Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Loving Creator God, you made us in your image
and claim us as your own, holding us with steadfast love.
You shape our lives with abundant beauty
and bless us with gifts beyond our ability to comprehend.
Again and again you call us from the hard places
reminding us that the greatest gift of all is love.

Jesus, son of Man, you walk among us
as a stranger, naked, lonely, hungry, thirsty.
Through stories and parables and prayer
you shatter the hardness of our hearts and open our eyes.
Again and again you show us the truth of our lives
reminding us that the greatest gift of all is love.

Holy Spirit, breath of prayer, you are the voice of change
speaking through the hearts of all who seek justice.
You stir up the proud, the arrogant and fearful
shattering their certainty and sense of privilege.
Again and again you help us to say YES to all who hurt
reminding us that the greatest gift of all is love. Amen

And now let us sing our confession in this beautiful song
Because you came and sat beside us,
because you came and heard us speak,
and we ignored you and we refused you,
we ask forgiveness, Lord Jesus Christ.

Because you laughed and loved the child-like,
because you lived from day to day,
and we love status and steady money,
we ask forgiveness, Lord Jesus Christ.

Because our peace was your agenda,
because you wept to see us war,
and we love power, and winning battles,
we ask forgiveness, Lord Jesus Christ.

Because your Cross compels an answer,
because your love absorbs our sin,
and we are wounded because we wound you,
we ask forgiveness, Lord Jesus Christ.

Declaration of Forgiveness

The psalmist says
‘For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness endures forever’ Psalm 100:5
We can be confident then that in the name of Jesus, Christ the King
our sins are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen

Let’s conclude our prayers in song …
Because you came on Easter morning,
because you come at Pentecost,
and in the Spirit, we are forgiven,
we live to praise you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Saide Cameron, offered for worship, 26/11

SONG: Because You Came , Shirley Erena Murray Words
© 1996 Hope Publishing Company, from More Voices,
United Church of Canada, Woodlake Publishing Inc.
Reproduced with permission under ONE LICENCE #604502

Prayers of the People

In today’s prayers will pray for God’s gentle and humble reign
to break into the affairs of the world, the life and mission of the church,
and witness which to which we are each called.

***

We pray for leaders, people, events, crises, and moments
that never claim the attention of the media and which remain largely unknown to us.
We pray for those who struggle for years
to see peace, justice and reconciliation take root in their communities.
We pray for those who, even in the face of apathy,
indifference and abuse, press on raising their prophetic voices.
And so we pray the people of Zimbabwe;
for those who will not let us forget Manus;
for the men and women who courageously expose cultures of sexual abuse.
May your reign break in and your will be done.

We pray for churches near and far who bear witness at great cost to themselves.
We pray for churches for whom to bear witness is straightforward.
We pray for churches which are tired and dying,
just as we pray for those which are energetic and growing.
Keep strong churches from pride; keep weak churches from envy.
And so we pray for the churches of the United States, of China, of India, of the Middle East.
We pray for the Uniting Church in Australia,
for its many communities, its diverse congregations, its various leaders.
And so we pray for our President, Stuart;
for Dennis, the Chair of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress ;
our Moderator Sharon; and for Presbytery leaders across the nation,.
May your reign break in, and your will be done.

We pray for ourselves, our various communities and this congregation.
Keep us aware of our baptism and to all that it calls us.
Keep us aware of our brothers and sisters in other churches
in this and neighbouring suburbs.
Keep us open to seeing your reign break in
through the work of community organisation and other faiths.
And so we pray for those sitting around us;
for those in this church we find it difficult to understand or like;
for those who never fail to show us care and love;
for those who give their time to the leadership
and administration of this congregation.
We pray for Ian, Anika and Peter.
May your rule break in, and your will be done.

All these prayers we pray in the name of Jesus Christ who reigns.
Amen.

Geoff Thompson, offered for worship 26/11