Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Watch or 10:52

Let us pray together the ancient Psalm 29, thought to be the oldest Psalm in the Hebrew Scriptures. Let us pray

May God give strength to the people,
May God bless the people with peace.

Ascribe to God, you holy ones,
Ascribe to God glory and strength.
Ascribe to God the glory due her Name;
worship God in majestic holiness.

May God give strength to the people,
May God bless the people with peace. 

The voice of God is above the waters;
the God of glory thunders;
She who thunders is above the mighty waters.
The voice of God is powerful;
the voice of God is full of splendour
The voice of God breaks the cedar trees;
She who thunders breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
She makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of God splits the flames of fire;
She who thunders makes the wilderness writhe;
She shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of God makes the oak trees arch their backs
and strips the forests bare
And in her temple all cry “Glory!”
God sits enthroned over the flood;
God sits enthroned as Sovereign for ever.

May God give strength to the people,
May God bless the people with peace.

May God give strength to her people;
May God bless her people with peace.

May God give strength to the people,
May God bless the people with peace.

Siblings in Christ, we come to God with all of our troubles, and the troubles of the world.
Bring your sadness and all that is broken, knowing that God
has the power to mend our sorrows, bringing healing and wholeness to all.
Through Christ, God’s beloved son,
blessed at his baptism in water and the Holy Spirit, our sin is forgiven.
Thanks be to God

Natalie Sims, offered for worship by Daniel Broadstock, 08/01/2023, Epiphany 1 and Baptism of Jesus A

REFRAIN: Translation from Emergent Psalter and Wil Gafney’s Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church
May God give strength, From The Emergent Psalter by Isaac Everett,
copyright by Isaac Everett, Church Publishing, Inc. www.churchpublishing.org.

Prayers of the people

Watch or 51:27

Let us pray.

Holy one, you are the God of glory,
and yet you came in a still, quiet voice,
and in the simplicity of a sleeping baby.

Glory, glory, Hallelujah

We bring you all that is broken in our world,

We pray for all who live, die, and suffer,
in war and violence in so many countries.
Those who suffer persecution of racial and religious minorities, discrimination
of colour, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, poverty, and age.

We pray for a safe place for those who seek refuge,
freedom for refugees imprisoned for years, for welcome,
food for the hungry, a home, education, and religious freedom.

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah

We bring you all that we have broken in our world.

We pray for all who suffer from Climate Change,
for homes and animals lost, for those still waiting
for the devastation of the Fitzroy River waters
to reach them here in Australia.
For coastlines disappearing in rising water levels,
for melting ice caps, for drought, fire, hurricanes, snow storms and earthquakes.

We pray for the land that sustains us, the earth we walk,
air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.

We pray for Governments and people,
to have the strength of purpose to make necessary changes,
to save your creation for our children and grandchildren.

We pray that we learn to listen to the spirit of this place,
when your still, small voice speaks to us.

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah

We bring you all that is broken in our communities.

We pray for all those who suffer even here in our lucky country.
For the sick, the aged, for the homeless and unemployed,
and for those who suffer from all forms of discrimination.

We pray for this place, where we come to work and worship you.

We pray that we always speak your word, and show your love to each other,
and to those who come here seeking to know you.

We pray for your Church, for tolerance and cooperation between people of faith,
that we can heal past wounds and work together to make your Kingdom come.

Glory, Glory Hallelujah

We pray these things in the name of the baby,
who came to bring healing and wholeness
to what is broken in our lives and our world.

God with us.

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah

Amen

Helen Burnham, offered for worship 8/1/23, Epiphany 1 & Baptism of Jesus 1A