Local

Join with the Gungahlin Uniting Church community as we pray…

God be with the Mother
Who sits long nights beside those who cannot sleep
Who holds in aching arms the hurting child
Who carries in her heart the burden of care and worry
And comforts without words

God be with the Mother
Who listens and does not judge
Who forgives and bears no grudge
Who opens the door to her heart
No matter what the cost

God be with the Mother
Grant freedom from anxiety
Grant peace and understanding
Give hope and perseverance
Give patience and unlimited grace

God be with the child
Who enters an exciting world
Who has much to learn
Who has much to share
Who is becoming

God be with the child
Who looks up to the mother
Who takes in all the mother does
Who learns from the wisdom shown
Who has boundaries to learn and stretch

God be with the child
Grant freedom from anxiety
Grant peace and understanding
Give hope and perseverance
Give patience and unlimited grace

God be with us all
May we learn to be all that we can be
May our respect be always there
May our gratitude be endless
May we love and be loved
May this all be in the name of Christ

Amen
(Adapted from a prayer from “God Be With The Mother – A Mother’s Day Prayer”)

Regional

Join in with the Canberra Region Presbytery in prayer for the Parkesbourne and Merrilla Congregations
We pray:

• That we are proactive in promoting the gospel and encourage each other in the gospel of Christ.
• Our future as a community of faithful disciples.
• That God might use us to have effective outreach in our local community and in the greater community.
• That we continue to make a difference in people’s lives.

National

This week we join with the Uniting Church in Australia in prayer for

• India and the deepening COVID-19 crisis and for those who are impacted by the travel ban to Australia.
• An end to the suffering and lasting peace for the indigenous people of West Papua.
• A spirit of friendship as people of all faiths and none join one another to share in the Iftar meal, including those attending the Building Harmony Iftar Dinner tonight hosted by the Uniting Church and the Affinity Intercultural Foundation.

Global

Join in with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, this week we pray for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

We give thanks for:

• the diversity of peoples in these countries: their cultures, values and spirituality
• for the resilience of minority religious groups and those on the margins of society such as indigenous communities, Dalits, women, youth, the disabled and sexual minorities, amid discrimination and persecution
• for the contributions of Christians and Christian churches in these countries to education and health services and for their innovative attempts in contextualizing their worship, theology and institutional life
• efforts to forge inter-religious solidarity for the sake of the common good.

We pray for:

• those who struggle to overcome grinding poverty
• Christians and others who selflessly work in the community, their efforts at ensuring the rights of all citizens, and their collaborative work
• efforts to build understanding and harmony among peoples across religious, caste and ethnic identities
• peoples’ movements struggling for the rights of women, Dalits, Indigenous peoples, and the integrity of the earth
• leaders to keep priority on the wellbeing of the people and the earth itself amid demands for economic growth.

Continue to pray with the Church worldwide with the WCC Prayer resources.

Local

Join with the Gungahlin Uniting Church community as we pray for

• Those of us undergoing surgery this week
• Those of us undergoing Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy
• Those of us going home this week from time in hospital
• Surgeons, Therapists, Doctors, Nurses, Caterers, Specialists and Carers who look after our health and care for us when we’re needing health care.

Regional

Join in with the Canberra Region Presbytery in prayer for New Mission Areas & Collaborative Projects

Rise Ministries

• At its meeting last week Standing Committee of Presbytery approved the use of the St Aidan’s property by Rise Ministries. This is part of developing a missional relationship with Rise Ministries to model alternate forms of fresh expressions of church.
• Rise Ministries is church re-imagined. It emerges within contemporary culture and engages with those who are seeking an alternative form of faith community. Rise Ministries is passionate about creating soul stirring spaces for people to grow and flourish in life, faith and business. It is shaped by Christian spirituality.
• For more information about Rise Ministries, see Rise Ministries
• Please pray for a clear path through the further processes for Rise Ministries to set
• up in St Aidan’s, and for the developing missional relationship between Rise Ministries and Presbytery.

Strategy for Engagement to Grow Mission

• Standing Committee of Presbytery also adopted the “Strategy for Engagement to Grow Mission” (developed by the Mission Strategy Committee) for the Presbytery’s engagement to grow mission with its Congregations, faith communities and other initiatives. The strategy includes action pathways for congregations to move toward mission, based on the Capacity Quadrant Model for mission introduced to the Presbytery in 2015/16.
• Please pray that engagement with Congregations through this strategy will grow mission.

Mission Planning

• Many of the congregations in our Presbytery are currently involved in planning for mission. Braidwood UC is taking steps to further resource mission through its Op Shop and its other growing connections with the local expanding over 55’s housing. It’s exciting to see how these connections are already taking shape in the lives of people in the local community.
• Please pray that the ongoing planning for mission will be enriched through engagement with Presbytery and Uniting Mission and Education. Please also pray that planning for mission in our other congregations will lead to a fuller participation in Christ’s mission in the world.

National

This week we join with the Uniting Church in Australia in prayer for

• Those gathering for the President’s Conference in Adelaide over the next few days as they come together in worship and community and reflect on the call to live out their discipleship.
• For India as it responds to the COVID-19 crisis, for those who are mourning loss of life, those responding on the frontline, and those delivering urgent aid and support.
• For people seeking asylum and safety in Australia who remain trapped in an unjust system.
• The Moderators, President and President-elect of the UCA who are gathered together this week for a time of sharing on the life and mission of the Church.

Global

Join in with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, this week we pray for Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Intercessions:

We are thankful for:

• the magnificent expanse of mountains, grasslands and deserts in these Central Asian countries
• the rich natural resources
• the incredible ethnic diversity
• cultural traditions and practices that have been preserved for centuries amid the challenges of modernization
• Christians who, although they are a tiny minority, have courage to witness to the gospel and find the strength to live according to God’s word
• those who in spite of danger dedicate their lives to serving others.
  

We pray for:

• the people in these lands who suffer from poverty and repressive rule
• an end to clashes related to tribalism, traditionalism, and modernization
• the land, air and water that have been damaged by human abuse
• good relations between Muslims and Christians
• an end to oppression and violence.

Continue to pray with the Church worldwide with the WCC Prayer resources.