Prayer for our world, for others and for ourselves
God of love, life and light, we pause within our busyness. We sense the echo of songs sung in this place and the prayers of those who have lived before us. In the poised quietness we breathe more deeply and freely. We believe that beyond all that we can see,
above all that we can understand, beneath the depths, and before the first
moments, you were, you are, and you will be God the Creator. Time is in your
hands; the vastness of space is in your keeping; the speed of light is in your
care.
O God, we believe, too, that from the dust of the earth,
from the same elements of matter as all else in your creation, humankind has
emerged, and we, too, are your creation.
We praise you for our human capacities – for memory and for hope, for
love and for laughter. We praise you for
the preciousness of each passing moment. Our life is a thread woven into
a large cloth, which is our family, our community, all humankind, all the world of rock and mountain, lake and forest, air and ocean. We pray for the world, this earth. We pray for the renewal of the
natural environment – for fresh, clean water and for clear air; for sufficient
food and shelter, for dry, warm housing that people can afford to live in.
God, we can bring to mind people who need special support and care. We pray for those who carry an ache within themselves, of physical pain, loss or depression. We pray for those who carry corrosive memories and secrets. We pray for those who are stretched and strained by many demands and responsibilities. Holy Spirit of God, move within us and among us to bring calm and clarity, healing and hope.
We pray for ourselves. Your love for us and your image within us are the foundation of our identity, the source of our love, the beginning and end of our joy (Silent prayer).
Bless us, God, with health and energy, with humour and care, with clear thinking and compassion, so that we may serve you well in our community today, each of us as members of one body contributing to the life of your people and the life of the world. We pray in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer for our world, for others and for ourselves
Loving God, our beginning and our end, from the elements of matter you breathed into us consciousness and conscience, our human capacities for pain and pleasure, laughter and love, loss and hope.
O God, your Holy Spirit holds us as we learn to love, to learn and to create. Our experience is our teacher. Each heartache is a time of hollowing out; each loss is an emptiness waiting to be filled.
We praise you for your angels - people who have loved us, people who
have walked the path of what is true and right and just; we praise you for people of courage who have
inspired us.
Dear God, we pray for those who are suffering from the neglect, cruelty and corruption of human leaders who have become despots and dictators. Overthrow the powers that harm suppress the poor and harm the innocent. Come your day of justice and peace for all people.
We pray for people we know who have heavy hearts - for those who bear a bitter disappointment and for those who wake up with a sense of dread. Lighten us, dear God, and let us see in the transience of life the preciousness of beauty, of light, of worship.
Bless us as we seek more and more to be followers of the way
of Jesus, not taking ourselves too seriously, lest we become our own idols,
but enjoying the fullness of life with one another – loving, working, playing, laughing,
worshiping.
We pray for our community of faith. Let us see more clearly the path, mission and ministry that you call us to fulfil in this part of the world. Building on the foundations of the past, make us innovative and daring, joyful and hopeful.
Let us pray for a few moments pray in silent prayer.
And to God be the glory forever and ever.
Amen.