PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Lord God, we confess that the daily grind consumes us.
We struggle to see beyond the needs of day-to-day life.
We don’t lift our eyes to heaven for inspiration, let alone miracle.
We are chained to earthly demands.

Forgive us, Lord, for our lack of faith and imagination;
we look to you for transformation.

Forgive us for failing to open our minds to the miracles of living;
open our eyes, change our thinking and understanding.

Come, Lord, transform our way of being;
make us vessels wherein the ordinary becomes extraordinary and we experience your joy.

 For Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Lord God, we thank you for forgiving us when we forget;
when, in the midst of cares and woes, we forget what you can do.

Thank you for surprising us at such times, Lord,
by forgiving us when we’ve forgotten what it is to go astray
in thought and attitude as well as deeds.

Our minds mired in the murk of anxiety about our needs and wants,
you surprise us with a reminder of your presence, generous in your bounty
– just like Jesus at the wedding in Cana.

Lord, who transforms water into wine,

Thank you for your transforming power in our lives.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

We thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gifts we so often take for granted.
Thank you for water to drink and to cleanse, and to nurture crops and flowers.
Thank you for food to eat and to share with friends and family, gathered round the kitchen table or at a great feast.
We praise you, Lord, for surprising us sometimes by lifting these things above the ordinariness of every day.
When share our lives with other believers, we are blessed by your presence also,  

An ordinary meal becomes a celebration when laughter and cheer are shared.
All praise and thanks be to you for the everyday miracles that transform our lives.  Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  

Let us pray.
For the world and its people,
for places of famine and epidemic,
for war zones and disaster areas…
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

For politicians and journalists,
for all who work in the media,
and those who have no one to speak for them…
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

For the unemployed,
for those who use local food banks
and those who run them…
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

For those who are ill,
for the very old and very young
and those who care for them…
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

For the leaders of all our faith communities,
for those who lead this church,
and for those who worship and pray here…

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer
and reveal your glory.

We come, gracious God,

grateful for your Word to us

through the one called to be the Apostle to the Gentiles,

which affirms to us your rock-solid commitment to us

through your reconciling activity in Jesus Christ, our Lord!

We express our praise!

Lord hear us

Lord hear our prayer

Grant us through your Spirit

that conviction within ourselves

that no matter what the list of modern strife and troubles,

nothing removes us out of your love for us in Christ Jesus:

not cancer, not unsolvable neurological deficiencies,

no amount of arthritis in our bodies,

not failing eyesight, nor lack of hearing,

not reduced mobility, no amount of aches and pain,

no threatening virus, nor threatening ecological crisis;

Secure us in all of these, that we remain embraced in your love for us,

especially when we wonder if you are with us…

Lord hear us

Lord hear our prayer

We come, gracious God,

grateful for the many blessings which come our way:

we thank you for the effort people make to stay in contact,

for phone call, letters, notes, cards,

emails, text messages, visits also,

invitations to do something different…

We thank you for the dedicated care

of those responsible for community and personal wellbeing:

For politicians who make unwelcome decisions,

for law enforcement officers of whatever ilk,

who keep us all within the appropriate bounds for health

whilst still enjoying social interaction,

for the health professionals and the unseen supporting workers

who care for those who are ill and even dying…

Grant all courage and strength with discernment

Lord hear us

Lord hear our prayewr

We come, God of all nations,

very mindful of how political leaders target ‘the other’

with accusations and language which attacks,

rather than seeks understanding and reconciliation;

so often we get a sense of deja-vu,

as yet again another nation

becomes the new target of disparagement and accusations

which echo old slogans and judgments levelled at others

in previous decades…

Grant us a mindfulness of our brothers and sisters in Christ

in those places, and your strength and courage to them.

Lord hear us

Lord hear our prayer

In the name of Jesus we pray

 AMEN

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name, 
Your kingdom come, 
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.  

Give us this day our daily bread. 
Forgive us our sins,  
as we forgive those who sin against us. 
Save us in the time of trial  

And deliver us from evil. 
For the kingdom, 
the power and the glory are yours,  
now and for ever. 
Amen.