SUNDAY JANUARY 4TH 2026

EPIPHANY SUNDAY

Call to Worship

People of God, arise, shine, for your light has come!
The light of Christ has come into the world.
Immanuel.
God with us.
So arise, shine, for your light has come!
And we will follow the light–
when it shines brightly in the night sky
when it glows dimly on the horizon.
We will follow the light–
when it leads down familiar paths to expected destinations
when the road is unfamiliar and the star rests above a dubious-looking home.
We will lift up our eyes and look around.
And when we see the Christ child,
may our hearts be overwhelmed with joy.

When we are in the presence of Immanuel,
may our knees bend in worship.
When our journey brings us, finally, to the heart of God,
May our hands open in generous sharing;
May our mouths open in generous praise.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Blessed are you, O Christ, our God;
you were before time began,
and came to the world to save us.

Blessed are you, Sun of righteousness;
you shine with the Father's love
and illumine the whole universe.

Blessed are you, Son of Mary;
born a child
you shared our humanity.

Blessed are you, son of David;
born to rule,
you received gifts from the wise men.

Blessed are you, Son of Man;
baptised by John,
you saved us from ourselves.

Blessed are you, heavenly King;
teaching and preaching, healing and comforting,
you proclaimed the kingdom.

With all the voices of heaven
we celebrate the coming of our Saviour.
Let heaven and earth shout their praise.

With all the creatures on earth
we sing and dance at your birth.
Praise and glory to you, O Lord Jesus Christ.

Most holy and most loving God, we admit to you and to each other,

that we are creatures who either through foolishness or wilfulness

often choose darkness instead of light.

Here and now, we surrender to you our fears and proud opinions,

our short-sighted folly and our pompous wisdom,

our deep-seated sins and our apathy towards change and renewal.

Forgive the darkness and pain we have inflicted on others,

and restore the light-starved hopes and ideals within our own souls.

Trusting your grace, we earnestly pray: “Create in us a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within us.”

Through Christ Jesus our Saviour. Amen!

Assurance of Pardon

My friends, The Epiphany is good news!

The Light comes not to sear and blind us but to save us.

Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.

In his name I declare to you: Yours sins are forgiven!

Thanks be to God!

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Bathed in starlight, we pray together                                

to the One who created all things, saying,
Show us your child, O God,

For we observed a new star at its rising                    

and have travelled far, bearing gifts.

Make your wisdom in its rich variety known through all faithful people,

and give your holy church grace to bear the gifts of truth and love

to all your children on earth.

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together in faith.

Give your justice to the nations and their leaders,

and give your mercy to all whose decisions

affect the peace and well-being of the world.

Where we have power ourselves,

open our ears to the cries of the weak, the poor, and the needy,

and open our hearts to answer their call.

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together in hope.

Bless this community,

that in your light we may each become a servant, one to the other.

Bring us together in story, song, joy, and sorrow;

and let every daughter and son who comes among us

find kinship in this place.

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together in love.

Have mercy on those among us

who journey in sickness, fear, or any kind of trouble.

Meet them on your road with rest, peace, and good cheer.

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together by your side.

We remember those who have died.

Your star goes before them. Show them your child, O God,
For they have travelled far to be with you.
Dear God, with longing and thanksgiving,

knowing that you hold this world and all its children dear in your heart,

we pray this night for the grace to receive your gifts,

to lift up our eyes and look around,

and to offer back those same gifts to you and your world, with love.

Show us your child, O God,
For we observed a new star at its rising and have travelled far, bearing gifts.

To the One who is the road on which we travel,

our companion along the way, and our journey’s end,

we pray in boldness and confidence through faith in Christ Jesus, 

 Amen.  

The Dismissal

Go now as a light to the nations.
Honour the Lord;
preach what you know of the risen Christ,
and fulfil all righteousness.

And may God strengthen you and bless you with peace;
May Christ Jesus bring forth justice for you and among you;
And may the Holy Spirit alight on you
and affirm you as God’s beloved ones.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.

The Grace

SUNDAY JANUARY 11TH

THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Call to Worship 

The heavens open. The Spirit descends.

Jesus emerges from the water.

And a voice echoes through the blue expanse.

"This is my child, the Beloved, with whom I am well-pleased."

Jesus is named. Claimed.

We come to the water. We remember we are named. Claimed.

Can it be so? What a thing to be named. Claimed.

Let us worship the one who names and claims us still.

Prayers of Approach and Confession

The voice of our God and King is heard in blessing,
as it echoes in its majestic powers over all creation.
We come to worship you, our God, and to celebrate the
Mystery and Reality that is your everlasting glory.

Your voice  is heard in all creation and it responds
with joy to its Creator, Sustainer and Renewer.
We come to worship our God, and to celebrate your
power and generosity towards all creation and all peoples.

We come to worship our God, and to celebrate the
way we are welcomed into your glorious presence.
Your voice is heard in the sacred
spaces and your grace is received as we worship.

We are incredibly stubborn, O Lord.

We have entered the season

in which Your Light has been given to the world,

your blessings have been poured out on the world,

and yet all we can think about is our own problems,

our own needs, our own desires.

Help us to desire you, Lord.

Help us to yearn for your presence.

Pour your baptismal waters over us again,

cleansing us from our self-pity and arrogance.

Nourish and heal us so that we may joyfully serve you.

Wash away our jealousy, greed,

and all negative thoughts and behaviors

that stand in the way of our truly being

the people you have called us to be.

Again let us receive the blessings offered in creation,

in the birth and baptism of Jesus,

and in the ministry of the saints in light.

Assurance of Pardon

The love of God is always offered to us,

freely, joyfully, for all eternity.

Rejoice, dear friends,

this is the Good News.

The Lord`s Prayer         

Prayers of Intercession 

Celebrating the coming of the One who brings the reign of God to all people,                      let us pray for the world God loves, the Church God calls, and all people according to their needs, saying, Lord, in your mercy, and responding, Hear our prayer.

God of light and darkness,

through water and Word

you shine your light into the darkness of our lives. 

We give thanks for this incredible gift. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of love and hate,

your love comes in spite of our animosity;

you bring reconciliation to those who are divided. 

We pray for better relations between nations and within nations. 

Strengthen us to be peacemakers. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of hope and fear,

you walk with us through the challenges which surround us. 

Wash away our anxiety by your promised presence,

and set us free from despair.                                                                                                                     

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of church and world,

in baptism you unify yourself with our world,

and bring your reign into being. 

Keep us from seeing your love as a hiding place. 

Motivate us to infuse the world with your justice. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of health and illness,

there is nothing that separates us from your love. 

Inspire us to bring your health to the sick,

your encouragement to the discouraged,

your promise to the dying,

especially those we name before you now.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of life and death,

all that exists is from you, and for you. 

Enable us to trust your baptismal promise,

and serve this hurting world. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God who shines in the darkness,

receive these prayers and the prayers of our hearts,

in the name of the one who is your light,

Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Collect for the Baptism of Christ

Eternal Father,

at the baptism of Jesus

you revealed him to be your Son,

and anointed him with the Holy Spirit,

Keep all who are born of water and the Spirit

faithful to their calling as your people;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

The Grace

SUNDAY JANUARY 18TH                                                                                                  SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

Call to Worship

Come and see!

The light of God has come into our world

to proclaim God’s justice and love;

It has overcome the darkness and brought new life.

Come and follow!

Christ our companion has redeemed our world

He draws us into a loving family

From every tribe and family and culture.

Go and tell!

The Spirit has equipped us for service

To love our neighbours as we do ourselves

To bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

Come and see, come and follow, go and tell!

In God’s Love the nations of the earth will put their hope.

Prayers of Approach and Confession

Faithful and ever loving God, we lift up our hearts.
Lord our God, we give you our thanks,                                                                                for you alone are worthy of our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for even when heaven and earth pass away,
your words will never pass away.
Like a potter you created the earth,
and we are all the work of your hands.
At your presence even the mountains quake,
and yet to your people who wait for you,
you are the light, revealing our salvation.

In your child, Jesus, you have come among us,
teaching us to live in readiness for your reign.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life,
restoring to us the light of your presence,
and enriching us in every way
so that we are not lacking in your gifts
as we await the day
when he comes on the clouds in glory
and gathers his faithful ones from the ends of the earth;
all who do right and remember you in their ways.

Faithful God,
you call us to be saints,
but we are more comfortable with the role of sinner;
you call us to be your servants,
but we worry that we lack the skills to do your work;
you put a new song of praise in our mouths,
but we stumble on unfamiliar words;
you show us the work to be tackled,
but we turn away defiant,
insisting we have more important things to do.

Put your song on our lips and in our hearts,
and remind us of the joy that awaits us
when we put our trust in you.
Guide us into the light
of your unwavering, never-ending,
and grace-filled love.

Assurance of Pardon

God is faithful and ever-present.
The God who knew us before our birth
loves us still and strengthens us,
that we will one day be blameless.
Through the gift of Jesus Christ,
God offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy

and invites us to enter into the light!

And for that we say, Thanks be to God!

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

You command us, Heavenly Father, through your prophet Isaiah to listen and pay attention, for we are far away from you. The sharp tongues of the prophets do not let us have a glib faith. Your Son, our Savior, has been sent as our light in a dark world.                                                                                                                                                 

Let us walk: In the light of the Lord.

Father God, you listen to us like you listened to the Psalmists when we sing our songs, cry our laments, and put our trust in your gracious mercy. Help us delight in your will. Put your law and your help in our hearts, that we may rejoice in your steadfast love.                                                                                                                                       

Let us walk: In the light of the Lord.

We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you have called us to be saints together.

As we grow in our faith in your Body, the church,

fill us with your spiritual gifts, that we may not be lacking in zeal or courage.                                                                                       

Let us walk: In the light of the Lord.

Lamb of God, John the Baptist proclaimed that you take away the sin of the world.

Take away our sin, our selfishness, that we may be your people in a world that needs you more than it can admit. Help us take no offense in the fact that we need you too.                 

Let us walk: In the light of the Lord.

Open our ears, Holy Spirit, that we may hear your call through the Scriptures, the preaching of your word, the singing of your inspired hymns, and the praying of our prayers.

When we hear you call, may we walk with you as readily as Andrew and Peter.                                                                                                                                                     

Let us walk: In the light of the Lord.

We bring before you those whom we know need healing, hope, and heavenly help.

As we name them in our hearts or aloud, touch them, and us with your presence.                                                                                                                                                   

Let us walk: In the light of the Lord.

Make all our petitions selfless, like those you taught us to pray. 

Amen

The Dismissal

We have come and we have seen.

The light of God has come into our world

to proclaim God’s justice and love;

It has overcome the darkness and brought new life.

We have come and we desire to follow!

Christ our companion has redeemed our world

He draws us into a loving family

From every tribe and family and culture.

Go and tell!

The Spirit has equipped us for service

To love our neighbours as we do ourselves

To bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

Come and see, come and follow, go and tell!

In God’s Love the nations of the earth will put their hope.

The Grace

SUNDAY JANUARY 25TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

Call to Worship

Come, follow Jesus!
We gather together to follow in the way of Christ.
Come, walk with Jesus!
We seek to walk together in the truth of Christ.
Come, trust in Jesus!
We celebrate the revelation of Christ in our world.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of community,
thank You for Your spirit hovering in our midst,
knitting us together as a community of faithful disciples.
Thank You for unravelling threads of untruth, distrust and darkness.
Thank You for casting on threads of truth, caring and compassion.
We marvel at the patterns of friendship, community and cohesion You have created.

God of light,
thank You for your spirit persistently shining amongst the shadows.
Thank You for boldly breaking through the darkness.
Thank You for illuminating the path before us.
We marvel at the bright beams of love, hope and possibility You have created.

God of wisdom,
thank You for Your spirit quickening our minds and hearts.
Thank You for calling us to follow in the way of Jesus.
Thank You for never giving up on us.
We marvel at the power of Your word to change the world.

Gracious God, we raise our voices in thanks to You.

Forgiving God,
we come together to admit our wrongs and ask your forgiveness.
We have quarrelled. Nations fight. Families dispute. Congregations argue.

Eternal One, forgive us.
Knit us together in Christ.

We have blamed others when we, too, have been at fault.
We have tried to convince others to side with us against our opponents,
even when we are of one family, one community or one church.

Eternal One, forgive us.
Knit us together in Christ.

We have said untruths, bolstering our views.
We have maligned and offended others who have stood in our way.

Eternal One, forgive us.
Knit us together in Christ.

We have been afraid to say important truths,
worried about consequences, especially what others will think or say about us.

Eternal One, forgive us.
Knit us together in Christ.

We have upheld division over unity.
We have polarised and poisoned relationships.

Eternal One, forgive us.
Knit us together in Christ.

Forgiving God, save us with Your powerful mercy.
Shine Your light into our darkness.
Open our hearts and minds to Your embrace
that we might embrace others in love and friendship.

Eternal One, forgive us.
Knit us together in Christ.                                                                                                Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession 

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of light,
we pray for people who find themselves in gloom and anguish,
for families living with war and violence,
for children alone and afraid,
for women shipped into slavery.

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of compassion,
we pray for people afflicted by poverty,
homelessness and lack of clean water,
for communities unable to secure safety for their children.

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of abundance,
we pray for people whose homes and communities have been plundered,
who know only scarcity and suffering,
who no longer experience joy.

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of hope,
we pray for people who carry great burdens,
who trudge through life with a yoke across their shoulders,
for carers, for over-worked medical personnel.

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of liberation,
we pray for people who live broken by the rod of their oppressor,
for those abused by partners or parents,
for those slaving away at underpaid jobs,
for those excluded from activities and opportunities.

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of truth,
we pray for people afraid to speak out,
afraid to reveal injustice and oppression,
fearful of consequences and retribution.

God of the nations,
shine Your light into the darkness.

God of light,
show us how to shine Your light more brightly into our world,
to relieve the suffering of others and to celebrate Your presence,
even in times of trial.
Thank You for walking with us and all Your children through the challenges of life.
In Jesus' name we pray,                                                                                                  Amen.

The Dismissal

People of God, go to proclaim God's truth,
shine Christ's light and celebrate the Spirit amongst us!                                                       Followers of Jesus, as you travel through the week ahead,
choose the path of truth, hope and goodness.                                                                    Go in peace.                                                                                                                    Go filled with the knowledge that God's light shines upon you and all the world.

The Grace

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1ST

CANDLEMAS

Scripture Sentences

In the beginning God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,                                  and God saw that the light was very good, and he separated light from darkness.”

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.                                                                              Whoever follows me shall never walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”  

Prayers of Approach and Confession

Lord God, you are the source of everlasting light.                                                                Your son was presented in the temple forty days after his birth.                                            He was recognised by Simeon and Anna and welcomed as the promised Messiah.           

May we like them, behold the glory of Christ.                                                                    Grant that we may stand before you with hearts cleansed by your forgiving love.

We worship you, loving, listening God.                                                                                We offer you our prayers and praises                                                                                  drawn to your light and seeking your way.

Father eternal, giver of light and grace,                                                                              we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,                                                        in what we have thought, in what we have said and done,                                                  through ignorance, through weakness,                                                                   

through our own deliberate fault.                                                                                 

We have wounded your love and marred your image in us.                                                We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins.                                                        For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past;

and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light.

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon us,

pardon and deliver us from all our sins,

confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal.

Like Simeon, may we grow old in hope and wonder.                                                            Like Anna, may we be in love with you all our days.                                                            May we be open to truth, open to surprises.                                                                      May we let your spirit into our lives.                                                                                  May we let your justice change our behaviour.                                                                  May we live in the brightness of your joy.                                                                        Amen.                  

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Almighty God, we give thanks for the welcome given to the child, Jesus,                          

by Simeon and Anna, seeing that in his life there would be joy,                                        sorrow and suffering, and for the example they have set us.

As we remember the older and retired people in our churches,                               

we thank you and pray for their work with children, young people and families in our communities. We pray your Holy Spirit may inspire them to use and share their experiences of life with wisdom, humility and gladness.

We pray for the work and service of all homes and day centres for the elderly

and those in need.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

Lord, we pray that world-wide churches may always be ready to travel along your way

and in your direction.
Bless and guide our ministers and leaders
As we approach the Lenten season of penitence and discipline,

help us to be alive to your Spirit, who searches all our hearts and renews our lives                as we offer our faith and obedience.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

We pray for nations and leaders as they live through conflicts and struggle with identity.

We think of Ukraine and the Middle East
We remember those suffering in natural disasters and extreme weather,

both at home and abroad, whether it be floods or famines.
We pray for all those people sacrificially working to bring aid and help                          where it is most needed.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

We pray for the families and communities we represent                                                    asking that we may have a spirit of generous love,

understanding and respect for those who are different from us.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness.

We pray for all finding their life-journey tedious, lonely or uncertain,
those who are ill or vulnerable.                                                                                     

Be their strong comfort in times of need.                                                                   

Bless and protect their families and their careers.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

Lord, we remember for those who have died                                                                    and pray for those who miss and grieve for them.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world,                                                                                  a light which no darkness can quench.                                                                                May our candles today be a symbol of your love and warmth and hope.
We pray for the families and friends of all who have died recently.
You turn our darkness into light, in your light shall we see light.
Grant us and all who have known you in their hearts                                                            a share in your eternal kingdom.

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

In the silence of these moments, we make our particular concerns known to God.

Open our eyes, Father
To the light of your glory
In the world you have made
In the people around us
And in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                           

Jesus Light of the world, shine in our darkness

Merciful Father, accept these prayers                                                                                  for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.                                                            Amen.

Nunc Dimittis

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.                              For mine eyes have seen thy salvation;                                                                         Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;                                              

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles                                                                             

and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

The Dismissal

The Lord Jesus give light to your eyes,                                                                          Give light to your mind’s,                                                                                                  Give light to your hearts,                                                                                                  Give light to your whole lives,                                                       

That you may witness to Christ today and forever.

Turn from the crib to the cross.                                                                                       May you shine with the light of Christ`s love.                                                                 May you go to carry the light of Christ.                                                                              May you shine with the light of Christ`s love.

The Grace

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 8TH

SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Call to Worship

Look at the birds of the air;

they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns

and yet God provides for the basic sustenance of life.

May our hearts be open to trust you.

Look at the birds of the air;

they neither study nor plan nor plot their course

and yet God writes the instinct for migration into their hearts.

May our eyes be open to see you.

Look at the birds of the air;

they neither talk nor vote nor debate their responsibility

yet God weaves them into communities which nurture and defend.

May our hands be open to serve you.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We give thanks to you, debonaire God.

You clothe the wild flowers,

dressing them so superbly

that they outdo Solomon in all his glory.

You are the true Friend

of all creatures great and small

and feed even the birds of the air.

We give thanks to you, Christ Jesus

the Source of abundance,

full of grace and truth.

We give thanks to you, extravagant God.

You turn the other cheek,

go the second mile,

turn water into the best wine,

bring healing with every touch,

and welcome a woman’s of love

as she fills the house with unforgettable fragrance.

We give thanks to you, Jesus Christ,

who sweated blood in an Olive Grove,

and kept the faith to the very end.

We give thanks to you, redeeming God

who spared no cost,

forgave even his brutal crucifiers,

had time for a dying thief at his side,

and who on the third day

did a thing so prodigious

that even his friends were dismayed with joy.

We give thanks to you, the God who we see in Jesus Christ

and experience through the Spirit,

the Source of abundance

wherever we turn

and no matter what we do.

We are thankful that your mercy                                                                                      is higher than the heavens,

wider than our wanderings,

deeper than all our sin.

Forgive our frivolous attitude toward life,

our callousness toward suffering,

our envy of those who have more than we have,

our obsession with creating a life of constant pleasure,

our indifference to the treasures of heaven,

our neglect of your wise and gracious law.

Help us to change our way of life

so that we may desire what is good, love what you love,

and do what you command,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Holy God, sometimes our lives are so full of worries that we forget how you look after us through every aspect of our lives. When our worries begin to spiral out of control, help us turn them into a conversation with you, confident that you will calm our anxiety and give us hope for the future.

Gracious God, we pray for your church, and the churches in our local community asking that there will be a growing desire to get together. We give you thanks for those who come up with fresh ways of making your name known to the wider community.

Creator God, thank you for our world and the places where we live. Help us all to be mindful that we are all created equal in your sight and accept our deep regret that despite this there is still so much inequality to be found. Help us to remember that you want us to be good stewards of your creation, living responsibly in the lands and seas of the earth.  May all future growth be sustainable and may we ensure that its abundance is fairly shared for the good of all.

Father God, we thank you for the joy of human love, and for all those among whom we live and work. We pray particularly for loved ones who worry us with their health, or circumstances, or life direction. We pray for those among our friends and families who do not know you, or whose faith has been shaken.

Loving God, we pray for all who bear the burdens of pain, bereavement, worry and depression. We pray for those whose illness stems from anxiety.

We pray that they may have an awareness of your presence and an understanding that you are bearing those burdens with them and always working towards their healing and wholeness.

Merciful God, through your love and mercy you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life. Comfort those who grieve in their sorrow and those who are worried about how they will cope on their own and reassure them that you will never leave them to carry the burdens of life unaided.

Everlasting God, we ask you to lead us into the coming week, help us to believe that you are close by us, keep us from making mistakes and help us never to disappoint you through our words and actions.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,                                            our Saviour, Jesus Christ.                                                                                              Amen

The Dismissal

Do not worry about anything in life,

what you’ll eat, or what you’ll wear.

Look at the birds of the air, or the flowers in the field.

If God takes such good care of birds and flowers,

how much more will He care for you?

So do not be afraid.

Instead, let your lives be marked by compassion and generosity,

sharing what you have been given with those in need,

storing up your treasure in heaven, instead of here on earth.

The Grace

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15TH

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE LENT

TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY

Call to Worship

Beyond our earth-bound lives,
there is a glory rising born of heaven
and reaching out to each one of us,

a light that shines through the clouds,
an invitation seeking all of who we are
that transfigures the world,

that transforms darkness into hope,
that brings life from a cross
where old life ends and new life is born.

In glory Jesus meets us here,
raising us from depths of valley to the height of the mountain,
carrying the weight of our humanity
to the heights of heavens glory.

Let us worship from the mountain and hear again
“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

We worship you, O God, with songs of praise.
We worship you with words of prayer
and with ears that listen for you to speak
your saving truth into our lives.
We worship you in the silent spaces
where we struggle for hope and for courage.
We long for a glimpse of your glory:
the glory that shines in the darkness
and the darkness cannot overcome it;
the glory that touches lives with a beauty so holy
that it heals the wounded soul;
the glory that gives strength to the weary.

We, who stumble and fall so often,
worship you, longing for your light to shine upon us.
Dazzle us with your holy love,
draw us into your purifying presence,
speak to us your transforming truth.
Then, grant us grace to live every moment
changed by such glory—
daring to live with hope and courage and love

reflecting the life of Jesus,
through whom your glory shines in the most unexpected ways.                                                                                                                                                  

Lord Jesus Christ, God's glory and love shone through you that day on the mountain and you persisted in revealing that glory and love through your words and deeds; through your life of humble service.

We hear again these wonderful words of God,

"You are my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!”                                                           

We confess our failure to listen to you because of the influence on our lives of the gods of this world. When this happens our attitudes conceal

rather than reveal your glory and your love.

If we conceal your love

because our pursuit of other priorities

prevents us from seeing and serving people in need:
If we conceal your glory

because all we reflect is our own self-centredness:

If we conceal your truth

through our lack of credible witness:
If we conceal your justice

through our failure to empower those who are powerless:
If we conceal your mercy

because of our hard and unforgiving attitudes:
If we conceal your compassion

because of our prejudice and  intolerance:
forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,

cleanse our lives of all shameful attitudes of  mind and heart

so that we reveal your glory

in and through all we do and say and are. 

This we pray in your name

and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Assurance of Pardon

It is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness" who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God  in the face of Jesus Christ. The good news is that we are not only enlightened by Christ, we are cleansed and we are forgiven!  

Thanks be to God!

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Almighty God, before the passion of your Son,

you revealed His glory upon the holy mountain.   

Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of His countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross. 

Indeed, O Lord, give us the vision to see beyond the turmoil

of our world and to behold Him in all His glory.

O God, at the Holy Mountain we open our eyes and we see Jesus,

the months of ministry transfigured to a beam of light,

the light of the world, your light. May your light always shine upon us.

O God, we open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah with Jesus,

your word,  restoring us, showing us the way, telling a story,

your story, his story, our story. 

May your word always speak to us.

O God, we open our eyes and we see mist, the cloud of your presence, which assures us of all we do not know

and that we do not need to fear that. 

Teach us to trust.

O God, we open our eyes and we see Peter's constructions,

his best plans, our best plans, our missing the point,

our missing the way.... Forgive us

our foolishness and our sin.

O God, we open our eyes and we see Jesus, not casting us off,

but leading us down, leading us out - to ministry, to people.  

Help us to share his love, your love.

O God, hear our prayers not just for ourselves, but our prayers for one

another at this time: our prayer that they who are lost might be found,

that they who are lame might walk and they who are sick may be healed, that they who are enslaved may be set free and they that mourn may be comforted.

We pray, O God, for ....

O God, at your Holy Mountain we open our ears

and we hear your voice saying

'This is my beloved Son, listen to him!'  

We give you thanks and we pray

in his name that we might always do your will and harken to his voice -

both on the mountains and in the valleys of life. 

Amen

The Dismissal

Come down from the mountain with mountain-like faith.
Walk on God's paths as bright, shining lights.
Live in God's ways with faith, hope, and love.
Go into the world transformed and renewed!

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS FEBRUARY 22ND

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Call to Worship for Lent

Lent calls us to journey, this and every day,
following Jesus wherever he leads us.

Lent calls us to journey:
to the place where God covenants with us,
to receive the new names we are given.

Lent calls us to worship together,
to tell future generations the good news.

Lent calls us to practice justice,
to bring God's hope to all people.

Lent calls us to faithful living,
to trust the One who gives us life.

Lent calls each of us to take up our cross,
to trust the One who bears it with us.

Lent calls us to journey with God.

Let us worship God, who walks with us,
this and every day.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Father God,
as we take this journey that draws us ever closer to you,
we thank You that you walk with us
You sustain us,
You nurture us.

God, as we go through
the wilderness of Lent and of our lives,
we thank You that You send your manna to us,
You give us wisdom to turn from temptation
and your grace to persevere.

God, as we negotiate the pot holes of life,
the valleys and pitfalls,
We thank You that You guide us with your hand
You keep our feet steady,
and our vision on you.
Keep us in your paths of love, mercy and grace.
Lord help us to remember we are not alone
but that we are walking with our fellow travellers.

So many times we have questioned you and turned away from you;

disbelieving your will for us;

stifling ourselves in the darkness of that disbelief

and failing not only ourselves,

but those whom we love.

Forgive us when we fail to walk in your ways,

when we have been incapacitated by our own weaknesses,

bringing a sense of guilt and sometimes despair.

We ask that you do not give up on us;

that you take us by the hand and put us back on course,

a course leading to contentment and fulfilment,

underpinned by your strength and love.

Restore us to yourself

that we might lift up our hearts and minds and voices

to focus on Christ calling us to follow him wherever that may be.

Help us to learn from his example,

to search our hearts, just as he did,

and to commit ourselves more wholly to you.

On this first Sunday of Lent,

may we listen out for your voice in the days ahead,

that we may know you better,

that we may love you better.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                                                                                                  

Amen.

The Lords` Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

We pray today for all who are walking a hard journey:

for those whose daily paths encounter barbed wire and guns;

for those who did not want to leave home but were forced to;

for those who set out today in search of food and water;

for those whose journey is shattered by economic hardship;

for those whose journey is marred by pain or despair,

and for those who faithfully journey alongside them;

for those who are making a move and beginning again;

for those who are clinging on to something that has ended;

for those who are being bullied, and for those who are bullying;

for those who have just taken their first breath,                                                             

and for those who today will take their last.

May this Lenten journey, with its stories

about the hard places of Jesus’ experience,

give strength and courage to all

whose journey is far from easy.

And may it inspire us to risk Christ’s Way of love

as we share the journey with other travellers.

We make this prayer in His name.                                                                                  Amen. 

The Dismissal

Lent calls us to journey, this and every day,
following Jesus wherever he leads us.

Lent calls us to journey:
to the place where God covenants with us,
to receive the new names we are given.
Lent calls us to worship together,
to tell future generations the good news.

Lent calls us to practice justice,
to bring God's hope to all people.
Lent calls us to faithful living,
to trust the One who gives us life.

Lent calls each of us to take up our cross,
to trust the One who bears it with us.
Lent calls us to journey with God.

Let us worship God, who walks with us,
this and every day.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 1ST

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Call To Worship

I lift up my eyes to the hills- from where will our help come?                                              Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

God will not let your foot be moved;                                                                                  the God who keeps you will not slumber.                                                                            The God who keeps us neither slumbers nor sleeps.

The Lord is your keeper;                                                                                                    the Lord is your shade at your right hand.                                                                        The sun shall not strike us by day nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; God will keep your life.                                                The Lord will keep our going out and our coming in                                                              from this time on and forevermore.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

O Most High,

we praise and adore You for Your loving kindness,

which called Abraham and Sarah of old,

which called the disciples to follow Jesus,

and which calls us now in the trials and tribulations of our own age.

We thank You, and ask for Your strength to follow.  

O Lord Jesus,

we respond to Your call and, in that response,

find blessing upon blessing,

new life and love, forgiveness and fellowship.

In You our restless hearts find their rest,

and our ancient yearnings are stilled.

Yet we know that You bless us

that we might bless others;

You shower Your grace upon us

that we might be a source of loving kindness in a lonely world.

O Holy Spirit,

so often we prefer the shadows to the light,

the ways of the world to Your ways.

We try and bargain with You,

and compromise with the principalities and powers of our age,

in the hope we may find an easier way,

trusting in our own ingenuity

rather than in Christ’s faithfulness.

Forgive us, good Lord, and give us time to change,

that we may follow You in the light. 

Assurance of Pardon

Hear the good news,

the promise that Abraham and Sarah would inherit the world

did not come to them, or to their descendants, through the Law

but through the righteousness of faith.

In faith, then, believe you are forgiven and called;

you are blessed to be a blessing!

Thanks be to God who has forgiven, called and blessed us!                                              Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Heavenly Father, Your spirit moves in us,
causing us to cry out Abba Father to You.
Hear the prayers that come from our hearts,
our fears and vulnerabilities, and our hopes,
knowing that our help comes from You.

We pray for the church in all its forms.
May we hear the lessons of vulnerability, and the call to rebirth,
to be constantly renewed
and be prepared to remain helpless and nourished by You,
so that we can truly embody what the world needs us to be,
and be a sign of Your love.

We lift our eyes to You,
Our helper and our strength.

We pray for our leaders, and leaders across the world,
that they will be humble and selfless,
and willing to work together for the common good.
Fill them with Your spirit Lord,
so that we might be communities that welcome the stranger and protect the vulnerable.

We lift our eyes to You,
Our helper and our strength.

We pray for our beautiful earth,
for protection of fragile ecosystems, and just and wise use of resources,
so that generations to come might be safe and blessed.
We pray to learn to be advocates and care for Your creation.

We lift our eyes to You,
Our helper and our strength.

We pray for peace in all those parts of the world where there is conflict.
We ask You to hear the cries of all those who are suffering in war,
and let peace and justice flow.
We pray that we may be filled with compassion and not despair,
and wisdom and generosity to know how to help those in need.

We lift our eyes to You,
Our helper and our strength.

We pause to reflect on where we need God's help in our own lives,
or a person or situation on our own hearts at this time, thinking especially of those who are ill, anxious, bereaved or any kind of need.

We Lift our eyes to You,
Our helper and our strength.

Amen.

The Dismissal

May you recognise the call of One who called Abraham and Sarah!

May you respond to the call of the One who died and rose to new life!

May you respond to the call of the One who blesses you to be a blessing!

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 8TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Call to Worship

We have come to worship God,                                                                                      who makes streams flow from rock,                                                                                    who turns the parched earth into springs of water,                                                              who sends the rain from heaven                                                                                        and makes the wilderness blossom and flourish.                                              

As the deer thirsts for flowing streams, so we thirst for You, O God.                                      Come, let’s worship our life-giving God,                                                                              who pours out living water on all who thirst.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of creation,                                                                                                                we are here together to worship Your holy name.                                                                Lord of salvation,                                                                                                              we are here together to praise what You have done for us.                                        

King of blessings,                                                                                                              we are here together to give You the best that we can bring.                                  

Your sovereign power holds us in being.                                 

Your immeasurable love makes the impossible possible for us.                                   

Your infinite grace creates a way for us to enjoy friendship with You.                         

Your unfailing faithfulness safeguards the completion of our salvation.                             

You are always there for us,                                                                                            never growing old, never growing bored, never growing tired.                                             Your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.                                       For all these, we give thanks to You.                                                                                           

Immortal, invisible, God only wise:                                                                                    so far beyond us, so near to us with Your love in Jesus Your son,                                          As we thank You for Your indescribable love for us,                                                            we confess that down in life’s valley,                                                                                  we have ignored You or broken Your heart.                                                                   Living God, forgive us for not taking rest from work                                                            and not taking time out for worship.                                                                                  Forgive us for turning aside to other gods:                                                                          gods of human making: power and pounds;                                                                        sex and success; money and machines.                                                                              Forgive us for venerating such false idols.                                                                       Forgive us for thinking and speaking against our neighbours,                                    

and for any envy of their good fortune;                                                                         

and for not thinking and doing enough for those near to us.                                         Maybe we do not kill or steal but forgive us for murderous feelings                                      and for thinking we might take something that is not ours.                                                  

Lord God, forgive us for breaking the new commandment,                             

given by Your son: to love others, even our enemies.                                          

Merciful God, set Christ’s cross between our souls and our sins.                                          As we are contrite, assure us by the Holy Spirit

that we are pardoned, healed, restored, forgiven.

By Christ’s grace raise us to new heights of fresh obedience and good and glorious living.                                                                                                                                            As we come into Your presence together,                                                                            pour Your love into our hearts once again through Your Holy Spirit.                 

Renew our hope of sharing Your glory                                                                                and quench our thirst with Your living water welling up to eternal life.                                    May we glorify Your name in our whole life and worship in spirit and truth.                            May our living be a source of blessing in the world.                                                           Through Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                                        Amen 

The Lord`s Prayer                       

Prayers of Intercession

Lord, as we journey towards Easter,

refresh, renew, restore us in your service.

We pray for churches where life has become dull and dry.

We remember churches struggling for survival.

We pray for Christians drained of energy and resources.

We remember especially those who thirst for your presence                                              and your saving power.

Good and gracious Lord,                                                                                                    give us the water of life.

We pray for all who thirst after justice,

all who are working hard to improve our world.

We remember all who are suffering from weariness and exhaustion.

We pray for all who live in place affected by drought.

Good and gracious Lord,                                                                                                    give us the water of life.

We pray for all who are going through a period of testing and dryness,

in their faith or their relationships.

We pray for those whose ardour has cooled,

for all who have lost their first zeal and zest for life.

We pray for all who are suffering from a lack of love in their homes.

Good and gracious Lord,                                                                                                    give us the water of life.

We remember all who feel wrung out or dried up,

all who are wearied with the journey of life,

all who feel they are near to perishing.

We pray for all who cannot cope by themselves,

for all who are in care, and for all carers.

We remember all who are in hospices.

Good and gracious Lord,                                                                                                  give us the water of life.

We give thanks for the fellowship of those whose journey is over,

those who hunger and thirst no more,

all who have been refreshed and restored in your kingdom.

We pray that we may share with them in the fullness of life that is eternal.

Good and gracious Lord,                                                                                                    give us the water of life.                                                                      

All these our prayers we offer in Jesus` name.                                                                    Amen.

The Dismissal

Go now from this service of worship

to the service of God’s people near and far,

refreshed by the living water that Jesus offers to you.
Listen for the parched voices of the least of these;

search out the dry places and the arid souls,

and become for them a spring of living water.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 15TH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

MOTHERING SUNDAY

Call to Worship

We gather together to worship

our loving, nurturing God,

who, like a mother,

knows us intimately,

loves us unconditionally,

teaches us the way we should go,

and comforts us in times of need.

Praise be to God,

the Source and Sustainer of life!

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We join our hands in this family circle, Lord,

and raise our voices in thanks to You.

Because of Your great love, we know the love

of parents, child, brothers, sister.

You have done great wonders in the world,

yet You hear the prayers of each of us,

small as we are.

Your understanding is beyond our imagination,

but You care enough to listen to us,

and You understand our hurts and fears.

Your hand created the heavens, the stars, the moon,

and Your power keeps them in their places,

yet You still have time to touch our lives.

When our enemies threaten us,

when our selfish natures lead us into sin,

You are there to shield and guide us back to You.

When we are hungry, tired, or lonely,

you provide us with food, rest and comfort.

You have even provided a wonderful future for us,

a future free from fear or pain or worry

where we will live with You forever,

together in the oneness of Your love.

We give thanks to You, the God of heaven,

our Abba whose love endures forever.

Lord, many of us read Your Holy Word
And are inspired, encouraged, and grateful.
But some of us are tempted to doubt
That Your grace could ever produce
these kinds of virtues mentioned there in our lives.

Some of us are tempted by resentment and unforgiveness
because of those who have let us down.
Some of us are tempted to condemn ourselves for past failings,
and all of us remember times when we have fallen short.

Forgive us for doubt, resentment,
unforgiving hearts, self-condemning attitudes.
Remind us of your forgiveness, always available in Jesus Christ.

In spite of our failures and sin,
We trust in Your power to transform our lives.
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus,
so that our lives may bring Joy to Your world
and praise to Your Name.

Amen.

The Lords` Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Holy One,

we gather in your presence to give you thanks

and to celebrate the gift of your motherly love,

both gentle and fierce,

both strong and humble,

both kind and true.

Your love has given birth to the whole of creation,

supports and nurtures us,

cares enough to correct us,

and challenges us in ways that strengthen and transform us.

We offer you praise and thanksgiving

for your unfailing presence in our lives

and all of the blessings you so generously offer us.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Loving God, we thank you for the gift of motherhood and for the many

examples of faithful mothers in scripture, like Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth,

Mary, and Lois. We give thanks for mothers the world over. We celebrate

all those who have nurtured and cared for us, remembering especially,

birth mothers, adoptive mothers, surrogate mothers, aunts, grandmothers,

teachers, neighbours, and all women who have mothered us.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of generations,

thank you for the gift of faith.

kindled and rekindled in us through the years.

And thank you for those what have taught us the Faith

in sincerity and love.

Today, we give special thanks and praise for our church mothers,

the women who, like Timothy’s mother and grandmother,

steadily and without much recognition

teach a new generation of children about the love of Jesus.

And we celebrate the matriarchs

who build up with compassion and strong shoulders

young women and girls,

revealing a deep spiritual life and love

woven into the fabric of our church family.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of compassion and joy,

we know motherhood is a wide spectrum

and our life together is big enough to stand in solidarity with all mothers.

For the seen and unseen grief and struggles of women and mothers,

we ache with you.

For the seen and unseen joys of motherhood,

we rejoice and celebrate with you.

May God bless all women on this special day;

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit,

One God, the Mother of us all.                                                 

Amen.

The Dismissal

Go into your week,
knowing that you are embraced by the love of God;
a love that is sweeter and more tender
than any you have ever known.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 22ND

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Opening Prayer

Holy God, Creator of Life,
you call us out of our dark places,                                                                                      offering us the grace of new life.
When we see nothing but hopelessness,                                                                            you surprise us with the breath of your spirit.

Call us out of our complacency and routines,
set us free from our self-imposed bonds,
and fill us with your spirit of life, compassion, and peace,
In the name of Jesus, your anointed one, we pray. Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Almighty God,                                                                                                                  who called his Son into ministry by the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
and testified that he was the coming King                                                                through the good news culminating on the cross,                                                                hear our prayers of thanksgiving.

We thank you that you are the God of angel armies,
the God who is triumphant over sin,
healing those who were in its clutches.

We thank you that you are the God of life,
the God who is triumphant over death,
hearing the prayer of your Son to pull Lazarus from its grip
and give him new life.

We thank you that you who were greeted with praise
at your entry into Jerusalem would humble yourself
in death and empty yourself for us. 

Compassionate God,

the wind of your Spirit is the very sign of life

for all who long for you.

One breath from you and we are rescued

from the arid valley of dry bones,

given muscles and sinews and joy with which to praise you,

and filled with the holy hope you grant to all your faithful children.

Let our whole lives be filled with the life-breath of the Spirit,

that what has lain dormant may burst into bloom,

and what looks to us to be death

may be revealed as but sleep

before the emergence of new life. 

You call us to be your voices in this world

and we stay silent.

You call us to be your hands in this world

and we keep them hidden.

You call us to be your feet in this world

and we go our own way.

When we meet those who are doubting

and say nothing, forgive us.

When we meet those who need your touch

and do nothing, forgive us.

When we are called to take up your cross

and carry nothing, forgive us.

Breathe life into these bones

bring freedom to these lives

that we might declare

with heart and soul and voice

that you are our Lord and our God.                                                                 

Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

O God, who always listens to us,

who breathes new life into us,

call us forward to resurrection.

We are surrounded by a world of dry bones,

a world of death and despair,

a world where we lose hope in our structures, ourselves, and you.

We pray for this world in need of your Word:

for all the people in it,

for those who lay down their lives,

for those who lead.

O God, who always listens to us,

who breathes new life into us,

call us forward to resurrection.

We are surrounded by people with dried up lives,

people unable to see your life past their tears.

We pray for this world in need of your healing presence:

for those who are imprisoned or alone,

those ill or infirm, or grieving, especially . . .

O God, who always listens to us,

who breathes new life into us,

call us forward to resurrection.

We are spellbound by those dry bones,

terrified of the stink of death,

and often too dumbfounded to call forth life in your name.

We pray for your chosen people, your Church.

We pray for the courage not just to follow you to death,

but to follow you to the New Creation.

O God, who always listens to us,

who breathes new life into us,

call us forward to resurrection, this day and always.                                                        Amen.

The Dismissal

God of all consolation and compassion,

whose Son comforted the grieving sisters, Martha and Mary;

and whose breath alone brings life

to dry bones and weary souls.

Pour out His Spirit upon you,

that you may face despair and death

with the hope of resurrection

and faith in the One

who called Lazarus forth from the grave.

The Grace 

SUNDAY PRAYERS MARCH 29TH

PALM SUNDAY

A Call to Worship based on Psalm 118

Open to me the gates of righteousness,                                                                              that I may enter, and give thanks to the Lord.                                                                    We will give You thanks, for You have answered us;                                                            You have become our salvation.                                                                                       

The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.                                This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.                                                     

This is the day that the Lord has made;                                                                              We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We give You thanks                                                                                                          for the crowds who greeted Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem                                                    singing glad songs of victory.                                                                                           

We give You thanks because                                                                                              for our salvation,                                                                                                              Christ was obedient even to death on the cross.                                                                  The tree of shame was made the tree of glory;                                                                    and where life was lost,                                                                                                    there life has been restored.                                                                                             

We give You thanks for Your steadfast love                                                                          and abundant goodness to all who wait upon the Lord.

We confess to You our selfishness and lack of love:                                                              fill us with Your Spirit. Lord, have mercy.                                                                           

We confess to You our fear and failure in sharing our faith:                                                  fill us with Your Spirit. Christ, have mercy.                                                                                            

We confess to You our stubbornness and lack of trust:                                                        fill us with Your Spirit. Lord, have mercy.                                                                            Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession                  

Let us bring to the Father our prayers of intercession                                                          through Christ who gave Himself for the life of the world.                                                   

For forgiveness for the many times we have denied Jesus,                                                    let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                                                               

For grace to seek out those habits of sin which mean spiritual death,                                    and by prayer and self-discipline to overcome them,                                                            let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                     

For Christian people, that through the suffering of disunity                                                  there may grow a rich union in Christ,                                                                                let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For those who make laws, interpret them, and administer them,                                      that our common life may be ordered in justice and mercy,                                                  let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                            

For those who still make Jerusalem a battleground,                                                            let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                             

For those who have the courage and honesty to work openly                                              for justice and peace,                                                                                                        let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                        

For those in the darkness and agony of isolation,                                                                that they may find support and encouragement,                                                                  let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                        

For those who, weighed down with hardship, failure, or sorrow,                                            feel that God is far from them,                                                                                          let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                           

For those who are tempted to give up the way of the cross,                                                  let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                                        That we, with those who have died in faith,                                                                        may find mercy in the day of Christ,                                                                                let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.                                                                                                        

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.                                    Amen.

The Dismissal                                                                                                                  

May the Father, who so loved the world that He gave His only Son,                                    bring you by faith to His eternal life.                                                                                  May Christ, who accepted the cup of sacrifice in obedience to the Father’s will, keep you steadfast as you walk with Him the way of his cross.                                                            May the Spirit, who strengthens us to suffer with Christ that we may share His glory,            set your minds on life and peace.

The Grace 

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 5TH

EASTER DAY   

Call to Worship

This is the day the Lord has made!
We will rejoice in it.
This is the day God has made; and what a day!
When God wipes away our tears so we can see the empty tomb.
What a day! Easter day!
When God opens our hearts' tombs as Jesus calls us by name.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Holy God our Salvation:
you roll away the power of sin, bringing forth the One
who makes everything alive.
Out of the garden of violence and hate
which evil has planted,
you bring forth a spring harvest
of love and forgiveness.

Jesus Christ, Creation's Gardener:
you went into the grave
to drive out the power of the world;
you shut the doors of pain and death
and open the gates of glory
to those who trust in you
and follow as your faithful servants.

Holy Spirit, Anointer of new life:
you speak and open our eyes to faith;
you touch our lips with glad songs of victory;
you roll away our fears so we can tell everyone
we have seen the Risen Lord.

On this first day of the week, Emptier of tombs,                                                                  we confess that we have not lived faithfully.                                                                        It is not that we have done great evil; we simply have failed to do good.                              It is not so much that we have caused hurt, but we have not brought healing.                 

It is not that we have trouble believing in the event of Easter,                                     

we have difficulty speaking about this day to our friends and neighbours.
Call us by name, Redeemer of all creation,                                                                        so we might hear your words of mercy.                                                                            You have not given us over to despair but handed us hope.                                                  You have not ignored our emptiness but filled us with the Bread of Heaven.                        You do not hand us over to death, but raise us to new life, through Jesus Christ.

Assurance of Pardon

What a day! Easter Day! God's dawn of new hope, new mercy, new life.
On this first day and every day, we can walk as God's people,                                    forgiven and made whole.                                                                                                  Thanks be to God.                                                                                              

God in Community, Holy in One,
on this great day of Easter,
we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,

Our Father . . .

Prayers of Intercession

O God, with faces touched by the light of a new day,

and hearts warmed by our prayers and praises,

we come before you to pray

for the needs of our world.

Into the light of Easter morning

we raise those who are struggling with illness,

with despair over their lives, or with

the breakdown of relationships.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter morning,

we bring those places in our world

where war, violence, poverty and need

are the experiences of everyday life.

(These places may be named)

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter morning,

we bring the headline news of this weekend

(this may be named):

we hold in our hearts the pain of those suffering violence,                                    bereavement or conflict.

May the light of Christ shine upon them.

And into the light of Easter morning

we bring ourselves, the private struggles,

the heart’s yearnings, the hidden dreams,

the unfulfilled potential.

May the light of Christ shine upon us.

Amen.

The Dismissal

This is the day God gives us new life.
Share it with everyone you meet.
This is the day of Jesus' resurrection.
Tell this story over and over.
This is the day you are anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Go to share peace and grace with the world.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 12TH

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He gave us new life by raising Jesus from death.

Those who look to God are radiant with joy;

they will never be put out of countenance.

Our loving God,

your purpose is to give life.

You have created life in the midst of this vast universe,

and you have renewed that life for ever

in the person of your own Son,

risen from death.

So we come with joy before you,

to worship and to adore you,

Creator, redeemer and Sustainer,

one God blessed forever.

We give thanks today for the Christian year,

for the busyness of festivals

and the quiet that follows,

for the rhythms of life and death,

and for all whose lives have shown

what it means to live in harmony with your good purpose.

We give thanks for the great hymns of Holy Week

and Easter that we have sung and enjoyed.

May their message sustain us through ordinary days,

and encourage us to live with thanksgiving in our hearts,

through Jesus Christ our risen Saviour.

You are greater than we can imagine,

the one who is,

who was,

who is to come.

We cannot contain you in our literature,

in our films,

in our music,

in our art,

nor even in our worship.

But in Jesus Christ we know you as our friend,

and this is our wisdom and our delight,

now and for all ages to come.

We give thanks for the wisdom of Scripture,

for its wonderful variety,

for its focus on your covenant purpose for your people,

for its fulfillment in Christ.

May the Bible be read,

loved, understood and followed in our world today.

We come as we are,

wearing this frail humanity

which Jesus took to wear himself.

We come with our faith and our doubts,

with our achievements and our failures,

with our past and with our potential.

When we have hidden behind locked doors, scared to speak out for what we believe, protecting ourselves from hostility and conflict:                                                              Liberating God, forgive us and set us free.

When we have shut others out of our lives, excluding those who are different or strange, preferring the comfort of being with people like us:                                                        Liberating God, forgive us and set us free.

When we have closed our minds to new possibilities,                                         

refusing to take the risks of exploration,                                                              

saying `No` to the adventure of mission,

Liberating God, forgive us and set us free.

When we have hoarded what we have, keeping our resources under lock and key,

refusing to share the abundance of God`s generosity:                            

Liberating God, forgive us and set us free.

Almighty and eternal God,

the strength of those who believe

and the hope of those who doubt,

may we, who have not seen, have faith

and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

We offer these prayers                                                                                             

in the name and in the spirit of Jesus,                                                                                Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Today we pray for the world in its need,

for those who seek refuge from war,

and for those who guide the response to such need.

We pray for politicians;

may they give a lead well,

and do their work with honesty and diligence.

We pray for the sick,

and those who care for them.

May they live with hope,

may they find care and healing,

may they know they are remembered and loved.

And may this congregation be a healing community,                                      

welcoming the stranger and caring for the troubled.

We pray for our community;

may the lonely find a friend,

may the prosperous live with generosity,

may all practice kindness.

We remember our neighbours of other religions,

we remember our neighbours of no religion,

we remember our neighbours about whom we know little.

If we have enemies, we pray for them;

if we have absent friends or family,

we ask a blessing on them, in the name of Christ.

We pray for the church.

May she live and grow,

may she conform to the image of Christ,

may she become a shelter and a light for many peoples.

With thanksgiving for all our brothers

and sisters who live and serve you in heaven,                                                                    with hope for all your people on earth,                                                               

we offer these our prayers in the name and in the spirit of Jesus,                                          Amen

The Dismissal

As you go from here, remember:

God is always with you.

No matter what you face,

no matters what trials or hardships come your way,

God is right beside you,

guiding and directing your path.

So do not live in fear, but in joy,

celebrating God’s presence

and singing God’s praise.  

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 19TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

We need your presence on the long road, Lord.
The road between fear and hope,
the road between the place where all is lost
and the place of resurrection.
Like the disciples walking the road to Emmaus,
we are in need of your company!
Jesus, stand among us, in your risen power,
let this time of worship, be a hallowed hour.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Loving God, our elusive yet all-sustaining Friend,                                                                     in spite of the negative doubters around us,

we dare to celebrate your glorious Presence!

In this troubled world

where the illusion of your absence

is felt keenly by numerous souls,

we thank you for your gifts

that break through to nurture us.

We give thanks

for the accumulated wisdom

of the Holy Scriptures

through which you speak to us

even when our hearts feel cold.

We give thanks

for the caring communities

of your church

where you are present

with encouragement

and profound healing.

We give thanks

for those special, holy times

when for a few seconds or hours

this world’s shrouds split open

and we glimpse your glory.

Most of all we give thanks

for the gift of Christ Jesus

who makes himself known

in the breaking of bread.

Loving Lord, elusive but faithful Friend,

in spite of our scrappy faith and love,

we dare to celebrate your glorious Presence!

O Jesus Christ, sometimes we are so busy talking with each other that we fail to find you beside us. We walk on, so focussed on our questions that we do not create the silent spaces which would allow you to speak with us and enlighten our journeying.

Silent reflection

Stay with us, Jesus Christ.                                                                                              Reach out towards us  and invite us to pause and meet with you, we pray.

As we look at our lives and that of the world around us, we are sometimes too anxious to share our real questions or our doubts and fears.                                                 

We keep them within us in troubled silence.

Stay with us, Jesus Christ.

Reach out towards us

and invite us to pause and meet with you, we pray.

We call your name, O Christ,

and hope to discover you here

in our community of vulnerable faith.

Assurance of Pardon

Whether we believe it, or not, Jesus Christ never leaves us nor forsakes us.                        Let us open our hearts to receive the pardon and grace

which Christ brings to us in faithfulness.                                                                          In His name, we are forgiven!                                                                                            Thanks be to God.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

In these early days after the resurrection, we wonder what it all means.

We can relate to the women who fled the tomb with terror and amazement.

We understand Thomas and his need for proof that would come

only by touching the wounds and seeing the nail marks.

We understand the fear and confusion
that kept the disciples in the shadow cast by closed doors.

We also keep company with the travellers on the Emmaus road

who felt the strange burning of the truth and hope and love

weaving into the sadness that consumed them on their walk.

We find ourselves in the eternal movement
between fear and faith, doubt and conviction, wonder and worry,

and we trust that you are present with us, O God.

We trust that like the disciples we will be able to stand

and tell the whole message about this life that:
Love is stronger than hate
Life has the final word over death
Beyond what we can see with our eyes,

there is a bond of humanness that draws and keeps us together.

We watch with anxiety as the Middle East finds itself in turmoil and uncertainty and the worldwide community is strained once again.
In the midst there are also voices of reason and peace;

perhaps they speak in whispers, but they speak nonetheless.

May those whispers rise to shouts
that proclaim the way forward with words and not weapons.
As the machines of greed and war trample the world and its peoples,

we remember that there are seeds of justice and love and goodness and grace
that are planted and watered every moment of every day.

We remember all those in need today in body, mind or spirit,

thinking especially of those know to us, loved ones, neighbours,

members of this congregation. Speak your word of peace in each and every circumstance.

It is a complicated and frightening world.
Strengthen us as we stand and bear witness to this whole life,

the life of the Risen One,

even Jesus Christ Our Lord.                                                                                 

Amen.

The Dismissal

Go now as those who have met with Christ

in the morning of this day.

Go now as those who hearts have burned within them,

as the Scriptures were explained.

Go now as those

who have been touched by resurrection.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS APRIL 26TH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

In the darkest valley,
at the banquet table;
in the hard work of life,
at the moments of ease;
in our day-to-day reality,
at times set aside–
like this time, now–
for worship, for listening, for paying attention;
with every step we take:
goodness and mercy follow us;
our cups overflow.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Generous God and Giver of all things, we rest in your loving and tender care; and we are revived, restored and renewed by your strength and encouragement. You go before us in life, leading us in pathways that are secure without the confusion of becoming lost, aware only that we always need to follow you; and so we trust in your guidance and wisdom.

As human beings, we know there will be times of stress, when our body or mind lets us down; we know there will dark times too, when life seems to be nothing but struggle; and it is in those times especially, that we rely on your Presence deep within us to guide and bless us. Grace-Giving God, you provide us with the tools we need for the tasks we face, and for this we give you our trust and our thanks.

Life-Giving God, you put out the ‘Welcome’ mat for us as we gather to worship you. You nourish our souls and bodies through your goodness and tender mercies; you heal our life’s wounds; and your generous love fills us to overflowing. You give us an honoured place at your table and invite us to stay with you as your guest forever. You have promised that your unfailing love will stay with us always, and for this, we give you our thanks. 

God of wisdom,

we confess the foolishness of our ways,

and our failure to follow you in your paths of right relationships –

with you and with others. 

We have gone astray; we feel lost. 

We have upheld our own interests first, to the detriment of others. 

We have failed to be generous with the poor,

and abandoned our efforts to bring about justice. 

We feel the stains of our sins, God;

have mercy on us according to your steadfast love. 

Wash the sinfulness out of us,

and help us to live more faithfully as your servants. 

We seek your unfailing Lordship

and ask for your guiding hand on our lives. 

You are the immortal, invisible One;

to you be honour and glory forever.

Assurance of Pardon

Merciful and loving God,

we thank you for never losing hope for us. 

When we are lost, you are there on the look-out for us,

bringing us back to you like the good shepherd that you are. 

Your Word tells us of the joy in heaven that awaits us. 

May this joy flow into our lives each day,

and be faithfully reflected into the world around us. 

Thanks be to God,                                                                                                                                our Great Shepherd.  

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Lord, we ask for the courage of the Good Shepherd,

who lays down his life for his sheep.

We pray for those prepared to suffer

and even to die for what they believe in.

We pray for those whose lives and rights are sacrificed

in the name of power and greed.

We pray for those who risk themselves

by accompanying others along paths of deep suffering,

through valleys of fear and despair.

Lord we ask for the compassion of the good shepherd

who leads his sheep to safe pasture.

We pray for those who work to feed and shelter and educate

the poor peoples of our world.

We pray for those skilled at nursing and healing

those who are suffering or ill In body, mind or spirit.

We pray for those who care, for the victims of our society,

those unable to cope with life, the neglected, the abused.

Lord, we ask for the love of the Good Shepherd

who knows his sheep by name.

We pray for our church, for minister and office bearers,

for its preachers and teachers and all engaged in pastoral care.

We pray for those we know,

relatives or friends who are facing difficult times.

(Silence)

We pray for ourselves

that we might hear the call from our Good Shepherd

and follow his way of love.

We make all our prayers in Christ’s name.                                               

Amen.

The Dismissal

Go now with your trust in the good shepherd,
and let us love, not just in words,
but in truth and action.
Believe in the name of Jesus Christ,
and love one another, just as he has commanded you.

May God be at your side, even in valleys of death.
May Christ Jesus be the cornerstone of your life.
May the Holy Spirit abide in you
and tend you with love and mercy all the days of your life.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 3RD

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

Easter people, in the midst of our questions and doubts, Jesus answers:
I am the way, the truth, and the life.

In the midst of our worry and distress, Jesus assures us:
I am the way, the truth, and the life.

In the midst of misinformation, confusion, and distrust, Jesus reminds us:
I am the way, the truth, and the life.

In the midst of dead ends and impossible challenges, Jesus shows us:
I am the way, the truth, and the life.

Come, let us worship as we learn to follow Christ,

our way, our truth, and our life.
Come, let us worship!

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Lord, our Way:
you call us to celebrate your peace in a world which worships war;
to celebrate your freedom in the face of oppression;
to celebrate the seed of faith planted in the doubts of our hearts.

Lord, our Life:
you would have us celebrate the safe ground of hope
emerging from the flood of our tears;
celebrate those who love us in the midst of hurt and hatred;
celebrate our salvation as we struggle with sin.

Lord, our Truth:
you teach us to celebrate our new life in the gift of the Risen Lord;
to celebrate the grace of your heart which melts our fears;
to celebrate that all our moments are cradled in your hands.

Hear the brokenness of our lives, O God.
We cover our ears so we cannot hear the cries of
those in need, or you urging us to respond.                                  

We rush together to defend every issue that matters
to us but quickly disperse when you would call us
to be your holy people. 

We shout as loud as we can to cheer on our sports teams,

but can manage only whispers when it comes to sharing the good news.
Forgive us, our Eternal Guide, and do not hold our sins against us. 

We lay the garments of our foolishness at your feet,

so you might clothe us in grace and hope. 

We would feed on the spiritual food which flows from your heart,

so we might be strong enough to follow Jesus

as he leads us in the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Assurance of Pardon

You are no longer alone - you are God's Beloved.
You are not of this world, but citizens of God's Kingdom. 

You, who once had no hope, have been filled with forgiveness.
You have received God's mercy in Christ. 

You are forgiven, redeemed, made whole - a people made one in faith.
For that we say, Thanks be to God.                                    

Lord, our Way, our Truth, our Life,
we lift our prayers to you as we pray, saying,

Our Father, which art in heaven…

Prayers of Intercession

Father God, we live in a time with such pain and confusion.

We pray for all who live in pain; victims of war and terror,                                                    those worried where their next meal is coming from,                                                          those homeless and hounded, and all in any kind of need.                                                    Help us, who proclaim Your way, to respond with love,                                          compassion and wisdom.

O Risen Lord, we live in a time when truths compete for attention,           

when alternative facts fill our airwaves

and when it’s hard to know who to trust.

We pray for victims of lying lips: victims of abuse and trafficking not believed.

Help us, who proclaim Your truth, to respond with love, compassion and wisdom.

Holy Spirit, we live in an age fascinated by death and decay,                                              which denies abundant life to the poor and excluded,                                                      yet holds up visions of a wealthy life unattainable to almost everyone;                                we pray for those denied fullness of life: prisoners who are offered no chance at rehabilitation those sentenced to death and those deliberately kept poor.

Help us, who proclaim Your life, to respond with love, compassion and wisdom. 

Lord Jesus, You who are our way, truth, and life,                                                                 accept these our prayers which we offer in your name.

Amen.

The Dismissal

Lord Jesus Christ, as we go,

do not let us stray from Your path, for You are the Way.

Lord Jesus Christ, as we go,

do not let us distrust Your promises, for you are the truth.

Lord Jesus Christ, as we go,

do not let us rest in anything other than you, for you are our life.

Bless us, good Lord,

that our lives may reflect Your life,

our truths be always Your truth,

and our way be always Yours. 

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 10TH

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Call to Worship

Like the wind which stirred the waters of creation, God is moving in us.

Like the holy fire burning in the desert, God is living in us.

Like the wind which drove back the waters of the Red Sea, God is acting in us.

Like the breath which stirred the dry bones in the valley, God is breathing in us.

Like the dove resting on the baptised Messiah, God is blessing us.

Like the healing hands of Jesus, God is healing us.

Like the last choking breath of a man on a cross, God is dying for us. 

Like the power that rose Jesus from the dead, God is offering new life to us.

Like the fire that falls on Pentecost, God is empowering us.

Prayers of Approach and Confession

Father God, our Creator,

we praise you for your amazing love, and for the gift of life.

We are sorry that we have not always trusted you,

listened to you or obeyed you as we should.

We have failed to love you as you have loved us,

and we have failed to love others.

Too often, we have hoarded your gifts,

and not shown others the mercy we have been shown.

We give you thanks that you have not given up on us in our sin.

Instead, from the very beginning,

you planned to send your Son, Jesus Christ,

not to condemn the world, but to save it.

Lord Jesus Christ,

we remember your costly sacrifice:

Your cry in the Garden: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Your cry from the cross: “Father, forgive them,

for they do not know what they are doing.”

And your cry from the resurrection: “Peace be with you.”

Holy Spirit,

we thank you that you are God with us and in us.

Comfort us in our loneliness and grief.

Fill our hearts with divine love,

and shape us from the inside out that we might be humble,                                          obedient and faithful disciples.

These our prayer we offer in the name of the One who taught us to pray, saying,

Our Father…

Prayers of Intercession

Holy Spirit, Comforter,                                                                                                      we pray for all those who need your comfort today:                                            

those who are grieving the loss of loved ones.                                                                    those struggling with poor physical and mental health.                                                  those facing personal battles with addictions.                                                                    those trapped in poverty and systems of injustice.

May they know your presence, receive your hope, and be touched by your joy.

Holy Spirit, Advocate and Counselor,                                                                                  we pray for all those who need your vision and direction today:

for political leaders, that they will use their power for the good of all people.

for young people considering what to do with their lives.                                                      Give them wisdom to discern the gifts you have given them,

and the call you are placing on their lives.

for the Congregational Federation as it meets this weekend in annual Assembly,

that we will be open and responsive to wherever you would lead us.

May we know your leading and be bold in love and witness,                                                  sharing in the life of your kingdom.                                                                                    Amen.

The Dismissal

Go now into the world.
Search for the God who is not far from each one of us.
Offer to all who ask an account of the hope that is in you.
Keep your conscience clear
as you live the commandments in love.

May God greet your prayers with constant love;
may Christ Jesus give you life through his own life;
and may the Spirit of truth abide with you and within you, always.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in the name of Christ.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 17TH

ASCENSION SUNDAY

Call to Worship (based on Psalm 47)

Clap your hands, all you peoples;                                                                                      shout to God with loud songs of joy.

For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome                                                                          a great king over all the earth.

God has gone up with a shout,                                                                                          the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises,                                                                                      sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the king of all the earth;                                                                                  sing praises with a psalm.

God is king over the nations;                                                                                            God sits on his holy throne.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Almighty God,

We come today reminded of your greatness and glory,

your sovereign power and eternal purpose

all expressed so wonderfully in Jesus Christ, our Lord, Risen and Ascended.

We thank you for the wonder of Ascension,

that marvellous yet mysterious moment in the life of the Apostles

which left them gazing heavenwards in confusion yet departing in joy.

We thank you for the way that it brought the earthly ministry of Jesus

to a fitting conclusion; signifying his oneness with you,

and demonstrating your final seal of approval on all that he had done.

We thank you that through his Ascension Jesus is now set free to be Lord of all:                    no longer bound to a particular place or time,

but with us always, able to reach even to the ends of the earth.

We thank you that through his departing Jesus prepared for his coming again:

through his Spirit, his Church, and his coming again in glory.

Gracious God,

Forgive us for so often failing to grasp the wonder of Ascension,

for living each day as though it had never been.

Forgive the smallness of our vision, the narrowness of our outlook,

the weakness of our love, the nervousness of our witness,

our repeated failure to recognize the fullness of your revelation in Christ.

Give us a deeper sense of wonder, a stronger faith,

and a greater understanding of all you have done.

Father God,

Like the Apostles, we too will never fully understand all Ascension means.

We accept, but we do not fully understand.

We believe, yet we have many questions.

Help us, despite our uncertainty, to hold firm to the great truth

that the wonder of Christ Jesus goes far beyond anything we can ever imagine,

and in that faith may we live each day

to his glory and honour.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

You are free, Lord, your Ascension has set you free:

free from the constraints of human existence,

outside the limitations of time and space; free to be here with us now,

in our worship and fellowship; and free to be with us always;

for in your freedom you have bound yourself to us with a promise:

“Lo! I am with you always

even to the very end of time.”

We pray, Lord, for those who need to feel you close,

who need the assurance of your love,

the encouragement of your Spirit.                                                                                      [Silence]

We pray for those who are persecuted, who are discriminated against,

who are mocked because of their faith or race or colour.                                                      [Silence]

We pray for those who are imprisoned, who are tortured,

who are exiled, because they have fought, struggled and spoken out

for the rights of their people.                                                                                        [Silence]

We pray for those who are destitute, who are hungry,

who are refugees, because of the selfishness and apathy of the world.                            [Silence]

We pray for those who are filled with guilt, who are broken-hearted,

who are perplexed, because a relationship has gone wrong.                                            [Silence]

We pray for those who are feeling fed up, who are in discomfort,

who are afraid, because they are ill in body, mind or spirit.                                                  [Silence]

We pray for those who are numbed, who are angry,

who are desolate, because they have been bereaved.                                                      [Silence]

We pray for those caught up in war and violence,

and hatred; especially the innocent victims of these evils.                                                [Silence]

We pray for those who have lost jobs, those who struggle to pay bills,

and those who have the power to affect positive change.                                                    [Silence]

Be with us all, Lord:

in all our daily struggles as we seek to follow you.

Be with us all, Lord:

in our periods of doubt and despair;

and in our times of happiness, health and loving.

Be with us all, Lord:

until that time when in your in your Kingdom of Love

our joy will know no end. 

Amen.

The Dismissal (based on Psalm 93)

As you go from this place, remember this:

Our God reigns!

He is robed with majesty and armed with strength.

His kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting.

He holds our world and our lives securely.

So do not be afraid,

but go from here with confidence,

knowing that the God who goes with you

is greater and more powerful

than anything else you will face this week.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 24TH

PENTECOST SUNDAY 

Call to Worship

We gather with open hearts, and God meets us in the waiting.                                           

The Spirit of God is among us.

A breath that stirs, a flame that warms, a voice that calls us together.                                 

The Spirit of God is within us.

Poured out on all people:                                                                        

on the hopeful and the weary, the young and the old,
the ones who speak and the ones who listen.                              

We are the Body of Christ.

Come, Holy Spirit, make us one.

Set us alight with love.
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Spirit of the Living God,
on this day, especially, we celebrate you.                                                                                    You moved over the waters at creation,
you stirred among the elders in the wilderness,
you danced like flame upon the gathered church.
We thank you for your nearness.
You are breath and fire,
movement and life.

We praise you for your abundance,                                                                                            which is poured out on us all,
and given without reserve.

And yet, we confess
that we do not always live
as people shaped by your Spirit.                                                                                                    We resist your movement
when it unsettles us.

We silence the voices                                                                                                                    that make us uncomfortable.
We cling to what feels familiar
and call it faith.

At times we have forgotten
that your Spirit rests on all flesh.
Not only on those we expect,                                                                                                         or on those we respect.

Forgive us, O God.
Breathe into us again.                                                                                                                   Where we are tired,
renew us.
Where we are divided,
draw us together.

Spirit of the Living God,
fall afresh on us now,
that we may live as one body:
shaped by grace,
sent in hope,
and alive with your transforming power.

Assurance of Pardon

Friends, hear the good news:
God’s grace is bigger than our fears,
stronger than our resistance,
and deeper than our regrets.
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
By the Holy Spirit, we are made new.
Thanks be to God.                                                                                                                  Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Let us bring our prayers before God,                                                                                          who hears us with love and responds with grace.

Spirit of the living God, you are poured out on all flesh.
You bind us together in one body, and you hear the prayers we carry.                               

Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

We pray for the church in all its diversity:
for congregations filled with joy and excitement,                                                                       

and for those tired or uncertain.

Where voices have been silenced, breathe courage.
Where communities are divided, weave understanding and trust.                                        

Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

We pray for the world you love:
for places of conflict and fear, communities caught in violence or injustice,
and leaders entrusted with power and responsibility.
Pour out your Spirit of wisdom, restraint, and peace.                                                                    Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

We pray for all who feel overwhelmed or worn down:
those carrying heavy burdens, grieving loss,
or struggling with illness, anxiety, or isolation.
Where hope feels thin, be breath and comfort.                                                                                Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

We pray for those whose voices are often overlooked:
the young and the old, the unheard and the unexpected,
those on the edges of accepted community.
Help us recognise your Spirit speaking through them
and learn to listen with humility and care.                                                                             

Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

We pray for ourselves:
for openness to your movement,
for courage to follow where you lead,
and for trust in one another as we share your work.
Make us faithful threads woven into the fabric of your love.                                                              Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

Into your keeping, O God, we place all for whom we pray,
trusting your Spirit to hold, to heal, and to renew.
In the name of Jesus Christ.                                                                                                  Amen.

The Dismissal

May the Spirit of God rest upon and within you.                                                                    

May you be woven together in love                                                                                            and strengthened for the journey ahead.

Now go in the peace of Christ,                                                                                         motivated by the love of God,                                                                                                        and empowered by the breath of the Spirit.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS MAY 31ST

TRINITY SUNDAY

Call to Worship

O Lord our sovereign
HOW GREAT IS YOUR NAME IN ALL THE EARTH

Your glory is in all and above all
YOU MADE THE MOON AND THE STARS AND ALL LIVING THINGS

Babes and infants, young and old, all that have breath
JOIN WITH ONE VOICE TO PRAISE YOU O GOD

O lord our sovereign – Father, Son and Spirit
MEET US HERE IN OUR WORSHIP
TUNE US TO YOUR RHYTHM OF GRACE AND LOVE

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of all the earth and all created things,
You are Lord over the deep waters
You are Lord over chaos and over order.
Meet us in our chaos – when things are not going well
Or when we feel out of step.
In our worship and in our doubt, just like those first disciples -
we ask that You show Yourself to us.

God of light and dark,
You are never far from us.
May we know You with us
as we gather in worship
as we listen for You in prayer
as we raise our voices in adoration.
Your presence, Your voice, Your breath
creates life and love – may we sense it as we pray!

We give You thanks
For Your faithfulness – new and fresh each new day,
for Your love and compassion, provision and protection,
and for Your grace and mercy given to us all.

God, Creator and Maker,
You looked upon all that You created and shaped and declared it good.
Even in our goodness, we get it wrong,
So, we confess now that there have been times

when we distanced ourselves from Your presence,
stepped out of sync with Your grace and mercy.
In Your great love for us O God,
May we know the life-giving power of You our Maker,
The saving and healing mercy of You our Saviour,
The peaceful presence and sustaining grace of You our Comforter.

Assurance of Pardon

We are forgiven and loved
By the God of all the universe,
Three yet one,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
With us and loving us until the very end of the age.

The Lords` Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

God of Wonder,
You imagined a universe filled with life and light and love.
You spoke it into being.
We ask for Your creativity and generosity to fill our lives and our communities.
As we bring to mind the rhythm of life that we know in our families,
in our homes and in our everyday life and work,
we bring it all before You now

Silence

Response:
God, Maker, Redeemer, and Sustainer
MAY WHAT WE SPEAK INTO BEING
BE FILLED WITH YOUR LIFE AND LOVE.

God of grace,
You are mindful of us
making us a little lower than the angels.
We live in the midst of rhythm and chaos
often out of sync with ourselves and those we are closest to.
We recognise that in the midst of things that are good,
that there is also much that is wrong:
stories of scandal,
abuses of power,
injustice and oppression,
conflict and power mongering.
We hold before You now our hopes and dreams for our communities,
remembering those with responsibility to lead those communities,
and all who took on responsibility to govern and make decisions on our behalf.
We bring them before You now

Silence

Response:
God, Maker, Redeemer, and Sustainer
MAY WHAT WE SPEAK INTO BEING
BE FILLED WITH YOUR LIFE AND LOVE.

God of mercy,
the Earth began in chaos and then You spoke order into being.
We see so many places in the world marred by chaos and conflict,
where the lust and pursuit of power and control
has led to hurt, division, oppression and conflict.
We take time now to remember and to pray
for peace and justice to be made real
for Your rhythm of life and love to bring order
for Your goodness to be true and recognisable in all places to all people -
that Your kingdom might come on Earth as in heaven.

Silence

Response:
God, Maker, Redeemer, and Sustainer
MAY WHAT WE SPEAK INTO BEING
BE FILLED WITH YOUR LIFE AND LOVE

Enfolding God,
Trinity of love,
You are our source, our goal, our life:
May we be born again in You
No more to live
Alone and unconnected,
But sharing in the Spirit's breath
And carried to Your heart;
Through Jesus Christ, Who lifts us up.                                                                                Amen.

The Dismissal

Go now into the world,
where God the Maker tends to all that is hurt and in need of healing,
may your hands find work to do in the Creators name.

Go now into the world,
where Jesus Christ is waiting and calling us to make disciples,
may your feet walk in the paths our Saviour lays before us.

Go now into the world,
where the Spirit is living and moving,
may your life and work be in step with the rhythms of God -
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
ever loving Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 7TH

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

May this church be a haven for those who, stressed by tensions or oppressed by dark fears, seek a place of peace and light.

May this church be a temple for those who are full of gratitude for life’s joys and who seek a place where they can express thanks with kindred spirits.

May this church be a house of hospitality for those whose faith is small and frail, yet who want it to grow towards the fullness of the faith of Jesus.

May this church be a holy place, hallowed by the Spirit and dedicated again and again by the ordinary people who have come with prayer and praise to the glory of God.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

We thank you, most wonderful God,

Friend of the world and all that is in it, because you hide yourself

from the proud and powerful, yet reveal yourself to outsiders

like Sarah and Abraham, Matthew and those deemed alien or unclean.

We thank you, most wonderful God,

Friend of ordinary people, because you sent Jesus to us,

our humble, loving Brother who went about doing good

and for his trouble was crucified, yet now is alive for evermore.

We thank you, most wonderful God,

Friend of tax gatherers and sinners, because you choose to work

through churches like ours with unimportant members

who are far from perfect, yet are sustained by profound Love.

We thank you most wonderful God,

Friend of the merciful, because your Holy Spirit

is among us and within us, never tiring always nurturing,

confronting and comforting and leading us into all truth.

We thank you, most wonderful God,

Friend and loving Saviour, because you have unsettled us

and put in our hearts, a great longing for the day

when the whole world shall rejoice and declare your glory! 

If we have lived half-heartedly, brooding over life’s setbacks and our own inadequacies, forgetting that every moment is alive with the energy that raised Jesus from the dead and poured out the remarkable Spirit on unremarkable believers.

Father, forgive.

If we have lived anxiously and fretfully, complaining and fussing, making mountains out of mole hills, forgetting that there is no problem, be it large or minuscule, which is outside the care and love of God.                                                                  

Father, forgive.

If we have lived selfishly, like misers hoarding time, compassion, ability, and even our faith, forgetting that life is found when we give it away, and that through Christ we are already heirs of the kingdom of heaven.                            

Father, forgive.

If we have locked ourselves into feelings of guilt and shame, fearing that if we let go of our self-disgust and accept forgiveness, we may sin is even worse ways, forgetting that where sin abounds love much more abounds.                               

Father, forgive.

Holy God, loving Friend, before we even admit our sins to ourselves, your mercy is waiting for us. Before we confess to you in words, the love of Christ Jesus on the cross has prepared a new start for us.

Assurance of Pardon

Family of God, nothing can defeat the mercy of God to those who sincerely call on the name of Christ Jesus. Through him we can know our sins are fully forgiven and our ultimate liberty from sin, disease and death is assured.                                                 

Thanks be to God.                                                                                                            Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Gracious God,
You are a God of hospitality;                                                                                            there is none like you that invites all to come to you.                                                          You have invited all to your home, to your table, and to your arms.
Lord, would that all would hear and receive this good news.
Lord, help us to remember that no one is better than anyone else in your Kingdom. Help us to then treat each other the way you treat people.

Generous God,
Because you treat us with your tender love,                                                                        we take time to pray for our friends, family members                                                      and others who need you more than ever.
Pour out your healing on all who need it.
Be generous with your transforming love for those who needs it in their lives.
Bring forth your reconciliation in families, and in places where it is needed.

Gifting God,
You give us the gifts of the spirit to use to further your Kingdom
and to be the Body of Christ in the world.
We take time to remember the people affected by war, famine of flood.
Empower us to continue to be your hands and feet                                                              to continue the work that needs to be done in so many places across the world.

There is none like you God in your love,                                                                     

your generosity, your gifting and your hospitality.                                                                And we thank you that you are in our lives,                                                                      working in us and through us                                                                                            to let people know your kingdom is open to all.

In the name of your Son,                                                                                                who opened the doors for all                                                                                              and broke down barriers that kept people from you.                                                            Amen.

The Dismissal

Go now into the world,

inspired by the extravagant love of God.

Live generously, with open hands,

loving one another as if your lives depended on it.

Be good stewards of the gifts you have received,

so that God may be glorified in all that you say and do.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 14TH

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

What shall we give to God

for all the gifts showered upon us?

We will lift up the cup of salvation

and call upon the name of the Lord.

We will pay our vows now, here,

in the presence of God’s people,

In the courts of the house of the Lord,

within your walls, O city of God.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

O majestic Lover of humanity, we come to you with gratitude,                                            for you have not left us like orphans but embraced us through Christ Jesus.                      You call us to be his brothers and sisters,                                                                            joint-heirs in the kingdom of your love.                                                                                   

You who have blessed us so generously, bless us again as we bow before you. May our worship clear our narrow vision, liberate our stubborn spirits, and uplift our lives in joyful praise. 

Holy God,

because we did not create ourselves,

because we do not understand ourselves,

because we cannot reconcile ourselves,

we come to you for help.

Merciful God, Creator and Redeemer,

you know us completely and love us utterly.

There is not a thought or feeling,

word, action, memory or hope,

that you do not see and understand.

Please forgive our sins and remove our shame,

heal our dis-eases and redress our distortions,

reinforce our faith and enlarge our love.

Let all that is true, beautiful and compassionate

find a new lease of life in our character.

Assurance of Pardon

It is written: Christ Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through him might be rescued and healed.

His word declares to you, my brothers and sisters,

the forgiveness of sins and the liberty of the children of God.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

For those who have power without the wisdom to use it well,

and for those who have wisdom without the power to apply it.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

For people who want to learn but have no teacher,

and some who have much to teach but no one will listen to them.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

For those who have been forced to retire too early,

and for those who are overworked and long for retirement.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

For some people who are famous yet long for some privacy,

and some who are lonely and long for recognition and company.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

For those who are too tender-hearted and need to be toughened

and for those who are tough and need to be made gentle.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

 For the wounded and diseased who have inadequate care,

and for the pampered who turn ill health into an obsession.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

For people who are dying with no one to mourn them,

and for those who mourn with no one to comfort them.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

For all who remain cheerful in the midst of poverty and grave handicap,

and for some who are disgruntled in spite of plenty and good health.

Loving God, make us a blessing.

Holy God, you love all as one human family, yet deal with us individually

as if we were the only child you have. Give to us your generous and practical spirit, so that our prayers may be converted into deeds, day by day.

Through Christ Jesus our Redeemer.

Amen

The Dismissal

The grace of God’s gifts be within you,
the power to heal and to bless.
The authority of the Word be within you,
the courage to love and to do justice.
The Spirit of God be within you,
the strength to make you serve,
and the joy to make you laugh.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 21ST

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

All things are known by God,

all creatures are precious .

There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed,

nothing hidden that will not be made known.

Sparrows are cheap, but not even one of them falls to the ground

outside of your heavenly Father’s circle of love.

The very hairs on your head are all  numbered,

and you are more valuable than countless sparrows.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Holy and generous God, we give thanks for the breath we breathe at this moment; for the precious gift of life and the beauty that unfolds before us by day and the wonders revealed by night.

For the beauty of courage; the handicapped defying the odds, young folk rising to high achievement despite neglect and abuse at home, elderly people bearing hardship or pain without complaint.

For the beauty of trust; a baby asleep in its mother’s arms, a church welcoming a new member, a patient trusting a surgeon, a distressed person risking all with a counsellor.

For the beauty of forgiveness; a child forgiving a parental injustice, an injured victim showing mercy to the offender, lovers putting hurts behind them, a victim of war forgiving the enemy.

For the beauty of love; parent, child, sister, brother, friend, lover, and for that awesome love when some lay down their own life not only for a friend but also for a stranger.

For the beauty of your love; Jesus your true Child in action, healing and pardoning, telling parables and washing feet, defying the threats against him, betrayed and abused, suffering and dying, rising and celebrating.

Holy and most generous God, for the sublime beauty of your simplicity and humility in being, Friend of all who turn to your light, and Friend of those who still stubbornly stand in the darkness, we give you thanks and praise. 

God, you are light, in whom there is no darkness at all.

In you there are no shadows,

no imperfections, and no regrets.

It is not so with us.

We confess that in our secret  lives there crouch things which needs dragging into the light of your beauty.

We confess that in our more open selves are some faults that we have come to treat as foibles rather than to confront them as sin.

We confess that in our hearts are unresolved regrets for hurts inflicted                             

or opportunities wasted,

yet our regrets readily turn to self-pity

rather than repentance.

So, we come to you in simple trust, as we have done many times,                     

seeking the same stream of mercy in which we have often bathed,

and that same spring of love from which we have slaked our thirst,

and that  same bread of life from which we regain our strength.

Assurance of Pardon

God is merciful, and can be trusted to forgive our sins

and cleanse us from all corruption.

For Christ’s sake, do not carry your guilt one moment longer.

Let it slip from your shoulders and fall away                                                                      into the into the abyss of God’s forgiveness.

Out of Christ’s fullness we have received love heaped upon love.

Thanks be to God!

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Compassionate God, prayerfully we tune our hearts and minds to the needs of other people, and we pray that our small, yet sincere compassion may unite with your immense love and bring blessing to those for whom we pray.

Silence

Deal gently with the timid and the anxious, those who jump at their own shadow, and those whose phobias make it a major project to go down the street or visit a neighbour.

Silence

Deal patiently with the foolish who have placed themselves in sordid situations from which it is hard to break free, and with the slow learners who repeat old mistakes.

Silence

Deal confrontingly with the excuse makers who won’t face up to their mistakes, and with the evasive ones who won’t accept their responsibilities.

Silence

Deal forcefully with the arrogant who trample over the well-being of others, and with the rich and powerful that buy and bully their way past the rights of others.

Silence

Deal mercifully with victims of the callous, the neglectful, and the cruel, and especially with the many who today feel exhausted, physically, or emotionally or spiritually.

Silence

Deal comfortingly with the sick, the dying and the bereaved, and especially with those who have no knowledge of you, or are afraid of you rather than trusting your love.

Silence

Deal bluntly or gently with your churches according to their respective needs and especially give your love to any who are suffering harassment, ridicule or persecution.

Silence

God of unspeakable love, if you can use us to answer any of these prayers,

or the prayers of our fellow Christians around the world,

please take us, guide us, and employ us, to the glory of your name.                                    Through Christ Jesus our Redeemer.

Amen!

The Dismissal

Live purposefully,

for God hears the voice of every child.

Live trustingly

for even the hairs of our heads are numbered.

Live bravely,

for fear of failure is overshadowed by the love of Christ.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JUNE 28TH

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

Sing, sing of God's unalterable love!
We will rejoice as we walk in the light of our God.
Tell everyone around you of God's faithfulness.
We will share the stories of the One who experienced
our life in all its fullness.

Shout out loud of God's presence with us,
on this day and in all the days to come.
Justice and goodness are God's gifts to us;
truth and love walk by our side.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of faithfulness,
when chaos slammed the door on you,
you whistled up creation and she tagged along at your side
as your hospitality flowed forth:
springs to refresh our wearied feet and corn to fill our hunger.
We were formed by you so we might belong to you,
but we let ourselves be held captive by lust, greed, and fear.
Prophets came, seeking to call us back to you, fulfilling your words of welcome,
yet we continued to obey our passions.
Jesus came, offering us cups of living water,
words of hope and grace,
wrapping us in arms of joy.                                                                                     

Compassionate God,                                                                                                      you are the Voice behind the Word who comes in Jesus Christ.

When sin would hand us a pay envelope stuffed with evil's crumpled notes,
he fills our pockets with your gifts                                                                                      so we may be a blessing to others.
When temptation and worry become our jailers on death row,
he comes, with your pardon in his hands, setting us free
so we may walk in the new light of your hope.

Your compassionate welcome is extended to anyone, any time, any place
as your Spirit is poured out on the gifts of the Table of life
and on your people gathered for the feast.
Your life, which is broken in love, becomes the wholeness which strengthens us
to feed those for whom hunger is a constant companion, not a skipped meal.
Your grace, which is poured into us, becomes the hospitality by which
we welcome itinerant immigrants into our communities and hearts;
we open our arms to every child held captive by poverty.

Then, when your glory becomes our home                                                                        and we are gathered around your table - con artists and poverty's prophets,
the most vulnerable and power brokers -
we will join in singing your praises through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.  

It seems so simple, God of compassion,                                                                              to offer a cup of cold water to a thirsty person,
yet we know we worry more about how that might
inflate our bill at the end of the month.                                                                             

We are to open our hearts to others, but they may
need to be careful lest they slip on our icy attitudes towards them. 

Forgive us, Radical God. 

You did not have to become one of us, but you did, so we might know your love. 

You did not have to welcome us into your family, but you do,

so we might experience unexpected grace in our lives. 

You did not have to die for us, but in Jesus Christ you did,

so we might have life with you forever.

Assurance of Pardon

Broken, we are made whole; thirsty, we are filled with living water;                     

longing for a renewed relationship with God,                                                                    we are welcomed with open arms by the One who forgives us.
Without a doubt, God's love never comes to an end.                      

Thanks be to God, we are forgiven.                                                                                  Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

We pray for the young and the strong, and all who are full of joy and high hopes today.

We pray for the elderly and the weak, and all who are utterly weary and disheartened today.

We pray for the wise and the generous, and those who are looking for new challenges today. We pray for the foolish and the selfish, and those who evading their responsibilities today.

We pray for peacekeepers and peacemakers, and all who work for justice and peace today. We pray for the hostile and the treacherous, and all who will resort to violence today.

We pray for the well housed and well fed, and those who share their good fortune today. We pray for the homeless and the hungry, and all whose plight is ignored today.

We pray for the patient and the merciful, and all who will make new friends today. We pray for the hasty and the judgmental, and all who will create some misery today.

We pray for the healthy and the buoyant, and those who will share much happiness today. We pray for the dying and the sad, and those who will weep inconsolably today.

We pray for the faithful and the loving, and all who will worship with delight today. We pray for the faithless and the cynical, and all who will find life a drag today.

We pray for our loved ones and our friends, and those whom we will meet casually today. We pray for strangers and enemies, and those who will think evil of us today.

Loving God, please bring the day nearer when our prayers and our deeds will work in perfect harmony and we will be a blessing to all those whose lives touch ours.

Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.                                                                    

Amen

The Dismissal

Go forth to walk in God's light.
Show others the way to God's heart.

Go to bring hope and healing to the world.
With a gift as simple as a cup of water,
and as complex as your lives,                                                                                          join Jesus in serving those around you.

Go forth to gather up the little ones                                                                                    of your communities into your homes and hearts.

With the gift of the Holy Spirit,                                                                                          you are no longer strangers but God's family.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 5TH

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

We have gathered in this place to worship,

because Jesus invites us to come!

We come as we are,

with our faith and our doubts,

with our successes and our failures,

because Jesus invites us to come!

We come with what we have,

bringing with us the events and experiences of this past week,

because Jesus invites us to come.

Come to me,

all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

Let us worship God together.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Wonderful God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,                                                          you have blessed us with every good and perfect gift                                                        and so we come to offer thanks.

We thank you for the gift of planet earth, spinning around the light and warmth of the sun, filled with immeasurable wealth and beauty.

We thank you for the gift of the seasons, summer and winter, spring and autumn, seed time and harvest.

We thank you for the gift of all living creatures that crawl and slide, swim and dive, walk and leap, climb and soar into the skies.

We thank you for the gift of human life, with the diversity of races, cultures, and gifts, and each person with a distinctive fingerprint and soul.

We thank you for the gift of human relationships, the love that arises and grows between couples, courtship and marriage, childbirth and parenting, and the rich companionship of the later years.

And most of all, we thank you for the gift of your Son, our Saviour.

For the sheer depth and breadth of his loving, the power of his teaching,                     

the glory of his sacrificial death, the energy of his resurrection, and the outpouring of the Spirit in his name.

Wonderful God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,                                                            you have blessed us with every good and perfect gift                                                      and so we offer our thanks.

Jesus said: “Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Now is an opportune moment in which to unburden ourselves in the Presence of the great love of God.

God our Saviour, we repent that we have laboured long and wasted much energy on things which are worthless in your eternal scheme.

We repent those occasions when we have chosen to only do those things for you that suited our inclinations and have therefore wearied ourselves on matters that are second best.

We repent the times when we have toiled at your hard and unpleasant tasks like slaves rather than your children and have worn ourselves down with resentment.

We repent the situations when on top of the disciplines of faith we have added the weight of needless worry and exhausted ourselves much too soon.

We repent the burdensome pride that sometimes makes us cling to tawdry self-justifications rather than admitting our sin and accepting your love.

We repent those events where we have not even made any effort at being Christian but slipped into the corrupt ways of the world and loaded ourselves with a ballast of evil.

God of Jesus, we who are the heavy laden come to you for rescue and relief. Please pity the folly of our choices and forgive us for the evil in which we have participated.

As we accept the invitation of Christ, release from our shoulders the burden of shame that is beyond our power to remit.

Restore our dishevelled spirits and strengthen our faith in your abundant love. 

Return to us an awareness of the beauty of your ways and enable us to walk in that beauty without looking back.

Assurance of Pardon

Brothers and sisters, through Christ we are forgiven!

Jesus says: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Thanks be to God!

Amen

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Loving God, our Friend, Saviour, and Healer, the world is too big for us, the degree of human suffering too great for us, the tangle of cause and effect too complex for us.

Prayerfully we place before you a tiny segment of humanity and ask you to bless them well. Then as you bless them, please bless all the other people whose needs are outside our direct knowledge.

We pray for the young people of this church and community, especially for any who find life bewildering and aimless and any who may be feeling that life is just not worth living.

We pray for the older people of this church and community, especially those who because of illness, frailty or grief, feel that the burden of life far outweighs its remaining joys.

We pray for the overworked and the unemployed people of this church and community, especially any who feel that they are trapped in circumstances out of their control.

We pray for grieving members of this church and community, those reeling from death, divorce, loss of job, or family estrangement, especially for those who are live alone.

We pray for members of this church and community who feel that they victims of misunderstanding our injustice, especially any who may at the point of despair.

We pray for members of this church and community who are facing temptations or worries that today seem overwhelming, especially for any who are near breaking point.

We pray for members of this church and community who feel at the crossroads between doubt and faith, especially for any who feel too shy or ashamed to talk with anyone about it.

Most loving God, with our assistance or without it, please reach far beyond the limited circle of these prayers, that the world may be  drawn away from all that is defeatist, deranged  and diseased, towards the love, mercy and peace of your Son Jesus, our Lord and our Redeemer.  Amen.

The Dismissal

In times of weakness and in your hour of need,
may God`s be the strength by which you carry on.
When your load is heavy and too much to bear,
may God`s be the arms stretched out to help.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 12TH

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINTY

Call to Worship

God of creation,
of rain and soil,
of seed and growth,

we gather in Your presence,
from different places,
with different expectations,

some ready to receive,
some unsure,
some simply present.

Meet us here, we pray,
and speak Your word among us.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

God of abundance,
we give thanks for the gifts that sustain us,
for water and food,
for growth and renewal,
for the quiet work of Your Spirit in our lives.

We give thanks for signs of hope,
for unexpected beginnings,
for moments of change and possibility.

Receive our thanks,
and deepen our awareness
of Your presence among us.

God of grace,
we acknowledge that we do not always receive what You give.
We are distracted,
or guarded,
or uncertain.

We recognise the ways in which we have closed ourselves off,
and the ways in which we may have made it harder for others
to find space to grow.

In silence, we bring before You
what we would name,
and what we cannot yet name.

[Hold a time of silence]

Have mercy on us,

forgive us by your grace,
renew us by Your Spirit,
and lead us into life.                                                                                                        For we ask these things in Jesus` name.                                                                            Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Loving God, Father of all - we praise you for being such an

awesome farmer - for casting your seed far and wide without regard to where it might land or how it might be received.                                                             

We praise you for your indiscriminate love - your willingness to forgive - your desire to see all people made whole.

God, we pray that in us, instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

Lord Jesus, we praise you for being such powerful seed, for growing and

producing such abundant fruit among those who not only receive you with joy but who in faithfulness continue to listen to you once you have taken root in them.

We thank you for offering to take our burdens, those burdens that might choke out the good news of the Kingdom of God and for offering to us your yoke and your burden, the yoke of being a sower of your love, the burden of caring for those you care for.                                Help us Lord to have the ears to hear and the will to do what you want us to hear and do.

Holy Spirit - wind of God, divine comforter, strength of the strong and

solace of the needy, we invoke your blessing as we share our concerns for ourselves

and the needs of others.                                                                                                    As you hovered and brooded over the waters of creation, so be present for those we lift before you now who need to be re-created and made whole. 

We pray for those in grief and for those who hunger and thirst in body or in soul.  

We pray for those whose who are vulnerable to having all that is good snatched away from them and for those who find themselves in the thickets and thistles 

and who seek a way out.   

O Lord, we pray that in the lives of those about us, instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, hear our prayers for those of our

family, our church, our community and our world that you have put

upon our hearts this past week and this day. 

We name them before you now, in the silence of our own hearts and minds……………….

Most loving God, from humble beginnings in the most unlikely of places you have raised up through your Son and the people who bear his name, a harvest of souls beyond counting.   We pray that we might hear and in hearing, become sowers of your word, a people who produce abundant fruit, both now and forever. 

Amen

The Dismissal

May the Creator God,
who has planted the seeds of all that is,
be with you.                                                                                                                    May the Word that goes out
and does not return empty,
but brings growth in its own time and way,
be at work within you.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 19TH

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship

From the moment we open our eyes each morning,
until we close them at night, God is with us.

In times when we are surrounded with struggles,
in all the surprising places we find hope, Jesus is with us.

When we feel orphaned by the world,
when we are welcomed into the family of faith,
the Holy Spirit is with us.

Come, let us worship God who is with us this morning.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

You we praise, Steadfast Love,
for your presence never abandons us,
but is at our side in all of life.
There is no cobwebbed corner
that is not claimed by your grace.

You we praise, Teller of parables.
Your words challenge us in moments of doubt,
as well as in our times of great faith.
When we run around in circles
chasing our worries and fears
like a dog after its tail,
you whisper hope to us.

You we praise, Spirit who calls to our hearts.
Your voice is that gentle whisper
in a world filled with angry shouts;
your joy is that refreshing shower
when despair parches our souls;
your wonder opens our eyes and ears
to the gifts which surround our lives.

Merciful God,                                                                                                                    you plant each of us like seeds in the same field and together we are nourished and nurtured by the sun.  We sway in the wind and are refreshed by the rain.

We are blessed by the knowledge that you want us to grow towards what you call us to be.   

When we deprive others of that same opportunity,
forgive us.

When we want to uproot those whom we believe do not belong in our part of the field,
forgive us.

When we label others as good or bad, rather than accept them for who they are,
forgive us.

When we are reluctant to acknowledge                                                                              that we ourselves are a mixture of weeds and wheat,
forgive us.

When we are afraid to look into the fields of our own lives                                                  to see what is growing there,
forgive us.

O God, you know us inside and out, through and through.
You search us out and lay your hand upon us.
You know what we are going to say even before we speak.
So we pray that you will help us to reach out to the uprooted and rejected,
the lonely and the outcast,
and to develop and grow the good in ourselves, in others and in the world. 

Assurance of Pardon

In sorrow so deep we cannot find our way out,
God cradles us in comfort;
in moments so shadowed we trip over our fears,
God lights the way for us;
in joy which cascades into our souls,
God fills us with healing.
Even when we cannot see it,

God's hope is all around us, surrounding us with peace and wholeness.

For that we say Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!

Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Loving God, you have sowed good seed in the field of the world.

As we wait patiently for your harvest,

we bring before you the needs of the church and the world.

Lord of the harvest, we pray for your church across the earth. Where the church is weak, give strength. In places of division, help us to be agents of unity and peace. Grant us the grace to be patient, allowing you to be the ultimate judge of the heart. Let us shine with the light of your love, so that others may see your presence among us.

Creator God, the field is the world, and you are the Lord of all.                                           We pray for our local communities, and for leaders and nations everywhere.               

In places filled with conflict, oppression, and injustice, we ask for your redeeming light to break through. Help us to care for one another and to work together to heal the divisions that cause so much pain.

Son of Man, you know the struggles of all who are heavy-laden.                                     

We lift up to you those who are sick, grieving, or facing seasons of hardship. May they feel your comforting and reassuring presence in the midst of their trials. Send your healing and comfort to surround them.

Heavenly Father, as we live alongside the struggles and brokenness of this world, grant us the patience and faith to trust in your ultimate justice.                       

Nourish us with all goodness and help us to bear fruit that brings glory to your name.

We remember before you all those who have died and those whose who are grieving at this time. We pray that they may know the strength and consolation of your everlasting arms.

Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.                        Amen.

The Dismissal

We know our efforts alone  cannot bring in God’s kingdom.                                                But hope plunges us into the struggle for victories over evil that are possible now in the world, the church, and our individual lives.                                                            

Hope gives us courage and energy to contend against all opposition,                        

however invincible it may seem, for the new world and the new humanity that are surely coming.                                                                                                                          Jesus is Lord! He has been Lord from the beginning.                                                        He will be Lord at the end.

The Grace

SUNDAY PRAYERS JULY 26TH

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Call to Worship (inspired by Hebrews 10:19-22)

We gather together to worship,

knowing that God is already here among us;

knowing that there is nothing that separates us

from the presence of our Lord.
Wherever we are, wherever we go,

God is near.

So let us enter into this service of worship

with confidence and hope,

knowing that God is already with us,

and that He stands eager to meet us

and bless us with His love.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Lord God  

we thank you for mustard seed

and for the wonders of yeast

and for how these things teach us about your love. 

Lord, plant your seed into our lives,

help us work your yeast into our hearts  

that wonderful things may happen.

Lord Jesus Christ,                                                                                                            we remember with gratitude those people                                                                          who generously sowed the seeds of faith in our lives.                                                          Above all. we recognize how you have blessed our lives                                                    with the gift of the Holy Spirit                                                                                          so that our faith has miraculously and mysteriously grown. 

We confess the times we fail to involve ourselves                                                              in planting any seeds of faith in the lives of others;
the times when our personal agendas become more important than yours;
the times when we have denied others the opportunity to expand their faith

through our lack of interest or involvement;
the times when our lives become so entangled with the values of the world

that we forget what you have said and done and promised.
  
Lord Jesus Christ, we know that when we become disconnected from you,

our lives becomes parched and unfruitful                                                                          and our faith becomes stunted and dry. 

Bless and renew our lives, we pray,

so that we remain connected to you at all times and in all places, 

strengthening our faith to expand and, growing strongly and vigorously, 

to bear the fruit of your mercy, your love, your undying life.  

These prayers we offer in Jesus` name,                                                                              Amen.

The Lord`s Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

We pray for our wonderful and troubled world.
In some places the violence of war tramples and crushes the seeds of peace.
In others the bread may rise but it is not shared and people go hungry.
We seek the growth of reconciliation and the flowering of justice.

We pray for our Church in these days of stretching and straining.
Afraid of the future and of those around us,
we sometimes keep the seed of the Kingdom rather than planting it,
sometimes we store the rising yeast instead of stirring it through.
Help us to be the sowers of the word and the sharers of blessing,
that in our place and our time all whom we meet                                                              might encounter the living God.

We pray for our nation in all its diversity.
We ask for those who must make decisions on our behalf,                                                    wise and discerning minds,
that the right paths may be chosen and the whole people may be served.

We pray for those we know the best and love the most.
For some of them these are days of fretfulness or fearfulness,                                  confusion or despondency, emptiness or addiction.
Help us, where we can, to ease their burden and share their load.
Even when it seems there is nothing we can do
we still hold them before You in the silence of our hearts.

Eternal God, throughout the centuries                                                                            You have called people into service
and have equipped them with gifts                                                                                  for using and sharing in the Kingdom's cause.

We give thanks for their faithful service
and we remember in particular those who sowed the seeds of faith in us.

Keep strong our faith and enliven our witness
that the Church of Jesus Christ may prosper
and that many come to find for themselves the love of God
from which nothing can separate us.

We ask things through Jesus Christ our Lord,                                                                      Amen.

The Dismissal

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to Himself;
may the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in His service;
may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls:
and may the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and abide with you always.

The Grace

Minister ~ Rev Alan Kennedy 07733153203 01612703296 alanrk1690@gmail.com