Spirit of Community Thank you for church that brings strangers together… Spirit of Truth Thank you for messages that open my/our ears and minds… Spirit of Trust Thank you for familiar words of prayer that provide solid grounding for yet another day… Spirit of Comfort Thank you for the old melodies that reside in the […]
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Merciful God, we approach you asking for forgiveness, For healing and reconciliation To once again feel the power of your Love. As individuals and as a nation we have tempted fate. We have stretched our grasp with greed. We have protected our privacy with isolationism. We have ravaged your creation with entitlement. Forgive us. As […]
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Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here.* I invite you to close your eyes and breathe in that holy presence. Breathe in the power of God, and breathe out the power of the world. Breathe in the presence of God and breathe out the worries, the fears, the burdens […]
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Home is where the heart is. We remember the bereaved. Home is where I lay my head at night. We remember those sleeping in the street. Home is the hotel midway between here and there. We remember the refugee. Home is the guestroom of friends. We remember the outcast. Home is the terrace house on […]
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Inspired by Psalm 138 & Duncan Wilson’s version Pentecost 12 (Proper 16) Year A Pentecost 3 Year B Epiphany 5 Year C We gather to praise God. We praise God with all our being. When we call for help, God answers. We rejoice that God grants us strength and courage. When we are surrounded by […]
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God of Illumination, during this Epiphany season we thank you for inviting us on this journey of faith for revealing yourself to us in the love of the Creator, the joy of the Spirit and the peace of the Christ-child. We commit anew, like the wise ones from the East, to seek and serve Christ […]
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God of new beginnings, Be with us as we gaze ahead in hope and enter into this new year with faith. Illuminate the way as we step into the unknown with trust striving to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Thank you for your church where we journey together as God’s family.
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I invite you to pause. Close your eyes, if that’s comfortable and focus on your breathing, the sound of your breath in … and out … in … and out…. [pause for 2-4 breaths]. We live in a busy world, and God invites us to pause in the presence of the divine. [silent pause for […]
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Written in Antalya, Turkey, upon hearing the 11:15 am call to prayer after a coach tour visit to a gold and gemstone showroom. Call to prayer slicing through the cold bended knee bended heart contrite God, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Gems of your earth Shining bling catch the eye catch the heart God, […]
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Thoughts upon watching a small child dance with a handful of fallen leaves Fallen Wind-blown Brittle Cracked, cracking An autumn leaf Lifted in the fingers of a child Awed at the brilliance of fire orange And the prominent vein tracks Held high During the dance Twirling Eyes upturned to the heavens Delight In the face […]
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A responsive prayer Luke 12:13-21 Provider of Life, creator of the earth and all that is in it, we lift our prayers of thanks to you For the beauty of the earth that surrounds us, For spring flowers that dazzle us and summer’s greenery that delights us, For autumn’s bounty that sustains us and prepares […]
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Proper 19, Year B 16th Sunday after Pentecost May the utterances of our lips and the very thoughts arising in our hearts be aligned with your will and your way, for you are the solid foundation upon which we stand and find our balance. Our speech and knowledge arise from you, crafted by your love […]
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So dark, so cold, so alone. God, where are you? Can you hear me? Where are you? My cries seem to vanish into the air. Do any reach you? I feel the waiting stretch so long. Then like the sun that shines before the dawn, Like the sun that shines below my horizon, Your presence […]
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We look to you Trusting in your guiding hand Sure in your care for us Assured of your kindness. Even as we face disdain from others and scorn from the proud, we are filled with your mercy. In your fullness we rest. Lectionary reading 6th Sunday of Pentecost, Year B
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This prayer incorporates the promises of the World Environment Day Pledge created in Australia in 2007. God, empower me to make a difference. Forgive me for taking travel, convenience and electronics for granted. Grant me the willingness to: boil only the water I need, rather than filling the kettle every time. turn my bio-degradable waste […]
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Each of us can do our little part to restore God’s creation to a place of health and wholeness. My neighbours may be a bit aghast at my commitment to return our ‘English’ garden to a sustainable form, a home for indigenous plants that need no extra water, an environment that is content with the […]
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We are the church together, each of us an important part, sharing in the responsibility to reach out to those in need, to keep the building in good condition, and to pay the running costs. As we consider what to give this morning, on our church’s anniversary, we reflect on what this church, this congregation, […]
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A Psalm for World Water Day 22 March Inspired by Psalm 104: 1, 10-13 Eternal One, your magnificence astounds us. You direct springs to gush forth, to flow along valleys, to slither between hills, providing drink for wild animals, to cool parched throats, to quench thirst. Beside streams you create safe havens for birds who […]
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God, we thank you for gifts: The gift of love we give one another; The gift of Jesus you gave to us. May our gifts this morning be used to bring joy to others near and far.
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God of the past, the present and the future, Thank you for Grandparents who help us remember, And grandchildren who give us reason to remember. Today we remember, even when there is peace in our land. For Peace is a fragile thing. How often it has hung by only a thread May we, followers of […]
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Power of Wholeness, sweep through each nation on the face of this globe. Fill us with the will and conviction to work towards reconciliation. Unite us as indigenous and invader settled in a new home, As settled colonizers and more recent immigrants and refugees seeking a new home, As Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus — […]
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My confession Spirit, remember me. Sometimes I forget to breathe, to pause. I race through the day. I forget to stop long enough to take a deep breath. I could blame the computer. I could blame pressures of work The importance of life’s tasks The necessity of chores. I know the wisdom of pausing. I […]
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Proper 17 13th Sunday after Pentecost – Year A Paul makes it sound so easy. Just be sincere, determined, altruistic. Yet we find ourselves hesitant, shifty, unreliable, selfish. Just be zealous, hopeful, patient. Yet we feel tired, desperate, anxious. Just be generous, hospitable, harmonious. Yet we find ourselves hoarding, isolating, discordant. We want to make […]
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Global God Your embrace circles the globe Pulsating wholeness, hope and justice into every heart. During this season of pandemic As Covid-19 sweeps across the lands We cry out to you, Not just for ourselves but for your beloved family, For our sisters and brothers in Africa Where church choirs are silent, mosques empty, crowded […]
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Living One, we are your disciples – your hands and feet in the world today. In this time when we are staying away from one another, we sometimes feel extremely burdened, as if under a great weight. Truthfully, we have frequently been tempted to turn to fear and doubt, not trusting in your presence. We […]
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Matthew 11:16-30 5th Sunday of Pentecost, Year A Almighty, creator God, we have gathered to praise you, giving thanks that you have given us life and breath, that you do daily attend us with goodness and mercy.* May this time together in worship strengthen us that we might transcend our current state of social isolation […]
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Matthew 11 Proper 9, (usually 5th Sunday after Pentecost), Year A God of gentleness, thank you for relieving our burdens and for filling our emptiness with the Bread of Life. Create of us the living Body of Christ, that in these challenging times we might witness the power and possibility of your love and peace […]
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Isolated Broken Spreading Infecting Darkness descends How did it come to this? God groans The world whimpers. We cower Fearfully crying out, ‘Now what?’ What about our old age? What about our grandchildren? Be not afraid. Follow the light. Follow peace. Where? Into the brokenness. Into this new reality. Fear not. Into the unimaginable. Cling […]
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May our prayers today be for hope, patience, thoughtfulness and neighbourliness, for the homeless and those without means to stay clean, for everyone working to keep us fed and healthy, for members of Twelve Step Groups–such as Alcoholics Anonymous– who are finding new ways to hold their essential meetings. Photo by Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson
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Eternal God, we turn to you knowing you are the source of the living water for which we thirst. Living water, In faith, we lift our prayer to you. We pray for those, like the woman by the well, confronted by their own reality and being invited to step boldly into the unknown. May they […]
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God, prepare me. Proclamation Channel Instrument Prepared yet overtaken Connection Identification ‘That’s me!’ Mouth of God Beyond words translated Interpreted Confirming purpose and usefulness Use me, God. Keep me humble. Use me beyond my perceived limits. Today may I be on fire With your spirit With your word Consumed yet refined Given yet received Blessed
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God, we gather in this place Home for our souls. Here we sense our true selves Renewed in wholeness; Scattered, now gathered in. Fragments re-united, re-connected Standing on solid ground Upheld by faith Renewed by love We open ourselves to you.
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Written for nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C Psalm 121 & Luke 18:1-8 (the widow and the unjust judge) Where whence comes our help? Our help comes from God, the Eternal One, who made heaven and earth. Join me in our prayers of intercession. Pray with me. God, you are, indeed, our help in times […]
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Second Sunday of Easter (Sunday after Easter), Year C John 20:19-31 Eternal One, as we travel through life’s valleys, in the places of darkness, and despair, we know that you are with us. Even when life’s doubts assail us, we know that you still abide with us, watching over us. Strengthen our faith. Help us […]
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[names of couple], we rejoice to celebrate with you the reaffirmation of your marriage covenant, as you re-commit yourselves as /wife and husband / partners/ wives / husbands/ in marriage. [Use the terminolopgy chosen by the couple.] This year you celebrate ____ years of marriage, your anniversary coming up on [date]. In this post-modern world, […]
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Epiphany 2, Year C This prayer is inspired by Psalm 36:5-10 It’s like standing beneath a street lamp On a misty evening. In the light, I see light, But objects appear blurry and obscured, half lit. God, standing in your light, I see light, But the path ahead appears blurry and obscured, seemingly […]
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Prayer inspired by 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Second Sunday of Epiphany, Year C Note: this prayer can be written either in the singular (me/I) or the plural (us/we). In this bleak midwinter Gifts abound Given in the same spirit, a spirit of love. When words of wisdom we cannot bring to utterance, Thank you for the […]
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Living, loving God, thank you for the world around us, your splendid garden creation entrusted into our hands. Please grant us the wisdom to be faithful stewards of your earth: • Keeping air and water clean • Being mindful of energy consumption • Growing foods to share with all your people, our sisters and brothers […]
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Call to prayer Each of us can do our little part to restore God’s creation to a place of health and wholeness. Where can you make a difference? How can you help fix the “damage done”? Let us confess our sins, knowing that God is listening. Prayer of Confession Pray with me. God, often, […]
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God of the prophets, we lift our prayers to you. Prayers of intercession for Eighth Sunday of Pentecost, Year B Amos 7:7-15 Ready-to-print copy: PDF Prayers of Intercession – Amos 7,7-15 WORD Prayers of Intercession – Amos 7,7-15 A different responsive line might be chosen, e.g. God of the prophets, we lift our prayers to […]
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