Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Glory to you, Almighty God!
You spoke, and light came out of darkness,
order rose from confusion.

WEST SIDE OF THE CHURCH
You breathed into the dust of the earth,
and we were formed in your image.

EAST SIDE OF THE CHURCH
You looked on the work of your hands,
and declared that it was all good.

And still you speak, breathe and look for us.
We praise you!

Glory to you, Jesus Christ!
You met us as a refugee, a threatened child,
the Word made flesh, born in a forgotten place.

WEST SIDE OF CHURCH
You called us, by name, to leave what was comfortable,
to be your disciples, companions and friends.

EAST SIDE OF THE CHURCH
You saved us by kneeling at our feet,
stretching your arms wide to take away our sins,
walking through death to life again.

And still you meet, call and save us,
We praise you!

Glory to you Holy Spirit!
You brooded over chaos,
mothering and shaping God’s new creation.

WEST SIDE OF CHURCH
You inspired prophets and evangelists
to discover the right word for the right season.

EAST SIDE OF THE CHURCH
You liberated the early church for mission,
claiming all of life for the Lord of all.

And still you brood over, inspire and liberate us.
We praise you!

Glory to you, God, Three-in-One!
You are surrounded by the song of the saints in heaven,
and you are present with us now.
We adore you!

Lord, your ways are not our ways:
Your thoughts are not our thoughts:
what to us seems like eternity
is only a moment to you.
In the face of eternity,
help us to be humble.

Forgive us ….
If we have been singing praises with our voices
and kept the joy out of our hearts;
If we have prayed only for what is possible
and hoped only for what we could see;
If we have taken your grace for granted
and expected instant answers to immediate requests;
If we have only thought of us waiting on you
and never pondered how you wait on us;
If we have prayed, “Giver of Life, Sustain your Creation”
and succumbed to the economics of consumption;
If we have prayed, “Spirit of Truth, Set us Free”
and chosen instead the slavery of silence.
If we have prayed, “Spirit of Unity, Reconcile your people”
and have not met with persons of other confessions
or traditions in our own neighbourhood.

Christ have mercy

Amen

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
Everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!
Hear then Christ’s word of grace to us all
‘Your sins are forgiven’
And be at peace.

Thanks be to God.

Offered for worship by the Worship Committee, 7/7, Adapted from In Spirit and In Truth: A Worship Book (World Council of Churches, Geneva, 1991

Prayers of the people

Gracious God. Teach us to pray, as Jesus taught his disciples to pray.
We pray for the world. Divided by race, language, religion class, ability, gender and sexuality, saying:
Our Father in heaven

We pray for your church, and especially at this time for our Synod.
For all people who bear Christ’s name, saying:
Hallowed be your name

We pray for those who are deprived of justice, peace, freedom and hope.
May their wilderness become rivers in the desert, saying:
Your kingdom come

We pray for people who exercise power;
for governments, businesses, unions and the media saying:
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

We pray for those who lack food, shelter, clothing, medical care and love saying:
Give us today our daily bread

We pray for all who turn away from their neighbour in need saying:
Forgive us our sin

We pray for those who hurt us, who treat us with little respect, saying:
As we forgive those who sin against us

We pray for those enduring sickness, facing death, mourning the loss of a loved one,
coping with unemployment, filled with despair or contemplating suicide.
May their weeping become joy, saying:
Save us in the time of trial

We pray for those who live with the threat of death from war and terrorism,
or who live in fear of violence in their own homes, saying:
Deliver us from evil

We pray all this, for our hope and trust is in you, for you alone can save us, saying:
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.

Amen.

by Jenne Perlstein, offered for worship, 7/7