GATHER AND CALL TO WORSHIP: –

We are called into this place, at this time,

to worship: God who loves us;

Christ who teaches us,

and the Holy Spirit who enables us.

Let’s be ready to respond

to the generosity of God.

Lord, fill us with expectation that:

as we worship, you will meet us;

as we worship, you will speak your words into our hearts;

as we worship, you will challenge us and change us.

Lord, we are here and we worship you.

Generous God, you are the giver of all that is good.

We are thankful that we are surrounded by your blessings.

We worship you with body, mind and spirit.

God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

you have given us far more than we ever could have imagined.

You help us see our purpose in your Creation:

to love and care for the Earth that feeds us,

to cherish the gifts we have and to love those we live alongside,

With joy and with gladness we worship you.

Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

You call all people to respond in faith;

yet we humbly acknowledge our faltering responses:

We have not responded to your love with a full obedience;

Lord in your mercy

Our common worship, witness and service has not always set forth the word of salvation for allpeople;

Christ in your mercy

At times we have been hesitant to go forward together in sole loyalty to Christ,

the living Head of the Church;

Lord in your mercy

We have resisted your call to constant reform under your Word;

Christ in your mercy hear our prayer.  Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

This is the best of all:

When we are empty, God fills us;

when we are disheartened, God is compassionate;

when we are lost, we are found;

when we open our lives to God, no door is closed.

In Christ, through Christ and because of Christ, our sins are forgiven.

You refill the cup of our life, O God. In Christ, we find refuge, strength and hope.

Thanks be to God.

INTERCESSION PRAYER FROM THE HEART

Loving Lord, you bid us love one another; the good and the bad.  Joseph did not seek revenge on his brothers but forgave them for doing him wrong.  We pray for those who have wronged us.  May we measure with love not judgement.  Lord, fill all with the measure of your love.  Amen.

(In place of our normal responsive prayer, you are invited to join in the song in this YouTube clip).

 Leaning In

by Christopher Grundy

OTHER PRAYERS (Not used in the church service)

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may be instruments of your mercy and compassion by sharing what the forgiveness that we have received with others.

We pray for forgiveness and healing in the Church, that you will heal the wounds that have weakened the Body of Christ and renew our spirits to further the mission of Jesus.

We pray for the grace to forgive, that you will help us to forgive those who have injured us and to pray for them and their needs.

We pray that your covenant love will empower us to be instruments of non-violence and learn to turn the other cheek when we are injured, guiding us in confronting evil with love and mercy.

We pray for all who suffer violence on city streets or in their homes, that they may rise above their wounds and be sources of hope and encouragement for others.

We pray for freedom of spirit, that we may share our resources generously with those who are in need even as you have freely shared with us.

We pray for all who have never experienced forgiveness, that they may encounter the free and healing gift of forgiveness through someone who loves as Jesus taught.

We pray for healing of racial and ethnic hatreds, that all people may see the value and dignity of each person as your child.

We pray for all who are alienated from the church, that you will heal their hurts and help them to find welcome and acceptance in our communities.

We pray for all who have experienced abuse, that you will heal their memories, their emotions, and their physical wounds so that they may be free to love and share life with others.

We pray for all who are suffering, that you will free those unjustly held, bring justice to the oppressed, hope to those who are grieving, and healing to the sick.

We pray for Peace, that you will guide World leaders to end nuclear weapon proliferation and use their resources to end famine, disease, and oppression.

(Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/7OrdC022325/ideas_other.html)

Almighty God, we pray for the peoples of Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

We give thanks for the quality of life that many in these countries enjoy and their commitment to provide for those in the world who are in need,  for the organizations located here that seek to increase ecumenical and interfaith understanding and work together for the common good of all people and creation, for political and economic transparency in these countries, and for those who reach out to migrants and counter attitudes and practices that oppose them.

We pray for environmental practices that preserve the natural environment, especially the Alps’ melting glaciers, for the work for justice, reconciliation and peace pursued by the people and organizations here, seeking to shape globalization so that it benefits all, and for overcoming the fear of, and welcoming the embrace of, those who are outsiders to the countries’ historic, ethnic traditions.

Prayers

Affirmation of faith

Hear! The Lord your God is One,
the creative origin of all that is,
the Alpha and Omega of my life,
the source of my resources.

Jesus Christ is the One’s messenger
to us humans, who get by as best we can.
In the midst of contradictions, conflicts and absurdity
he offers us the light of reconciliation
with ourselves, with others, and with God.

The One’s Spirit is my guide
through the immense complexity of this world.
The Spirit opens up to each one the treasures of his gifts.
The One’s Spirit lives in what I am now offering    
and is my foundation on what endures
Beyond all that is transitory.

(Pasteur Vincent Schmid, Genève)

A Prayer for Austria
Lord,
we thank you for this land in which we live,
its mountains, its valleys,
its meadows, its gardens,
its forests, its lakes.
May no blindness destroy the work of your hands.

Lord,
may the houses that we build,
our towns and cities,
be places of hope and peace.
May no hardness of heart close our doors in the face of people in need.

Lord,
may our workplaces be places where we trust one another,
where people and their work count for something.
May no discouragement hold us back from responsibly shaping the future.

Lord,
may the streets of our land be ways that bring people to meet one another.
May no fears or prejudices separate us from those near and far.

Lord,
may the churches of our land be holy places,
where we hear your Word,
call one another by name,
and your name is hallowed.

Lord,
watch over our land,
and bless its inhabitants.
Amen.  

(A prayer of the Austrian Community of Monastic Orders, together with other church bodies, to mark the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the international treaty at the end of the Second World War.)
(http://www.kamillianer.at/archiv/geb_oest.htm)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/austria-liechtenstein-switzerland)

Almighty God, we pray for preparations for Bible Society Australia’s youth Masterclass in 2025.  We pray for your blessings on events that will be held in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Gold Coast, as well as being Livestreamed nationally.

We pray for the Bible Society of Laos as it partners with churches within an ethnic minority community to advance its Bible-based literacy program.  We ask for your wisdom and guidance as the team develop and test teaching aids, including a literacy primer and other reading materials.  We pray that these resources will be effective in teaching and greatly benefit the students.

We pray for Koorong as it continues to serve through its bookstores across Australia.  We thank you God for its role in supporting Christians and ministries with resources to grow in faith and share the gospel.  We pray for wisdom and discernment for the Koorong team as they plan to expand and reach new markets.  We pray also that the Koorong staff continue being a light to customers, honouring you as they work for his Kingdom.

We pray that the Bible Society of Uganda will reach their goal of helping 3,500 children and adults learn to read and write this year through its Bible-based literacy program.  We pray that this program will effectively teach literacy to learners to better their livelihoods and enable them to engage with your word.  We praise you God that several continuing students are now active Bible readers at church and engaging in Bible studies using New Testaments in their mother tongues.

We pray for Bible Society’s literacy program for pre-primary children in rural areas of Bangladesh, that this literacy program will reach as many young rural children as possible and help prepare them for primary education, learning Bangladesh’s national language as well as equipping them with skills they need to thrive in the formal education system.  We thank you God for children like Ayush* who attends the Bible Society of Bangladesh’s pre-primary literacy classes.  Ayush’s parents work in the city and have left him in the care of his grandmother, who shares, “Now, Ayush can count from 1 to 10, recognise vowels, and a few consonants, along with other activities.  Ayush is getting ready to enroll in a regular school.  The class has helped him overcome his loneliness and sadness, replacing it with joy, friends, and a sense of purpose.”

(Bible%20Society%20February%202025%20Prayer%20Letter.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray that The Leprosy Mission in Sri Lanka and its partners would be able to support district, regional and national Ministry of Health programmes to improve leprosy services.  We pray that our case-detection projects would be successful in finding more cases of leprosy and equipping communities to support this work.  We pray that planned training for surgeons and physiotherapists would successfully lead to the provision of leprosy reconstructive surgery and aftercare.

We thank you God for the expansion of the Leprosy Peoples’ Association to many new districts in Sri Lanka, and pray that they would become strong and self-sustainable as they provide peer support and contribute to national and local leprosy interventions. We pray for the success of the ‘Act 2 Prevent’ national leprosy awareness campaign, run in partnership with the Government and involving celebrity influencers.

People affected by leprosy are being increasingly affected by climate changerelated impacts, so we pray for efforts to enhance climate resilience and mitigate disasters.

There is a very high number of children being diagnosed with leprosy in Sri Lanka,  so we pray that we can find these cases early, so they can be cured and have a future without disability.

We pray for guidance and wisdom for Godfrey Yogarajah – CEO of Alliance Development Trust, Rev Santhanapillai – President of Kaveri Kala Manram, and for Mr Manjula Amarasingam – President of the Leprosy Association of Sri Lanka.

(The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20Prayer%20Diary%202025.pdf)

Almighty God, we pray for spiritual mentors and communities for new believers, including those who heard and accepted the gospel over Christmas through FEBC.

We give you thanks God for collaborations between FEBC offices and continual training for leaders.

With World Day of Social Justice coming up, we pray for FEBC’s programs that seek justice by giving a voice to and helping those who are marginalised.

On International Mother Tongue Day, may your truth be shared with love, compassion, conviction, and joy in each people group’s mother tongue so that each can hear and understand.

We thank you God for FEBC offices worldwide working not only to reach the unreached, but to empower young believers to reach their own people.  We pray for God’s strength, encouragement and protection for FEBC and Partners working in areas hostile to Christianity, conflict areas, and areas plagued by natural disasters.

(FEBC%20Praise%20Prayer%20Diary%20January%20to%20March%202025.pdf)

  Almighty God, we trust in your love for all people.  We remember the tenderness that Jesus showed to those in need, and ask for your grace and intervention to meet the needs that we have brought before you today. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your Kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

for the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

now and forever.  Amen.