Prayer of Praise    

Almighty God, to you be all praise, for it is you who has brought everything into being.  It is you who formed the stars and the planets and set the Universe in its place.  It is you who shaped this Earth on which we live and gave it its form and pattern.  It is you who designed the plants and the animals and gave life to them all.  Your glory is revealed in all that we see with our eyes and hear with our ears.

  Almighty God, to you be all praise, for you are the one who draws us close.  We have no goodness nor merit of our own, yet you have joined us to yourself in a living and loving relationship that spans all human differences, and which will survive beyond the grave.  We profess that Jesus Christ is your son and our only Saviour.  We profess that through him our sins are forgiven, our souls cleansed of all that is ungodly and impure, and that by believing in him we have eternal life.  We rejoice in your loving-kindness and grace.  We will rejoice always as we recall your mercy so freely and readily and expensively given to us.

  Almighty God, to you be all praise, for through you we are bound together as a Church of believers, with bonds that cross race and colour, age and upbringing, culture and class.  We thank you for the daily mercies which come our way, for the comforts and blessings of life, for the joy of family and friends, for the love of those with whom we fellowship in the Church.  We thank you for the certainty of your love and care, for the certainty that whatever comes our way in life you are there with us, for the certainty that whatever happens you are with us forevermore.

  Almighty God, we gather today to honour and adore you, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession   

  O God, you alone can judge rightly our innermost thoughts.  You alone see whether we observe your laws from the heart or only keep it outwardly.

  We confess that often we have failed to be an obedient Church.  Often we have not done your will and have rebelled against your love.

  God, you alone can see whether we are driven by our desires or by our love.  You alone see what motivates our actions.

  We confess that often we do not calm our anger or annoyance.  Often we have not loved our neighbour or have heard the cry of the needy.

  God, you alone know whether we truly seek to be reconciled to you and to be reconciled to those who live around us. 

  We confess a stubborn heart that refuses to accept that we can be in error, that we make mistakes and that we cause sorrow for you and for others.

  Forgive us, we pray.  Cleanse us from all of our sin, and thereby make our worship acceptable to you.

  Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our lord.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

  God sent His Son into the World, not to condemn the world, but that the World might be saved through Him.  Those who believe in Him are not condemned, and so, we can confidently declare that having confessed our sins before God, God has heard us and that our sins are forgiven.

  Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

Loving Father, we have been shocked by the scenes of destruction resulting from the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, and the pain and suffering of the survivors.

Lord, may they experience the comfort of your presence with them in the midst of their suffering.

Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones, and especially those whose loved ones are still buried in the rubble.

Lord, in your mercy, comfort those who mourn, especially those who are still waiting to find their loved ones.

The work of clearing the rubble, and providing shelter, warmth and food for the survivors is enormous.

Lord, in your mercy, grant strength and resilience to the search-and- rescue workers, and those who are providing aid.

We continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, and lament the violence that they are enduring.

Lord, in your mercy, grant comfort to those who mourn, hope for those who despair, and compassion to all who suffer.

We pray for the Leaders of Nations, for those who wield the influence over others and make the decisions that affect so many people. 

Lord, may they seek to bring about peace between Nations and not make a grab for land and resources.

We pray for the poor and the homeless, for all who have been left behind and are forgotten, for the defeated and the broken hearted, for those who are sick in body, mind and spirit. 

Lord, please befriend, comfort and heal them.  Grant them the confidence to put their trust in your promises.

We pray for Chappy Kylie as she serves the children at the Bald Hills school and their parents

that you will continue to provide her with the resources and the wisdom to deal with the issues and needs that arise.

We pray for those in our communities who are struggling.

Lord, may we find genuine ways to encourage and uplift them.

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  To your glory we pray.

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.