Women taught me to pray. Fold your hands Bow your head Close your eyes were their gentle Sunday instructions. I was a child in the company of women planting seeds. For years I folded inward and prayed. In the dark Chin lowered Hands together I was tightly sealed, Yet there was life: the seeds became […]
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We are not given a mandate to judge or an obligation to convert. We are not required to argue religion. We are given power to heal. We need not muster up the strength. We are given authority. Christ is in us to heal. May I be a healer today; may I set free those who […]
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No matter how bad things get, there’s always hope. Even when things were at their worst for the young Anne Frank, she wrote: ‘The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does […]
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May we all, May we all, at least every now and then, at least every now and then, feel your [realm/ kin-dom] near feel your [realm/ kin-dom] near and see your face, and see your face, O God. O God. Support us Support us as we do our work. as we do our work Empower […]
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Be fair! Making justice bunting & signs — A Children’s Message as part of the Black Lives Matter movement This was written to present to an inter-racial group of children. Leader’s Script Today we are thinking about how we can help change situations that are unfair. We asked you to think about situations where you […]
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Eternal God, deeply troubled by what is happening following George Floyd’s death, and by too much other inhumanity that doesn’t reach the headlines, we cry to you as the one whose love was the victor at Easter and who pours it into our hearts at Pentecost. As we observe the pain of a fractured world, […]
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John 12:1-11 While the reading falls traditionally on Monday of Holy Week, this prayer may be used throughout the year. Anointing and blessing God help us to recognize you in all your glory and humble disguises including the poor of the world who are your body. When we meet you may we fall to our […]
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In these days of knowing, not knowing, We, like the buds on the trees, Are eager to burst forth into the world. Hold us gently in place Until we are certain in the ways of loving our neighbour. Let us not toss ourselves and neighbour into thoughtless Harm. Let us recall that all life is […]
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‘Tis a fearful thing to love what death can touch. A fearful thing to love, to hope, to dream, to be – to be, And oh, to lose. A thing for fools, this, And a holy thing, a holy thing to love. For your life has lived in me, your laugh once lifted me, your […]
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Thoughts on ‘Trinity Sunday’ ‘God, I’m lonely,’ God thought, Where’s the point of a void? ‘I’ll make me a world – hold that – a universe – full of wonders, creatures to keep me company, to enjoy each other – to enjoy me.’ And God did. Life abundant. Night and day, God made, flower and […]
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Gracious God, you have blessed us with so many good things. May these gifts from us be used to open doors of welcome for all people, so they, too, may experience the joy of abundance and unity.
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Thoughts on Pentecost… Who could have predicted it? What did they expect? A mild morning breeze? A gentle introduction, a saunter into a new way of life? Not by the sound of it. For the Holy Spirit read ‘typhoon’ or ‘whirlwind’ – everyone’s hair restyled – garments turned inside out – blown into sails – […]
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Rural Mission Sunday is an annual event celebrating the work of small rural churches. It provides an opportunity to celebrate growth and abundance. It is usually held on the third Sunday in July. Prayer of adoration God of mountains and mustard seed,skylarks and cattle; We give you thanks for all that you have made. […]
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Inspired by Psalm 68 Come before God with joy! We come with jubilation! Come worship the protector of orphans and widows. We come to praise God with singing and exultation.
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Ascension Ascending Who went where? Where is the place or space or experience to which they went? Why up? Above the clouds? Beyond the Horsehead Nebula? Into the void? What words, what concepts do we use to talk about this mysterious event? Or is it a non-event? It comes around every year, 40 days after […]
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One minute he’s here and the next minute gone and no-one seems to know how. ‘Taken up to heaven’, says Mark. ‘As he was blessing them’, says Luke. Not a word from John, more concerned about Peter’s destiny. And Matthew? Just final instructions to his friends – To baptize, to teach, to obey – but […]
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Prayer after communion Please pray with me… Thank you for the grace that makes space for us at your table. Thank you for the familiar and beloved faces on our screens. Thank you for the closeness we experience through technology, and through sharing this meal together. May we continue our lives having been nourished and […]
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Genesis 1 is often included in readings for the Easter vigil, Trinity Sunday and Epiphany. As the stars slid down the beams of the universe in it’s beginning, they burned with love…. so much so that some became vulnerable and exploded. Eons later, in free fall toward our planet many of their parts held us […]
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Participating in communion in my home, along with fellow Christians in their home, has proven, for me, a powerful expression of the living Body of Christ and the Priesthood of all Believers. Cara provides a complete communion liturgy to use on-line in either a live stream, podcast or Zoom-type platform. Ready-to-print copies: PDF Lockdown Liturgy […]
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A Jewish Prayer for Nakba Day, 15 May, by Rabbi Brant Rosen Le’el she’chafetz teshuvah, to the One who desires return: Receive with the fulness of your mercy the hopes and prayers of those who were uprooted, dispossessed and expelled from their homes during the devastation of the Nakba. Sanctify for tov u’veracha, for goodness […]
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Luke 10:25-37 (8th Sunday of Pentecost, Year C) The story of the Good Samaritan adapted for Sea Sunday (usually held in July) For 3 Actors/Readers: Narrator, Lawyer and Jesus The lawyer, the beaten person, the Samaritan Seafarer and the passers-by might be any gender and may be referred to as ‘he’ ‘she’ or ‘they’. The […]
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With what words do we invite the Body of Christ to gather on video screens? What actions and words recognize and welcome Jesus as host for our home communion meals? What terms express the authentic and powerful experience of Christ’s presence in our virtual midst? Invitation Jesus shared meals in all kinds of homes: The […]
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A great way to greet one another on-line. First, a demonstration in British Sign Language (I believe the ‘priest’ mentioned is the person greeting everyone, and the second greeting is to an individual.) And now a demonstration in American Sign Language: Click here to visit the websites:
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Our bodies are so fragile Our time here is so brief Our lives are but a single drop in the ocean of eternity And yet… We are known We are loved We are held May our fears about our death be transformed And may all our suffering be transfigured. May we discover, within ourselves, a […]
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Written after visiting my first grandchild. Baby smells waft into my nostrils. A pattering heart pulsates in my embrace. Tearlets moisten my eyes. Powerful hope swirls through my core. This is my body. This is my blood. God’s own child rests in my arms. By what name shall this child be called? Hope. Promise. Future. […]
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Endangered Species and Christian Faith When God called on Noah to protect all creatures, Noah had no choice which creatures to load on board. All of creation belongs to God, and Noah was merely caretaker. Like Noah, we have a moral responsibility to safeguard God’s creatures from irreparable harm from the dangers they face today. […]
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Mothers’ Day Proclamation 1870 – Julia Ward Howe While Julia Ward Howe uses language specific to wives, sons and husbands, her message reminds us how a day conceived as an anti-war activist’s cry for peace can be sentimentalised and re-directed over time. I post this in honour of my mother, Dotty Dale, who continued to […]
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We now live in a ‘Coronavirus world’. Please remember, we are still the church even though we are not physically gathered, and that when we get together again, we will celebrate. In the meantime, even though the world seems to have cancelled everything right now, as people of faith let us remember: • Caring will […]
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His were the hands That shaped the wood That smoothed the knot That summoned the friends And launched the boat His were the hands That touched the blind And opened ears That held the child And cast out fears His were the hands That fingered the coin That plucked the corn That wrote in sand […]
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What words work on Mothers’ Day, a Sunday observance (second Sunday in May) many worship leaders find challenging? As we prepare to celebrate Mothers’ Day, our horizons broaden as we become familiar with the history of the day. (Click here to read the full biography of Julia Ward Howe from which this text is taken.) […]
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In my weaker moments I imagine that you sent this plague as punishment for our iniquity, but deep down in my heart I know that’s not your way. In fleeting moments of clarity, I picture you gazing out at us and ruefully asking out loud: Don’t you know that I really don’t need to inflict […]
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from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, Ireland Loving and healing God, we, turn to you in prayer, Confident that you are with us and with all people in every moment. We stand before you as people of hope, trusting in your care and protection. May your faithful love support us and soothe […]
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Loving God, your desire is for our wholeness and well being. We hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time. We grieve precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened. We ache for ourselves and our neighbors, standing before an uncertain future. We pray: may love, not fear, go viral. […]
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Prayers of approach and confession Loving God Our souls sing out in worship And all of creation bursts forth with praise! For you look with compassion on all who suffer. You shed tears of sorrow with those in grief. You reach down into the dark pit of hopelessness. You kneel in the dust to lift […]
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Worship Words resources for special days and events in May: 8 May – Julian of Norwich 40th Day of Easter – Ascension Day First Sunday – Pluralism Sunday Second Sunday – Mother’s Day (Australia, USA and elsewhere) 15 May – Nakba – the First Palestinian Catastrophe Third Friday – Endangered Species Day Late […]
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As the coronavirus (COVID-19) affects our world, we continue to pray. We invite you into our hearts — hearts that have so much on them right now. Amidst our fear, disappointment, confusion, uncertainty, grief, anger, frustration and more… We invite you in. We know you are bigger. May we be given a peace and understanding […]
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May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury to work from home remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care […]
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It seems that I return to you most easily when I need comfort, O God. Hello… here I am again, knowing that you are waiting for me with love and warming light. In the shadow of your wings I find respite and relief that feeds my innermost self and renews my soul. Day and night, […]
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Gracious and loving God, the Psalmist reminds us that, ‘You are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble’. God, we feel deeply that our world is in trouble with the spread of the coronavirus. There is a heightened sense of fear and anxiety about the future. We ask that we may calmly and […]
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In this time of COVID-19, we pray: When we aren’t sure, God, – help us be calm. When information comes – from all sides, correct & not, help us to discern. When fear makes it hard to breathe, and anxiety seems to be the order of the day, slow us down, God. Help us to […]
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