Prayers of Adoration & Confession

God of all creation when we look up
into the endless blue of a clear spring morning
and gaze at the fathomless stars in the deep night sky
we are reminded of your glory and your boundless love.

Christ our redeemer when we look around
we see you reflected in the faces of all humanity.
In your perfection our imperfections are washed away
and we are set free to follow you with joy and humility.

Spirit of the Living God when we look within
we discover the endless joy of creation’s song.
We hear your voice, we feel your breath,
our souls are revived and our hope is renewed. Amen

God our creator, redeemer and living Spirit
We come to you in our brokenness,
bearing witness to the brokenness of our world.
We confess with heavy hearts and weary souls
the destruction of the land, the sea and sky
the lack of compassion and respect for those who are ‘other’,
the inability of many in power to lead with honour,
the lack of care for those who are hidden away, out of sight.
God forgive us when our weariness silences us and
our busyness distracts us from your call to love and be loving. Amen

The psalmist wrote ’the law of the Lord is perfect,
the fear of the Lord is pure,
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether’.
The apostle Paul wrote ‘More than that, I regard everything as loss
because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord’.
In Christ Jesus all is made righteous through faith.
Therefore knowing Christ, trusting in his love and grace
we can be confident that our sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God. Amen

Saide Cameron, offered for worship 8/10

Prayers of the People

Loving God, creator of all that is good
we come to you with our prayers for the world.
We grieve for the darkness that continues
to shape the lives of so many people.
We pray for Rohingya & Afghan refugees,
the victims of the Las Vegas shooting,
the tensions between North Korea & the USA,
and throughout Europe.
Our hearts break with the destruction
of so much of this beautiful fragile earth.
We pray for scientists, world leaders and
people of good will seeking to find a way
to combat the calamitous effects of
climate change affecting our environment.

Christ our rock and our redeemer
we come to you with our prayers for the church.
We pray for church leaders throughout
the world and in our own Synod.
Help them to speak words of love, compassion
and truth to power that corrupts.
May they show us the way to be
your followers, strong in heart and action.
We pray for people who have been hurt
by the church now and in the past.
We give thanks for the recognition
and acknowledgement of damage done
and the commitment to seek new ways
to be your people in the world.

Spirit of the Living God, we come to you
with our prayers for our community.
We pray with aching hearts for all
who are affected by the current postal survey.
We long for a time when the love shared
between two people can be celebrated,
blessed and sanctified,
regardless of gender or sexuality.
We give thanks for this congregation
of people gathered in your name.
We pray for all who are hungry, lonely,
grieving, sick in heart, mind or body
Help us to love and be loving in all that we do and say,
in the welcome that we offer. Amen

Saide Cameron, offered for worship by Ray Cameron, 8/10