Thank you

Areej Masoud offered this gift of a plate and chalice to our congregation in thanks for our support
of the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network speaking tour which brought her to Australia.
The plate and chalice are made of olive wood from Jerusalem.
We look forward to using them in November.

Prayers of Adoration & Confession

God of justice and peace,
Entangle in our raw and imperfect hearts the vine of your lovingkindness
And harvest within us the fruits of your spirit

Grant us patience, when the knot of intractable conflict is tied tight
And faithfulness amidst the pain of irreconcilable difference
Give to us the holy kindness of broken hearts mended
And the sacred gentleness of quiet voices heard

Grow within us Christ-blessed love, Spirit-breathed mercy
And the hope, joy, and peace of God

Have mercy when justice is delayed, and the great arc of righteousness bends too long
Collapse the iron-grey halls of power and tear every tyrant from their throne
Crush the spear and rod that wound and oppress

And bring forth the ripening seed of your Kingdom
When the first will be last and the last will be first
When every valley will be exalted and every mountain made low
When peacemakers are blessed as the children of God
When those who mourn are comforted
When those who are merciful obtain mercy
And when those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
are satisfied by coursing rivers of justice

In the name of Christ, Amen.

Friends, in the light of the resurrection promise of Jesus
we have hope that the night will not last forever.
The dawn will break, tears will be wiped away,
and the year of the Lord’s favour will come.
This is the good news; the Kingdom of God is at hand.
In Christ, through Christ and because of Christ, our sin is forgiven.

Daniel Broadstock, offered for worship, 21/10/18, Pentecost 21B

Prayers of the people

We pray particularly today for the Middle East.
As the centre and source of the Abrahamic faiths Judaism Christianity &  Islam,
we  bring our concerns, the grief and burdens of this fought over part of the world,
where tyrants rule and seek to  dominate , and peace seems fleeting….
we bring our prayer  to the God of Peace and Justice, as servants & slaves of the spirit of peace.

Here are  some blessings and prayers in the languages of the region.

In Arabic “Assalamu alaikum” meaning  “Peace be with you.”
With The  response “Wa alaikum assalaam” And upon you be peace.

In Hebrew
Oseh shalom bimromav,
hu yaaseh shalom aleinu,
v’al kol Yisrael, v’al kol yoshvei teiveil,
v’imru. Amen.

May the One who makes peace in the high heavens
make peace for us, for all Israel and all who inhabit the earth.

صلح (solh) Farsi * not correct apparently

God of All, Source and Shelter,
Protector and Redeemer,
Watch over the people of the Middle East
Muslims, Christians, and Jews remember, and profoundly affirm,
that we are followers of the one God,
Children of Abraham, brothers and sisters;
enemies begin to speak to one another;
those who were estranged join hands in friendship;
nations seek the way of peace together. Alden Solovy  © 2011

In the words of Rumi the Islamic Sufi poet

There is a long table of companionship
set and waiting for us to sit down.

What is praised is one, so the praise is one too,
many jugs being poured into a huge basin.
All religions, all this singing, one song. Rumi

Give to us: Understanding that puts an end to strife;
Mercy that quenches hatred, and
Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.
Empower all people to live in your law of love

O God, source of life and peace.
Your power changes hearts.Source: Pax Christi

May calm and seeking for the Higher Good, begin.
Let the connection, the divine spark within
and between each person and group, be felt.
May each nation look at its shadow and hidden side, & cast light upon it.
May we see ourselves in the other, and love what we see.
May peace thus grow and connection be greater than distrust.  Rev. Jenne Perlstein

Mat we walk the paths of the Most High. ..
And we shall beat our swords into plough shares,
and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation-
neither shall they learn war anymore.
And none shall be afraid…

In the name of God, Hashem , Allah and Jesus Amen

Jenne Perlstein, offered for worship 21/10/18, Pentecost 21B