Month: June 2013

Sunday 30th June 2013 – Pentecost 6 (4)

Holy God,

living by Your Spirit

we are moved to freedom and grace

in our living and giving.

May the love of Christ be shown

in what we offer

from the work of our hands

and the sound of our voices.

In all that is given

as the sharing of Your community,

may others be drawn

to find a place

within Your kingdom.

Amen

 

Sunday 30th June 2013 – Pentecost 6 (3)

Lord of heaven and earth,

who binds the past, present and future

within the scope of our worship and praise,

You offer us the freedom of our emotions and experiences

as we respond to You.

In the security of Your love

there is space for rejoicing

with all that surrounds

as the stirrings of hope and ambition

bind people together in a common purpose.

In the uncertainty of pain and loss

You hand steadies

the emotions of life

assuring that even in the freedom

to respond as feeling dictates,

there are hands and voices

to steady and comfort.

Led by the liberating action of the Holy Spirit

we dance between the highs and lows

of all creation offers.

 

Lord of our sorrows and regrets,

in our rejoicing

we hurt others with the selfishness

of all we enjoy,

while in our grief

we can overburden the lives of others

already worn down by all that surrounds them.

We seek forgiveness

for those times

when we have not been aware of the emotions of others

and expected only to be cared for.

 

Holy God,

who makes Your path known

in the life of Jesus Christ

in forgiveness You gather us close to You

and lead us towards the creation

of Your kingdom.

Amen.

Sunday 30th June 2013 – Pentecost 6 (2)

Take shelter in the safe embrace of God,

for away from Him

we feel bereft and alone.

Delight with all the saints

in the glory of creation.

Accept all that we are offered,

knowing that our strength and support

is found in walking the way of Christ.

 

Let us rejoice and be glad,

that our Lord does not abandon us,

instead His presence invades

the spaces and betrayals of living

bring us to joy in His name.

 

Let us worship God…

Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Pentecost 5C (5)

God of the wide open arms,

You stand waiting at the door

for all to be embraced with Your care,

You are to be praised for making no difference,

for in Your eyes

all are levelled

and every individual is marvelled over

for all that they represent of Your nature.

With You we rejoice in the similarities

and differences of humanity

and creation.

 

Lord,

we pray for them.

For those who are in charge,

for sovereigns, polticians and councillors

who have the power to make laws and rules

that we must be live by.

Then help us to remember

that we are them.

For we too make decisions that affect the lives of other,

and in those choices make us fair.

 

Lord,

we pray for them.

For those who are war mongerers,

and use every opportunity

to set population and friendships

in opposition.

Then help us to remember

that sometimes we are them.

For we are those who do not always seek

peace and compromise.

So help us to work together

towards justice.

 

Lord,

we pray for them.

For those who are on holiday

or making preparations

to take some time away

from all that life asks of them.

For those who want to escape

from the burden of their life –

whether it be ill-health or worry or loss.

Then help us to remember

that sometimes we are them.

For we too look forward

to holidays,

and time spent enjoying

the wonder of the world You have created.

And we too are those

who bear the burden of life

and trust in the presence of Your Spirit

to offer comfort and support.

 

Lord,

we pray for them,

and for us,

as we allow Christ to clothe our lives.

Amen.

Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Pentecost 5C (4)

God of our hearts,

in a still, small voice you speak to us,

reminding us

the we belong to You,

and have been clothed by You

so that we may follow the ways

of Your Son.

In the offering we make this day,

may we remember those

who are in need of Your love,

and be willing,

even in a small way,

to reach beyond ourselves.

May our knowledge of You

be reflected in what we give,

in the names of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

 

Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Pentecost 5C (3)

Lord of the rising son,

and the glorious dawn;

Lord of the drizzling rain

and murky mist –

Creation is clothed with the bright array

of Your presence.

Each inch of colour

reflects the your hopes and welcome.

Each centimeter of water

quenches the thirst

of dried earth and imagination.

Taking a place

in Your temple,

we discover that all that we have been

is replaced with a vision

of all we could become

in Christ’s name.

 

God of story and memory,

we come ashamed of the memories

we have created by our failings.

Falling short of the markers

Jesus has set,

our actions,

our thoughts and our words

betray our own selfish ambitions

and do not always reflect Your hope.

Remembering all that we have left undone

and ignored,

we sit in silence in Your presence,

seeking the assurance of Your love and forgiveness.

 

Silence

 

Living God,

day and night You sing your joy to our sorrow

that we might live as those forgiven.

In choosing to follow You,

may our thirst for You

be reflected in the justice and love

we share in Christ’s name.

Amen