#acl RussellCrawford:read,write All:read #pragma section-numbers 2 Link to > RosterVestry == Prayers of the People 2025 by Russell Crawford == === 3 August === * Context: Readings: Luke 12:13–21 and Colossians 3:1–12; Communion * Advice from Chris: I will be looking at greed and our need for more, more money, more possessions and more time for ourselves. I will be touching on the theme of consumerism. I will then be linking in the Colossians reading on how we should get rid of greed and clothe ourselves with kindness, compassion and servitude. The dying of our old self (focused on ourselves) and then being raised in Christ to a new life of giving and serving. * Prayer Our Father in heaven, respected be your name. For you are loving and capable beyond our comprehension. And you are here, now, with us in this place, and in the churches, homes and other places that are receiving our broadcast. You are among us, and within us; aware of everything we are and are not. (Sorry folks, there is no privacy protection from our maker.) Lord, hear our cry for your help in the world we see around us. War. Now there is another we are aware of: Cambodia and Thailand. What drives these wars? Greed. Greed for power, for territory, for status, prestige. Is it too much to expect of global politics that countries instead and clothe themselves with kindness and compassion? Actually, no, it isn’t. The international community embraces world peace and foreign aid; we ask for your help in strengthening these moves and reigning in of greed. What can we do? We are prone to feeling powerless and despondent in the face of these global issues. Lord, help us to learn another message from Paul: being in a Roman prison would surely have been a depressing experience, yet he managed to write letters of advice and encouragement to new Christian communities in distant places, letters we still draw inspiration from today. Under the worst of conditions, he managed to change the world for the better. Lord, help us to be more like Paul. Help us to find new ways to serve you as we age and our abilities change. Help us to use our gifts in new and better ways. Help us make your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Lord, through science we have gained knowledge in how the material world works. We raise up to you the people of the Pacific who have been threatened by tsunami waves caused by the under-sea earthquake off the east coast of Russia on Wednesday. While the consequences appear to be moderate, people living in low-lying coastal areas were again reminded of their rising vulnerability to natural disasters. We can take a moment of satisfaction that, rather than feeling powerless and despondent about the plight of these people, we are working in partnership with Uniting World to help such communities in Fiji to prepare for these threats. Please help those who are leading this program, and help us to stay the distance, and perhaps even increase our support. Give us today our daily bread. Jesus feeds us spiritually, and most of us are well fed in other ways too: with ample good food and drink, with loving relationship to enjoy, with opportunities to do satisfying things, things that help others. Thank you, and help us to enjoy these gifts. Money and material possessions are important forms of bread. A lack of wealth can be a serious problem, and we have compassion for those who live in poverty or struggle to make ends meet. For those of us who are doing better, Lord help us to make sensible provision for our futures while protecting us from having wealth become our god. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. Lord, you have called Jan Clarke to be with you. I have received a note about Jan telling how she was a very active member of GWUC: teaching Sunday School, cooking for fetes, and doing many other activities around the Church. Her life was obviously rich in love and service, and we thank you for her good legacy and example. Is anyone surprised that the note did not mention how much money she had? No. Jan was wealthy in the things that really matter. Lord, help us to be wise about what is important in life; the fruits of love and service to you and each other. We lift up to you all who grieve for Jan, and for others you have called. Help us through this human response and then into a celebration of the lives we have known. Lord, help us know you better, to see the world as you see it. Gift us with patience and wisdom, and clothe us with kindness, compassion and servitude. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. === 15 June === * Context: Readings: John 16:12-15, Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 The Gifts of Wisdom, Christian Unity Ecumenical Celebrations, Gaza war worsens, LA immigration riots * Prayer Lord, we come before you, asking for your help in the world we see around us.<
> Conflict between Israel and its neighbours; the news keeps getting worse. A right-wing member of the Israeli cabinet this week said Israelis who criticise the war should focus on the real enemy. Sounds logical, so who, or what, is the real enemy? I think I know. I think it is blindness. About 40 years ago I was watching a senior Rabbi being interviewed by a panel of journalists. The rabbi was asked how long this conflict, even then long-running, was going to continue. His response was prompt and simple: until every man can see the image of God in the face of every other person. Lord, this world could be, should be, the garden of Eden. A place filled with beauty and abundance, with love, truth and wisdom. And with you. What might achieving that dream take? How do we rid the world of the conflict that seems to beset humanity. What is needed? I think it is a cure for the blindness that stops us seeing you in others. Please help us see. The US keeps getting worse too. Traditionally a beacon of freedom, justice and democracy, led by presidents who earned their office the title of leader of the free world. Yes Lord, we don’t appreciate what we have until its gone. Now there are riots, seemingly caused by those whose duty it is to maintain law and order. Where is wisdom? Where is love? As for truth, I think we’ve seen that thoroughly trampled. The world needs its leading nations, nations inspired by you, to demonstrate how societies should be organised. So, what is it that we ask of you today? I don’t know where to start … do we need a modern-day prophet to stand up to the king and tell him the truth he needs to heed? Whatever is needed, please help us. These riots relate to unauthorised migration. Trump has been wanting to build a wall to keep Latinos out for a long time; however Pope Francis said we should build bridges between people, not walls. That certainly sounds like something Jesus would say. Maybe I lack wisdom, in fact I’m sure I do, cos all I can see is these bridges leading to chaos. Unless these bridges are used to take the first world to the poor: to take technology, financial resources, education, law and order. To dismantle trade barriers and other measures that keep poor countries poor. Lord, help us. And help us to see you in the faces of the poor, the marginalised, the exploited and the hungry. This all seems very hard, but much of it isn’t. Lord, we lift up to you the work of Uniting World in helping people in less fortunate counties, including the project we are supporting in Fiji to help rural areas prepare for natural disasters. It delights us that UW is far from being alone in such work and we lift up to you all developmental agencies and their programs: please support and encourage the people involved to help your will to be done on earth. Lord, we celebrate being part of your church. Of being aware of your presence and love here with us. Spoiler alert everyone: next Sunday we celebrate the birthday of the UC – 49 years old. It is the fruit of a conviction that as Christians we should work together. And we should. But we should also celebrate the diversity in faith among your people because respectfully exploring our differing perspectives can help us to better understand your will. Today we are pleased to be sharing worship with some visitors from different traditions, help us all to serve you. ''Christian Unity Ecumenical Celebrations'' Another birthday celebration is our Friday evening youth group turning one. Lord, your servant Chris has invested a lot of effort in this program, and it is showing good results. We thank you for bringing Chris to GWUC and for supporting his ministry and naturally ask that you continue to do so. Oh, and did I mention the work of the other leaders, Lyn and Nathan. The prayer roster encourages us to lift up to you the witness and service of St. Leonard's Catholic church and their priest, Fr. John Dowling, and we are delighted to do so. Similarly, our Presbytery roster draws our prayers to the Elsternwick congregation, and their minister, Rev Lynette Dungan. Lord, please bless, encourage and support these and all congregations as they bear witness to you and serve your people. As humans we are prone to illness and other afflictions. In the prayer book …<
> We lift up to you all whom we know to be unwell. We thank you for the gift of modern medicine and highly trained practitioners and we ask that you restore all who suffer to full health. ''Men’s health week concludes today.''<
> Please help men to rise above silly cultural norms or just plain laziness, and to take proper care of themselves. Sadly, marriages and other intimate relationships, are no strangers to afflictions. We lift up to you all who struggle to maintain important relationships. Please help love to shine in the darkness, wisdom … well, if the writer of Proverbs is correct that wisdom delights in the human race, Lord help wisdom to bring delight into troubled relationships. In all of this, not our will but yours be done. Jesus prayed,<
> Our Father in heaven … === 18 May === * Context: Readings: Psalm 149, John 13: 31-35 * Baptism, soon after the Federal Election, installation of Pope Leo * Prayer Let’s talk to God about the needs we see around us. Lord, sometimes it feels like all our attention, all our thoughts, are being overtaken and consumed by issues, tensions and challenges of daily life. Help us, even in the midst of these distractions, to look beyond these, and to see you, to worship you. To be aware of our place in your creation, your mind-bogglingly wonderful creation. Help us to celebrate being here, and being in a special relationship with you. Remind us to … to look up at the sky, and enjoy the beauty of its ever-changing panorama. And to worship you. Lord, today we welcome the mind-bogglingly wonderful creation whom we call Spencer Kelly Boyer. Babies are so … well, so common! Since I started speaking there will have been about 250 born, and each, like Spencer, exquisitely beautiful, full of the promise of love, intelligence and creativity. So common, yet so extraordinary – this is all way too much for me to comprehend! Each is born in your image and has an intimate relationship with you. We ask that Spencer comes to understand your love for him, and that he is able to see your presence in the face of everyone he meets. Love. Lord, we love … love! It’s the glue which binds humanity together, and to you. And it comes from you. Jesus shared love. Incredibly, it is what got him killed, love can be brutal. At the end he told his disciples, and us, "love one another as I have loved you." "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples". So, how are we doing? Do people know we are disciples of Jesus by our love? Where are we failing? * Who do we find it hard to love? * Do we show favouritism and partiality? * What are the barriers we have erected? Lord, help us to love. Help us to love with a love that is wide and long and high and deep. A love that is gracious, generous, extravagant. A love that shows no favouritism, no partiality. A love like … like you have loved us, a love that shows that we are your disciples. Lord, it’s been a long week in politics. 3 parties electing leaders and deputies, the new cabinet announced, and we learn more of PM’s faith. The role of the non-government parties is made both harder and more important by the government’s strong majority; we ask you to help, to guide, the leaders of the Liberal, National and Greens parties; help them to steer the parliament to achieve outcomes that best serve you and your people. Um, yes Lord, I’m sure that means using less of their energy fighting among themselves. During the campaign the PM coined the phrase “kindness isn’t weakness” and has subsequently explained how the church’s teachings on helping the vulnerable has been important in shaping his politics. Encouraging sentiments. Please help him and his government to live up to the principles taught by the church. And we’ll leave it to you to judge how they should apply to the dumping of ministers! Politics and faith will collide again at St Peter’s Basilica later today as world leaders gather for the mass that will commence Leo’s papacy. While we have joined a billion or so others in praying for Pope Leo, today we especially lift up to you these world leaders, many of whom will be having important meetings on the sidelines. We ask that these discussions – held in that special place, on an occasion that honours the Pope, that honours the catholic church, and that principally honours Jesus alive in the world – we ask that these leaders be inspired by the occasion and build relationships that help your will to be done on earth. Close to home, in our local area, we lift up to you the loving discipleship of St. Luke’s Anglican church in Mulgrave and their priest, Paul Ollington, as they promote your word and your love. In our presbytery, our prayer calendar is … out of date! The things that go wrong when David Morgan goes on holiday. Though seriously Lord, we lift up to you the entire Presbytery of Port Phillip East; we ask for your guidance and encouragement of all our congregations, all who serve in ministry positions, and our numerous outreach programs each of which is inspired by your love and seeks to be a channel of your love. * Prayer book … * Lord, You have blessed us with every good thing. Now help us to be a blessing to others, here and everywhere, now and forever. And together: Our Father in heaven … === 4 May === * Context: Readings: * Post federal election, Ian’s father dies, trip to Indonesia, start of selection of new pope * Prayer Let’s turn our attention to God. Lord, we join Christians, and others, around the world in asking you to guide Wednesday’s papal conclave as it attempts to discern your choice for the next leader of our 1.4 billion catholic sisters and brothers in Christ. It’s a big job, and in faithfully following Jesus, it attracts its share of scorn and abuse. A former member of the Australian Parliament has condemned Pope Francis as, quote “one of the most destructive papacies in modern history” and fears the next Pope may be even worse. And what are Francis’ alleged heresies? * Calling for action to save the planet * having Priests baptise the children of single mothers * accepting the fact of homosexuality, and * calling Christians “hypocrites” if they turn their back on refugees Lord, I know it’s a big ask, but I, we?, do pray that we get a pope who is even worse than Francis. Lord, closer to home, we ask you to guide the work of your church in our local area and our Presbytery. We lift up to you the service and witness of the Mulgrave Uniting church and their minister, Kharis Abadani, and our very own Belinda Clear. Lord, are you amused that I call her our very own? Ok, but we do like to celebrate her. We also celebrate the Uniting Church’s Cook Island congregation in Clayton, and ask you to bless the people of that congregation and their minister, whose name I can’t pronounce. Rev Ngatokoitu Ongoua. N’ga’to’ko’i’tu On’go’u’a And we celebrate our democracy. Australians have responded to their duty, as citizens in a democracy, to elect people to govern this land that you bless so extravagantly. There are probably as many perspectives on how we should govern ourselves as there are voters, but the common belief is that we all stand as equals in choosing our government, and that government exists to serve us all collectively. Is this not more evidence of Jesus alive in the world: I mean we all stand as equals before you; and we are all bound together with a concern for each other, with love, a love that flows from you. We pray that love, your love, be the guiding force in the shaping of debates and the decisions made by our next parliament, and that your will be done in Australia as it is in heaven. We pray especially for our Prime Minister and the Cabinet that he will appoint. We also pray for the senior members of the Opposition in their important role in keeping the government, err, on the right track. Lord, our bodies are prone to getting sick, and to dying. We struggle with the enormity of death, the mysterious transition it represents to beyond this creation. We both mourn and celebrate the lives of those who have departed, which is pretty confusing, and very emotional. This week you have called Ian’s father, Graham, to be with you. Graham has been an great servant to you. Help us all to be aware of your loving presence as we come to terms with the loss of people close to us, and as we share with loved ones, including Ian, the loss of people close to them. We lift up to you all who are unwell in mind or body, and ask, if it be your will, for them to be restored to good health. Some of us are to undergo medical procedures and we ask, of course, that these be successful. * In the prayer book … Lord, some members of our church will soon be travelling to Indonesia … Please go with them, and have them be a blessing to the people they meet. Joel Easton will also be heading that way too, to Borneo, with other members of his school, to plant trees and do other good stuff. Please let him be aware of your presence with him as he takes on this exciting adventure, keep him safe and help him have fun. Jesus taught us how the best way to live a happy life, a loving and joyful life, is by serving you and sharing your love. Help us to do this a little bit better every day. Amen. === 4 May === * Context: Readings: * Post federal election, Ian’s father dies, trip to Indonesia, start of selection of new pope * Prayer Jesus, help us to know you better. Help us accept the mystery that surrounds you, to be comfortable with that mystery which is beyond our understanding. We are here, in front of you, but still we often feeling weak, hesitant, faithless. Peter failed you, was a failed disciple, yet you chose him to be the foundation of the church. Help us learn that our failings, our lack of confidence, do not stop us from being chosen by you to be disciples, and used by you to achieve great things. Help us to listen to you, to hear your calling, help us to believe what you tell us to do, and give us the confidence to stand by you, even when denying you would be much easier. [Hold a moment of silence] Lord, we lift up to you the people of war-torn Ukraine. Their plight fits the Easter story all too well: * suffering death and agony on an industrial scale; * having their friends abandon them when they are most needed; * being mocked and ridiculed by those who have power over them and use it to judge them; * being condemned in a sham trial in which no evidence is found against them; * having a murderous criminal leader given favour over them; and * being sentenced to death. Jesus, where are you? Oh, you are there with them, standing beside them, attempting to provide healing, as the missiles rain down … But Lord, we pray, yet the killing and suffering goes on. Are not praying hard enough! Forgive us when we doubt your love and power. Forgive us when we confuse human actions with your actions. So where is their Easter day? Is the resurrection of peace there even possible? How can it happen? What can we do, must we do? Please tell us, because we know that Ukraine is not alone in such suffering. In silence we pray for our troubled world…..<
> [Hold a moment of silence] We pray for our church, your church. Help us to be faithful disciples of you in our community, and in communities around the world. Help us to serve you, to serve your people and each other, by the example Jesus has set. We pray that you continue to infuse our ministry team with the imagination they use in presenting your message to us in ways which are engaging, and relevant to our time. In our presbytery we lift up to you the faithful witness and service of the Beaumaris congregation and their minister, Rev Chris Cohen, and in our local area, St John Vianney Catholic church, and their priest, David Francis. Help us to be good neighbours in Christ to our catholic colleagues as they face the mortality of Pope Francis. We too lift him up to you, and ask that the in the coming events, that your will be done for the catholic church, for all Christians, and for this man who has dedicated his life to being your disciple. [Hold a moment of silence] Lord, we all need your help in our journeys in this life. * In the prayer book … We lift up to you all who are unwell in mind or body, and pray that you restore them to good health. Some of us are to undergo medical procedures and we ask that these be successful. And we pray, of course, for the expert staff who conduct these procedures, and we thank you for the gift of modern medicine. Still others are coming to the end of their time here with us, are being called home to be with you. We ask that you give them courage and faith as they face this mysterious transition, and give their loved ones peace and love and assurance. Yet in all this we say “not our will but yours be done.” Jesus prayed:<
> Our Father in heaven … === 16 February === * Context: Readings: Luke 6:17-26 - Jesus Teaches and Heals * Minister: I am using the Luke text and I am using psalm 1. * I think I am going to be reflecting on how we live in a consumerist world. Where we think the more we have the more are blessed, and we try to gain more materialistic possessions. However Jesus says that blessed are the poor, and blessed are the hungry that we should be looking out for them * I might tie in psalm 1 about where do we get our worth from, is it our materialistic worth or is it being near God. Like a tree near the river. * Windows in church smashed * Prayer Lord, help us to be faithful followers of Jesus even as his wisdom turns the ways of the world up-side-down. Blessed are those who are poor, hungry and weeping … they certainly don’t look blessed. And they will probably be as surprised as we are to hear that you specially bless them. Help us to understand. Help us to see beyond the ways of the world. Help us to recognise you in the faces of those who are in need, those who are marginalised, those who are largely invisible and unheard. Give us the opportunity this week to pass on your blessing to another person. Enable us to make a difference by sharing Your love and blessing in all that we do. Our church building was vandalised this week, broken windows. It is human to feel anger and aggression towards those who attack us, but it is not Jesus’ way. We ask that you forgive them, and help us to as well. I don’t know what was in their hearts, but it must have been something dark. We walk in your light, and darkness will never overcome it. Please let love grow in their hearts, using us to help if we can. Thank you for the life and witness of the late Michael Leunig. Help us to keep learning from his work even as we are entertained by it. One cartoon suggests a conversation with you in which he asks “who are your chosen people?” and you reply “You are all my chosen people: the humans, the fish, the birds, the bees, the bandicoots and all the creatures”. He goes on and asks “have you given a special holy land to your chosen ones” and you answer “Yes, I have. It is called the Earth.” “Do you have any advice for us regarding the way forward?” “Yes. Love your neighbour, have fun, look after the earth, make love, make a garden, be careful, be kind, enjoy your work and look up to the stars at night.” Lord, keep reminding us that we do not need to be wealthy to enjoy your blessings, to enjoy the stars at night. In fact, chasing wealth risks getting in the way. Lord, please continue to bless these your people gathered here. In the midst of the abundance you shower upon us, we each feel pain. I lift up to you these, our brothers and sisters gathered here, those they know and love, and those who are present but whom we cannot see or hear. All who are in pain, who are poor, hungry or weeping, physically or emotionally. Bless them all please. * Some pain is recorded in the prayer book ... We ask you, Lord, if you are willing, remove the cups of pain these people, all of us, endure, yet not our will but yours be done. Lord, we ask for peace in our world. No, we beg for it. In Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and, yes, the places we do not even know about. Not only the cessation of war, but that peace that is beyond our understanding. Peace that is forged when closed fists are opened in sharing, when closed hearts are opened in caring and when closed minds are opened to the possibility of the rich resources of the earth being shared by all. In Australia, surely the lucky country, we are moving at a painful speed towards a Federal Election. We have inherited the gift of freedom and democracy. And what a blessing it is. But human nature has, well … public service looks to have mutated into a struggle for personal power. What? Yes, I am being too despondent. Yes. But help us, help our representatives, to serve as you would want. As you do want. Let the poor, the hungry and the weeping be seen and heard. Lord, we ask you to bless the UCA as it strives to serve and witness to you here and in so many other places. It is a rich part of my life, of all of our lives. I lift up to you those who serve you in this place, and elsewhere. Especially those who do so without being seen or heard. Those who run or help with our numerous programs. We lift up to you, also, the similar service to you being done by your followers in our broadcast world, Beeac, Nicholson … many places. In our Presbytery we lift up to you the St Andrew's congregation in Berwick and their minister, Rev Claire Dawe. Closer to home: Wheelers Hill UC and their minister, Rev Paulo Kwajakwan. Lord, help us to be willing to change the narrative from one of scarcity to one of abundance. Help each of us seek to discern Your purpose for our lives and offer ourselves willingly in service. Help us to harness the gifts and know the power of Your Spirit as she weaves her way in and around us, changing us and enabling us together to bring good news for every generation. Help us to nurture one another in faith, learn from one another and work together with You, Creator, Redeemer, Spirit. Lord, You have blessed us with every good thing. Now help us to be a blessing to others, here and everywhere, now and forever. And together:<
> Our Father in heaven …