PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 6TH

FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

Call to Worship

Beyond our earth-bound lives,
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 ends 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 Adoration 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.

We, who stumble and fall so often,
worship you,
longing for your light to shine upon us.
Dazzle us with your holy love,
draw us into your purifying presence,
speak to us your transforming truth.
Then, grant us grace
to live every moment
changed by such glory—
daring to live with hope and courage and love
reflecting the life of Jesus,
through whom your glory shines
in the most unexpected ways.                                                                                                Lord Jesus Christ, God's glory and love shone through you that day on the mountain and you persisted in revealing that glory and love through your words and deeds; through your life of humble service.

We hear again these wonderful words of God,

"You are my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!”                                                            

We confess our failure to listen to you

because of the influence on our lives of the gods of this world. When this happens our attitudes conceal

rather than reveal your glory and your love.

If we conceal your love

because our pursuit of other priorities prevents us from seeing and serving people in need:

If we conceal your glory

because all we reflect is our own self-centredness:

If we conceal your truth

through our lack of credible witness:

If we conceal your justice

through our failure to empower those who are powerless:

If we conceal your mercy

because of our hard and unforgiving attitudes:

If we conceal your compassion

because of our prejudice and intolerance:
forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,

cleanse our lives of all shameful attitudes

of  mind and heart

so that we reveal your glory

in and through all we do and say and are. 

This we pray in your name

and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Assurance of Pardon

It is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness" who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the

knowledge of the glory of God  in the face of Jesus Christ. The good news is that we are not only enlightened by our belief in Christ, we are cleansed and we are forgiven!  

Thanks be to God!

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Almighty God, before the passion of your Son,

you revealed His glory upon the holy mountain.   

Grant to us that we,

beholding by faith the light of His countenance,

may be strengthened to bear our cross. 

Indeed, O Lord,

give us the vision to see beyond the turmoil of our world and to behold Him in all His glory.

O God, at the Holy Mountain we open our eyes

and we see Jesus, the months of ministry transfigured

to a beam of light, the light of the world, your light.

May your light always shine upon us.

Lord, hear our prayer.

O God, we open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah

with Jesus, your word,

restoring us, showing us the way,

telling a story, your story, his story, our story. 

May your word always speak to us.

Lord, hear our prayer.

O God, we open our eyes and we see mist,

the cloud of your presence, which assures us

of all we do not know

and that we do not need to fear that. 

Teach us to trust.

Lord, hear our prayer.

O God, we open our eyes and we see Peter's constructions, his best plans, our best plans, our missing the point,

our missing the way.

Forgive us our foolishness and our sin.

Lord, hear our prayer.

O God, we open our eyes and we see Jesus,

not casting us off, but leading us down,

leading us out - to ministry, to people.  

Help us to share his love, your love.

Lord hear our prayer.

O God, hear our prayers not just for ourselves,

but our prayers for one another at this time:

our prayer that they who are lost might be found,

that they who are lame might walk

and they who are sick may be healed,

that they who are enslaved may be set free

and they that mourn may be comforted.

We pray, O God, for ....

Lord, hear our prayer.

O God, at your Holy Mountain we open our ears

and we hear your voice saying

'This is my beloved Son, listen to him!'  

We give you thanks and we pray

in his name that we might always do your will

and harken to his voice

both on the mountains and in the valleys of life. 

Amen.

The Dismissal

Come down from the mountain with mountain-like faith.
Walk on God's paths as bright, shining lights.
Live in God's ways with faith, hope, and love.
Go into the world transformed and renewed!

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 13TH

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship  based on Matthew 14:22-33

We gather together to worship God,

who comes to us when we least expect it,

who calls us out of the safety of our ordered lives

and invites us to join Him in the adventure of faith.

Let us worship God together!

Prayers of Approach and Confession

God of storms and rainbows,

God of rain and sunshine,

God of all creation we worship and adore you.

We gaze in wonder at the beauty of your creation

and marvel at stormy skies

transformed with the vibrant colours of a rainbow.

Like Noah and his family,

we praise you for this everlasting sign of your love and care for the whole creation in your desire to preserve

and not destroy life.

And at Jesus' baptism,

the sky again revealed your love

when you identified him as your beloved Son,

strengthening him with the same Spirit

who empowers and strengthens each of us.

For all these assurances of your love for us

and for the whole creation,

we praise and worship you, O God.

God, we praise You!

We gather together to worship You,

to remember the goodness and unfailing love

You have shown toward us, Your people. 

Time after time, You have come to our rescue.

Your love has sustained us through good times and bad.

No matter what we faced,

whether accident, illness, disappointment or death;

You were there, encouraging, strengthening, and blessing. 

Even when we turned our back on You,

You didn’t abandon us,

but waited patiently for us to return,

ready to welcome us with open arms.  

Because we have known Your love in the past,

we look to the days ahead without fear.

No matter how uncertain the future may seem,

we will continue to trust in Your unfailing love,

confident that You will guide us in the days ahead

as You have guided us in the past. 

God,

we confess that we do not always understand Your ways.

We are easily discouraged

when life takes unexpected turns

and our carefully laid plans and dreams come to nothing.

We confess that we are quick to give up

when things get difficult,

and quick to question Your presence and Your power.

Forgive us.

Grant us patience to wait for Your good timing.

Open our eyes to recognize Your leading in our lives—

to listen for Your gentle whisper when we least expect it.

And then give us courage to step out

in faith and obedience,

trusting in Your leading

even when we cannot yet see the outcome.

We praise You for Your faithful love,

and pray that You would make us worthy

to bear Your name.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

God, You have called us to be a people of prayer—

to continue the ministry of intercession handed on to us

by Jesus Christ Himself.

And so we come before You with confidence,

bringing our prayers for the world You love.

In Your mercy, hear and answer. 

We pray for those who, like Jesus’ disciples,

find themselves surrounded

by high winds and stormy seas;

those who feel overwhelmed by events and circumstances;

the loss of a job,

the death of a loved one,

serious accident or illness,

chronic pain,

depression,

or divorce

and who don’t know where to turn.

We pray for those who, like Joseph,

find themselves deeply wounded by people they love,

people they thought they knew and trusted

and who are struggling to know how to respond.

We pray for those who, like Peter,

are experiencing a crisis of faith;

who long to whole-heartedly trust in God

but are held back by questions and doubts.

We pray for those who, like the prophet Elijah,

have fallen into despair;

who have begun to doubt God’s presence and power;

or question God’s call in their lives.

We pray for those who, like Joseph,

have had their hopes and dreams crushed;

those whose lives have suddenly taken a different turn,

and who now wonder what lies ahead for them.

Loving God, it is not Your will that any should suffer.

We offer our prayers for all those who hunger and thirst,

those who live in the midst of violence or poverty,

and those who feel abandoned

or ignored by the world around them.

Through the life-giving power of Your Holy Spirit,

make Your sustaining presence known

to all who are in pain or need,

so that they, too, may know Your love and live.

In the name Jesus Christ, our Saviour,

who lives to intercede for us,

Amen.

The Dismissal

Jesus calls you to step out on to the water with him,

to leave the safety of your boats,

and to walk towards Him in faith,

joining Him in the work He is already doing in our world.

And when the wind and waves get high

and threaten to overwhelm you,

remember His words:

“Don’t be afraid.  Take courage.  I am here.”

So go with faith,

to follow where Jesus leads,

confident that His love and presence go with you.

The Grace

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 20TH

DEDICATION OF HYMNBOOKS AND HYMNAL PLUS

Call to Worship

Sing a new song to the Lord,

who has worked wonders,

whose right hand and holy arm have brought salvation.

The Lord has made known salvation;

has shown justice to the nations;

has remembered truth and love for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

sing out your joy.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp,

with the sound of music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

acclaim the King, the Lord.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Thank you for the music all around us.
Each morning we hear it

from the moment we open our ears;
the low notes of wind around the eaves,
the whoosh of water as it comes from the tap,
the glug glug as it drains,
the throaty whistle of the boiling kettle,
the metallic tap of the spoon against the cup,
the jazz percussion of our feet on the steps.
The sounds of our day,
so familiar we hardly pay attention.
Thank you for the ability to hear.

Thank you for the sounds of life:
the chatter of the squirrel,
the deep purr of  a cat,
the sharp calls of a crow,
the sound of someone we love laughing.

Give us wisdom to enter this day with good sounds,
tones and pitches and words that affirm,

encourage, cherish,
our sounds affecting the world in a positive way.

Thank you for your songs, love songs,

which we are invited to sing.
Thank you for all the parts you’ve made for the song;
soprano, alto, tenor, bass.
Thank you for the children’s part and the senior’s part,
thank you for the youth part and the part for middle-aged,
thank you for the crazy baby descant
that we all love to hear.

We have too often exchanged the worship of the living God for idols of our own imagining.                                        As we gather to offer You our praises and to worship You in spirit and in truth, we call to mind our sins.

We have not always worshipped God, our creator.

Lord, have mercy.                                                  

We have failed to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land. Christ, have mercy.                            

We have used your gifts to serve our own ends.

Lord, have mercy.

You are the Great Composer .
We long to be composed each day in your image,
singing your elegant score truly, clearly,
following your rhythm by heart,
finding our voice in your beautiful world.
Hearing you in the music of life.
This is our prayer.                                                            Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Loving God, we have come to you in song,                        expressing our joy and gratitude for all you have done,

all you have given.

But we come now to pray for all in our world                    who feel they have nothing to sing about,                        nothing to celebrate or rejoice over.                                 

We pray for all who sing a sad song today;
the grieving, the lonely, the lost,                                      the poor, the sick, the hungry,                                          the homeless, the unemployed, the downtrodden,              the depressed and the despairing.                                   

Lord, in your love, put a new song in their hearts,              a song of hope instead of despair.

We pray for those whom life brings intolerable demands;    those facing famine,                                                        fleeing as refugees,                                                          suffering persecution,                                                    enduring war,                                                                  struggling against injustice,                                              terrified of the future,                                                      haunted by the past.                                                     

Lord, in your love, out a new song in their hearts,           

a song of victory instead of defeat.

Loving God, reach out in compassion to all in such circumstances,assuring them that despite appearances, You are there,                                                          sharing their pain,                                                            anxious for their welfare,                                                eager to bless.                                                               

Lord, in Your love, put a new song in their hearts,              a song of life instead of death.

May the day come when they, with us,                            join in singing songs of praise

to the glory of Your name.                                                Amen.

The Dismissal

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,                  to which indeed you were called in the one body.                And be thankful.                                                                                           

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;                          teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;                  and with gratitude in your hearts                                      sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.              And whatever you do, in word or deed,                            do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,                    giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The Benediction

PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 27TH

TWELTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

In the name of the Lord Jesus;

the bread breaker,

the light gatherer,

cross carrier,

welcome.

May the peace of the Lord Jesus;

the peace maker,

and the temple disturber,

friend of the sinner,

and companion on the road,

be with us all.

Let us draw close to the Lord Jesus;

the saviour,

the healer,

the teacher,

and worship him

and ask ourselves.

who do we say He is?

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness

Almighty God, we come to worship in your name,

creator of the universe, source of true humanity,

and a loving parent to us all.

Eternal God, be present.

We come to worship in the name of Jesus,

the Word made flesh,

Saviour of sinful humanity, and Lord of all.

Eternal Lord, embrace us.

We come to worship in the name of the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and giver of life, source of new humanity, and inspirer of us all.

Eternal Spirit, renew us.

Holy Lord,

we confess that we have broken your commandments;

we have sinned by our selfishness,

our unbelief and our pride;

we have not acted justly, loved mercy

nor walked humbly with you.

In your mercy blot out our misdeeds

and wash away our sin.

Create in us a clean heart and help us to forgive others.

as you have forgiven us;

through Jesus. Christ our Lord.

May God have mercy upon us,

pardon and deliver us from our sins,

confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,

and keep us in life eternal;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

We pray, Lord, for the peace that is from above,

and for the salvation of all.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the peace of the whole world.

For the welfare of God’s holy Church,

and for the unity of all.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for all who share in the work of the Church,

that they may fulfil their ministry with a pure heart

and good conscience,

and faithfully make known the Gospel of Christ

through witness and service.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our rulers in local and national governments,

that they may week and receive your guidance,

that they be true to that which is right and just,

and seek always to promote the well-being of all.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the wick and suffering,

and those close to death;

the bereaved, the lonely and the sorrowful.

We pray for those we know.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the poor and the needy,

the hungry and the homeless,

for those who suffer in situations of war and conflict,

for refugees and asylum seekers,

for those who suffer persecution,

and for all prisoners of conscience.

Lord hear our prayer.

In fellowship with all God’s people, in heaven and on earth,

we commend ourselves and one another

and all our life to Christ our Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Amen.

The Dismissal

Jesus stands and asks:

“Who do you say I am?”

We join millions who have gone before

and say: “the Messiah”

Jesus stands in front of us

and tells us the realities of discipleship

We join millions who have gone before

in the challenges of living as disciples.

Jesus stands before us

and offers food and drink for the journey.

Fed and nourished,

we go out into the world to live and serve.

Jesus stands before us, shining in glory,

and will be with us to the end of the age.

The Grace

Minister ~ Rev Alan Kennedy 07733153203 01612703296 alanrk1690@gmail.com