Prayer of Praise 

(Year A p88 +Aust Prayer Book p209 + Book of Worship p209 + The Book of common Worship pp304 &305) 

   God of unending life, we celebrate the rising of your Son Jesus from the darkness of mortality to the brightness of glory.

  By raising Jesus You have conquered the power of Death and opened for us the way to eternal life. 

   We rejoice in the hope that is ours to share in Your victory over the Powers that have bound us in the past and have kept us from full fellowship with You.  We give you praise for the manner in which Your great power has been demonstrated.

  We are humbled by the manner in which You have so freely given to us release from the bondage of sin and welcomed us into Your family.

  There is nothing in our character or our conduct that makes us worthy of Your attention, yet you show to us how much You love us by the magnitude of Your grace and mercy.

  All glory to You, Almighty God, giver of life, Saviour and Lord.  May Your Name be blessed for ever for You have honoured Your promise to all the World to forgive sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

  May we remain faithful to You always and trust in Your Word as the sole guide for our lives and for the sustaining of our souls.

  In Your name we pray.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(Year A p89 + Leading Intercessions p20 + Bok of Worship p78) 

  God of Heaven and Earth, we live wasteful lives in a Society that does not value a responsible use of what You have provided in Your Creation.  Please forgive us for not being in harmony with the World around us.

  Have mercy on us.

  God of spirit and flesh, what you condemn as sinful we excuse by calling it Human nature or our culture.  Please forgive us for not lifting our eyes beyond the present state of being to the higher realm above.

  Have mercy on us.

  God of mercy and grace, we are content with a quiet fellowship amongst ourselves and neglect your call to be ambassadors for Christ.  Please forgive us for our lack of vision and aspiration for your Church and for our lives.

  Have mercy on us.

  God of our friend and neighbour, we whine and complain about the behaviour and attitudes of those around us, and fail to reach out to all people as Jesus did.  Please forgive us for not seeking to bridge divisions between us and others nor to heal personal wounds.

  Have mercy on us.

  Almighty God, we consecrate ourselves anew to You this Easter Day.  Fill us with your Spirit of reverence and humility, resting on the assurance of Your everlasting love.

  May we die daily to sin so that we may live in the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(Acts 10: 43) 

The Apostle Peter reminds us that “everyone who believes in the saving work of Jesus Christ will have their sins forgiven through the power of His name”.  Know therefore that if we confess our sins, we can be confident that God has listened and has acted, that our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God.

God Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others 

(from Bruce Prewer in Australian Prayers p54 & 55) 

God of the risen Christ, we rejoice in your resurrection power which is fully ours in Jesus Christ.  We pray that you will keep us alert to the sufferings and needs that burden many people this Easter.

May we live out your love in the message of Easter and rejoice in the sharing of the knowledge of the gift of life in Jesus.

Keep us aware, O God, of those for whom this Easter is one of misery and loneliness, those who are separated from loved ones, immigrants who are lonely in a strange environment, alcoholics and other addicts for whom no day is ever a holiday, homeless young people, and the inmates of our prisons.

Living lord, help them to know your love in the message of Easter and to rejoice in the gift of life in Jesus.

Keep us aware, O God, of those for whom this Easter time is one of tragedy; the victims of road accidents, their family and friends, those who are seriously injured, those who are fighting for their very lives, and those who are weeping for the dead.

Living lord, help them to know your love in the message of Easter and to rejoice in the gift of life in Jesus.

Keep us aware, O God, of those who must work while most of us are holidaying, the Police and prison warders, transport workers and café staff, doctors and nurses and orderlies in hospitals, emergency services workers, security workers, and those who work in hotels and motels.

Living lord, help them to know your love in the message of Easter and to rejoice in the gift of life in Jesus.

God of Easter, keep each of aware of our own needs, and of the vast resources for our growth in faith, hope and love, which are available to us this day and always.

May your Word give nourishment to the roots of our faith so that in our words and actions we can give nourishment to those in the Community in which we live and move.

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.