Prayers of Adoration & Confession

God, giver of all life and of our lives,
You gift us with delicate patterns in the leaves of the trees,
mouth-watering meals and air and water which sustain us.
blessed are you in the fruits of the earth

You continually shape the fabric of our lives,
that we may speak your glory and do your will.
blessed are you in the work of human hands

You are a wonder and a joy to us.
We take great pleasure in the thrills of our senses.
We thank you for the delights of music, storytelling,

dance and theatre; for simple meals and great feasts.
blessed are you in the harvest of human creativity

God, we come to you to say sorry
for our part in the wrongs of the world.
Often we do not welcome the stranger.
Often we do not open wide our arms to people who are different.
We put up barriers, we push others out,
we want our own safety and security.

Help us, Lord God, to be less quick to make judgements;
Help us to be more open-minded and willing to help others,
to listen, and learn from them.
Help us to realise we are not superior, that all are equal.
Help us to accept ourselves
and to grow in self-awareness. Amen.

Remembering that God welcomes us to the banquet
as beloved children, and through Christ,
brings forgiveness and release from all that binds us.

Hear the good news: our sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Offered for worship 12/11

 

Prayers of the People

God of the prophets,
God of Christ:
we are reminded today that your blessings
do not necessarily follow the logic of the world.
The world believes that the rich are blessed,
but Jesus reminds us that it is the poor who are blessed,
the poor in spirit and the materially poor as well.

We pray for a more just world
in which all have enough and none are left behind.

Though we fear death and avoid its inevitable arrival,
Jesus tells us that those who mourn are blessed.

Help us to experience the truth of this mystery;
bring healing and wholeness to those who are sick;
and comfort those of us who have lost loved ones.

While people covet power, Jesus blesses the meek.

Instruct us, O God, in the ways of humility;
help us to stand in solidarity
with the oppressed and marginalized;
show us your presence in the faces of those the world forgets.

Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness;
fill our hearts with love, overflowing with mercy;
make our hearts pure, and give us a vision of your glory.

In a society divided by race, gender,
class, ideology, sexual orientation,
and so many other labels we alone have created,
remind us that we are created in your image,
each of us a beautiful reflection of you,
each of us your beloved child.

Help us then to end our conflicts and wars,
help us to be peacemakers and agents of reconciliation.

Gracious God,
you have so richly blessed us with life,
with love and joy,
with hope in the midst of despair.
Help us to be the salt of the earth.
Help us to be the light of the world,
sharing with others that which we have received,
boldly proclaiming the good news of your love,
finding the seeds of your kingdom within us
and letting your way grow in our lives
and throughout the world.

Give us eyes to see the ways
you are changing the world in which we live.
Give us ears to hear your call to join with you
in the great transformation.
Hear us now, O God,
as we pray for the coming of your kingdom,
following Christ as he taught us to pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.

Offered for worship 12/11