowing that you are embraced by the love of God;
a love that is sweeter and more tender
than any you have ever known.

 

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 6TH

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

 

Call to Worship

We come to this place
because we want to know God,
who helps us set aside the past,
to walk the path to new life.
We come in these moments
because we want to know Jesus,
who anoints us with the resurrection,
who shares our lives with us.
We come with these people
because we want to know the Spirit,
who shapes us for life with God,
so we may praise God forever!

Prayers of Approach and Confession

You have done great things
for us, God of great love.
You make a way through our brokenness,
so hope might be restored;
you loosen our grip on fear,
so we might take hold of the One
who cradles us in the palms of grace.

You are doing great things
through us, Brother of the poor.
You make a way through our doubt,
so we may have the faith to follow,
as well as to serve by your side;
you gather up our tears,
turning them into fountains of joy.

You will do great things
in us, Anointer of our hearts.
You make a way through
our hardened hearts, melting them
into rivers of wonder for all;
you touch our tongues so
they tingle with delights, and
laughter tumbles out of our mouths.
Continue to make a way through us,                                                                      God in Community, Holy in One,

Like Judas, God of new things, we like to complain about your generous ways, rather than living in your grace.  The poor are always with us, we believe, which justifies our ignoring them.  In our memories, we see a perceived golden past and so close our eyes to the new things you do in our midst.  

We are so enamoured with our achievements that we are not willing to throw them away in order to follow Jesus.

Forgive us, Restoring God, and help us to notice the kingdom springing forth in our midst.  By your grace, may our fears turn to faith, our seeds of grief produce a bumper crop of joy, and our tears turn into torrents of tenderness as we journey with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to Jerusalem.

Assurance of Pardon

Making a way through all the foolishness and mistakes of our lives,                          God leads us into new life, where we are restored to grace, to hope, and to peace.
Do we notice what God has done for us, what God is doing in us?                         This is good news for everyone.                                                                    Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!                                                                    Amen.  

                                                                                                         

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Our Lord received Mary's offering. Let us come before God our Father               

and offer our prayers for the world, knowing that he will hear us for Jesus' sake.

Your Son accepted the service of Martha, the friendship of Lazarus, and the devotion of Mary: bless your people everywhere who serve you in all kinds of different ways:

for those who serve in the church; pastors, church workers and lay people.

for those who serve in the home; parents and caregivers and home-makers.

for those who serve in the workplace; employers and employees.

for students and school children who serve by learning for the future.

for those who volunteer their services in the community.

for those who offer friendship.

for those who pray, fast, or give generously of their time and money.

for those who befriend the disadvantaged.

for those who whose work is dangerous.

Bless the service of all your people and assure them                                              that you are well pleased with their work.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

Show your kindness to those who serve in similar ways, but do not yet know you, or that they serve you. Reward them with your grace, open their eyes to see you, and grant them true faith, hope and love.

Lord in your mercy:  hear our prayer

Speak to the consciences of those who plan some evil – show them that honesty is better than falsehood, and that peace is better than violence. Give to our political leaders and citizens alike a deep commitment to goodness and mutual well-being. Keep us all from the greed and false compassion of Judas.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Your Son drew close to Lazarus and raised him from the dead: be near all people who are close to death and grant them faith in you. Strengthen all who are preparing for the death of a loved one, that they may make the most of the time left to them. And help all who work among the dying: the doctors, nursing staff, chaplains and volunteers who work in hospices and nursing homes.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

Heavenly Father, Mary honoured the Lord with her gift of perfume.

May we honour you in our lives by honouring all who are in need;

through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.                                                                                    Amen.

 

The Dismissal

And now, God sends you out into your communities,
not to cling to a faded past,
but to share all the new things God is doing.

And now, Jesus calls you to notice those around you,
to shower them with hope,
to feed them from our deep pantries,
to welcome them as family.

And now, the Spirit anoints you with grace,
to make a way through the injustices around you
so you might walk with your sisters and brothers
into the kingdom springing forth in your midst.

The Grace

SUNDAY PARYERS APRIL 13TH

PALM SUNDAY

Call to Worship

 

Like the crowds so long ago we will praise God joyfully, saying

Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
           

If these disciples were silent the stones would shout aloud.

Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

           

 

Prayers of Praise & Confession

 

Lord Jesus, on this day the people went out with palms to meet you,

and we meet you now with our prayers and our praise.

Blessed are you, for you come to us in God’s name!

Blessed are you, for you inspire the deepest joy within us!

Blessed are you, for the whole company of angels                                                  and all creation sings your praise!

With the children who praised you on Palm Sunday,
with all who cried Hosanna,

with the crowds who welcomed you
and with those who danced beside you,
we offer today our joyful praise!

 

We offer too our prayer of confession.

We live in world suspicious of joy,

where violence too often breaks out
and in which truth can be stifled by lies.

We confess that our communities do not always welcome strangers,
provide safety for children, or peace for all the people.

We are sorry for our own sins
and for the sinfulness of the world in which we share.

We ask your forgiveness,
we hope for the grace to forgive those who sin against us,
and for the courage to forgive ourselves so that we can begin again.

Christ, who entered the city in peace and in joy,

bring your peace to us that forgiven and free,

we may cry Hosanna with a pure heart.

Assurance of Pardon

 

Jesus came to welcome and to forgive,
to bring new life and the joy of the Kingdom.

Let us receive these holy gifts with gladness!                                                          Amen.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

 

Blessing of the Palm Crosses

 

O God, may these crosses be signs of good news for us this week,
and bring blessing to our homes and our lives.

Let them reveal to us the joy of Palm Sunday,
remind us of the mystery of the cross,

and lead us on to the celebration of Easter,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,                                                                    Amen.

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

O God, we thank you for the joy, deeper than any sorrow,
which you bring to us and with which you bless us.

Help us to find this joy and to live it as a blessing for the world.

May there be times for all of us when we can let go
of the things that bind us to sorrow and fear,
so that we can praise you and let our hearts may dance.

Let us be bearers of true joy to the world.

 

We pray for those who are sad or suffering.
We pray for those for whom depression or anxiety brings a denial of joy,

that they may find healing and release.

 

We pray for those made sad by loss and death,
that they may grieve honestly and freely

and find even in grief true comfort and hope.

 

We pray for those saddened by disappointment,

by betrayal, or by the failure of something important to them.
May they find healing and hope again.

 

We pray for all who are ill,
and who for those who love them,
for those who have heard fearful news from the doctor
or who worry about their own state of mind.

Bring them peace and the certain comfort of love.

 

We pray for places scourged by violence and war,
for lands where there is poverty and hunger for the powerless,
and for nations where hubris and wealth bring blindness to the needs of others.

 

O Christ, who entered the city in peace and was greeted with joy,
bring your peace and your joy to our world and to your Church,
this day and every day.

 

Silence

 

O God, hear our prayers, spoken and offered in silence.

Show us where we may begin to answer them ourselves

or persuade others to answer them.
And where we can do little, help us to trust in your unfailing love.

In Christ’s name,                                                                                                  Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

May the Christ who came to the city and who provoked a carnival of hosannas

come to your heart, your life, this church and our world, to bring joy and hope.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 20TH

EASTER DAY

Opening Acclamation

Christ is risen!                                                                                                    He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

This is the day that you have made, life-giving God.
Joining with angels and archangels
and with the chorus that is rising throughout all the earth,
we will rejoice and be glad this day.
You take our endings
and you make your new beginnings.
Your surprise and astound us
in places where we expected
that you were absent.
You challenge us to reconsider what is possible.
We give thanks for the gift of Easter
that runs beyond our expectations,
beyond our categories of reason,
even more, beyond the sinking sense of our own lives.

Living Lord,
Saviour Christ,
we praise you,
for you are raised by the power of God and there is a new creation
and, by your grace, we are in it!

Loving God, we confess that at times we do not share in the joy of the resurrection but are caught in the worries of the world. We confess that we do not always live in the spirit of new life but remain discontent, grumbling and anxious.

Forgive us for not sharing in the Good News.

Forgive us when we find it more comfortable to worry and complain than to risk the joy and encouragement of new life in Christ.                                                      Call us back to Your ways, O God,

to seek hope and reconciliation,

restoration and peace.

Assurance of Pardon

Christ is Risen! The stone is rolled away, the tomb found empty.

Mary calls out, “I have seen the Lord!”

We have seen Christ, too, in every helping hand, in every heartfelt gift,

in every choice to restore life in this world.

We are called to this new life, a life of forgiveness and reconciliation.

You are forgiven; accept your forgiveness and know that God loves you

and desires great joy for your life.

Walk forward on this journey of faith,

knowing your brothers and sisters are with you.

Amen.

 

Prayers of Intercession

O God, with faces touched by the light of a new day,

and hearts warmed by our prayers and praises,

we come before you to pray

for the needs of our world.

 

Into the light of Easter morning

we raise those who are struggling with illness,

with despair over their lives, or with

the breakdown of relationships.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

 

Into the light of Easter morning,

we bring those places in our world

where war, violence, poverty and need

are the experiences of everyday life. (These places may be named)

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter morning,

we bring the headline news of this weekend:

we hold in our hearts the pain

of those suffering violence, bereavement or conflict.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

 

And into the light of Easter morning

we bring ourselves, the private struggles,

the heart’s yearnings, the hidden dreams,

the unfulfilled potential.

May the light of Christ shine upon us.

May the light of Christ shine upon us.                                                                    Amen.

Sending Out and Blessing

We have eaten together with the risen Christ.
Go out then, as witnesses of these things.
Attend to your heart,
worship with integrity,
trust in the Lord.
Proclaim forgiveness and healing in his name to all.

May God raise you from death to life,
from brokenness to perfect health;
May Christ Jesus cast out your fear and doubt;
And may the Holy Spirit give your heart joy,
even as the bread and wine give your body life.                                      

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, 

In the name of Christ.                                                                                          Amen.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 27TH

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER - LOW SUNDAY

Call to Worship

 

Christ is risen. Christ is risen, indeed.                                                                    God is alive, new birth is given.                                                                            Hope is alive, a new age is dawning.                                                                    Joy is alive, redemption is here.

Love is alive, death cannot harm us.

We are alive, new life is within us.

The church is alive, God’s spirit is within us.

God of life, we worship you.

God of creation, we praise you.

God of revelation, we learn from you.

God of resurrection, we come to celebrate you.

 

Prayers of Approach and Confession

 

For the gift of faith
which sees beyond the present moment
and looks to an eternity, we thank you.
For the gift of faith
small as a mustard seed, which has power
within its simplicity, we thank you.
For the gift of faith
bestowed on those who would simply come,
hearts open in humility, we thank you.

Creator God,

we confess that at times we are sceptics.

At times we doubt that You exist

because of the evil we have seen in the world.

Oppression, marginalization, and plain hate still plague our world,

and it is hard to see Your love and light.

Sometimes, even those who bear Your name.

do not walk in Your ways.

Help us to see Your goodness in this world.

Help us to know Your love.

Fill us with Your love and goodness,

so that we might love one another,

and lift up one another in faith.

 

Assurance of Pardon

The psalmist says,

“I am sure I shall see the goodness of our God

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong,

and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!”

Know that you do not wait alone.

God has given us one another for this journey of faith,

to help one another.

Know that you do not wait alone;

Christ is with us.

Be encouraged and encourage one another.

Go and share the Good News.                                                                              Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

In the evening when the disciples meet frightened behind locked doors

You come to them with words of peace.

For wicked plots have failed, and the cruelty of the world has come to nothing,

and the betrayal and the denial of friends have not prevailed.

Life-giving God, we give you thanks for Jesus has risen.

He comes to us with words of peace.

 

Come to us today.

In government rooms where politicians meet,

in city board rooms where executives plan,

in court rooms where lawyers debate,

Come with words of peace.

 

In hospital rooms where people are waiting,

in prison cells where people are afraid

in homes where people struggle to make ends meet,

Come with words of peace.

 

Come to us whenever we are afraid,

whenever we are grieving.

Come to us now as we pray in silence

for those we care for and are worried about.

Despite the strong and solid doors we lock

to protect ourselves,

to shut out the world,

Come to us with words of peace.

 

This Easter breathe on us again

with your Spirit for you have overcome evil

and wicked plots fail and the cruelty of the world comes to nothing

and the betrayal and denial of friends do not prevail.

 

Renew us in the power of your Spirit

that we may open the doors

and go out into the world

to bring words of peace to the people we meet.

 

Renew us in the power of your Spirit

that we may have life in your name

and go wherever you send us

in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

 

Jesus says;

Peace be with you,"
"As the Father sent me, so I send you."

No doubt or fear can lock God out of your lives.
Remember that as you leave this place,
sent forward to live by faith.
And may these words echo through your mind, as well:

"Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe."

And all God’s people said, "Amen!"

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 4TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

 

Brothers and sisters.

If you lift your net and it is empty, 
Come here!

We will cast it out again into Christ’s abundance.

If you open your eyes but do not recognize the Holy One, 
Come here!

We will find the Risen Christ here among us.

If your life is filled with mourning, 
Come here!

Christ is leading a dance of joy.

Come here, brothers and sisters!

And give blessing and honour and glory to God!

 

Prayers of Approach and Confession

 

We repeat our Easter shouts of surprise and joy
again and again,
for news of your victory over powers of death and evil
is news so startling, so amazing,
so different from the news that bombards us day by day.

 

Beyond our comprehension
You startle us again and again with resurrection Life,
bringing grace and hope and joy.

You, in your risen power, are shaping all our days,
and so we praise you,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

 

God, empty tombs and risen lords,

stones that have rolled and resurrection,

make it  is easy for some to believe.

For others it is just daft

but for most we wonder,

we wonder what might be possible.

 

God, if love is the greatest power in the universe,

we wonder what might be possible.

If love chooses to carry on loving

even those who try and kill it,

what might be possible?

And if love decides to give of itself

for the sake of others, what might be possible?

 

So in our wonder and our longing

for such a love as this, that changes things,

may we dare to believe in what seems impossible

and dare to live impossible lives

that hope beyond death

but believe in life before death.

 

May we life this kind of love that dares to work for justice

and the fullness of life for everyone, dare to work for peace

and the fullness of peace for everyone

because we believe in love which has become

the most powerful thing in the universe

because it gives of itself.

God, may we make time this season of renewal and life

to wonder and wonder what love might make possible in us.

 

Lord, save us from ourselves.
We continue to do the same things over and over,                                                  expecting different results.

Lord, save us from doing too much.
We go fishing every day,                                                                                    not noticing you waiting with a meal on the beach. 

Lord, save us from doing too little.
We say we love you, and yet so often we neglect your sheep.
Lord, save us from ourselves.
Help us to hear and respond when you say, "Follow Me."                                        Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

Holy Risen One,

Signs of your resurrection

surprise us with their ordinary sacredness.

 

We go about our lives,

not knowing how to live into the new life you promise,

so we do what we know to do,

as the disciples go back to fishing,

we get back to business.

All the while,

in the back of our minds and hearts,

we grieve Your absence,

we miss Your presence.

 

And just as we start to think You were just a dream,

You show up as ordinary yet sacred,

grilling fish on the beach,

offering a small kindness through a stranger on the street,

a simple yet precious moment with a friend,

a tulip blooming in the rain.

 

Help us to remember that everything is different

in the living of our lives

because of You.

 

As we celebrate new life,

we are mindful of the places and peoples and creatures

who suffer in mind, body, and spirit.

 

We are mindful of war-torn countries,

and refugee children who pick scraps of bread off the street to eat…

 

We are mindful for those who deal with the stress

of caring for a loved one

and those whose bodies are racked with disease and sickness.

 

We pause here to remember them.

(pause to name concerns/or silent prayer)

 

Like Paul, make the scales fall from our hearts’ eyes

so that we can see your world in the way You see it. 

Clear our vision,

so that we can love with the love you so freely offer us.

 

In the name of Christ, our brother and friend,

Amen.

 

 

Collect on today`s Gospel

 

God of victory over death,
your Son revealed himself again and again,
and convinced his followers of his glorious resurrection.
Grant that we may know his risen presence,
in love obediently feed his sheep,
and care for the lambs of his flock,
until we join the hosts of heaven in worshiping you and praising him
who is worthy of blessing and honour,
glory and power, for ever and ever.                                                                        Amen.

 

The Dismissal

 

May God bless the world in which you move,

and bless your home and bless your friends.

May God bless the eyes with which you see,

and bless the ears with which you listen.

May God bless the way you use your hands,

bless the way you employ your tongues.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 11TH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

Frayed and frazzled, our lives jangling
with tension and anxiety,
we gather to find that place of peace
which God offers to us.

Awash in worries and doubts,
drowning in a sea of fears,
we gather beside the still waters
where Jesus offers us a cup of grace.

Weakened by the burdens of life,
wandering as if lost in a wilderness,
we gather so the Spirit can restore our souls
and show us the path to the kingdom.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of new life,                                                                                                    of grassy meadows,
of pooling clear waters,
of speckling starry skies,
a great multitude of creatures too many to count;
You shaped us in your image
so we might not ever want,
but we let death anoint us
with sin’s slick temptations.
You sent men and women to us,
who encouraged us to get up
and to return to your side,
but we refused to walk
in the light of your hope.
So you sent Jesus to us,
that we might hear his voice
and believe his plain spoken words.
With those worship you in every moment,
with those who hunger and thirst for you,
we offer thanksgiving and praise.

Whenever we find ourselves
waist deep in stress,
you float us on your living waters
until we are at peace.

As we try to race down
every road and alley
of endless meetings,
you put up a detour sign
directing us to your joy.

When we find ourselves
empty from chasing down
the shadows of sin and death,
you are setting out a picnic
in grace’s garden of delights,
handing us a slice of bread
spread with hope’s sweetness.

Though we try to flee
from the very life we are
longing to discover,
you slow us down until
mercy and goodness can catch
up with us so, hand in hand,
we can race to your house
where we are welcomed
in all the moments to come.

God who shepherds us,                                                                                      you must wonder how long we will continue to live the way we do.                          We snatch hope out of the grasp of those who need it most.                             

Our acts of kindness are offered only to those                                                        we think to be deserving of our generosity.                                                            We gather around to watch endless reality shows,                                                while those whose real lives are filled with struggle and loss are ignored.
Yet you refuse to keep forgiveness a mystery, Gracious God,                                    but offer it to us without any hesitation.

You gather us in the green pastures of mercy, so we might find hope;                      you offer us a drink of the living waters                                                                  so we might become still enough to listen to your heart;                                      you send the Spirit to take us by the hand to lead us on the paths of justice.

Assurance of Pardon

Hear the good news:

God will lead us into places of hope;

God will give us the waters of life to strengthen us;

God will be with us in every moment, in every place of our lives.
Anointed with grace, fed with joy and wonder,

we offer blessing and thanksgiving to the One who forgives us

now and forever.                                                                                                  Thanks be to God.                                                                                                Amen

Prayers of Intercession

Lord, we ask for the courage of the Good Shepherd,

who lays down his life for his sheep.

    We pray for those prepared to suffer

    and even to die for what they believe in.

We pray for those whose lives and rights are sacrificed

in the name of power and greed.

    We pray for those who risk themselves

    by accompanying others along paths of deep suffering,

    through valleys of fear and despair.

Lord we ask for the compassion of the good shepherd

who leads his sheep to safe pasture.

    We pray for those who work to feed and shelter and educate

    the poor peoples of our world.

We pray for those skilled at nursing and healing

those who are suffering or ill In body, mind or spirit.

    We pray for those who care, for the victims of our society,

    those unable to cope with life, the neglected, the abused.

Lord, we ask for the love of the Good Shepherd

who knows his sheep by name.

    We pray for our church, for minister and office bearers,

    for its preachers and teachers and all engaged in pastoral care.

We pray for those we know,

relatives or friends who are facing difficult times.

    We pray for ourselves

    that we might hear the call from our Good Shepherd

    and follow his way of love.

 

We make all our prayers in Christ’s name.                                                              Amen.  

 

The Dismissal

 

Go now with your trust in the good shepherd,
and let us love, not just in words,
but in truth and action.
Believe in the name of Jesus Christ,
and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

And may God be at your side, even in valleys of death.
May Christ Jesus be the cornerstone of your life.
And may the Holy Spirit abide in you
and tend you with love and mercy all the days of your life.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 18TH

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

Jesus offers a new-old commandment,
that we should love each other.

With the incredible power

and the unfathomable depth
of God's love for us
we can
we must
love one another.

And it is in this
our love for one another
that the world will know
whom and what we worship. 

Come, children of God, 

let us love one another.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Loving God, we thank You.
We thank You for your love -
wide, long, high, deep;
amazing, gracious, unmerited, unconditional;
everlasting, steadfast, unchanging, tender.

We thank You for the love of our families -
those closest to us.
Those who see us at our best and our worst.
Those who have shared our good days and our bad.

We thank You for the love of friends -
those we can confide in,
those who are always there for us,
to encourage and support us, to comfort and console us.

We thank You for the love of our brothers and sisters in Christ -
in our congregation and locality,
in our Congregational Federation,
in the Church of Jesus Christ around the world,
who worship with us and pray for us.

Almighty God,
thank You for making us and loving us.
Thank You for putting us into the world but remind us
that the world consists of more than me and us,                                                    but of all Your people everywhere.

Thank You for sending Jesus to live and die for all the world.
Thank You for His victory over death, the victory of Your love.
Thank You for the joy of worship                                                                            and the privilege of telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Lord God, we are on a journey of building together that will honour You.
Through Your Spirit we seek togetherness in the pursuit Christ's mission –
our shared vision for the future.

Lord Jesus,
You love us, each and every one of us.
You love us, no favourites, no partiality.
You love us with a love that is wide and long and high and deep.
You love us.
May we know the extravagance of that love in our hearts and our minds.
You love us.
May we show the extravagance of that love in our love for one another.

Lord Jesus,
forgive us when we let You down –
when we are hateful and not loving;
when we are hurtful and not kind;
when we are selfish and not generous;
when we are prejudiced and not impartial.

Lord Jesus,
Grant that we may love You wholeheartedly,
and love one another as You love us,
that everyone may know that we are Your disciples
Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

How wondrous is your great forgiving love, mighty God!

How wondrous is your life-giving power!

With joy we revel in the glow of the sun this day,

and we wonder at the life everlasting

that you have opened for us in raising Jesus from the dead.

 

As people born of his Spirit,

we are awakened to a world that is caught still

in the night-shades of sin,

and broken by its suffering.

 

And here, in the midst of all death,

we long to bring life;

we would see Jesus,

and we would lift him up

as a beacon of your love and promise to our world.

Hear our prayers for those who are suffering this day—

the hungry and homeless,

the sick and imprisoned,

the angry, the lonely and lost.

We pray that you would not let our concern pass from our hearts

as these words pass from our lips,

but rather that you would empower us to do your work

of healing and reconciliation in their lives.

 

We especially lift to you this day

all those who are close to our hearts,

whose needs we are so often reminded of,

and for ourselves in our own needs.

 

As you made a fearful and disjointed band of disciples

into your holy church,

we pray that you would make us anew,

that we, your body in our world,

would serve you in joy and hope and thankfulness

all the days of our life together in Christ Jesus our Lord,

in whose glorious name we pray.

 

 

The Dismissal

May the sincerity of your worship and of your love for each other
provide evidence to the world of the power of Christ,
and may you be recognised as a living examples of Christ's love.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 25TH

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

 

Call to Worship  

The Risen Christ is amongst us                                                                            breathing new vision into our imaginations;                                                          breathing new hope into our hearts,                                                                      breathing new purpose into our actions.

Risen Christ, with all that is in us,                                                                          we raise our voices to praise you!

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,                                                              for you lead us to the holy city

where the water of life flows from the throne of the lamb. 

It was you who stirred up the waters of chaos and with a word,

brought forth the earth and blessed it with generous harvests.                               

Through the law and prophets you lead all peoples with justice.                             

In your child, Jesus, you have made your home with us,                                          and spoken your words to us.                                                                                In him, you have revealed your ways                                                                    and opened our hearts to know your salvation.                                                      Though he was killed by those who love falsehood,                                            you raised him to glory and made him our temple and our light.                             

You have sent your Holy Spirit to us, to teach us everything,

reminding us of the ways of Jesus

and anointing us to bring healing to the nations.

Lord, the noise of our own self-importance fills this world,

deafening us to your words, blinding us to the possibilities you lay before us

and closing our minds to the miracles you want to work in our lives.

We take at face value the accepted knowledge of the world, failing to open ourselves to your infinite grace and healing gifts.

At a time when conflicts are increasing,

when world neighbours turn against each other,

when a decision taken in one country causes terror and grief in another,

open our ears to hear your voice.

Where the world speaks words of hate and war
Let your words of peace and reconciliation be heard

Where the world speaks words of sorrow and despair
Let your words of comfort and hope be heard

Where the world speaks words of sickness and mourning
Let your words of healing and strength be heard

Where the world speaks words of selfishness and self-reliance
Let your words of love for one another be heard

Where the world speaks … let us instead listen to you, Lord,
and hear your words of grace and forgiveness in our lives every day.                        Amen                                      

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

Holy One, Jesus asked the man by the Sheep Pool, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ We bring to you places in our lives and world which are in need of healing.                     

We pray for courage for humanity,                                                                      to pick up our mats and walk towards the healing you set before us.

We bring to you the earth as temperatures rise and species disappear;

Holy One, grant us the courage to pick up our mats and walk together towards healing and justice for the earth.

We bring to you places in the world which are disfigured by the violence of war;

Holy One, grant us the courage to pick up our mats and walk together towards peace and healing for war torn lands and societies.

We bring to you people who are suffocating from poverty;

Holy One, grant us the courage to pick up our mats and walk together towards a culture of generosity and systems of equity.

We bring to you people who are ill in body and in mind and all who care for them;

Holy One, grant us the courage to pick up our mats and walk together with all who are ill towards a community of support, shared resources and wholeness for all.

Jesus you ask us: Do we want to be well?                                                              Grant us the courage to receive the strength and opportunities you offer                  to follow your way, that all may be healed and know abundant life.                         

These prayers we ask in Jesus' name.                                                                    Amen

 

The Dismissal

Go now and walk in the light of God’s glory.                                                            Love Christ and keep his word.                                                                              Do not let your hearts be troubled but lead others to the waters of life.

May God’s face shine on you with favour;                                                              May Christ Jesus mark you out as his own;                                                            May the Holy Spirit lead you into all truth and peace.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 1ST

ASCENSION SUNDAY

Call to Worship

 

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 Thanksgiving and Confession

 

Almighty God,

We come today reminded of your greatness and glory,

your sovereign power and eternal purpose

all expressed so wonderfully in Jesus Christ, our Lord:

Risen and Ascended.

 

We thank you for the wonder of Ascension,

that marvellous yet mysterious moment

in the life of the Apostles

which left them gazing heavenwards in confusion

yet departing in joy.

 

We thank you for the way that it brought the earthly ministry of Jesus

to a fitting conclusion;

signifying his oneness with you,

and demonstrating your final seal of approval

on all that he had done.

We thank you that through his Ascension

Jesus is now set free to be Lord of all:

no longer bound to a particular place or time,

but with us always - able to reach even to the ends of the earth.

 

We thank you that through his departing,

Jesus prepared for his coming again:

through his Spirit,

his Church,

and his coming again in glory.

 

Gracious God,

Forgive us for so often failing

to grasp the wonder of Ascension,

for living each day as though it had never been.

Forgive the smallness of our vision,

the narrowness of our outlook,

the weakness of our love,

the nervousness of our witness,

our repeated failure to recognize

the fullness of your revelation in Christ.

Give us a deeper sense of wonder,

a stronger faith,

and a greater understanding of all you have done.

 

Father God,

Like the Apostles,

we too will never fully understand

all Ascension means.

We accept, but we do not fully understand.

We believe, yet we have many questions.

Help us, despite our uncertainty,

to hold firm to the great truth

that the wonder of Christ Jesus goes far beyond

anything we can ever imagine,

and in that faith may we live each day

to his glory and honour.                                                                                        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.   

 

We pray for those who are persecuted, who are discriminated against,

who are mocked because of their faith or race or colour.

 

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.

 

We pray for those who are destitute, who are hungry, who are refugees,

because of the selfishness and apathy of the world.

 

We pray for those who are filled with guilt, who are broken-hearted,

who are perplexed, because a relationship has gone wrong.

 

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.

 

We pray for those who are numbed, who are angry, who are desolate,

because they have been bereaved.

 

We pray for those caught up in war,

and violence, and hatred;

especially the innocent victims of these evils. 

 

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.

 

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 Dismissal

 

Go out into the world.
and in your words and in your lives
bear witness to the Christ who has ascended
to be everywhere present.
And as you come to know him,
may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
may Christ Jesus lift up his hands and bless you,
and may the Spirit open to you all the riches of Christ’s inheritance.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 8TH

PENTECOST SUNDAY

Call to Worship

God of wind and fire,
When you send your Spirit, we are created anew.
God of mighty oceans and still waters,
When we receive your baptism, we are born anew.
God of bread and wine,
When we eat at your table, we are nourished anew.
So pour out your Spirit
Let sacred waters flow
Fill us with holy food.
May our hearts and our hands be open wide
to receive your gifts of life.                                                                                  Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We thank You, Amazing God,
for all You do all around us!
You plant the seeds which
blossom into food and flowers;
You stir the breezes to cool us
on warm, summer days;
You float the snowflakes through the air,
so children can build snowmen;
You feed the humpback whales in the oceans
and the hummingbirds at feeders.

We thank You, Friend of the fearful,
for all You do for your family!
You whisper in our ears 
of God's love for us, and
challenge us to be as daring
in caring for those around us;
You share the Spirit with us,
knowing there will be those moments
when we need a Comforter, and
those days when we look for an Advocate
to be on our side against evil.

We thank You, Spirit of Pentecost,
for all You do in these moments!

You send flames of hope to dance
upon those whose hearts are frozen
with fear and doubts;
You breathe new life into all
who have come to believe
there is no future for them;
You break into our closed-off souls
to fill us with joy beyond imagination
and peace which transforms us.

We look for tongues of fire to dance upon us, God of Pentecost,                            but hold only the ashes of our broken promises.                                                  We long to speak simply and clearly so that everyone, everywhere,                          might understand Your love for them,                                                                    but we scatter our words to the wind with our inability to care for others.                We want You to show us the secrets of the kingdom, never noticing they are revealed in the songs of children,

the memories of older folks,

the dreams of the young all around us.           

Have mercy on us, and pour out Your Spirit, God of amazing days.                    When we pull the shutters of our souls shut,  

fling them open with the breath of wonder.

When we turn out all the lights and huddle in the shadows of fear,                        illumine our hearts with the dancing flames of the Spirit's joy.

When we find it impossible to come up with the language of love,

pour Your Word, Jesus Christ, into our emptiness so we may fill others.

Assurance of Pardon 

Hear the good news for us.  God pours the Spirit upon us in these moments.            The Spirit which comforts us, which encourages us,

which transforms us through God's grace.
Thanks be to God! 

The Spirit brings us peace, comforts our hearts and fills us with hope.

We are forgiven and made new.                                                              

Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Come, Holy Spirit,
and fill us with Your love.

Open our eyes to see the presence of God all around us,
in the stillness of this sacred space,
in the busyness and noise of our city streets,
in the joys and celebrations of our lives,
in the tragedies and struggles that break our hearts.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and comfort those who grieve.
Grant them the peace that only You can bring.
Stir within us a trust in life beyond death,
as we ponder the mysteries of Christ’s resurrection
and the hope we have in new and everlasting life.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and bring wholeness to the sick.
Strengthen those who are weak;
heal the wounded and broken;
give rest to the weary.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and inspire our warring world to seek peace,
to love our enemies,
to put away our weapons,
to remember the price paid for our freedom,
to care for those who have served.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and ignite a fire in our bones,
a passion for justice that cannot be quenched
until all of Your children are loved,
until no one is marginalized or oppressed,
until everyone has the opportunity to thrive,
until the world is transformed and renewed.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and revive Your church.
Liberate us from complacency and apathy;
inspire us with Christ’s vision for a world reborn;
help us to recognize our gifts for ministry
and to use them in service of others;
transform our hearts and our minds;
fill us with love that overflows;
remind us that there is no greater calling
than to love You with all that we are
and to love our neighbours as ourselves.

Gracious God,
give us a glimpse of Your kingdom
emerging around us
and drawing us into the new things
You are doing in the world.
It is for Your kingdom that we now pray,
in the power of Your Spirit,                                                                                    Amen.

 

The Dismissal

As you enter a new week,

may you experience God’s presence. 

May you feel God pouring out the Holy Spirit

over your heads and your thoughts and the words of your lips,

over your hearts and your feelings and emotions

and your compassion for all others,

and over your hands and your feet

as you put into action all that God commands you. 

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 15TH     

TRINITY SUNDAY

Call to Worship

Trinity of love,
Father, Son and Spirit,
Holy God, Three Yet One,
We worship You in spirit and in truth.

God our maker,
Jesus our redeemer,
Spirit our comforter,

We worship You in spirit and in truth.

Way of all being
Truth of all knowing
Life of all things
We worship You in spirit and in truth.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Loving God,
Your glory fills the whole earth.
When we look at the skies, the stars, the moon,
we see Your power and beauty.
And yet, You care about us.
You care about the things that trouble us.
You care about our families and our situations.
You welcome us into Your presence,
and we are thankful to be here to worship You today.
Help us to lay aside anything that hinders us from knowing You,
and focus our minds on Jesus.

Forgive us Lord where we have failed to love You,
where we have failed to love others as You love them.
Thank You that through the death of Jesus on the cross
You have paid the price for our sins.

Thank You, Lord,
for the gift of life and this world You created.
You made us with love and gave each one of us a special place in Your world.
You never leave us alone and You are so very close to us.
We thank You Lord.

Almighty God,
We thank You for Your wisdom, a wisdom that the world cannot give,
but a wisdom You offer to us so freely.
Forgive us when we have ignored Your wisdom and followed an artificial wisdom of our own – one that has led us to be selfcentred,

uncaring, ignorant of You and even to be downright foolhardy.
Your real wisdom helps us to make right decisions – ones that bring glory to You.

May we shun worldly wisdom and always look to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
for guiding us along a more noble path – one that will help to grow Your kingdom and to see the increase of Your glory.
We ask this in the Name of Jesus,                                                                          Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

"What are humans that You are mindful of them,
mortals that You care for them?" (Psalm 8:4)

Loving God,
You are our maker, our redeemer and our sustainer.
You care for all living things,
and Your wisdom surpasses anything that we can understand or create ourselves.

In our making and creating,
may we be inspired by Your Spirit –
that all we make may be filled with grace and mercy,
that everything we build may be life-giving and just,
that all we offer to others, may be good and true.

God of love,
You have poured Your love into our hearts.
May we be filled to overflowing and in compassion and generosity,
share Your love with all.
Lord God, in our afflictions will You tend us, Your children,
that we may not only endure, but know life in all its fulness.

We hold before You now,
all who are hurting,
all who are afraid,
all who have had their dignity torn and infringed,
all who have no access to the means they need                                                      to live safely and without persecution.

God of peace,
You have poured Your peace into our hearts.
May we be filled to overflowing and in compassion and generosity,
share Your peace with all.
that we may not only know peace but be peace makers.

We hold before You now,
all of our struggles and opposition,
all of the violence in this world,
all who are oppressed or victims to war or exploitation,
all who have had any agency ripped from them and need Your protection.

God of hope,
You have poured Your hope into our hearts.
May we be filled to overflowing
and in compassion and generosity, share Your hope with all.

 

Lord God, in all that we long for,
may we know Your Spirit guiding us
that we may work for the coming of Your kingdom                                                  and that Your will may be done on earth as in heaven.

Trinity of love,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
may You be glorified in all that we say and do.                                                        Amen.

 

The Dismissal

Father of Glory,
as we go, may we rejoice in the peace and hope found in You.

Jesus, King of Glory,
may the abundance of Your blessings become fully alive in us and through us.

Spirit of Glory,
flood us with authentic and hopeful love,                                                                so that it overflows to all whom we meet.

The Blessing and joy of the Lord;
be with us all.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 22ND

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

God asks, “Why are you here?”
Because we need God like a deer needs water.
God asks, “Why are you here?”
Because we want to hear the story of what Jesus has done for us.
God asks, “Why are you here?”
Because we are heirs of God’s promise. Praise be to God!

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
and openly declare how much you have done for us.

Since the day you brought the earth to birth,
you have been present in the sounds of sheer silence,
where deep roars to deep;
and through your law and prophets
you guarded us and kept us from destruction.

When we were imprisoned in condemnation,
chained and shackled by demons too many to name,
you sent your light and truth
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He drove our tormentors into the abyss
and reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.

When he was crucified,
you raised him to new life
and plunged us into his death, burial and resurrection.
Now you feed us with bread and wine
so that we might have strength for the journey
to the holy mountain where you make your home.

Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gracious God who sees beyond what we cover up,

we confess what controls us

and causes us to live in tombs of fear and loneliness.  

Addiction, selfishness, guilt drive us beyond our coping

and we need your power to cast them out.  

Even as they leave us,

our sins have power to drive pigs into the seas

and linger in our lives.  

Clothe us with peace and acceptance

so that we may accept your gift of forgiveness.

Return us to the people you created us to be.  

Assurance of Pardon

You are no longer judged and condemned by the law,
for in Christ Jesus, you are children of God through faith.
You are clothed with Christ.
You are heirs of the promises of God.

Thanks be to God!                                                                                                Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

My God, my God, come close to your people!

You come to us to rescue us from powers that are too great for us.

Come to the help of all who face trouble or danger today.

O Lord our help, come quickly to our aid!

 

O Lord, you bind us together as brothers and sisters, beloved in Christ.

Fill our hearts, our lives, and our voices with your praise,

and make us bold to proclaim your name to all people.

 

O Lord, we lift up those who are close to us who face trouble,

especially those who are sick, sorrowing, or confused.

Send forth your healing and restoring love.

 

O Lord, we pray for those who are poor, hungry, or homeless,

who are closer to us than many of us realize.

Open our hands to share what we have,

and open our hearts to share in relationship.

O Lord, we lift up those who are close to us who face trouble,

especially those who are sick, sorrowing, or confused.                                            Send forth your healing and restoring love.

O Lord, we pray for those who are poor, hungry, or homeless,

who are closer to us than many of us realize.

Open our hands to share what we have,

and open our hearts to share in relationship.

 

O Lord, we pray for all who are entrusted with power

over nations, corporations, and the powers of the world,

that their decisions might honour you and seek the welfare of all people.

 

O Lord, we pray for all the generations:                                                                with thanksgiving for those who have gone before us and enjoy your eternal rest; and with hope for those who will follow us,

to whom we must still proclaim your salvation.

Keep your church faithful in every age.                                                                  O Lord our help, come quickly to our aid!

These prayers we offer in Jesus` name,                                                                Amen.

 

The Dismissal

Having witnessed the transformative power of Jesus,                                              go forth and live as new creations,                                                                        clothed in righteousness and walking in the freedom that Christ offers.                    Let your changed lives be a beacon of hope to a world in darkness.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 29TH

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

Great is our God and greatly to be praised!
The whole earth reflects God’s power and might.
When we recall the wonders of God’s creation….
We rejoice at the awesome complexity of it all.
Lord, you have brought us up from fear to hope.
Let us worship and praise God for all God’s faithfulness.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

 

We give You all thanks and praise, O God,
for You alone are holy,
and there are no other gods that compare with You.

With thanksgiving we recall Your awesome deeds,
Your wonders of old,
when You brought forth the earth from the churning chaos;
when You parted the waters and led your people to freedom;
when Your chariot of fire carried your prophet to glory.

And especially we recall
how you sent Your child, Jesus Christ,
who proclaimed your Kingdom among us.
When He was crucified by those who refused to accept Him,
You raised him to Life,
and through Him,
gave us a double portion of Your Spirit.
He has rescued us from slavery,
called us to follow in His ways,
and set us free to bear the fruit of Your Holy Spirit,
in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer You thanks and praise at all times.

We struggle to manifest the fruits of the Spirit,

but often find ourselves bound by works of the flesh.

We know the whole law is summed up

in the single commandment

to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Yet we create fences around ourselves to keep neighbours outside

and tell ourselves we have no responsibility.

Even in our own back yard we “bite and devour” one another.

We wish it were different.

When Jesus calls us to follow Him,

we find every excuse to instead go home

or to the workplace to finish something more important first.

Yet we yearn to be more centred on You.

 

Assurance of Pardon

 

Despite our resistance,

we can be assured that God’s strong arm redeems His people.

God calls us back to His Kingdom and encourages us

with a love we can never lose no matter how hard we push back,

no matter how often we forget, no matter how far we stray.

We need but ask and we are forgiven.                                                                  

Thanks be to God.                                                                                                Amen.

 

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

For all the blessings of this life,
we give thanks to You, Creator God.
For families, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and strangers,

who nurture us, that the love of God may grow within.

That Your love, Your Word, like a seed,

may grow to produce in us, good fruit.

 

For the leaders of various nations and cities,

that they may lead with strong hearts and gentle hands and generous spirits,

with compassion and mercy, with wisdom and grace.
May they reflect Your will guiding all their actions and decisions.

For those who serve in harms way,
those who live in dangerous places,
those who live in areas of war and strife,
those who live in fear,

those who worry about employment, bills, food,

and struggle just to find dignity in life.
May Your grace bring peace and safety to all people, one to another.

For those who suffer from any illness or dis-ease

of mind, body, or spirit.
Restore these, and all those we carry in our hearts, to fullness of health—
health as only You, O God, can bring.
May Your mercy shower each of us with healing mercy and love.

For those who are dying, and for those who have died.

Send forth Your comforting love.
Give solace to those who mourn.
Console those who grieve.
May Your grace surround us

like a mantle upon our heads,
a shawl upon our shoulders,
a hand, to hold our hand.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,                                                                                                            Amen.

 

The Dismissal

 

Go out into the world in peace.

Live as those who have already passed from death to life.

Give aid and be willing to receive it, trust and be trusted,

forgive and be forgiven, give respect and be respected,

love and be willing to be loved.

 

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 6TH

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

Sing praises to the LORD,
and give thanks to God’s holy name
for the LORD our God has healed us
when we cried for help
and restored us in times of deepest despair.
The LORD has turned our sorrow into dancing;
taken our sackcloth from us,and clothed us with joy.
Sing to the LORD without end,
and give thanks to the LORD forever. 

Eternal and ever present God,
sustain and excite our gathered community;
arouse our expectancy;
subdue our expectations.
Come, silent Spirit, and embrace us.
Let the words we see and hear and speak and sing
be transformed by the Word made flesh, 
that our worship may be wholly yours, Lord God.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of healing and wholeness,                                                                              we come with thanksgiving in our hearts for all the evidence of your goodness and mercy - found not only in stories of old, but in lives today. 

Lives bruised with tragedy find consolation when touched by your gracious Spirit;  lives scarred with suffering and rejection

have hope renewed through the power of the living Christ. 

We praise and adore you for hearts and lives transformed by your grace                and mercy and we pray that our lives will reflect your great acts of kindness.

Arouse in us we pray, a love like yours

so that we reach out to this wounded and troubled world                                      with the compassion of Christ, proclaiming the gospel with integrity                        to friends and strangers alike. 

O God, we know that Jesus sent out his disciples

without purse, luggage, or sandals. 

All too often, we find ourselves clinging to possessions we don’t need,

looking for safety by avoiding risk,

and bearing heavy burdens that slow us down. 

Forgive us for our reluctance to travel lightly and heal us of our pain and guilt.

Holy One, the Apostle Paul encouraged the Galatians not to grow weary,

but to use every opportunity to work for the good of all. 

And yet, hectic schedules, competing demands, cynicism, and doubt

erode our commitment and leave us feeling burned out. 

Forgive us for any hollow excuses we are tempted to make

and heal us of our exhaustion.

O God, we confess that, like the warrior Naaman,

we sometimes think you only perform great complicated acts

in flashy and dramatic ways. 

We then fail to see how you are at work

in the simple tasks and ordinary experiences of everyday life. 

Forgive us for our misunderstanding and heal us of our sightlessness.          

Assurance of Pardon

 

There is no pain that God cannot heal. 

There is no wrong that God cannot forgive. 

Come, immerse yourselves in the healing waters of God’s forgiveness. 

Come and be restored.  Let God make you whole.

Thanks be to God! 

Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

 

Creating God, you reveal yourself through Jesus Christ,

Your Word, ever fresh for us,

always healing and reconciling,

moving us on through the Holy Spirit.

Be with us now as we bring before you the needs of our world.

 

We pray, Creating God, for peace,

peace where there is warfare,

justice where there is crime,

love where there is hatred.

May Your Church be an agent of peace and reconciliation.

 

Enfleshed Lord Jesus,

Your call to us continues

to proclaim Your coming kingdom,

to forgive those we hate,

to bring your love and healing where all seems gloomy.

Bless us as we seek to serve You in the world,

bless those who use these buildings week after week,

those who walk past searching for You,

those who’ve popped in to explore,

and those who seek You.

Help Your Church to be agent of proclamation

pointing to You and Your unquenchable love.

 

Most Holy Spirit

You drive us out beyond our comfort zones,

beyond the boundaries of our time,

to see Your dance in creation,

Your love at work where we least expect,

and Your judgement on our unjust structures and institutions.

Fill Your Church with zeal to proclaim the Gospel,

an agent of Your grace exposing and fighting injustice,

calling the world to find, in You, rest for their restless hearts. 

 

Eternal Trinity of Love,

Hold in Your love those we now remember in the silence of our hearts…

 

God, in your mercy, hear these our prayers                                                            which we offer in Jesus` name.                                                                            Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

 

Go forth from this place refreshed and empowered

to do the ministry to which God calls you:

Travel lightly, for you carry within you all that you need. 

Notice God’s presence in simple, everyday experiences. 

Whenever opportunity arises, labour for the good of all. 

 

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 13TH                                                                                FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

 

We are called to love the Lord our God.

We are called to love with all our heart and soul.

We are called to love the Lord our God.

We are called to love with all our mind and strength.

We are called to love the Lord our God

And we are called to love our neighbour as ourselves.

 Come, let us love our God

and share God’s love in this time of worship!

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

 

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise

for all that you have done for us.

 

We thank you for the splendour of the whole creation,

for the beauty of this world,

for the wonder of life,

and for the mystery of love.

 

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends,

and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

 

We thank you for setting us at tasks

which demand our best efforts,

 and for leading us to accomplishments

which satisfy and delight us.

 

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures

that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

 

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ;

for the truth of his Word and the example of his life;

for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation;

for his dying, through which he overcame death;

and for his rising to life again,

in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Grant us the gift of your Spirit,

that we may know him and make him known;

and through him, at all times and in all places,

may give thanks to you in all things.

 

They may not be beaten down or lying by the road,

but there are people we pass by, Watching God.

Some are family and friends we take so much for granted

we cannot see how we have stripped them of our love and compassion.

Others are neighbours:

who have been left half-dead by crushing work;

who have fallen into the hands of despair;

who have been abandoned by all those who walked on by them.

Many are strangers, people we don't know,

but quickly judge: they are weak,

or poor, or the enemy

or because they remind us of who

we once were, or could become.

 

Rescue us from the power of our sins,

Righteous One of all generations.

Pour out your justice on us,

rather than your judgement,

that we would be moved with pity,

and spurred to action;

that we would hear of the hope that is ours,

and share it with our brothers and sisters;

that we would shower mercy on all we meet,

even as we have received forgiveness for our sins

through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.                                                            Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

God of love, give us a deep love for you,

so that we can see the world as you see it,

feel the compassion you feel,

and be a people whose lives mediate your love to others.

 

So open our eyes that we might see what the Good Samaritan saw.

Grant us the insight to see the need in others,

the wisdom to know what to do, and the will to do it.

 

And so we pray for all those, who in many and various ways,

have been stripped, beaten and left for dead.

 

We pray for children who must grow up

in the most awful of circumstances,

especially for those starved of love, or food, or shelter or security.

May they receive the future you have planned for them.

 

We pray for those we might cross the road to avoid.

Who have been excluded socially because of their race,

their financial status, or their history.

May the dignity that is theirs be restored to them.

 

We pray for those whose need we would rather not face up to,

because it requires action of us,

those who suffer atrocities because of war, unjust trade rules,

or oppressive governments.

May the world receive a true picture of their suffering

and the factors that cause it, that justice may be done.

 

Open our eyes, that we might not cross the road from human need.

Give us a deep love for you,

that we might see your love at work in this world,

and that we might Go and do likewise.                                                                Through Jesus Christ our Lord,                                                                              Amen.

 

The Dismissal

 

Hear this: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
Therefore go out into the world
and love the Lord your God 
with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
and love your neighbour as you love yourself.

 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 20TH

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens,

come to me and I will give you rest.

Take the yoke I give you.

Put it on your shoulders and learn from me.

I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.

This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

 

Christ calls us to come to worship
To rest from the things that are troubling us
To learn what Christ can teach of life
To realise what we can offer to others
And so to return into the world to serve
Let us worship God.

 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have revealed to us the mystery,
hidden throughout the ages,
which is Christ in us, the hope of glory.

In him, you created heaven and earth,
and in him, all things are held together.
Through your law and prophets you called us to your ways,
and when you saw the needy trampled and the poor ruined,
you punished us with a famine of hearing your word.

But in Christ, your image made visible,
you have reached out even to those who did evil,
calling us to sit at your feet
and listen to your words of peace.
When his blood was poured out in death on the cross,
you raised him as firstborn from the dead,
reconciling all things to yourself in him
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.

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.

 

Worn out and irritated by the work we think we must do,

we miss opportunities to receive the gifts that such guests offer us. 

Forgive us, O God, for focusing on the wrong things. 

Show us how to do what is right.

God,

for everything there is a time,

and time is now our most precious commodity.

Our clocks are always running.

From birth to death:

during times of joy and sorrow:

work and play:

business and pleasure:

speech and silence:

worship and church activities:

tick, tock, tick, tock.

We are like Martha,

with our long to-do lists.

Slow us down Lord,

and for now simply remind us that

only one thing is needful,

that we be still before you

and know that you are God.

 

Assurance of Pardon

Though we were once estranged from God,
Christ has now reconciled us in his own body,
so as to present us holy, blameless and irreproachable
into the presence God.

Brothers and Sisters,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.                                                                                                        Thanks be to God.                                                                                            Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Our God, we give you thanks:

For those who have gone before us and from whose questions,

struggles and wisdom we benefit.

Thank you for the Mary and Martha’s of our life and our church.

 

Our God, we give you thanks that it is not all about us,

that you continue to care and to love

and to create possibilities of redemption and new life

not only here among us but throughout your world.

Help us get over ourselves enough

to be able to sit in your presence, like Mary.

Help us to carry that same spirit or curiosity and discovery beyond these walls into the world in which we serve and which you love.

So let us, in your name, dare to hope;

for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and wherever there is war.

That none will go to sleep hungry and none lack shelter.

That you can draw near even to us and those we know who are in need, especially the sick, the bereaved, the lonely and the sad.

We dare to believe that we and all for whom we have prayed,                     

are held by your love, a love which will never let us go.                                  These prayers we offer in Jesus` name.                                                                Amen.

 

 

The Dismissal

Go now, trusting in God’s love forever
and always giving thanks.
Do not be worried or distracted,
nor shift from the hope promised in the gospel,
but choose the better way,
uprooting injustice
and proclaiming Christ with all wisdom.                                                                        

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 27TH

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

 

Scripture Sentence

"He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)

Opening Prayer 

O God, the protector of all who trust in You,
without You nothing is strong, nothing is holy.
Increase and multiply upon us Your mercy,
that with You as our ruler and guide
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not the things eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,                                                                              Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,                                                  one God, now and for ever and ever.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Most Holy God,
we take this moment to pause, and wonder, and bless.
Your greatness balanced by Your nearness.
Your judgment balanced by Your mercy.
How we should praise You!

As we still ourselves before Your majesty, and wait in awe,
yet we are also bold to lift up our eyes
to see You, face to face.
We call You our King, our Saviour, our Inspiration, our Friend.
Too often we rush by and fail to take that time
to marvel and exclaim at the wonder of this world,
the intricacy of creation,
the abundance of good things You have given us to enjoy and to share.

This day, Lord, we sing Your praises!
This day, Lord, we rejoice in Your generosity!
This day, Lord, we are glad You continue to reach out to us, even us, with love.

Forgiving God,
it does not take us long to stumble from the high peak of praise,
to the low valley of brokenness as the awareness our sin
engulfs like darkening cloud.
Not only the major flaws in our character,
but the petty triviality that trips us daily.
Forgive us the hasty word, the harsh thought,
the too-easy judgment, the spiteful action.
Why, with all the potential You have knitted into our souls,
do we, so easily, slip into bad habit, shameful action,
unhealthy obsession, lazy forgetfulness?

O gracious God, have mercy on us.
Forgive us, remake us, redeem us, restore us.
When all seems lost beyond hope,
yet still You reach out in tenderness and kindness
to make that difference in our hearts and souls and minds,
to reinstate the broken relationship,
to give us the second chance we sorely need.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

 

The Lord`s Prayer

 

Prayers of Intercession

Eternal God,
we may only see our small corner of this earth,
You will see the whole expanse of countless universes,
yet we are called to bring our prayers
not only for ourselves,
but for those around us.

In a world fraught with fear and violence and greed,
we pray that darkness is driven out by the light
of compassion, of open-handedness, and of peace.
Let these not be mere words we pray,
but words we put into action through our support
of causes and charities and individuals who make it
their mission to be the light-bearers in every darksome place.

We pray today for the healers who practice their gentleness
in every hurt place of heart and soul and body.
Where the encouraging word, and the unflinching compassion
brings hope like a cleansing flame into every wound.

We pray today for the teachers whose gift of thinking and words
enrich our mind and help us grow and develop and mature.
Especially today we thank You for those who taught us to pray,
who formed the ideas and the rhythms and cadences
that to this day give texture, colour and shape
to the relationship we have with You, our living God.

We pray for our King and country, and all who are called
to be the decision-makers in our society at every level.
For politicians and economists. For artists and scientists.
For farmers and business owners.
For those who provide our energy and secure our safety.

We pray for our world in its beauty and fragility,
the astonishing resources, and the unsustainable demands we make on them.
As we seek to form a new relationship with You, our God, and with
our sisters and brothers,
let us also seek to form a new relationship with this Earth we call our home.
Nurturing it, tending it, stewarding its beauty and energy,
not only for ourselves, but also for the generations still to come.

O Holy God,
so much to pray for; one prayer is not enough,
so may our pledge this day be to offer new prayers
each morning, each night,
as we revel in Your presence, humble ourselves in Your mercy,
strengthen ourselves in Your love.
Through Christ our Saviour and Lord.
Amen

 

The Dismissal

Into every relationship that is dear to us,
into every relationship that is hard for us,
send health, and steadiness, and hopefulness,
modelled upon the relationship You, loving God, have with us.

The Grace

 

SUNDAY PRAYERS AUGUST 3RD

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

We each have a right to be here,

a right not based on our righteousness

but on God’s free grace.

O give thanks to our God who is good,

whose saving love endures forever.

Let those who are redeemed by God declare it,

rescued from trouble and gathered from many lands;

From the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south,

give thanks to God who is always good!

Prayers of Approach and Confession

Gracious God,
faithful and true,
Your Spirit is the Life Force in everything that is.
From the beginning of the world You have been at work,
creating, designing, imagining,
with such beauty and intricate detail –
honey bees to moons, wild grass to incredible people –
all a labour of love in every moment of every day You give us,
as clouds shift formation,
tides rise and recede,
little children say new words and play new games. How dependable You are, God,
keeping us right in the ever-changing seasons around us and within –
storm and calm, harmony and upset,
You never walk out on us.

So, if today is a turbulent time in our hearts;
if we are sitting with anger against ourselves or someone else;
if there is disquiet, robbing us of peace or making us feel isolated…
forgive us and help us,
come near with Your faithful love,
for You see our secret hurts;
You know our unspoken regrets. Merciful God,

we live in a society that focuses on gathering things.

We collect, store, gather items, gadgets, even people.

We focus our energies on our collections

providing adequate room for them

and yet we bar the door to the needs of others,

of those who have little or nothing,

of those for whom life has been a constant struggle.

We are sorry for the ways in which we have failed you.

Forgive us.

Turn us around to look at the ways in which our wealth,

both of substance and spirit,

can be used for healing and hope.

Enable us to be in ministry to those in need

and to care for this world.

All this we pray in Jesus' name,
our friend and our Saviour,
Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Jesus,
what an inheritance we have from You!
Not money or land or property
but Your Holy Spirit,
Your seal of belonging,
Your indwelling fountain and fire.
Thank You that He prays for us as we pray for our world!

Today we pray especially
for people who are agonising over the difficulties of succession –
passing on a family farm, a business, a charity,
looking for new leaders,
hoping for work to continue and reputations to be upheld,
or for the end of an era to be positive even as it is painful.
We ask for Your wisdom and Your courage
to be with those handing on their life's work
and those newly inheriting, whether gladly or with trepidation.

Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for families and for governments
caught up in blame and recriminations
over what was handed on to them
or what they are watching other relatives or nations do.
Awaken Your Spirit in the hearts of those whose behaviour wreaks destruction
and sends progress backwards.
Embolden their closest confidantes not to collude with bitterness or bullying,
but to be role models of compassion and humility.

Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the wealthy – rich individuals, rich organisations, rich nations –
stir them into looking far beyond their own comfort
and allowing what they have to serve Your sense of fairness.

Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those troubled by thoughts of mortality,
despairing that more of life is behind than ahead,
despondent at the felt decline of body and mind.
Let dancing and mourning join hands,
let the aging grow young on the inside, becoming childlike and free.

Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

These and all the prayers we carry for others and our world today,
we offer in deep trust,
to You our Friend and Saviour,
Jesus Christ,
Amen.

The Dismissal

God of Ecclesiastes,
walk with you in your searching
and when you despair.
God of the Psalmist,
walk with you in your encouraging
and when you accept life is limited.
God of the irate brother,
walk with you in your resenting
and when you grasp at false securities.
God of the rich fool,
walk with you in your presuming
and when you are too sure of yourselves.
God of the church in all ages,
walk with you in your relinquishing
and when you are renewed over and over
by His tenacious loving.
God bless you, and send you out from here,
walking with you in all your nights and days.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS AUGUST 10TH

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

God has called us like Moses in the wilderness,

the prophets in the hills, and the disciples in the cities.

They shared their blessings so that we might know God’s presence here.

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.

Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

 

Prayers of Approach and Confession

God our Father,                                                                                                    It was faith which made them
listen to your words,
trust in your promises,
dare to imagine a different country,
risk undertaking new adventures,
setting aside their fears and doubts.
Give us such faith,
God of our ancestors,
give us such faith.

Christ, our Saviour,                                                                                              It was faith which helped you
as you walked through the world,
telling stories of reversals,
listening to the ignored,
touching those we did not love,
pointing to that Community
being built all around us.
Give us such faith,
Jesus our Brother,
that we might follow.

Holy Spirit, our Comforter,                                                                                    It is faith which you give to us:
so we can trust the hope
which the world cannot see;
so we can journey into
places we have never been;
so we can welcome strangers
as sisters and brothers.
Continue to give us such faith,
Spirit who walks with us
in faith, every moment, every day.

Merciful God,

we live in a society that focuses on gathering things.

We collect, store, gather items, gadgets, even people.

We focus our energies on our collections,

providing adequate room for them

and yet we bar the door to the needs of others,

of those who have little or nothing,

of those for whom life has been a constant struggle.

We are sorry for the ways in which we have failed you.

Forgive us.

Turn us around to look at the ways in which our wealth,

both of substance and spirit,

can be used for healing and hope.

Enable us to be in ministry to those in need

and to care for this world.

For we ask this in Jesus' Name.                                        

Amen.

 

The Lords `Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Lord Jesus Christ, you tell us not to be afraid of what the future holds, not to worry about tomorrow, but you know how difficult we find it to heed your words. For we worry about so many things, our families, our friends, our circumstances, some worries big worries, most worries tiny niggles.                                                                   

We come before you this day with these big and tiny worries,                                  and with confidence we know we can lay them all at your feet.

We bring our big worries about health and happiness and security                            for ourselves and for our loved ones.                                                                   

We bring big worries about the world we live in and its future existence as we continue to fail to address so many ecological problems.                                                                            

We bring big worries about the way people in our world are treated as less than human, exploited, tortured, helpless and abused.

Father God, we know that you are concerned with every aspect of our lives,            so we also bring the little things that concern us,                                                    the worries which keep us awake at night, the worries which only you know.

Living God, reach out to all those for whom the future brings fears and uncertainties. Assure then that you are with them, even when that future seems dark and circumstances feel like they are spiralling out of control.                                              

Remind them that you are able to transform even the bleakest of situations and bring healing and wholeness.

Lord, we make our prayers in faith,                                                                        for we know that your Spirit is at work in our world                                                making all things new.                                                                                          Amen.          

 

The Dismissal

Go now, as those prepared for the Lord`s return.
Cease to do evil, learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed.
Give freely to those in need
and let your treasure be in the things of heaven

And may God not be ashamed to be called your God;
May Christ Jesus find you attentive and well prepared;
And may the Holy Spirit give you the assurance
of all that has been promised to you.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

The Grace