Advent Litany

The prophet Isaiah speaks
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding

We lit the first candle for the seeds of hope,
planted for the renewal of all creation

We light this second candle for peace.
God of justice fill our hearts and minds
with your deep abiding peace.

Amidst the noisy clamour of injustice
remind us every day that you are faithful
and help us to walk with Jesus on the
green shaded path of peace and righteousness.

Saide Cameron, offered for worship by Maxine, Clementine and Harriet Loynd, Dave Miller, 8/12/19, Advent 2A

Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Maranatha, maranatha, come, Lord Jesus, come.
Maranatha, maranatha, come, Lord Jesus, come.

Creator God, bringer of justice,
You promise a future where the poor will be lifted up,
And the powerful who held them captive will be cut down.
We long for this day to come.

Holy Spirit, bringer of truth,
Your wisdom and insight brings hope through times of darkness,
And a clear way forward with knowledge and understanding.
We long for your guidance.

Christ Jesus, bringer of healing,
When you came to earth, you worked to establish God’s reign,
And were the one heralded by Isaiah and by John the Baptist,
We long to follow you.
Maranatha, come lord Jesus come.

Maranatha, Maranatha, come Lord Jesus Come (x2).

God of justice, truth and healing,
We confess that our world is full of problems.
When we see the damage done to creation, we feel sorrow,
When we see the destruction of war, we are moved to despair,

When we see the desperate flight of those seeking refuge, we grieve.

God of justice, truth and healing,
Restore us. Grant us your vision of the future.
Help us to see the signs of hope.
Give us confidence that the time will come
when our nations’ leaders will protect the vulnerable,
when wild animals and forests are safe from destruction,
when children will find safety, even in dangerous places,
Maranatha, come lord Jesus come.

Maranatha, Maranatha, come Lord Jesus Come (x2)

Sisters and Brothers,
What seems impossible becomes possible through God, who is stronger than all earthly rulers.
With the coming of Christ and through the work of the Spirit,
We can have confidence that a new world is possible, because
The dead are raised,
The broken are made whole,
In Christ, through Christ and because of Christ, our sin is forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

 

Natalie Sims, offered for worship, 8/12/19, Advent 2A

Prayers of the people

God’s love in action
The Christmas Bowl supports Sri Lankan refugees to return home and build peaceful new lives after years of bloody civil war. After years of living in a refugee camp, Vijayakanth and his family returned to Sri Lanka with few belongings. They had to live in an unsafe area, in a run-down rental home that flooded in the rainy season. But thanks to the support of Act for Peace’s partners, like OfERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation) returnees like Vijayakanth’s family are able to find new livelihoods and start their lives over in a country that has been shattered by war. Vijayakanth says, “I am so thankful to OfERR. They have ensured my family’s safety and security, particularly my children’s. This has paved a new dawn for our children.”

Julie McKinnon introduced the prayers offering her personal experience of prayer and inviting us to pray as we listened to  Karl Jenkins’ Adiemus.

8/12/19, Advent 2A