Originally written for Reign of Christ Sunday*, the last Sunday of the Church Year. God of love: hear our prayer. This morning we think about those who hold positions of power. We ask that you bless them with wisdom, convict them with conscience and afflict them with compassion for all those who are affected by […]
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God, you have become known to us, Not in abstract theologies, But in action – Specifically, the action of salvation. We cried, you heard – And our cries caused such an upheaval in you that they could not be borne in silence and inaction. You then became known to us In the gift of torah: […]
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Distract us From overthinking situations Beyond our control Distract us From being led astray By the lure of temptations Distract us From the vain pursuit of fame Wealth and status Focus our hearts On following and nurturing Shepherd us well A version for personal devotion: Distract me From overthinking situations Beyond my control Distract me […]
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With words we cry out for justice in our lives and our world. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 Explore these worship resources to discover ‘Justice Words’ relevant to […]
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Inspired by Genesis 32: 22-32 God, thank you for your love which perseveres, touching our lives, not just in an hour of worship but every day. Your persistent love attends the world, day in and day out, year in and year out. Grant us perseverance, like Jacob, to stand steadfast in our convictions, to hold on […]
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Echos of the Jesus Prayer Loving God, we know that you forgive us our trespasses as we must forgive those who trespass against us. And yet how hard we find it to follow your loving example in our day to day lives. Help us to resist the temptations of revenge and retribution and turn instead […]
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This liturgy was written for midday prayers at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. It may be reproduced and adapted for local usage. More resources are available here from the World Council of Churches We gather in silence. As we gather we listen to the gong/bell, calling us to remember, calling us to pray and […]
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Prayers on every theme, for every occasion written over a 40 year ministry in the Uniting Church of Australia. ‘These sample prayers, written to be spoken, are logged in two groups: soft-theistic and non-theistic/post-theistic. They seek to be shaped by a progressive, post-liberal theology. When soft-theistic, they attempt to use new or different metaphors when […]
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A quiet place A pause in our day A turning toward the source of peace What words do we use when we reach out to the Spirit of Life? Do we talk? Do we listen? Do we think? Do we feel? Explore these resources (click theme) to find worship words relevant to you today: What […]
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A prayer arising from 1 King 19 God ever-new and ever-old, Teach us to listen: To listen with patience, when we want immediate answers; To listen with openness to a new word, when we are more comfortable with the old; To listen with deep respect to the roots of our faith, when we […]
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What words connect us with the spirit as we gather? What words unite us with the holy? Explore these Opening Prayers posted on Worship Words:
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Loving and Holy God, it is such a privilege to bring our honest prayers to you, to open the Scriptures and discover not only that ordinary women and men, but also Jesus himself, offer to you the gritty ‘stuff’ of their lives – it gives us the permission we need to be that honest not […]
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Prayers Sunday to Saturday Daily Prayer Series: Monday Prayers — New Creation Tuesday Prayers — Refreshing Words Wednesday Prayers — Renewal Thursday Prayers – Solidarity with the poor Friday Prayers — Solidarity with Creation Saturday Prayers Sunday Prayers — Resurrection and New Life Lawrence explains: I began looking for a daily prayer series that would nourish me in the sort of […]
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What words hold the glory of summer? How do we express the mystery of bursting sunflowers, broad leaves and warm waters? Summer words: an alphabetical listing of all resources Explore these resources for words (and images) to share in worship and reflection during the summer season… Free images of summer: All photos posted on the Worship […]
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Prayers for Today: morning, midday and day’s end by Christina White, UK Day’s Beginning O God, You have birthed the world And us. You have washed us, Dressed us, Fed us, Set us on our way in the school of life. Give us courage to stand strong, To meet all that comes our way […]
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Begin with a moment of silence and listen, for God is still speaking! In the silence, O God, I long to hear your words. In the breaking of dawn’s early light, I long to experience your presence. May the voice I hear this day be your voice, speaking a word of hope and healing into […]
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Written to be shared with parents and carers at a church-sponsored child care centre. Easily adapted for Mothering Sunday, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. If you made it on time to drop off, you are blessed. If you made it to drop off before pick up, you are blessed. If you made it with bits of […]
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What makes for peace? What words express the urgency of reconciliation and bridge-building, and our longing for trust and serenity? Explore these resources to discover ‘Peace Words’ and images relevant to your experience and situation, to use in both group worship and personal devotions. Newest posts . . . (images link to posts) Peace Words […]
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Words connect us to the power and strength we need to meet the day. Explore these resources to find ‘Strengthening Words’ relevant to your experience and situation. Newest posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Strengthening Words’ resources . . . Featured image: African Beauty in opalstone by Peter […]
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With what words do we express thanksgiving? How do we convey the depths of our gratitude? Words of thanks and gratitude illuminate the path of life. Explore these resources to discover ‘Gratitude Words’ relevant to your experience and situation. Newest posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Gratitude Words’ resources . […]
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Accompanying a flickering flame, words bring light into the darkness, illumination into the wondering . . . Explore these resources to discover ‘Words by Candlelight’ relevant to your experience and situation. Newest posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Words by Candlelight’ resources . . .
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Originally written for use in worship on Mother’s Day/Festival of the Christian Home. God, the faith which lives in each of us first lived in others: it lived first in our mothers or those who mothered us; it lived first in the inspired writers of our sacred texts. it lived first in theologians who wrote […]
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Pentecost came once – long long, so long ago! What can it mean to us but to inspire perhaps? And yet could it be so that we might know the fire upon our heads and in our souls? Our lives might yet be changed beyond out wildest dreams – or fears? For we might have […]
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May be read responsively by many voices or with two voices. One: Every part of this earth is sacred, Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore. Every mist in the dark woods, All: Every clearing and humming insect is holy. One: The rocky crest, the juices of the meadow, the beasts and all the people, […]
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Originally written for an Order of St. Luke Healing Service in Melbourne, Australia Gracious God, loving parent, you watch over us like a mother with her children. You have created a world for us with a richness, a beauty beyond description. As another spring blossoms around us, we are awed again by the splendour of the […]
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Originally written for the fifth Sunday of Lent – Year A Eternal One, thank you for this opportunity to worship together. Please help everyone here today, to learn something new about you… We pray for peace throughout the world and for everyone’s heart to be filled with love, so that we can all live together […]
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Mother Father God, creator and sustainer, we thank you for nurturing us like a mother. We praise you that your care and protection surround us like a father. On this Fathering Sunday, we remember all the people who have nurtured us, especially the important men in our lives, those who have seen, not just with […]
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God loves a try-er or so ‘they’ say. And God, you know that I’m trying. But somehow I never feel good enough. There’s always something just beyond my reach; something I can’t get right. And somehow I always seem to let me – and you – down. Living Spirit uplift me, I pray. Breathe a […]
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Individual candles may be distributed to be used at the close of the prayer. Hope of all hopes, God of new life, of resurrection, we come before you this Easter season, our hearts rejoicing in you. And yet, despite our joy and hope, we feel the darkness around us. God, may we know your healing […]
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How do we remember those slain in war? What words hold the pain and sorrow of the bereaved? The dream and hope of the peacemaker? The promise of light and life after the devastation? How do we avoid glorifying war and death, yet remember those killed and wounded, sometimes for meaningless quarrels of others? How do […]
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WORD Good Friday Confession, Lawrence Moore Pause before the prayer, allowing God’s Spirit to search your heart. Make your own confession. Pause after the prayer to experience the reality of God’s forgiveness. I want to keep my hands smooth, my skin unbroken, my feet unscarred. I don’t want the imprint of the cross on my […]
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A Prayer of Confession inspired by John 11:1-45 We confess that we do not always want our lives restored or renewed. Speaking truth to the things and the people who bind us is very scary. Our ‘burial bandages’ not only bind us tightly, but they also keep us thinking we are secure, hidden away in […]
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This prayer can be used in conjunction with the Palm Sunday drama, Sunday Morning Live. Pray with me. God of Promise, we are taken by surprise at each Palm Sunday parade. We so want Jesus to be powerful, a ruler who will smite the world of all evil, and make all things good and easy […]
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Prayers for our world — inspired by Psalm 23 Let us turn our mind and thoughts to others. We will lift up prayers for our world, our nation, our community and our church, responding with the phrase: Good Shepherd, Guide us in love. Pray with me. . Good Shepherd, we hear the cries and joys […]
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Loving God who summoned the world into being, moulded the mountains, bathed the earth in colour and light, and breathed into us the Spirit of life we bring you our praise. We adore you, the God who first loved us – who knew us in the womb made each of us unique and who tends […]
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At the end of each section, pause to allow participants time to reflect and fill in the names of places and people as appropriate, silently or aloud, as appropriate for the group. I cannot take bread and forget those who are hungry…. I cannot take wine and forget those who thirst for justice…. I cannot […]
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