Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Eternal God, you spoke through Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah,
who placed their hope in you for a just future,
Jesus Christ, you came to us as a child, carrying that hope,
Lifting up the outcast, and bringing down the mighty.
Holy Spirit, you come to us today, speaking through the stranger,
Reaching out to us, challenging our assumptions and inspiring us to work for a better world.

Righteous One, Child of Hope, Spirit of Truth,
When we have failed to believe, to hope, to work for justice.
Come, and forgive us.
Come, and restore us.

When we have honoured the powerful, and rejected the lowly.
Come, and forgive us.
Come, and restore us.

When we have closed our ears to words of truth.
Come, and forgive us.
Come, and restore us.

Righteous One, Child of Hope, Spirit of Truth,
We repent and turn to you, knowing that forgiveness comes in unexpected ways.
Sisters and Brothers, Hear the good news!
In the coming of Christ, the Light of the World, God’s tender mercy breaks like the dawn upon us, overcoming the darkness, and guiding our feet into the way of peace.

Through Christ, we have hope, and every sin is forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

by Natalie Sims, offered for worship, Advent 4, 23/12

Prayers of the people

God of love, Child of hope, Spirit of truth,
You speak into our world today as you have for generations, calling us to listen and join with you to make your way a reality for the world.

We walk with John, as he prepares the way for Jesus, for justice and peace.
We pray for justice
In a world where some of us have so much
and others of us struggle for the basics of life,
Where the place of our birth determines so many of our opportunities,
Where the actions of a few, impact on the lives of many

We pray for peace,
In the face of violence,
When power is abused,
Where privilege is rife,
Where life is not valued.

May we follow the way of Jesus who will be our guide.
We sit with Mary and Elizabeth as they prepare to bear their children.
We pray for mothers:
For mothers who struggle to feed their children,
For mothers who protect their children in the face of domestic violence,
For mothers who find motherhood is not at all what they expected,
For mothers who have no home, no place to go.

May we be bearers of hope and promise as we follow the way of Jesus.
God of love, Child of hope, Spirit of truth,
We wait for you, we hope for you, we prepare for you.

Come.

Amen

by Kirsty Bennett, offered for worship, Advent 4, 23/12