Prayers of Adoration & Confession
God who split rocks open in the wilderness, and gave the Israelites abundant water to drink,
We know you in our waterways, in our oceans and in our rivers.
In the Merri Creek, as it rises in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range,
and flows south through the northern suburbs on its way to join the Yarra River
-Home to the Wurundjeri Willam, and their regular camps spots that they would visit according to the season
-Source of an abundance of eel, fish and duck,
-A place where women waded with string bags suspended around their neck searching the bottom of the stream for shellfish, and emu and kangaroo were hunted in the surrounding grasslands.
God who stood with Moses and caused waters to flow down like rivers
We know you as we walk and cycle along the Merri’s banks today,
As the Merri continues to nurture and sustain us
As we live in houses that now fill the grasslands
And travel on the roads that replace grass with bitumen.
We know you when we see the return of the Kingfisher
As volunteers work tirelessly to protect the creek
As we replant and regenerate
As we walk over rather than through the water to reach the other side,
connecting and creating community.
Forgive us when we do not care for our waterways,
When we do not see how precious they are to our lives
When we do not pause to think about what we put into them
When we do not nurture the plants and animals and birds that live on its banks
and in the water
Forgive us. Amen
Jesus invites all who are thirsty to come to him and drink.
So let us hold this precious water of life in our hands
And drink deeply,
Our sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
Kirsty Bennett, offered for worship 27/09/2020, Season of Creation 2
Prayers of the people
God of our History.
You told Moses to strike the rock and water flowed for the thirsty.
We are thirsty Lord. Thirsty to be able to worship together in our church and to welcome our community back to the Olive Way. We pray for those who are working so hard, to bring our new Ministry to life, in our homes. Flow through us Lord and help us to be part of your new creation.
God of our Present.
In this time of isolation, we long for the touch of friends and family, but can only see this, in the future. We are fearful, and some are angry, at the restrictions we live with, and of what the future holds when restrictions are lifted.
We pray for strength, courage and compassion in our leaders as we try to find new, and more equitable ways of working and caring for our society. We pray for Businesses and Families where feeding their children, and paying the bills, and has become a constant anxiety. We pray for countries where the death and infection rates are still soaring. And especially for stressed medical staff everywhere, who work on with such courage.
God of our future.
In this time of Pandemic, we pray that your creation isn’t ignored. We pray for voices speaking out about Global Warming. May we join together, with our First Peoples, and learn to care for our earth. We pray for the people in California who are living through a fire storm. We pray for their recovery and for ourselves as we face another fire season.
Lord in this time the world still rushes on. There are still wars, and power struggles. And so many trying to find a place of safety. Let the cleansing waters of your love flow through us to open our eyes to see need, our ears to hear their cries, and our hearts to have the courage to be part of your new creation.
In the name of Jesus Christ, who offers the thirsty, Living Water,
Amen
Helen Burnham, offered for worship 27/09/2020, Season of Creation 2
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