This morning Heston and Penny led us in our morning service with Jan sharing her thoughts on welcoming other people.
Creator God
You made us in your own image
Our diversity reflects the God of many colours
You created us to dance with all of creation.
But in our pride we choose to remake you in our own image
We trample over your creation in the mistaken belief that you created it all for our use.
Forgive us Creator God and help us to love you, love creation and to walk humbly in your sight
Show us how to dance in unity with you and all of Creation.
We pray for:
the Earth, which in its complexity supports the teaming web of life, including us. Help us to appreciate that complexity and the fragility of the web of life, help us to learn how to live more simply in ways that allow all life to thrive
Father God, Mother God
You made us all your children
Our diversity reflects the triune God of relationship.
But in our pride we choose to break our relationship with you and with each other.
We trample over each other in fear or in the mistaken belief that we are superior to each other.
Forgive us Father God, Mother God and help us to love you, to love each other and to show mercy to one another
Show us how to dance in unity with you and with each other.
We pray for:
our communities that could be places of joy and peace, of sharing and caring, of love and security, of welcome and support. Forgive us our selfishness, our fear and all that keeps us bound in the prisons that isolate us. May your love break our shackles and warm our hearts, help us to learn how to live more simply in ways that allow our communities to thrive
those who have had to flee from their communities whether through war, famine, fire, climatic disaster, economic need or persecution. Fill us with your love that we may welcome them into our community so that they may enrich all our lives.
those of us who fear others who are different, for those of us who mistakenly believe we are superior.
Come, Lord Jesus, with healing hands that bind us together in unity
Take from us our fear that keeps us bound, unable to reach out and comfort one another.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, create in us a clean heart that reaches out to hold each other.
Amen