Prayers of Adoration

God of great love, you have done great things for us.
You make a path through our brokenness,
leading us onward, and restoring our hope. 
You loosen our grip on fear,
so we might reach out and take hold of the One
who cradles us gently in arms of grace.

Brother of the poor, you are doing great things through us.
You make a path through our doubt,
so we may have the faith to follow, and serve by your side;
You gather up our tears,
healing our wounded souls, so that we
may see and rejoice in your presence among us.  

Spirit of grace, you will do great things in us.
You make a path through our hardened hearts, 
melting them to feel warmth and compassion;
You open our eyes
so that we can see with your eyes
the promise of the future and the possibilities
of a renewed world. 

Amen. 

Prayers of Confession

(From the Song of Lament by Shawn Whelan)

Why do we listen and fail to hear?
Why do we see and not perceive?
We have turned away
and our heart has grown dull.

Heal us, help us believe.
Heal us, help us believe.

Brothers and sisters, as we turn from the past
and look towards the future with hope, let us remember
that God makes all things new, giving us forgiveness
to step away from the past and build a new future.
Be assured of this: through Christ, in Christ, and because of Christ,
our sin is forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

by Natalie Sims, offered for worship, 7/4

Prayers of the people

God of our past, You are working out a new thing. 

We are gathered here today, free and safe,
to worship in the warmth of a golden Autumn.
To worship and learn of You, and to gain strength and healing from your presence.
Open our hearts as we listen to the words that you have spoken,
and take in the new thing which You are creating.  

 

We pray for all who come here to worship, work, share,
and grow in your love and light. 

We pray for leaders of the church here and worldwide,
as we face renewing ourselves after the revelations of the Royal Commission.
Don’t let your people be despondent,
but give us courage and hope in your guidance and presence. 

God of our present, you are working out a new thing. 

We pray for our world. For those torn apart by war,
and for your guidance in dealing with people who left here
with their wives and children, to fight in a war, and now want to return.
Give us compassion for these families,
and for all who are refugees from wars, greed and tyranny everywhere. 

We pray for our natural world, which is groaning
under the burden of our exploitation. For animals facing extinction
and icecaps melting because of the warming of our climate.
For land and oceans degraded, with islands of floating garbage.
We pray for a new thing, for a turning around and facing the problems
we have with the knowledge you have given us
and with good will from people, governments and the commercial world. 

We pray for all your people, whatever colour or religion, for we are all your creation.
We pray for the hungry, for the sick in body or mind, for those in danger,
for the angry, for the lonely, for the old, for the unemployed,
the marginalised, the unloved and for all those who grieve. M
ay we all be comforted by your presence and know we are loved. 

God of our future, You are working out a new thing. 

Help us to look around and see You moving, in unexpected ways
and through unexpected people. Not to be so busy making our own plans
that we miss seeing you. Help us to make opportunities from problems,
joy from sorrow and strength from weakness.  

God of our past, our present and our future, make in us a new thing. 

 In the name of Jesus, our light and our life. 

Amen 

by Helen Burnham, offered for worship, 7/4