Sunday 28th June 2015 – Pentecost 5B (2)

Opening Prayer

To You we sing our praise,

Great Healer,

for You reach out Your healing hands

to touch the scars of creation;

You speak words of tenderness

to smooth away the troubled waters;

You offer patience

that agonies may be poured over,

only for You

to call Your people beyond them

to the future You have promised.

Rejoicing in the favour of Your presence,

we greet You

and praise You

for the security that is found

when our faith is placed in You.

 

While we might long for the wholeness

that You offer,

Lord of all people,

we are sometimes willing to deny others

their full potential and humanity.

We name call,

and treat others as unworthy.

We devalue ourselves

by our willingness to hurt.

 

In Your mercy,

forgive us for the destruction we cause.

In Your faithfulness,

You call us from our wailing

to songs of joy,

that speak of Your love

and our thanks.

Amen.

Sunday 28th June 2015 – Pentecost 5B

Call to Worship

Let us not be consumed by the wailings of our hearts

and the angry thoughts that sometimes threaten,

for the Lord’s great love never fails.

New compassion is to be found each day

as the Lord reveals faithfulness

in the activities of our lives.

 

Let us seek after the Lord

for in Him our hope is restored.

In the quietness of this time

may we be reminded of the Lord’s saving grace,

that lifts us from the dust of our disgrace

to the light of His compassion.

Sunday 21st June 2015 – Pentecost 4B (2)

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Wind whisperer,

Storm breaker,

Peace bringer,

the wonders of creation lie in Your control

and to Your voice

the sea and earth respond

and sing Your praise.

Calming storms,

quelling thunder,

pouring healing balm on troubled waters,

Your presence is the peace we seek,

chasing away the fears of all we do not understand.

 

Even from the crumbled rubble

of what we feel has been disaster,

You bring forth beauty

that tells of the reshaping and renewal

that is to be found

in the midst of hardship.

 

So often we forget or ignore Your faithfulness,

and become afraid to step boldly into the world.

Listening to the antagonising voices around,

we feel at odds with ourselves and others,

lose confidence in our faith,

and fail to trust in the plans You have for us.

 

May Your voice rise above the storms of our emotions and our fears,

bringing peace to our thoughts

and reminding us of Christ’s presence in our lives.

Amen.

Sunday 21st June 2015 – Pentecost 4B

Call to Worship

Give thanks to God, for He is good.

His love endures forever.

 

Let those who have been tossed about in the tempest,

who found their courage melt,

who reeled and staggered

and found themselves at their winds end,

come and cry to the Lord,

for He hears their cries.

Whispering to the wind,

hushing the waves,

the Lord brings calm

and a guides the distressed to a safe haven.

 

Let us give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love,

and exalt Him in the presence of all people.

Sunday 14th June 2015 – Pentecost 3B (2)

In the sowing and the growing,

Great Gardener,

You are thorough in the task.

You plant not just the soil

that others would consider fertile.

Instead You are prepared to do the hard work,

and tackle the challenging ground,

where stones are to be removed

and weeds pulled.

Then in those places

the unexpected fruit spills forth

declaring the goodness of the kingdom of heaven.

 

The shoots of our lives

are not always tender,

and instead

we use our growing pains

as an excuse

to hurt and harm those around us.

 

In our worship of You this day,

in the lives we will lead from this time,

may we find you tending to the burrs and spurs

of who we are,

until we become the beautiful creation

You invite us to be in Christ’s name.

Amen.

Sunday 14th June 2015 – Pentecost 3B

Call to Worship

It is good to praise the Lord Most High,

and make music to His name

Let us proclaim the love of the Lord in the morning,

and His faithfulness at night.

With organ and voice,

rustling, shuffling and accidental percussion,

may the music of our lives

find a harmony

that allows others to hear

the presence of heaven.

 

May we flourish in the presence of the Lord,

and grow within this Holy Place

to bear the fruit of an age

spent in the grace of God,

knowing that He is our rock

and the path in which we can trust.

Sunday 7th June 2015 – Pentecost 2B

Prayers of the People

God who is with us,

Maker of heaven and earth,

we praise You for the making of this day

and the adventure of the days that have past.

Even when we have not known,

Your Living Presence

has been around us

in the care and compassion we have received and known.

We thank You for those with whom we share

our story:

the families of which we are part,

and this bigger family of God

that gathers in this place.

 

As You empower us to serve You

in the community,

may we offer signs to others

that they will find a welcome

in the relationships they build with You.

Bringing our prayers for Your people and the world,

we pray for those who feel cast aside

by their families and their communities.

We pray for children, women and men

who are abused by those who are supposed to love them most.

We pray for asylum seekers and refugees.

We pray for the homeless and prisoners.

May You help us to find ways

in which we change the words of judgement and condemnation

to words that speak of hope and compassion.

 

We pray for those who seek a home,

a place of rest and comfort,

and for those who make the decisions

that aid or challenge what a home might be.

We pray for our government

that it will ensure that all people

know the safety and security of a home.

We pray for those who use the fruits of the earth,

that they find ways to reduce the pollution and destruction

of our needs for power.

We pray for those who care for the dying,

that they may offer comfort and support.

 

Lord of all Life,

as Your family,

may we grow in our love of You and each other,

and share the hope we have found in knowing You

with those we meet each day.

Amen

Sunday 7th June 2015 – Pentecost 2B (3)

Offertory Prayer

Father, mother, brother, sister, neighbour, friend,

You, Lord of relationships

have entwined each of us

within the family of God,

and in that family

You invite us to share the responsibility

of caring for each other.

In all we give

from our time, talent and belongings,

be encouraged by Your Holy Spirit

to bring new connections

and refresh old acquaintances

beyond those of blood and clan.

In Christ’s name.

Amen.

Sunday 7th June 2015 – Pentecost 2B (2)

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Creator of all living things,

who put stars above our heads,

and earth beneath our feet,

You cause us to wonder

at each passing moment of time

and the colour and variety of all that surrounds.

You provide for all our needs,

and draw our eyes

to what is attractive and good.

 

Our Maker,

You know our faults and failings,

and how easily we get distracted

from the tasks we are meant to do

and the people should care for.

Forgive us when we let ourselves down

and reject others because they are different.

Forgive us for our fall outs.

 

As You renew us,

may we grown in our love

of you and each other,

and welcome the presence of Your kingdom

in our lives.

Amen.

Sunday 7th June 2015 – Pentecost 2B

Call to Worship

Out of the depths of our lives
we cry to the Lord,
who offers an attentive ear.
The Lord keeps no record of wrongs,
and instead removes our fears
by offering forgiveness.

As we wait on the Lord,
and listen for his Word,
our souls wait patiently,
oping that the Holy presence will restore us.

As we worship the Lord,
His unfailing love and saving presence
restores our faith and hope,
and prepares for the work
of the Holy Spirit.

Let us worship the Lord.