Prayers for others

from Ian Bartholomew

God of love,

We are grateful for Your eternal comfort and encouragement: in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; in the words of the Bible; in the support of loved ones and kind gestures from strangers. We live in volatile and uncertain days and it can be difficult to know what to pray for most earnestly. Thank you that you always hear our prayers.

Lord God, we are mindful of those who are unwell, walking through the darkest of valleys or struggling with other concerns. Just as Christ did during his earthly ministry, we ask that You would minister to their needs. We think of those that have died or are suffering as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Heal the grief, discomfort and panic and grant clear hearts and minds to address the humanitarian, economic and governance challenges of this disease. We also pray for those that are working to develop medical responses such as a vaccine, diagnosis techniques and therapeutic treatment options. Grant wisdom, patience and endurance to all health and scientific professionals.

Comforting Shepherd, we pray for communities who do not share in the abundance we often take for granted here in Canberra, even during these relatively challenging times. We think of displaced people and refugees who yearn for a life free of persecution.

We reflect on the struggles of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia who continue to suffer as a consequence of prejudice and ignorance.

We contemplate the many people in this city, who have no food, no home, no family and feel they have no love. Help us to find the balance between grappling with disadvantage and aspiring for hope with these groups of people, and give us hearts that reflect Your heart for each one of Your sheep.

Loving Father, we give thanks for Gungahlin Uniting Church and Community Centre. We are grateful for all who find their spiritual home with us. By Your Holy Spirit, uphold and strengthen all who serve You, including Darren, Holly, Theo and Isabelle, our Church Council, all who contribute to worship, everyone who provides administrative support and all whose efforts may only be truly known to You.

Wonderful Lord, we bring these public prayers to You, together with all those unspoken in our hearts,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen

Ron Reeson

Arising from the words of Psalm 8

A prayer of praise

Our Lord and Ruler
Your name is wonderful everywhere on earth
You let your glory be seen in the heavens above
And in the praises from children and tiny infants

Our Lord and Ruler
Your name is wonderful everywhere on earth

Ponder these words for a short time

A prayer of confession

Ron Reeson

arising from other words in Psalm 8

All who turn against you are left speechless.
O God, we turn against You so often. 
We neglect and deny You. 
We have no excuse.
We are speechless Please forgive us

“Why do you care about us humans?
Yes, why Lord? It is incredible! Beyond our believing.
Our lives, our way of living, is nothing like you hoped for in your creatures.
We have turned everyone to our own way. Please forgive us.

You have crowned us with glory and honour.
In all creation You give us a prestigious place,
making us special , unique, wonderful.
You award each of us as “Citizen of the planet”, every year.
But we spurn that honour, and abuse that recognition.
O Creator God, please forgive us.

You let us rule everything your hands have made.
O God, You have given us tremendous power and responsibility.
But we have despoiled your creation and damaged it almost beyond repair.
We have been selfish, and careless in our use of earth’s resources,
plundering for our own satisfaction and comfort.
O God, please forgive us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Spill The Beans UK – Issue 35

Reflection
In the beginning
God gathered God’s self together
to create the universe,
fashioning with goodness the sky
with its galaxies and constellations,
its suns and moons,
its light and darkness.

And there was some fun and mischief along the way
as God messed about with incredible light shows
and sent the planets into orbit
and played around with tides and seasons
and day and night.

And then God created the earth
with its mountains and valleys,
its oceans and streams,
its continents separated by vast seas and deserts,
its forests and ice caps
and plains of fertile land.

And God enjoyed attending to detail
the bumps and the curves,
the flow from one landscape to the next,
the separation of water from land
and earth from sky.

And God loved that beautiful world
and wanted to share it.

So God created animals
for the hills and the plains,
for the sky and the sea,
for above and below the earth,
each with a place and, largely, a purpose.

And then, with a flourish,
involving dust and breath,
God created human beings
who would care for all of creation,
for all that God had made
and who would be co-workers with God
in nurturing and sustaining creation.

God saw that it was good
and delighted in all of creation.

As it was in the beginning, so it is now.
God delights in us.
Desiring nothing more than relationship,
Inviting us to be part of
the divine dance:
the dance of Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.

God invites us to be caught up
in the mystery that is God…

Instead, we spend our time
trying to unravel that mystery.
We tie ourselves in knots
instead of enjoying the different kind of knowing
that is offered by God;
we distance ourselves
rather than entering into relationship;
we ponder how we can change the world
when God’s invitation is simply to dance…

In that dance we discover compassion
that moves us to care for creation.
In that dance we discover anger
that fuels us to root out injustice.

And, in that dance
we discover freedom
made up of Love, Joy,
Peace, Patience, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness,
the fruits of God-control,
the elements of the dance
that sustain the world.
God’s laughter and delight
and tears and compassion
form the rhythm that draws us in
and sends us out
to dance.