Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Watch or 7:15

So now let us pray together, breathing breath into our bodies, feet on the floor, hands and hearts open.  We begin singing ‘The Spirit of the Lord’.

The Spirit of the Lord
Is now upon me
To heal the broken heart
And set the captive free
To open prison doors
And make the blind to see
The Spirit of the Lord
Is now on me

God of all creation you surround us with wonders untold.
You breathe life into plants and creatures of astonishing diversity.
You breathe life into our bodies, into this paradox of strength & fragility.
You have gifted us with care for all this abundance, we are humbled.
And yet too often we have drifted away from this gift of care
caught up in the immediacy of our own needs.  Forgive us.
Fill us again with your breath, your abundant love, your strength.

Jesus, son of God, only recently revealed to us as a fragile baby,
now filled with the power of the Holy Spirit you reveal yourself
proclaiming good news to the poor, freedom for the oppressed.
You call us to follow you, to proclaim this good news to all bodies.
And yet too often we have drifted away from this call
immersed in despair at the immensity of need.  Forgive us.
Inspire us again with the power of your words, your journey.

Holy Spirit, wind and fire, you lift us up and turn us around.
You shake us up, opening our eyes to the joyful complexity
of our own immediate bodies and the body of Christ, the church
revealing new possibilities, new ideas, new ways of being.
And yet too often we get caught up in the busyness of life
and fail to see wonder of who we are together.  Forgive us.
Blow through us, heal our broken hearts, shape us anew for love.  Amen.

The Spirit of the Lord
Is now upon me
To heal the broken heart
And set the captive free
To open prison doors
And make the blind to see
The Spirit of the Lord
Is now on me

Jesus says to the people of Nazareth
‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
Hear also that in Jesus’s name our sin is forgiven.
Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Saide Cameron, offered for worship 23/01/2022, Epiphany 3C

SONG:  The Spirit of the Lord, Isaiah 61, adapted by Elaine Loukes,
from Tune In, UC Songbook, Reproduced with permission

Prayers of the people

Watch or 43:22

Hi, I am Helen , and I am doing our prayers of the People. At the conclusion I will take the Christ Candle to the chapel space, where you can lite a taper for your private prayers at the end of the service.

Holy One, three in One,
We pray for our world, your creation. For the billions of people who walk this earth
Where there is fighting, war, we pray for peace
Where there is disease, we pray for health,
For those who are exhausted we pray for rest
For Refugees we have imprisoned, we pray for release and safety.
We pray for those who are abused, live in poverty, or with disaster, earthquake, flood, fire, drought.
We pray especially for the people of Tonga and across the Pacific who have been impacted by the tsunami. We pray for people’s safety, for those whose homes have been lost or damaged and all those anxiously awaiting news of loved ones.  We hold their fears in our hearts that help provided by overseas will bring COVID to their already struggling communities.
We pray for all who live with discrimination of race, colour, sexuality, age, or religion.
We pray for your earth, as we face rising temperatures, we pray for unity of purpose in Governments, to fight for the future, for our children and grandchildren.

Mother and Father Of us all.
We pray for your Church across the world, and our Community. We pray at this time when we are separated, for strength, resilience and hope. That we reach out to share your love, not just with our Church community but with everyone we meet. We are your body, your hands, your feet, your heart, and your speech, in this world of need.
We pray for open hearts, to share your love.
For open ears to hear when you speak.
For open eyes to see where you lead.
For open mouths to speak when the world is silent.
And may our every breath be a prayer, in the name of Jesus, who was born, lived and died for us.
Amen

Helen Burnham, offered for worship 23/01/2022, Epiphany 3C