Prayer of Praise : –

Holy God, we come before you, offering our praise and our worship.  We are deeply grateful for your glorious kindness, for your innumerable blessings and for your rich grace that you favour upon us.  We stand before you in awe, not out of fear but out of amazement.  We gaze at the miracles and wonders of your Creation, the intricacies of the delicate mosses, the power of the ocean waves, the compassion of parents tending their children, the stars in the night sky held in place by your authority. 

  We see before us someone whose nature is to love, whose presence is joy, whose spirit is goodness, whose will is to bring peace, whose purposes are holy, and who is ever faithful in keeping their promises.  We see before us someone who rises above the tides of natural events, who is not subject to the ebb and flow of History, whose realm is eternal, far surpassing the temporal Kingdoms of this World.  For you, Lord, have sovereignty over every age and every Nation.

  We humbly and sincerely thank you, Jesus, for becoming our righteousness.  We thank you for the unspeakable pain that you suffered so freely and patiently to the point of death, so that you might save us and release us from eternal separation from you.  We rejoice in your saving power, in the passing from judgement to the granting of peace. 

  Almighty God, you are the one who accomplished our salvation, turning us from worldly things we once idolised, to serve you, the true and living God.  You are the one who awakened in us a desire for your Word, not as words written by people, but for what it really is, the Word that performs its work in those who believe.  Open our eyes to see more of your truth, open our hearts to believe it more earnestly, open our mouths to declare it more faithfully.  May we never take for granted the privilege of reading it in our own language.  May we never neglect the wise counsel in its pages.

  Holy God, you keep the World turning in its place in the Universe, though people seek

instead to give the praise to gravity, which you created.  You keep the rain falling, though people seek instead to give the praise to the weather cycle, which you created.  You keep the balance in Nature, though people seek instead to give the praise to the animals and plants, which you created.  May we never take you for granted, Holy God.  May we always be willing to give you praise for who you are and for what you mean to us.  May we always give you glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, we come before you distressed, because we compare our dire straits to your goodness and holiness.

We clearly recognise our failings and shortcomings, our sins and our misdeeds, those things that we have committed and those things that we should have done.  Forgive us.

Looking back on our past, we find that we have done insufficient to forward your Kingdom in the World.

We waste those times and opportunities that come our way, we do little to foster relationships, we have created barriers of race and culture and status that hinder communication, we are intemperate in our speech and actions, we lack the passion and concern for the spiritual welfare of others.  Forgive us.

We look upon ourselves and see much that offends you.

There have been times when our pride and our envy have coloured our decisions, when malice or uncharitableness have directed our thoughts, when our behaviour has been hypocritical and deceitful, when our anger and quick temper have shown itself in the words we say.  Forgive us.

We listen to the demanding voices around us and let them drown out the still quiet words of comfort from Jesus.

We let ourselves be overawed by the power and prestige of Earthly Kingdoms and forget that you have authority over everything in Heaven and upon Earth.  We give credence to political influence and National loyalties and forget that our obedience is to your Kingdom.  Forgive us.

In our prosperity we put our faith in what we have and what we own.

In our comfortableness we forget what it means to be in need.  In our indulgence we have forgotten the value of service for others.  We seek guidance from the World and neglect the counsel of your Word.  Forgive us.

In times of criticism of our Church, we shy away, forgetting that Jesus stood before the Jewish Elders and before Pilate proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

Our desire for what the World can give us has meant that we have little left for the care of those who have nothing.  We are not holy in word or deed, we do not offer ourselves as living sacrifices for your service, much about us is unacceptable to you, we are not living Temples worthy to be dedicated to you.  Forgive us.

We rightly deserve your fury and fire, yet when we seek your forgiveness, we find your mercy and salvation.  You have rescued us from the power of darkness and have brought us

into the Kingdom of your beloved Son.

May we be faithful in fulfilling your purpose, generous in our service, and thankful for what we have.  May all we do be in line with your will, and may we work to bring about your Kingdom.  May all we say bring glory and honour to you.  May our hearts and minds be led by your Holy Spirit such that our lives reflect that holiness for which we should strive.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Ephesians 1: 20) 

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that forgives us and renews us.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us trust in that power of God and know with confidence that our sins have been forgiven and our lives cleansed in God’s sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others 

(adapted from Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions p45) 

Almighty God, knowing of your love for all of Humanity, especially of 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.

Almighty God, we see that the World around us is in tension and distrust, the continuing hostilities in the east Asian region, the conflicts in Gaza, in the Ukraine, in Mali, in Myanmar, in Yemen, and in Sudan.  We see a lack of generosity and co-operation, and of a predominance for self-interest and discrimination. 

We pray that those who make decisions for Nations and those in positions of power and authority, may be guided by your will and your love for all of Humanity.  May they be slow to criticise and quick to show compassion.  May they acknowledge you as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.   May they work to bring about your Kingdom and not their own.

Almighty God, we pray for the leaders of our Nation, that they may be led by what is good and pure and by a concern for the welfare of all people, rather than by party platform or ideology. 

May they be faithful to their promises.  May they be earnest in their endeavours to bring relief to the needy and solutions to problems.  May they be guided by your will and not by the latest opinion poll.  May they work to bring about your Kingdom on Earth.

Almighty God, we bring before you those who are ill and injured. 

May they receive your tender care and experience your healing and wholeness. 

We pray for those who are distressed and anguished about their present and their future. 

May they have the confidence to cast their cares at your feet and receive your peace of mind.

We pray for those who do not know where they will sleep tonight or from where their next meal is coming. 

May people be led to respond to their need and to be ready to give so that others may simply live.

Almighty God, we pray for your Church that it may be a sincere and joyful witness to the World of your goodness and grace. 

May the behaviour of its leaders and representatives be exemplary, may they be good shepherds of your people, faithful in their words and their works.  May your Church be a voice in the wilderness calling the World, near and far, to repentance and to come humbly before you.

We pray for the peoples of East Timor (Timor Leste), Indonesia, and the Philippines.

We are thankful for the vital witness of churches in this region, for the diversity of ethnicities, cultures and religious beliefs, and especially those in Indonesia who have built bridges between them, for those who have resisted bravely and worked for human rights, justice, peace and reconciliation, especially the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and for those who protest exploitative mining, deforestation and other environmental damage.

We pray for the governments in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, that they will eradicate corruption, establish justice and peace, and work effectively for the wellbeing of all their people, for victims of violence, torture, drug and human trafficking, and human rights violations, that those responsible might be held accountable, for all those affected by earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters, and for the rebuilding of communities afterwards, for ecumenical and interfaith cooperation to bring justice, peace and sustainability to these lands.

Lord, make us realize that our Christianity is like a rice field: when it is
newly planted the paddies are prominent, but as the plants take root and grow taller, these divided paddies gradually vanish, and soon there appears only one vast continuous field. So give us roots that love, and help us grow in Christian fellowship and service, that your will be done in our lives, through our Saviour, your Son, Jesus Christ.

(From the Philippines.  A Procession of Prayers: Meditations and Prayers from around the World, comp. John Carden, WCC and Cassell, London, UK, 1998, p. 174.)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/east-timor-timor-leste-indonesia-philippines)

We pray for those who undertake Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School.  Guide them in the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes.  May the Holy Spirit challenge the children in the RI classes to come to a closer relationship with you.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, that you will guide and equip her as she seeks to address the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the school.

We pray for those who are unable to attend worship.  Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  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.