Giver of love, we are all people of faith although each is very different. To some degree each of us stands alone, with unique experiences that have contoured our lives and tinctured our faith.

Yet we are never isolated; in Christ we have much in common, and we are shareholders in the gifts of the one Holy Spirit.

Giver of light, we are identical in our need of your patience and guidance. We all know what it is like to lose our way, yet each has their own personal story of sin and regret.

Yet we are never hope-less; together we trust the one Saviour and drink from the same well of salvation.

Giver of faith, in this community of hope, side by side with fellow pilgrims, we know the power of your reconciliation, the unity of peace, and the attraction of that Beauty which draws us towards the Holy Hub where all are one.

Yet we do not presume to have arrived. Each must examine their own faith, practice their own love, and each morning seek to stretch up and beyond yesterday’s grasp.

Great Reconciler of all things, near or far, by your resource-full providence, by your grace-full salvation, and by your purpose-full regeneration, we are on the way.

Let each of us know you, all of us love you, and together with the whole church on earth and in heaven, serve and praise you, love and adore you, as we sing:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts………………………………

A GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

To you, God of hosts, all praise and wonder be!

At a singular juncture before time and space began, your spoke your Word into the void and everything began to happen. From nothing exploded the basic stuff of the universe, then galaxies and stars, planets, sun and moon, trees flowers and fruits, and all creatures that swim in the sea, fly in the air or live on the land.

Finally, not as an afterthought but as your crowning risk, came humankind; in your own image did you plan them, male and female did you shape them.

O awesome purpose! O humble power! O most generous providence!

You breathed something of yourself in us, giving us a spirit, and opening up the possibility of us either worshipping you, or the danger of choosing to worship the very things you created.

You gave us a mind to explore your creation and the gift of reason to distinguish between light and darkness, truth and error, fact or delusion.

You gave us the free will, allowing us to decide between good and evil, justice and injustice, peace and war, love and apathy.

When the human race became rebellious and lost, misusing your gifts and abusing our freedom, you did not give up on us. You sent us Moses and the Songmakers, the Seers and the Prophets. But our ears were closed and our eyes wore scales.

Your patience, resourcefulness and generosity were not ended. You entrusted to us the most precious Gift of all.

Born of a humble woman, son of a tradesman, taught by village rabbis, baptised by his cousin John, anointed with the Spirit, tempted in the wilderness. He chose to cherish his spiritual integrity, to use his reason, and to employ his free will to teach, heal and to shape parables that would tease all generations to come. He was the friend of sinners and the scourge of hypocrites.

But because our deeds were evil, we loved darkness rather than light. Evil people took your holiest Gift, dragged him through humiliation, stripped and buried him, mocked, crucified and buried him.

To the consternation of many and the utter joy of a few, you raised him into abundant life.

The first fruits of the harvest of the dead, he stood again among his friends, greeted them with peace, breathed into them his own Spirit and mercy, and sent them to be his Good News heralds to the ends of the earth.

Now we, the latter day recipients of such riches, stand before you lost in wonder, love and praise.

Therefore with angels and archangels………………………..

MANY THANKS

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the clean doubts that bless us,

for the questions that unsettle us,

for the mysteries which baffle us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us agape with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the ideals that draw us,

for the hungers that drive us,

for the dreams that inspire us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us riven with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the truth that arrests us,

for the light that strip-searches us,

for the self-awareness that humbles us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us aching with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the faith that holds on to us,

for the hope that uplifts us,

for the love that enthrals us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us praising with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the Arms that enfold us,

for the Shoulders that carry us,

in the Voice that laughs with us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us adoring with awe.

Ó B.D. Prewer 7.06.2006

A THANKSGIVING

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the clean doubts that bless us,

for the questions that unsettle us,

for the mysteries which baffle us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us agape with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the ideals that draw us,

for the hungers that drive us,

for the dreams that inspire us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us riven with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the truth that arrests us,

for the light that strip-searches us,

for the self-awareness that humbles us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us aching with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the faith that holds on to us,

for the hope that uplifts us,

for the love that enthrals us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us praising with awe.

We praise and thank you, Giver of grace:

for the Arms that enfold us,

for the Shoulders that carry us,

in the Voice that laughs with us,

and for those wonder-moments

which leave us adoring with awe.

THANKSGIVING: PROVIDENCE

We thank and praise you,

God our Creator and Redeemer.

Thanks for the Spirit

who travails through all things,

Holy Providence:

field lily and raven,

wombat and quandong

lorikeet and platypus

rainbow and billabong

seed and gestation

pensioner and nation.

Indefatigable Providence:

parental caring and sharing

in our laughing or weeping

fearing or daring

never weary nor sleeping,

joyful as the sunrise

hopeful like children’s’ eyes.

Crucified Providence:

wrestling by moonlight

to make all things right

bruised and bleeding

constantly giving

never conceding

dying yet ever living.

We thank and praise you,

God our Creator and Redeemer.

Thanks for the Spirit

who consummates all things,

GOD’S PRECIOUS GUM NUT

Blessed is planet earth, God’s precious little gumnut, although little among the tribes of the stars,

warmed by its modest sun and rich with air, water and fecund dust.

Blessed is planet earth, God’s favoured little gumnut, but a spark in the Milky Way yet brooded over by a motherly Spirit and home to life in a myriad forms.

Blessed is planet earth, God’s chosen little gumnut, incubator and nursery for young spirits as they first open their eyes to the glorious light.

Blessed is planet earth, God’s enigmatic little gumnut, crucible of good and evil, war and peace, compassion and apathy, hope and despair.

Blessed is planet earth, God’s visited little gumnut, although but a speck among the galaxies, graced by an incarnation more precious than the universe itself.

Blessed is planet earth, God’s redeemed little gumnut, where as many as receive the Christ are granted the right to become the children of God.

Blessed is planet earth.

Blessed are its inhabitants.

Most blessed is the Holy One, Joy of the universe,

who has showered upon us every conceivable blessing,

not surpassed by any among a billion, billion galaxies.

Blessed the Holy one.

Blessed the Christ.

Blessed the Spirit.

Blessed is God forever

Amen!

HOW SHALL WE PRAISE YOU?

God our Creator, Redeemer and Counsellor, how shall we ever adequately express our gratitude to you, or offer the praise that floods our being with holy joy?

Though

our lips begin to speak with the innocence of lisping infants, or with a skill outstripping a score of Shakespeare,

our tongues sing with the high spirits of a choir of lyrebirds and with the harmonies of Mozart and lyrical mosaics of Bach,

our minds become enlightened with holy intuitions beyond speech or song, and our eyes shine with a love as serene as moonlight yet as bright as a summer sunrise,

though we should join our songs in one massed congregation of all believers among the diverse nations and dialects of earth—

yet

we could not begin to worthily praise you, God of Christ Jesus,

or bless you enough for all you are doing for us in our creation and redemption.

Yours is the goodness eclipsing all virtue on earth or in heaven,

Yours is the beauty transcending all loveliness,

Yours is the generosity excelling all prodigality,

Yours is the saving grace surpassing all other mercies that ever have been or ever shall be.

Holy, holy, holy, God of countless hosts,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Glory be to you, O Lord Most High!

Hallelujah!

FILL US TODAY

God our Saviour, you can go where no one else can venture, and open up doors which we might not even notice. Please open up our secretive lives to the fullness of your grace.

Open the shutters within our minds, that your light may flood in. Open up the doors of our hearts, that your love may occupy us. Open up the windows of our spirits, that your Spirit may sweep away stagnation and fill us with your joy.

Let us be more truly yours today than we were yesterday, and when tomorrow comes, make us thirst again for more of your presence in our lives.

Through Christ Jesus, who is the crux of holy abundance. Amen!

GOSPEL STORIES

God of Christ Jesus, please continue to probe and renew us with the Gospel stories.

There is something of the prodigal son in us, who needs to come to his senses.

There is within us something of the street woman who needs to weep at your feet.

There is something of the leper in us who needs your healing touch.

There something of the unworthy steward in us who needs to be called to account.

There is within us something of the women at the market, who needs to be surprised by “good measure, full and running over.”

And there is within us something of the lost-yet-found sheep that needs to hear the angels singing for joy.

God of gospel, let your good news clear our minds, warm our hearts, and carry us through the mundane duties of life with a grateful and debonair spirit.

Through Christ Jesus our joy and salvation.

Amen!

HOLY YET UNAWARES

Loving God, I want to be able to pray with saints of old, “Breathe into me holy and heavenly desires.” I want to do the Lord’s will in all things. But I am reluctant.

I am reluctant because I know how self-aware “holiness” can be as cloying as saccharine, and “doing the Lord’s will” can hide cankerous presumptions. I am reluctant because I am coming to know how much ego does contaminate good intentions and outcomes.

Therefore, loving Friend, do it for me without me knowing. Make me conform to your will unawares. Let me be a person of “holy and heavenly desires” unawares. Let me become wise and godly, a doer of justice and an agent of your distinctive love, without measuring myself.

Please chart my course and shape my inclinations while I sleep, and when I awake, let me unselfconsciously use my mind, my affections, my hands and my words for your glory.

Through Christ Jesus my Saviour.

UNPRETENTIOUS

Holy Companion, keep me unpretentious, and disingenuous in all I do for you.

When I act on a good impulse, let it be inspired by you.

When I take risks, let me blithely think is just the normal thing to do.

And should I exceed my own expectations, let me bask in a satisfaction that is purged of hubris.

Then maybe I will be able to join the saints (though far` short of their degree of love) at least in their basic inclinations and be enabled to serve you well without pretension or limit.

For your Name’s sake.

Amen

PLEASE INTERFERE

Holy God, awesome Friend of sinners,

please interfere -as much as is good for me- in my daily life.

Make me hungry for whatever your deem most valuable,

and to strive for this with undivided tenacity,

Let show uncalculated love to whoever you want me to love,

and to cherish those pleasures which delight you most.

With every gram of the free will you have given me,

I choose to ask you:

Please interfere!

Please don’t allow me to screw up;

make me yours today and forever.

Through the grace of Christ Jesus my Saviour.

Amen!

GOOD FRIDAY: JESUS REMEMBER ME

The following response can be either spoken or sung.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom (Taize)

Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek;

But when the Son of man comes, will he still find any faith on earth?

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Judge not that you be not judged, forgive and you will be forgiven

This is the judgement: the Light has come yet men prefer darkness.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Blessed are the hungry, blessed are the persecuted.

I know my own, true disciples and they know me.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Love your enemies, give freely and you will freely receive,

For the first shall be last and the last will be first.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Blessed are those who mourn, blessed the peacemakers.

Unless you accept the kingdom as a little child, you shall never enter it.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

You can’t serve two masters; you can’t serve God and money.

There is nothing hidden that shall not be uncovered.

Lord have mercy on me.

Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Any one who welcomes me, welcomes the God who sent me.

Those who receive him have the right to become children of God.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Blessed are the sincere, blessed those who know the will of God and do it.

Unless a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it remains alone.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Come to me, all who toil and are loaded down, and I will give you rest.

The son of man came to serve and to give his life to save many.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

My peace I leave with you, my own peace I give to you,

Don’t let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

THE HARMONY AND THE “NOT YET”

Holy God, we worship you.

We worship you as that creating, redeeming, regenerating Spirit

who fills all things.

We worship you as that humble, tireless Power

who is uniting the whole universe into one song of joy.

We rejoice in your Oneness,

that awesome purpose, both seen and unseen,

that is guiding all things towards a destiny

which eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

nor the human mind ever conceived.

Yet daily we experience the pain of “not yet.”

Around us and within us we see

disorder and brokenness, travail and enmity,

corruption, chaos and defeat.

In our own small world there is

enough disunity to dismay us,

enough deceit to crush our spirits,

enough greed to make the saints weep,

and sufficient evil

to cause your Beloved Son to sweat great drops of blood.

Yet there is also

enough light to pierce the darkness,

enough goodness to sweeten each day,

enough truth to expose ignorance and deceit,

enough beauty to exalt the soul,

and sufficient love to maintain our faith and hope.

Holy God, we worship you.

By your humble power,

by your tireless travail,

by your regenerating love

and your saving grace ‑

we anticipate and embrace the reconciliation of all things,

and we look to that final Day of Rest

when nothing in the heavens or on earth

will be left undone.

Holy God, we worship you,

in the warmth of your Spirit,

through Christ Jesus our Saviour;

Amen!

A SATIRE: PRAYERS OF THE DAMNED.

Flashy lord of earthly mansions and high fashion, emperor and pop star,

please save your followers from the nonsense of full-on faith.

Save us from angry young men who overturn money tables,

or young rabbis who dine with tax gatherers and sinners,

from the do-gooders who listen to the whingeing of the poor and the useless,

from enthusiasts who expect a cup to be full and running over.

Deliver us from prophets who have no social standing in their own town,

and who attempt to rehabilitate prostitutes and crims,

from women who wash feet with their tears and wipe them with their hair,

from the meek who would rather go the second mile than fight back.

Save us from the weakness that allows pity to undermine good business practice,

from those believers who reckon you cannot serve both god and mammon,

from impractical dreamers who refuse to store up their treasure on earth,

from simpletons who would rather be poor than soiled with wealth.

Deliver us from disciples who practice what they preach,

who aim for the weightier matters of justice, mercy and good faith,

from followers who take a stand with widows, orphans, and beggars at the gate,

who reject fine purple robes or feasting sumptuously every day.

Save us from idiots who think a god would care a damn about ravens and wild lilies,

and zealots who put spirituality before formal religious observance,

from the pure-in-heart who get are offended by easy compromise,

and from prophets who cast slurs on the ambitious and molly coddle the meek;

Deliver us from Samaritans, who risk their own necks to assist a mugging victim,

from the milksops who presume to forgive sins rather than making offenders pay,

from the indulgent parent who welcomes back their prodigal son or daughter,

and from the deluded who reckon that prayer can cast out devils.

Save us from idealistic young rabbis who turn water into wine at no charge,

claim that a widows mite is worth more than a rich man’;s gold,

who lend without conditions, or give without saying “you owe me one,

or who scorn seats of honour and sit with the common people.

Deliver us from preachers, who stir up the people with utopian expectations,

or tell us not to worry about food or clothing, or get anxious about tomorrow;

from the gullible who put their hand to a new plough without looking back.

or who go on a mission without staff, backpack, bread or money.

Save us from farmers who broadcast seed, knowing some will fall among thistles,

or who deride those who build bigger barns in which to accumulate their assets,

from pilgrims who expect to find ripe figs on a tree out of season,

or hosts who throw parties for the riff raff from the highways and byways.

Deliver us from saints on mountain tops, who claim they have seen shining visions,

who reckon that things unseen are more important than things we see;

who would rather be persecuted than the compromise their faith,

and who encourage others to keep knocking on closed doors.

Save us from new converts whose enthusiasm becomes dangerously infectious,

whose new grasp begins to exceed their old reach,

from the blind who claim to see and the lame who walk tall,

and from lepers who declare themselves free from dis-ease.

Deliver us from messiahs who ask you to put away the sword and start loving enemies,

who assert that happiness abounds when life is freely given away;

from those who ask you neither to fear prosecutors nor prepare a legal defence,

and who find hope and glory in a good man dying on a cross.

Save us from credulous women who see things at empty tombs,

and men on Emmaus Road who talk with an imaginary stranger,

from fishermen who claim to have breakfast with their God,

and from a doubting Thomas who begins doubting his doubts.

Save us, dear blue-chip god of Point Piper homes and Canberra perks,

save us from the fanatical antics of a religion taken too earnestly,

from a sense of personal worth that is not soundly based on productivity,

and from quacks who tell us the dead are not dead.

nemA.

SET ME FREE

Loving Spirit,

God of long range goals and immediate mercies,

set me free from faithless worry and petulant frustration.

Set me free,

not only from tilting at windmills and jumping at shadows

but from worrying about major matters beyond my reach.

So ground me

in your providence and sweeten me with your grace

that I may cheerfully do whatever I can and leave the rest to others.

Should my best efforts

be rebuffed or appear to come to naught,

keep me free from resentment or from drifting into apathy.

Let me finish the course faithfully,

go to my rest thankfully,

and rise again triumphantly.

Through Christ Jesus,

my Brother, Saviour and Lord.

TO A HOLY GOD

Awesome Spirit,

teach me to fear you without being afraid,

to love you without being pretentious,

to serve you without being servile,

and to adore you without holding anything back.

Through Christ Jesus

my sure confidence and good heath.

Amen.

BECOMING

To as many as received him, he gave the right

and the strength to become children of God.

God of endless possibility,

thank you for your patient nurturing

of each emerging person.

Please continue to shape my becoming.

Dig down deeply into my hiddenness,

help germinate seeds that have been dormant,

encourage tendrils that stretch up for more light,

toughen growth that must face coming storms,

prune old growth that has served its purpose,

feed emerging fruits that have gone unnoticed,

and hasten the day when I shall become

a child actually growing in the likeness

of your beautiful son,

Jesus:

Who with You and the Spirit of new life,

are the Source and Goal of all things beautiful,

seen and unseen, known or as yet unknown.

Amen!

INTERCESSIONS: FOR THOSE ON THE EDGE

For the many who stand in queues at Centrelink, feeling demeaned like beggars,

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For those on the long waiting list for surgery, or other therapy, in public hospitals,

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For children who go to school hungry because parents gamble their family benefits,

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For refugees who are locked in detention camps, waiting for their cases to be processed,

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For the job seekers who long for interviews, as they compete for too few vacancies.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For the mentally ill who, denied adequate medical care, have become homeless derelicts.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For those who against their will, or at first willingly, are shamefully abused in the sex trade.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For the bewildered among young aborigines who are sniffing petrol or vandalising property.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For frail folk who live alone, without neighbours who care whether that are alive or dead.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For bruised souls once hurt by religion, and who now do not know where to turn for succour.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

For the host of ordinary citizens, who give their best without ever being noticed or thanked.

we pray to the God of hope.

Loving Spirit, reinforce our prayers with appropriate actions.

God hope, God of justice, God of mercy, disturb the peace of those comfortable people whose labour is small and whose burden is light. May each do whatever we can to bring others in from the edges of life, that all may find healing for body, mind and spirit. Through Christ Jesus, the Prince of hope.

Amen

FOR THOSE WHO FEEL CUT OFF

My sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, we pray for others not in order to dodge our responsibly toward them, but as the first step in our obligation of care.

God of lost and lonely creatures, we bring to you our prayers for all whose lives are made miserable through one misfortune or another. Today we focus our prayers on those who feel cut off.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Those who either through mental or physical handicaps, feel cut off from the common expectations held by their neighbours. Cut off from things like easy mobility, manual dexterity, ready communication, or are even unable to attend to their own toiletry needs.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We focus on those parents who feel cut off by rebellious teenage children; and on the numerous young folk who feel that their parents have cut them off by rigid attitudes or judgmental criticism

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for partners in marriages who either gradually or rapidly find themselves growing apart, until the day arrives when they feel cut off from meaningful communication, cherishing, or shared goals and values.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

For the poor in neglected communities around this world, where they are cut off from the basic necessities of life; forced to exist without adequate food or water, homes or any sense of safety within their community..

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We bring before you the millions of ill and suffering folk who cannot readily access even minimal health care; those who are cut off from trained nurses, physicians, pharmacists, therapists, and forever denied the skills of specialist surgeons.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

For those in our own country who feel cut off from opportunity in the workplace, we pray. Young people who cannot get a chance to use their ability and enthusiasm; middle aged men and women whose job applications never lead an interview; loyal workers who after many years find themselves made redundant.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We do not forget, loving God, those who have lost the faith they once held, and now feel cut off from purposeful living. Also those believers living in outback homesteads or mining camps, who feel the pain of being cut off from worshipping in a community of faith.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Our thoughts focus on prisoners, in gaols both here and overseas. Especially any falsely accused and incarcerated, and others who have long since repented one rash action, and for an extended time must remain cut off from those whom they love most dearly.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

For those who have degraded themselves, fallen into alcoholic or other drug addictions. Also the men and women who have become gambling addicts, and now feel cut of from the respect they once enjoyed in their community.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Our thoughts turn to refugees across many lands. Cut off, sometimes forever, from the familiar sights and sounds and scents of their homeland. Feeling without roots, and in too many cases left for years in refugee camps or detention centres, without hope for resettlement.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for the sorrowing, particularly those who grieve without hope; fearing they are now cut off forever from those dearest to their hearts. With heavy hearts we remember mums and dads who have suffered the agony of an infant dying through disease or accident, and whose empty arms ache to hold and nurture that precious little life.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Loving God, our God, we do not claim to understand why some of us have it so good while others have so much go wrong. But because of our Christ, we do know that your eye is even on each sparrow, and that your love never ceases for any child on this planet earth.

We commit them all, and ourselves, into your hands, praying that in our worst and loneliest moments, we may know that your grace is made perfect in our weakness.

Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

FOR THE BLESSING OF MANY

Let us bring our concerns for other people to God.

Let us pray.

Loving God, you are our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,”

we come to you now on behalf of our sisters and brothers in this school of life,

Especially we pray for your blessing on.................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

We pray too for our interim Minister John Hill, that you will continue to bless us though his ministry.

Lord of love, these blessings we have sought for our friends and loved ones, we also ask for the world at large.

Please bless the young and all who teach them, the elderly those who listen, affirm and treasure them.

Bless the lost souls and those who find them, the found and all who welcome them home within the family of your church.

Bless the injured and maimed and all who care for them, the diseased and those who treat and nurse them,

Bless the dying and those who sit by their bedside, the grieving and all those who comfort them.

Bless those who are overrun by war and all who struggle to free them, the peacemakers and those who support them.

Bless the anxious and all who encourage them, and the heavy-laden and those who willingly share their burdens.

Most Holy God, fount of love, truth, peace and eternal joy, hear our prayers. Continue to be with your people by day and by night, and may they know that they are loved with the wondrous grace of Jesus Christ, and cherished very moment with the intimate compassion of your Holy Spirit.

These prayers, and many unspoken ones, we ask in your Loving Name.

Amen.

BIRD OF PARADISE

Bird of paradise, come and cover us with your motherly wings,

warming cold hearts, comforting bruised souls, and dispelling our fears.

Tongues of fire, holy love, come among the junk of our disorder, reclaim old

metal; and in the furnace of your love smelt and create good out of old scrap.

Breath of peace, holy grace,

come with the smile of Jesus and give us the kiss of life,

that we the nearly-dead may live and begin again to

Wise counsellor, holy truth,

come with your inner light, expose the deceptions within us until spirit and truth are the sincere focus of our days.

Rushing wind, holy devastator,

come with your gales to sweep away the temples we build on sand, and expose to our startled eyes that one solid rock, good for all seasons.

Generous giver, holy abundance,

come and endow us with whatever new gifts you choose,

and inspire us to employ them, not as a slave’s duty, but as our true delight.

Spirit of adoption, holy nurturer,

come with your open arms and welcome us into your family where Christ is now our brother and our joint heir.

Rise up O love divine,

clean out this soul of mine,

and fill it up with your own ardour glowing.

Let generosity

my whole outlook be,

and in my deeds may all see Jesus showing.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen!

THE QUALITY OF MERCY IS NOT STRAINED

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful Luke 6: 36

Grant, Holy Parent,

May we be numbered among the merciful;

not straining to do the right thing our of fear,

but offering mercy from a heart that cherishes

your undeserved mercy towards us.

Grant us the will and the wit

to love those who do not love us,

to do good to folk who have done no good to us,

to lend without expecting a return with interest,

and to give freely and generously,

never even thinking,”Now you owe me one.”

Bless us with debonair attitude and actions;

a new way that surprises the old scrooge

that lurks in the dark corners of our minds,

and allows our new being-in-Christ

to celebrate with the angels in heaven

when we find ourselves dealing out

“good measure, shaken together, running over,

poured into the lap” of both neighbour and enemy.

For that we earnestly pray,

and to that we thoroughly commit ourselves.

So help me God!

Amen!

FOR THOSE WHO FEEL CUT OFF

My sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, we pray for others not in order to dodge our responsibly toward them, but as the first step in our obligation of care.

God of lost and lonely creatures, we bring to you our prayers for all whose lives are made miserable through one misfortune or another. Today we focus our prayers on those who feel cut off.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We focus on those parents who feel cut off by rebellious teenage children; and on the numerous young folk who feel that their parents have cut them off by rigid attitudes or judgmental criticism

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for partners in marriages who, either gradually or rapidly, find themselves growing apart, until the day arrives when they feel cut off from meaningful communication, cherishing, or shared goals and values.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord in your wisdom and mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We commit them all, and ourselves, into your hands, praying that in our worst and loneliest moments, we may know that your grace is made perfect in our weakness.

Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

A CONFESSION: REDEEMER OF OUR DAYS.

Holy God, Creator and Redeemer of all our days,

have pity on us for the corrupt criteria

by which we measure our days.

Some days we measure success

by how much money we can make,

and failure is how much we fail to accumulate.

Some days we measure success

by how often we get our own way,

and failure is if we are forced to admit we are wrong.

Some days we measure success

by how much we can exploit creation

and failure is being too timid to grab whatever we can.

Some days we measure success

by how often we stand up for our own wants

and failure is to become “sentimental” about the needs of others.

Some days we measure success

by how well we conform to popular opinion,

and failure is if we find ourselves standing alone.

Some days we measure success

by how much of our lives we have hoarded for self,

and failure is to lose ourselves on a good but unpopular cause.

Creator and Redeemer of our days,

may the example of Christ shame us,

the teaching of Christ embolden us,

and the saving grace of Christ liberate us.

For your love’s sake.

Amen!

CONFESSION: WHAT ARE WE?

What are we, O God?

What are our achievements, what is our wisdom, what is our goodness?

Should these be weighed in the balance with our failures, our folly and our evil,

who among us could stand?

What are we, O Holy One?

Our deepest wisdom is found in those moments we when genuinely humble ourselves before you in awe.

Our highest achievement is reached when we let go of our self justification and simply trust you saving grace.

Our purest goodness is found when without pretension we allow your love flow through our hearts and hands into the lives of others.

What are we, O God?

We are your project being salvaged from self destruction.

We are your vision being fulfilled, small piece by piece.

We are your lost children coming home, destined to be your joy forever and ever.

Blessed are you, holy Designer and generous Provider.

Blessed are you, holy Liberator and patient Teacher,

Blessed are you, holy Companion and dearest Advisor.

Amen and Amen!

WE ARE NOT CLONES

We are not clones. No two people are the same. We do not carry into this house of prayer either identical sins or virtues. We each have our own story.

Let us make our general confession, knowing that God chooses to deal with each of us according to individual need, without discrimination applying the saving grace of Christ to every heart.

Let us pray.

Have mercy upon us, O God,

according to your loving kindness

Expose the darkness in our thoughts,

the emptiness in our souls,

and the negligence of our actions.

Whatever is ugly, expunge it,

whatever is infected, lance it,

whatever is rebellious, tame it,

and whatever is good,

strengthen it that we may better live to your glory.

Loving God, bring us back to sanity, that we may loathe all evil, repent and turn from defeat or weary cynicism, accept your forgiveness and embrace the optimism which flows from your healing light and love. Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

FORGIVENESS

God is neither hasty nor careless in dealing with us. Saving grace is patient, searching and thorough. To all who trust that grace and intend to lead the new life, following in the path of Christ Jesus, I proclaim both forgiveness and the promise of God’s personal help as you continue on through this new week of your lives.

Thanks be to God.

Ó B.D. Prewer 3.06.2006

CONFESSION: SHALLOW REGRET

Most wise and loving God, you are the one sure Source of grace, mercy and peace. Thank you for not pandering to shallow penitence but for requiring deep repentance.

There is much in the things we do and say, to give us regret. There is even more in the good things we fail to do, to make us want to say “sorry.”

Yet we confess we are inclined to say “sorry” too glibly, and we treat mercy and forgiveness as a formality. In our better moments we know that such shallow religion will not do. Today we come seeking something deeper and more radical.

You, saving God, know how things stand for each of us here this day. You know of our lame good intentions, our blundering escapades, our broken promises and our petty ways. You see both the large picture of evil and the smallest detail pertaining to each individual.

Please God, by your relentless Spirit drag us from shallow regret into sincere distaste of all that is less than loving. Implant in us both the desire and the will to thoroughly repent, and to wholeheartedly accept your forgiving and reforming grace. We abandon ourselves to whatever discipline and painful therapy may be needed if we are to mend our ways.

Most wonderful God, may your saving love never cease to amaze us, your forgiveness never fail to touch the shameful corners of our heart and mind, and your empowerment always be our hope and our joy.

Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

FORGIVENESS

Your forgiveness I proclaim to you, your absolution I declare to you.

While we were yet sinners, Christ Jesus died for us.

Remember at what cost your salvation comes, and show your gratitude by the way you treat one another.

The peace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

And also with you.

CONFESSION: SINNERS?

Loving God, we are not very partial to that word “sinners.” Especially when we compare our character to those reprobates we see on TV, or the goings on among the rich and famous we read about in the tabloid press.

We would rather see ourselves as good folk with a few flaws; those who have had to make decisions under pressure and sometimes get them wrong; or nice people whose patience has been stretched beyond the breaking point; of folk of good intentions who are just misunderstood.

But deep down in our mind, we know that is not the full story. Our psyche has a nasty kink in it; we have a bias towards basic selfishness. Even in our better moments we catch ourselves calculating what is in it for us?

God, you understand us better than we understand ourselves. You now we are indeed sinners. For all of us have fallen short of our calling to be your loving children.

You do not want us to indulge in self flagellation, or to spend our days cringing under the weight of guilt. You know we need help and are always ready to give it. You offer us daily forgiveness and new beginnings. You plant your Holy Spirit within us to counsel and inspire us to calmly do a little better than our Old nature would permit. You affirm our small victories and tell us that by your saving grace the best is yet to come.

Thank you, God our Saviour, for your depth of understanding, and the breath of your saving love. Praise be to your name. now and forever.

Through Jesus Christ our hope and salvation.

Amen

TWO WORLDS

God of our salvation, we praise you for the good news on which we stand, yet we also acknowledge our evil ways and our under-achievements.

We live in two worlds. The old that is corrupt with hubris, greed and cynicism, and the new that is founded on faith, hope and love.

You ask to be in the old world but not of it, to make the new world first priority yet not to pretend it has reached its final consummation yet.

In the meantime, you invite us to live by faith in the grace of your True Son who loved us and gave himself for us.

Forgive us, faithful Friend, for every instant when we have placed the old above the new.

We confess we have succumbed to arrogance instead of graciousness, and fallen for the lure of our own tatty glory rather than that of your name.

We confess that the acquisitive culture in which we live has lured us into greed, and we have forsaken generosity for calculated selfishness.

We have lapsed into pessimism, damming with faint praise not only our own efforts but denigrating the enthusiasm of those around us.

For these and all other misguided or willful sins, we open our hearts to your forgiveness, and pray for more of the humble, contended, yet daring spirit of Christ in the goals to which we aspire.

As we continue to live in two worlds, keep us merciful towards those who are trapped in the old, and indicate how we can be more supportive of those who have given their minds and hearts to your new age where love is the key, the way and the destination.

Through Jesus Christ our liberating Brother.

Amen.

SOURCE OF LAUGHTER

O holy Source of laughter, thank you for giving us the gift.

For all things harmlessly quaint, incongruous and unexpectedly absurd:

for pomposity that falls on its face,

for children chuckling over a riddle,

for lovers enjoying each others quirks of character,

for cartoonists ‘sending up’ political arrogance,

for explorers cracking jokes in the face of danger,

for the terminally ill who laugh with their nurses,

for the saints who throw laughter into the jaws of evil.

For Jesus and his quirky sayings;

the camel attempting to squeeze through the eye of a needle.

the man with a plank in his eye who tries to shift a speck from a neighbour’s eye.

the woman who bakes bread for her family- 100 kilos of it!

the man (having a ‘senior’s moment’?)who lights a lamp, only to put it under a bed.

the dead who want to bury the dead,

the woman who on finding one lost coin, throws a party,

For the New Testament faith that can laugh because it knows

nothing can cut us off from the love of Christ-

“neither a host of troubles nor deep distress,

neither persecution nor starvation,

neither nakedness, peril nor sword,

not anything in life or in death,

will be able to separate us

from the love of God

in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

O holy Source of laughter, thank you for giving us the gift,

and for the faith and hope that allows us to employ it to the full.

We laugh because you first laugh on our behalf.

Thanks a million!

Amen.

A BLESSING

The deep peace of the loving Creator

be yours:

The peace of the flowing rivers and the surrounding hills,

be yours.

The peace of the snow-capped mountains and frosted paddocks,

be yours.

The peace of summer evenings and playing children,

be yours.

The peace of the midnight stars and the Southern Cross,

be yours.

The deep, deep peace of eternal Love

be always yours.

The deep peace of the loving Redeemer

be yours:

The peace of Bethlehem and the shepherds’ fields

be yours.

the peace of prodigal sons and good Samaritans,

be yours.

The peace of healed lepers and forgiven enemies,

be yours.

The peace of the rising sun and the empty tomb

be yours.

The deep, deep peace of God’s unconditional love

be always yours. Amen.

THINGS SLIPPERY AND PRICKLY

We bless you, loving Creator, for all things obdurate and slippery, opaque and prickly,

puzzling confounding.

We praise you for a creation where there are many things we can not easily handle, tame, manipulate or fit neat theory.

For prickly pears and quantum theory, hidden valleys and secret thoughts,

For volcanoes, the workings of prayer, snowflake geometry, and gravity,

intuition and dark matter, whales' songs, and the divinity of Jesus,

For unexplained healings, the dimension of time, and the power of the cross,

the mystery behind the word “heaven,” string theory and strength of fungi.

For the origins of humanity, parallel universes, the theology of suffering,

the nature of love, the energy of Easter, and the behaviour of quarks/electrons?

We thank you also, hidden God, for our restless human curiosity, the unanswered questions we pursue, the answers which baffle us. and for the awe we experience when a glimpse of light is spotted within a dark mystery.

Praise belongs to you, Supplier of all things obdurate, slippery, opaque, prickly, puzzling and confounding.

Amen and Amen!

WE ARE NOT ALONE

Praise be to you, God of glory, for your ineffable Presence.

Praise be to you for those special incidents, or vacant moments,

when a straw of light pierces the clouds and we know we are not alone.

After a stormy night, a magpie’s song at dawn.

The Bible phrase that suddenly lightens our path.

A parent cradling their new-born in gentle arms.

At the end of a cruel winter, the first plum tree blossoming.

Words of a hymn that lift up the spirits.

Young lovers glimpsing infinity in each other’s eyes.

A video clip of our planet earth, seen from space.

On one’s knees, looking into the face of a ground orchid.

In the eyes of a family dog, some unconditional love.

In a shopping mall, a Mozart melody that stops us in our tracks.

Encountering indigenous cave art, 40,000 years old.

Standing in an olive grove under a full moon.

The young child’s questions exposing hypocrisy.

On first hearing the songs of humpbacked whales.

The beyond-time wonder of hallowed bread` and wine.

All of these, Holy One, and many more,

evoke wonder and open us up to that still small Voice

which assures us we are neither alone nor without destiny.

Praise be to you, Holy One.

Praise be to you, for your ineffable Presence.

LIKE NOTHING ELSE

True are You, God of Jesus,

there is nothing else we can fully trust.

Beautiful are you, God of Jesus,

there is no other giver like you.

Patient are you, God of Jesus,

nothing ever wearies you.

Loving are you, God of Jesus,

on earth or in heaven, no love like this.

God most holy, God most accessible,

bless this people as we come before you,

for in your blessing lies our destiny

and our undying happiness.

For your Name’s sake.

Amen.

REDOUBTABLE COMPANION

Loving God, our redoubtable Companion,

you are our ever present help in trouble.

We do not see you, rarely hear you

and often have direct sense of your Presence,

yet always you remain fixed and final.

The feral powers of evil cannot rebut your grace,

or darkest night conceal us from your sight.

Should things go well, you are there for us.

Should fickle chance strike us, you remain true.

All the divine compassion offered by your True Child, Jesus,

is present in every hour and at every place,

ministering in ways we might not recognise

and redeeming our lives from destruction.

Please help us to navigate

through whatever confusion or peril may lie ahead.

May no mishap shake our confidence,

no sickness undermine our spirit’s health,

and no tears blind us to your perpetual goodness.

Let us continue to gain us strength from the “household of faith,’

to share strength with other wounded souls;

and when all resources appear exhausted

to say with neither pretension nor timidity:

“Ï can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me.”

O redoubtable Companion, ever present help in trouble,

we are yours, and you are ours, now and forever!

Amen.

THE VOICE OF SILENCE

I’ll praise my Maker while I‘ve breath!

You are the Silence where only the truth is spoken,

the Void which is always full and overflowing,

the Turbulence where quietness is supreme,

and the Depth which soars higher than the heavens.

You are the Solitary where only community flourishes,

the Darkness in which light perpetual shines,

the Nameless which names and weighs each sparrow,

the Mystery where secrets are openly displayed.

You are the Battlefield where peace alone holds sway,

the Forsakenness where the lost at last come home,

the Dove which descends though it is already with us,

the Unsearchable which is found by little children.

You are my divine emptiness and my fullness,

my healing pain and my exquisite joy!

I’ll praise my Saviour while I’ve breath

and when my voice is lost in death,

love shall fulfil my rising joy.

WHO IS LIKE YOU?

Who is like you, O God, the Source of deepest mysteries and the purest delights?

Who is like you: Saviour of sinners, Strength of the meek, and Rest of the weary?

Who is like you: Seeker of the lost, Bread of the hungry, Hope of the hopeless, and Home of the orphan?

Who is like you: Scourge of the arrogant, Disrupter of Apathy, Goad of the recalcitrant, Judge of the presumptuous?

Who is like you: Companion of pilgrims, Friend of the persecuted, Victory of the crucified,

Comfort of the dying, Rapture of the dear and holy dead?

There is none, holy God. No other name, no other love, and no other hope that is forever true,

no other healing place from pain and shame, none beside you.

O generous Creator of time and space,

loving Saviour of fools and rebels, joyful Counsellor of the children of light,

Yours is the kingdom of hope-fullness, the power of saving grace, and the endless glory of crucified and risen love,

forever and ever.

Amen.

THE LORD’S DAY

How good it is, loving God,

to be able to begin each new week with a celebration of the Lord’s Day.

We praise you for this first among all days,

source of an optimism that was born outside the empty tomb

and is nurtured by the Spirit of our Christ

who makes our hearts burn within us as we walk with him on the roads of life.

How good it is to be able to celebrate the Holy Love that is making all things new again:

The sun rising on a rain washed world after a dark and stormy night;

Buried seeds that rise up to a greater life with flower and fruit;

Great music and art that creates beauty our of suffering or chaos;

How good it is to celebrate the Holy Resilience that quietly rules all things:

The chuckling of children recovering from disappointment or disaster;

Our discovery of new directions after old doors has slammed shut on us;

The restoration of good health after a long tussle with illness.

How good it is to celebrate the Holy Redemption that never wearies;

Our happiness when the lost are found and wanderers come home;

The peace of sins forgiven and our true destiny restored;

Our surprise at the development of new gifts or the enhancement of old ones,

How good it is to celebrate with the church on the Lord’s Day:

The defiant human spirit smiling in the face of tragedy,

The good humour of the dying as they try to encourage the grieving,

The unique joy of funerals and the laughter of “the communion of saints

This is the day which the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

These words may be either sung on spoken.

GREAT AND WONDERFUL

Great and wonderful are you, O God, Parent All-loving!

Just and true are all your ways.

Great and wonderful are you, O Christ, Brother Ever-living

Gracious and true are all your ways.

Great and wonderful are you, O Spirit, Friend Ever-nurturing!

Free and true are all your ways.

SINGING THE LORD’S SONG

Blessed are you, Creator Spirit, the Joy of the universe!

Yet around us are neighbours and workmates

who see you not, hear you not,

and heed little but their own self interest.

We are your little flock;

always, so it seems,

we must sing the Lord’s song in an alien land.

To us you are the sight that enlightens our eyes,

the voice that wakes the dead,

the purpose that ingrains our every moment,

the love that underpins us, indwells us, uplifts us

and engenders compassion for family, neighbour and enemy.

Blessed are you, Creator Spirit, Joy of the universe!

You are closer than breathing,

yet above, beneath and beyond the outer limits of space and time.

You are as unimaginable as a fifth or tenth dimension,

yet more purely knowable than our dearest human soul mate.

You are the silence which is deafening

yet your Word speaks with perfect clarity to the meek, the poor and the merciful.

Blessed are you, Creator Spirit, Joy of the universe!

You are the Word which becomes flesh,

and lives among us, full of grace and truth.

You are the Gospel both spoken and embodied,

as disruptive as yeast and more valuable than the most precious pearl.

You are the Love which is as awe-full as Golgotha,

and as beautiful and as touchable as the wounded hands of the risen Lord.

Every day, every where,

we will trust and celebrate your amazing grace.

We will sing;

yes, we will sing your praises.

We will sing of your love in the morning,

and of your grace in the night.

We will draw water from the wells of salvation,

and sing the Lord’s song in this alien land!

Blessed are you, Creator Spirit, Joy of the universe!

FILL US TODAY

God our Saviour, you can go where no one else can venture, and open up doors which we might not even notice. Please open up our secretive lives to the fullness of your grace.

Let us be more truly yours today than we were yesterday, and when tomorrow comes, make us thirst again for more of your presence in our lives.

Through Christ Jesus, who is the crux of your abundance. Amen!

FOR INSPIRATION

Holy Companion, keep me uncalculating in all I do for you.

When I act on a good impulse, let it be inspired by you.

When I take risks, let me blithely think is just the normal thing to do.

And should I exceed my own expectations, let me bask in a satisfaction that is purged of hubris.

Then maybe I will be able to join the lesser saints (though far` short of their degree of love) at least in their basic inclinations, and be enabled to serve you well without pretension or limit.

For your Name’s sake.

Amen

FIRST THINGS FIRST

How, O God, can we presume to praise the wonders of mother earth and midnight sky

and forget for one moment our God who gives them existence?

How can we extol the glories of rolling ocean, coral gardens, and breaching whales

and be oblivious to the loving Mind who shapes and holds them?

How can we sing songs of green forest valleys or red sunsets of the Outback

while neglecting the loving Purpose who fashions them?

How can we be captivated by rainbow lorikeets and tiny bushland orchids

but be blind to the God whose gift of light reveals them?

How can we applaud justice, truth, beauty, great music, art and scientific integrity,

yet ignore the Divine love, beauty and passion that inspires them?

How can we praise the noble character and insights of Jesus of Nazareth

but turn our backs on that holy Light that transfigured his every thought, word, and deed?

Come, living God, help us break free from our pop-culture pretensions;

let us shake off the half truths and lies and delusions of the world.

With heart and voice we shall glorify the one holy Lover

who is above all and beneath all and through all!

In the name of the Father who sustains us,

in the name of the Son who rescues and heals us,

in the name of the Spirit who indwells and inspires us,

We worship you, One God,

to be loved and adored forever!

Amen!

TUNE OUR LIPS

Come to us, God, source of every blessing,

and tune our lips to sing your praise.

Not because we have to but because we sincerely want to,

not because we are afraid, but because we are full of gratitude.

Come to us, God, source of every blessing,

and tune our lips to sing your praise.

Not so that we might gain some advantage over other people,

not so that we might try and buy our way into heavenly favours.

Not because you need our praise to keep your happy,

not because our songs are sweeter than any other sinners.

Come to us, God, source of every blessing,

and tune our lips to sing your praise.

Not in order that we may prove more righteous than our neighbours,

not in order to make our church appear more worthy than any other.

Not because our words will impress you by their wisdom,

not because we might be damned if we fail to get it right:

Come to us, God, source of every blessing,

and tune our lips to sing your praise.

Come to us, God, source of every blessing

and tune our whole lives to sing your praise!

Amen!

THINGS PAST AND THINGS TO COME

Lord of all things visible and invisible, of things past and things to come,

of things well understood and mysteries beyond our comprehension,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

Lord of weathered mountains, ancient castles and modern skyscrapers,

of valley lakes, inland rivers, reservoirs and aqueducts,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of sun, moon, space shuttles and communication satellites,

of dinosaurs, pelicans, cloned sheep and robotic assembly lines,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of bellbird, didgeridoo, pan pipe and symphony orchestra,

of camel trains, chariots, stage coaches and limousines,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of reed rafts, bark canoes, sailing ships and oil tankers,

of wild barely, grinding stones, sickles, and combine harvesters,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of bee hives, tribal caves, villages and mega cities,

of fingers, numerals, abacus, and computer,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of herbal remedies, faith healers and anti-depressents,

of wild pigeons, children’s kites and jumbo jets,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of wild figs, Herbron dates and Bowen mangos,

of stepping stone, viaduct and harbour bridge,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of smoke signal, message stick and optic fibre,

of stone axe, spinning wheel and cochlea implants,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of kangaroo mobs, blue heelers and dairy herds,

of rainbows, finger paintings and the Mona Lisa,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of Moses’ laws, Magna Carta and the High Court,

of David’s psalms, Gregorian chants and a Mozart Gloria,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of Bethlehem shepherds and Wimmera wheatlands,

of Galilee’s St Peter fish and Port Lincoln tuna farms,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of swimming holes, sacred rivers and baptismal fonts,

of bush tucker, fish and chips, and the Last Supper,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of aboriginal spirituality, cathedrals and Sunday Schools,

of ridiculed prophets and the crucified Christ,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

God of mummies, funeral pyres and burial grounds,

of catacombs, cemeteries and the empty tomb,

help us to worship you in spirit and in truth,

in our prayers and also in our actions.

Doxolgy-- sung