12 Apr 2020

Our Theme is Rate of Change. Change is good. As our lives progress we gain from experience, we gain from the understanding that flows from different perspectives, and we gain from helping others to adapt to those changes.

However, what we find very difficult is dealing with rapid change. Rapid change confronts us, forcing us to make decisions, often with little or inaccurate information. We no longer have the luxury of being able to reflect at our leisure on just what our approach to problems may be.

How much can change within a week? On 12 Mar we set off for Morocco for a 6 week holiday in Morocco and Spain. On arrival in Casablanca, we were told that the borders to Spain were closed. We set off on our trip around Morocco, only to have the whole trip cancelled after only a half-day. 4 days later we were back in Melbourne.

Jesus saw just such a change - From Palm Sunday to Good Friday to Easter Sunday. That was a Corona Virus reset and a half! Whatever dislocations we have experienced in recent times cannot compare with the change from adulation to crucifixion to resurrection!

Let us pray:

Be with us in times of change, grant us the tranquility to cope with fear, anxiety and panic. Calm our souls, and give us hope that we shall come through these times with our faith healthy and unscarred.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with our leaders, that they may make wise decisions in times of rapid change. Grant them the skills to lead our communities with confidence and authority.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with those who have lost their jobs, or find themselves in severe financial difficulties. Help them to maintain hope, to become resourceful under stress, and to maintain dignity in the process of seeking help.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with our health workers, as they battle to keep people safe. Protect them from infection, ensure that they have adequate access to protective equipment, and that they can continue to maintain a calm and compassionate environment as they go about helping others.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with those students who have had their study plans turned upside down. Whether they are just beginning their education and are finding adjusting life stressful enough even without health scares, or whether they are in their final years of study and have no idea how their results may be affected by the changes in learning delivery and assessment procedures, grant them resilience and a vision of hope.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with those who feel they can flout the restrictions on movement. Give them a broader vision that will allow them to see the possible consequences of their actions. Grant those invested with the power to oversee such behaviour the compassion and empathy to help them change their behaviours.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with our local churches, that they can continue to serve their communities through whatever isolation mechanisms they may be using. We pray particularly for our mistry team, and the teams of our sister Uniting Churches, particularly Frankston (High Street) congregation, Chaplaincy at Monash University at Frankston campus with their ministry team of Rev David Fotheringham, Rev Arthur Poole, Pastor Hannah Dungan; Pastor Mandy Lake, and the teams of our interfaith churches, particularly the Church of the Good Shepherd and its priest, Father Kaz. Trawicki.

We are in this together with thee, Lord

Be with us wherever we may be, both geographically, physically, and mentally. We particularly remember those in our prayer book at this time, and we pray for help, healing and wholesomeness for each of them.

We are in this together with thee, Lord, and we pray together Your Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, ...

20 Nov 2016

In our prayers for today, I am drawing on both today's theme of Christ the King, and the coming Advent season. Several groups within the church are undertaking weekly studies, drawn from a book by Pamela Hawkins, called Prepare The Way. The study is based on four words, one for each week in advent. The words are: Peace; Justice; Fearlessness; and Faithfulness. Let us reflect on how Christ the King brings meanings to those words. And you might like to reflect on the alignment of those words with the words that Neil gave us: Strength, Endurance, and Patience.

Peace: (John 8:1-11, Jesus consoles the woman taken in adultery: "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.") Christ the King of Peace, bring peace to our lives. Refresh us in your love and grace, that we can accept the difficult things that happen to us, and face them with tranquility. We are confronted with many unpeaceful events in the world around us. We remember international conflicts, national controversies, local disagreements, and personal fallings out. May advent give us the calm and peace to ride above these things, and deliver our own healing interventions.

Guide our feet in the way of Peace.

Justice: (Matthew 22:15-22, the question on taxes: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's") Jesus brings equality to our daily lives, by focussing on fairness to ourselves, to our community, and to God. Christ the King of Justice, help us to live justly towards others. Help us to speak out against exploitation, whether it be by governments, by corporations, or by individuals. Help us to live with fairness to others, and not seek unfair advantage in our daily dealings. Help us to be honest with each other, and live simply so that others may simply live.

Perform the mercy promised to our fathers.

Fearlessness: (Mark 11:15-19, Jesus cleanses the temple. "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.") Christ the King of Fearlessness, help us to speak out against the things that we see that are wrong. May our lives be lived in discipline to your statutes, maintaining what we know is right even in the face of pressure to acquiesce and "go with the flow". Help those who live in anxiety and distress to find the courage that will enable them to live rewarding and full lives. Help those who are suffering through ill-health, perhaps waiting upon medical treatment, or wrestling with difficult decisions, to face the future confident in your love and grace. We pray especially for those mentioned in our prayer book at this time: (read names)

Let us serve you without fear.

Faithfulness: (Luke 22:39-46, Jesus prays in the garden: "not as I will, but your will be done".) Christ the King of Faithfulness, grant that we may live in awe and obedience to God. Grant us trust in the institutions to which we belong. Keep our leaders faithful to the promises they have made, and to the people that they lead. On this sunday we especially pray, together with our local inter-church community, for our own church Glen Waverley Uniting Church and our ministry team Neil Peters, Alison Clarkson, and Alanee Hearnshaw; and we join with other members of our own Synod, in praying for its leaders Mark Lawrence (General Secretary); Isobel Dobson (Associate General Secretary); and Sharon Hollis (Moderator).

That we may walk worthy of the Lord.

These prayers we ask in faithfulness to our Christ the King.

24 Aug 2014

In our prayers of the people today, I continue with the theme What's in a name? The transforming power of name changes. We shall reflect on the triune nature of God, and the various names and transforming power that we see as the embodiment of the Trinity.

May Jahweh be our Divine Presence. May Jesus be our Redeemer. May the Holy Spirit comfort us.

Jahweh, you surround us with your Divine Presence. We observe the natural world around us, and see you as Creator at work everywhere. We are thankful to you as the Giver of all Good for the blessings that are bestowed upon us. We pray to you, Almighty Father, to surround us with your Love and Grace, that we may reflect something of you as our Maker in what we make of our lives.

May Jahweh be our Divine Presence. May Jesus be our Redeemer. May the Holy Spirit comfort us.

Jesus our Saviour, you save us from ourselves. We often fall from grace, and you as Redeemer lift us once more. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we follow your way in our search for truth and life with you. As the Bread of Life, and True Vine, you feed us with your love. Help us to feed others around us, that we may shun the cross word and thoughtless action, and become indeed followers of the Son of Man.

May Jahweh be our Divine Presence. May Jesus be our Redeemer. May the Holy Spirit comfort us.

Holy Spirit, you are our Counselor, Advocate and Intercessor. You help us and speak to us when we struggle to find our way, when we are in danger of taking the wrong path in life. You are our Comforter as we seek refugee from the things that overwhelm us. Help us to listen to your revealing Spirit of Truth. Help us to respond to evil and injustice in the world, that we may witness to you as you are our Witness.

May Jahweh be our Divine Presence. May Jesus be our Redeemer. May the Holy Spirit comfort us.

Dear Father God, we recall today that Peter was the Rock on which Your church was built. Let us be part of the fabric of that church, whether as stones, roofing or furnishings ... let us all play our part, recognizing that we are all different and diverse, yet one in the Unity of Christ. Help us to accept and affirm each other, that we may be strengthened in our times of difficulty, and enlivened in our times of joy. We mention especially in our prayers at this time the names of those known to us ... (read list). Comfort them, O Holy Spirit, and interceed for those whom we now name to ourselves. (short silence)

May Jahweh be our Divine Presence. May Jesus be our Redeemer. May the Holy Spirit comfort us.

We pray also as Jesus, our Messiah, has commanded us: Our Father in Heaven, ...

27 Jul 2014

In our prayers of the people today, I am using some words of Martin Luther King, spoken in 1967:

I start each litany with some prayers from the multifaith service held in memory of the victims of flight MH17.

Let us pray:

From the Anglican Dean of Melbourne, Dr Andreas Loewe:

Lord, there are times when we despair that your divine presence within our world is lost. We see so much pain, hate, violence, ignorance, stupidity, and just plain viscousness that we lose faith. It seems that those who seek power by whatever means at their disposal can simply walk over the hopes and aspirations of those who go about their lives in innocence and trust. The power, the greed, the antipathy of so many put at risk the simple needs and desires of those who seek only to live in peace. While we see comfort in the life beyond death that you promise, Lord, help us also to look to a better world where peace and love in the here and now gives hope and triumph over sin and evil.

From the Venerable Hojun Futen, of the Buddhist Council of Victoria:

But evil is all about us; how can we hope for goodness in the present? Yes, you ultimately triumph over evil in the rebirth of the future, and Your Son has taught us that the meek shall inherit the earth. Surely that could come a little sooner, Lord?

Our impatience distracts us from your divine presence that pervades all, both the good and the bad. You give us the power to love and hate, but we are yet to learn how love drives out hate. Our impatience urges us to focus on the deaths in Ukraine, while ignoring those in Gaza. Our impatience allows our nation to be stirred up against the hundreds of refugees coming to Australia, while completely dismissing the millions of refugees in South Sudan. Our impatience drives our attention to the stories we want to hear, while dismissing those that we do not. Our perception of evil is tailored by what we want it to be, and until we see that, we will not see Your divine presence in the world.

Sheikh Moustapha Sarakibi, from the Islamic Council of Victoria, read an Islamic funeral prayer.

Ultimately evil has no power when we respond to evil with good. Hate is turned aside with love, and love nan only be offered in the context of forgiveness. Teach us to see that in all peoples, even those that behave in the most sinful ways, there is a spark of your divine presence. That presence in both good and bad peoples has the power for ultimate forgiveness. When we recognise that spark, and respond with our forgiveness and love, then evil will fade away. That is the supremely powerful message delivered to us by Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Let us kindle that spark by recalling those in our midst who both suffer and rejoice in various ways. Help them and us to see Your love at work, driving out bitterness, driving out anger, driving out sorrow, and seeing hope and love beyond measure.

We recall the names, firstly of those in need: read list of concerns

We also give thanks for those who have encountered a bit of your love in their daily lives: read list of joys

Let us pray the Lord's Prayer: Our Father in Heaven ...

20 Apr 2014 (Easter Sunday)

"Sins are ephemeral because forgiveness is eternal.". Those of you unfortunate enough to have received an email from me recently will recognize this as my current signature aphorism. What does it mean? It is a comment on the Easter message - that the consequences of sin are only transient, and cannot change God's purpose for us. Put in another way, the wages of sin are not death. That is the enduring message of Easter.

To put it in yet another way: Jesus' death on the cross is the death of sin, and His resurrection is the passport to God's eternal grace and forgiveness. This prayer is responsive, and follows that theme: when I say "Jesus, your death on the cross closes the door on sin", you are asked to respond "and your resurrection opens the door to eternal life."

(repeat) when I say "Jesus, your death on the cross closes the door on sin", your response is "and your resurrection opens the door to eternal life."

Let us pray:

Sins are ephemeral because forgiveness is eternal.

Christ died because of the sins of those around him:

But he also died for our sins:

Leader: "Jesus, your death on the cross closes the door on sin"

Response: "and your resurrection opens the door to eternal life."

Sins are ephemeral because forgiveness is eternal.

Fortunately for us, God's grace rises above these sins. God does not leave our souls in hell. Amazingly, when we seek God's forgiveness, it is there, now and enduring. We can go forward into a new start, confident that with our remorse for guilt comes resurrection to innocence. Our sins are dead, our lives are new-born. Not just once, not just seven times, not even seventy times seven - but forever. We are continually and eternally restored to grace, fullness of life, and love.

Leader: "Jesus, your death on the cross closes the door on sin"

Response: "and your resurrection opens the door to eternal life."

Sins are ephemeral because forgiveness is eternal.

O Profound Mystery whom we call God, you have show through the cataclysmic event that we call The Resurrection how we can be bold to approach You, to be at one with the world and with Your creation. We become conscious of the transient nature of our own frailty and powerlessness, yet in your grace we are bold to enact in word and deed the things that bring your force field of love here on earth. You accept and affirm us as we are, and as we might become - we yearn to respond to that eternal grace and forgiveness. Help us to honour these words here and now, and to engage these deeds as we leave this place.

Leader: "Jesus, your death on the cross closes the door on sin"

Response: "and your resurrection opens the door to eternal life."

We pray particularly for the Uniting Church congregation at St. Andrew’s in Gardiner, and their minister Robin Yang; and for the Redeemer Lutheran congregation and their minister Wayne Muschamp in Glen Waverley. May they experience God's grace at this holy Eastertide.

We pray for those on our own prayer list: (read names)

Leader: "Jesus, your death on the cross closes the door on sin"

Response: "and your resurrection opens the door to eternal life."

This prayers we pray in the name of Jesus. He is Risen!

Amen

JohnHurst

Thanks to ChrisOwen for his Good Friday Reflection that inspired the first litany.

01 Dec 2013

I have just returned from 10 weeks or circumnavigation: 5 weeks circumnavigating the world, and 5 weeks circumnavigating Australia. During those 10 weeks, I found time to read John Bodycomb's book "No Fixed Address - faith as journey". It changed, or rather, liberated, my own faith in God, and I shall share with you in our prayers some of that liberation. Thanks to Margaret Allan for the loan of that book! Incidentally, this liberation of Faith from conservative theology is symbolized by this T-shirt, liberating as it does from conservative dress codes! Just as the Advent of Jesus liberates us from conservative law-based Living!

Dr Bodycomb sees little distinction between prayer and worship. Both, he argues, have three components: centering, listening, and responding. Let us pray those three components now.

Firstly, we center ourselves upon God:

Secondly, we listen to God:

Thirdly, we respond to God:

I finish with a prayer by Bill Cleary, a former Jesuit priest, called No Real Name. I have changed the first-person pronouns from the singular to the plural.

Let us pray with joy the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father in Heaven, ...

(enthusiastically!:) Go out with contagious joy! And all the people say: Amen.

JohnHurst

01 Sep 2013

In our new structures, we have identified a process of building a "Community of Love". Many groups already reach a deep level of fellowship, but what is required is more than fellowship. Today, Father's Day, it is appropriate to reflect on family relationships as a way of understanding that Community of Love.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we are so familiar with the Biblical metaphor of You as a "Father" to us, but we often take that far too much for granted. We understand how Jesus pointed us to You as a "father" to describe how the spiritual relationship between You and us is similar to that between a father and son. Just as a cohesive family builds a particular relationship of love and trust between each other, so we are enjoined to "love one another, as I have loved you".

Help us to establish deeper and greater levels of trust and kindness for each other, just as in a healthy family we show trust and kindness to each other. When we have that deep sharing between family members of the human hurts and hopes we all experience, we see you "through a glass dimly". Help us to share and trust more with our wider family here in this church, and outside in the wider world. We all share You as a spiritual father.

Just as we turn to our fathers in the flesh when we need help and guidance, so we turn here to you as spiritual father. We make ourselves vulnerable to each other when we share our feelings within the family, and we acknowledge here today how our fathers have guided us through vulnerability, through hope and despair, through childhood, and through the foolishness and recklessness of adolescence. When we behave childishly and foolishly, come to us with your supporting words of love.

Our fathers taught us to be honest and open with each other. Jesus enjoined us to make peace with our brothers and sisters before coming to worship. Grant to each of us that honesty and openness, that we can live in peace and understanding. Without that sharing, we cannot possibly know or harmonise with each other. Most of all we hope to develop respect, empathy and tolerance with others' points of view so we can learn to support those who have different points of view from us and to participate in Your mission rather than be concerned about our personal preferences. They are Your children.

And when members of our family fall sick, who is it who cares for them? Amongst our family members, our fathers look after our personal needs, our spiritual, physical and mental nourishment, just as Jesus exhorted us to "look after the least of these". Our Community of Love is our Church Family. So we now bring to you those in our family on whom we ask for your grace to bless their spiritual, physical and mental needs: (read list).

And so we are bold to pray in the words of that most unique and eternally paternal father-son prayer: Our Father in Heaven, ...

JohnHurst

14 Jul 2013

SALT - Serving And Loving Together

At 9:15, Alanee asks us what our hidden gifts were. For some reason she did not ask us at 11, but I do want to declare to you that I have a hidden gift - and perhaps, unique in this service - I bring the history of the Congregatonal Church to this service. Why is that relevant? Because Elders in the Cong Church were called Deacons! And as Alanee has told us, that means "those who serve". It is great to remember our traditions - but it is also important to understand the need for change.

So it will be no surprise that I have taken salt as a theme for these prayers. As Mark 9:50 says in The Good News Bible: "Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another."

And our response will be after each litany, when you hear me say "And the people say": "Lord, be the salt in our lives"

If the Salt has lost its savour, what is it good for? Without an "I" in the "savour" of our "SALT", we have no Saviour.

Lord, we pray these prayers as we put ourselves, the "I", into our SALT savour and recognize that thereby you become our Saviour, in whose name we pray the prayer that you have taught us:

Lord's Prayer

JohnHurst

24 Mar 2013

Last week I spoke of love and the idea that we can radiate "love bosons", particles of love force that are absorbed by those whom they hit. Today I shall take the second of Paul's great trilogy of Christian attributes - hope.

Years ago, I attended a seminar on "12 Keys to an Effective Church", given by Kennon Callahan. I have here his book, and interestingly, the first part of his book is entitled "Planning and Hope". Now, I am not suggesting that the 12 keys of which he speaks are metaphors for the 12 apostles, or even of the 12 members of the new Council structure, but the foremost key he talks about is "Specific Concrete Missional Objectives". Let me read what he says:

Sound familiar? If we are to continue to work towards our missional objectives, we need to minister to those with "human hurts and hopes". Last Sunday was a meeting full of both of those. So my prayers today are based upon addressing what I heard last Sunday.

Incidentally, here I have to confess that often have a bout of dyslexia while typing "hurts and hopes", and it often comes out as "hurst and hopes". So here are my "hursts and hopes" for our church.

Let us pray:

Lord, we recognize that have been many hurts amongst us. We are aware of the dissonance that has led people to distrust each other, to speak hurtfully, to be insensitive to the needs of others. Yet we hopefully look forward to the salvation that change and new structures may bring. Open our hearts and minds to the guidance of your Spirit.

Lord, we acknowledge that life has been difficult for our ministry team. Distrust within the team, complaints from the congregation post services, angry emails and lack of conflict resolution have all played their part in destabilized our ministry team to the point where Rosemary felt the need to resign, and Greg has been forced to re-appraise his situation. We pray and we hope for new beginnings - that both Rosemary and Greg may find new life, new vision, new hope in starting afresh. We pray and we hope in Christian love that our new ministry team - Alanee, Alison, Belinda and the new supply minister - and Greg while he continues here - may find it possible to forgive the past, and move on, renewed in the life-giving energy of your Spirit.

Lord we appreciate the disconnect that some of us see within the congregation. The unkind words, the lack of acceptance of change, the desire to hold onto the old ways, the emotional clinging to what we know and love - all of these have held us back in accepting and affirming each and everyone of us as members of your church, your body. We stand fearful of change, but longing for a better way. Help us to see that new hope and reconciliation spring from your Spirit.

Lord, we affirm the fears that confront those who have spent many years - lifetimes - in the service of the church. We understand that when one has given selfless dedication to the life and witness of our church through membership of church council and through calling as elders, one does not lightly relinquish that dedication. Help our elders and councillors to see new ways, new paths, new opportunities of calling and of service through the mission of this your church. Help all of us to accept the the resurrection of new life that is possible in your Spirit.

Lord, we name before those from our midst who are dealing with their own personal hurts and hopes: (read list)

I finish with a few lines from Kennon Callahan that are appropriate in our circumstances.

Recognizing that hope is stronger than memory, we pray from memory the prayer that gives us hope ... Our Father, ...

JohnHurst

17 Mar 2013

Introduction

Some of you will know that my mother died two weeks ago. Most of you will not know that I have been reading a book on "Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times", by Peter Steinke. What do the two have in common? Steinke talks of how each of us has a "field" around us, that influences how others relate to us, communicate with us, and interact with us. I was fortunate in being able to be with my mother at her bedside for her last few days, and even though she was unable to speak, we shared much emotional dialogue. I was conscious of the "love field" that my mother radiated, and which I felt very keenly.

While reflecting on these feelings, I was also reminded that my father was a mathematical physicist, and dealt with the mathematics of quantum mechanics every day of his life. Now you will all know of the recent discovery of the Higgs boson, a particle which gives us mass (to put it simply :-) ). Bosons are particles that transmit forces between other particles, and photons are another kind of boson that transmit electromagnetic forces, some of which we see as light, other forms of which are radio waves and X-rays. Incidentally, it is thought that the force of gravity is transmitted by a further kind of boson, called a gravitron, but they have not been discovered in experiments as yet.

This all set me thinking that maybe there is another kind of boson, which I shall call the "love boson". My son suggested the name "Hurst boson", in honour of my father. The love boson is responsible for transmitting love. Unlike light, but like X-rays and radio waves, the love field transmitted by Hurst bosons can go through solid objects, but do get absorbed as they go through you. Like a torch radiating light when it is switched on, we have a switch in our hearts that can radiate love when it is turned on.

A Love Experiment

So I am going to try a little experiment. I want you to start radiating love bosons towards each other. Warren suggested we be a light at the end of the Kingsway. We could also be a love beacon at the end of the Kingsway! Let's see how it feels ... (all shut eyes and radiate love bosons)

How did that feel? Could you feel the love particles hitting you, and passing through you? Did you absorb any? Let's try again, and this time focus them like light beams upon someone near you ... (all shut eyes and radiate love bosons at someone)

Did that feel any different? Now for our third experiment. This time focus your love particles, but towards the people whose names I shall read out. They are the people in our church for whom a particular need for love has been expressed in our prayer book ... (read names)

What was that like? Did the fact that they were not sitting in the next pew make any difference? You are encouraged to talk about your experiences with others - but after the service, please!

Simple Thought, Simple Prayer

I shall close our prayers this morning with a simple thought, and a simple prayer. Both are to help you in daily lives, and in your daily prayers.

The thought is this:

The prayer is this:

JohnHurst

17 Feb 2013

Dear God,

Sometimes we come to prayer with questions, and only questions.

We struggle and it feels that we don’t know which way to go, we think that we find a way forward, and it then it comes to a dead end. We turn around and nothing seems clear. Everything has changed, it is no longer as it once was.

We remember other days, when we felt loved, part of a community, that the path seemed clear, there were others walking with us. Those memories provide us with hope, but are also a thorn in our side. What have we done? What is different? God, have you left us? Have we left you?

Now, the community is not as is was; sometimes we get angry, including with those we are called to love: forgive us God. We are not sure what we are witnessing to any more. We are no longer sure what we are called to, and our fear and our disappointment make our faith seem hazy, distant and maybe even foolish.

But we continue to faintly hear a call to love, but what does that mean? It is not a call to agree, to like the same music or to be successful. Does our mind need to be one? Do we need to have the same vision? Probably yes, but without love it is all-worthless.

Can we disagree passionately? Experience you in different ways, some in the silence others in a passionate exclamation? Yes, to this we are sure. But what does it mean to love each other?

Do we find love in different places? Express it differently, some as gifts, others as time given, others in affirmation, others through touch, others in service? Yes. Do we need to keep our eyes open for it? Searching, even though we are weary? Yes, we must.

So God we pray, pray for each other. We pray to hold each other gently, acknowledging our differences, even passionately disagreeing, but loving. Not hiding the truth, but speaking it with compassion and empathy.

We pray for our ministry team. For Rosemary, as she moves on to new things, as sometimes our paths call us somewhere else, this is sad but often part of God’s call. For Greg, Alanee, Alison, Belinda and Heather as they understand their roles with one less and remain amongst our community. We pray that we can be supportive of them and them of us.

We pray for our world: a world of beauty and of longing. We pray for the many in need, for those hurting for many reasons, for those that need some love. We pray that the love of Jesus can work through us and that we can be the answer to someone’s prayer.

We continue by praying the Lord’s prayer:

Our Father in heaven, ...

MarkEaston

14 Oct 2012

I was watching the Gardening Australia show last night, and Costa Georgiades was talking with a bloke called Diego Bonetto about weeds. His point was that what we see as a weed is very much a matter of perspective, and that many plants we regard as weeds are actually useful, either as food, or for their medicinal properties, or other uses. There are very few plants that don't have a use! That seemed to me to be a useful metaphor for our thinking about giving, and the abundance of riches with which we are presented by God.

The hymn 676 in TIS reflects this profligate abundance, and I shall use its words in structuring our prayers for today. If you wish to follow the words in your hymn book, please do. Together In Song, number 676.

Let us pray:

The bounty that surrounds us goes unnoticed while we bicker over scant resources that we place inappropriate emphasis upon. We focus too much upon our personal possessions, hoarding them to ourselves as though they were the ground of our being. Countries cast jealous eyes upon the resources of their neighbors while regarding their own harvest as weeds. Material wealth cuts us off from the love of God, and blinds our eyes to the cost we pay in broken lives and broken relationships. Grant Lord that we see the real value in the rejected and despised of our community.

Yet God is prepared to sacrifice, and sacrifice again that boundless love. God pays the ransom to redeem us through his Son, while we revel in the sunlight of his gift, not knowing or caring about the environmental cost to the Giver. We return, and return again, to his grace, the grace that renews and refreshes us. Grant Lord that your grace may extend to all peoples, that they may bask in the abundant light and warmth of that grace.

'Tis mystery indeed that God should give his Son, who in turn gave his life for us. What strange non-human behaviour is this notion of loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, and repaying evil with kindness? We struggle in our everyday lives to live up to such ultimate standards, and yet we too soon criticise and turn our backs upon those who treat us kindly. Grant Lord to us overflowing compassion and empathy to give and to bring to others the debt that we owe to you.

We are asked to give much, and we have little to give. Yet let our little be generous in your sight, Lord, and we will be much enriched. Let our lives be generous in loving and living, that those in need may take much comfort, the same comfort that we seek from you. We offer these prayers for the comfort of those whom we name before you: (read list). Grant that they, ourselves, and peoples everywhere, may walk in peace and love, as your Son has taught us.

16 Sep 2012

The theme for today is "Wisdom from Above", but I would like to take a slightly different slant on this, and talk about "Wisdom from Below". Information Systems people have often used the mnemonic "DIKW" to describe how information as we understand it forms a hierachy, with Wisdom at the top - the acronym stands for Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom - and I will use that hierarchy to structure our prayers today.

As the Information Scientists say: Data+Structure=Information; Information+Meaning=Knowledge; Knowledge+Experience=Wisdom. Each builds upon the lower layer, thus creating a hierarchy.

Incidentally, the very word "hierarchy" comes from the Greek "hierarkhia" meaning the ordering of angels and other sacred beings. Many words in secular use have sacred origins, and that is part of my theme here.

Let us pray:

Lord, our senses are assailed with daily Data. Sometimes it is too much for us, and we recoil at the many horrible things that occur in our world. Help us to make sense of the disasters, the wickedness, the greed and lust for power that so characterises much of what we see and hear. So tame our senses that the data that we collect can be structured sensibly into our lives, and so that through our actions, we can contribute to the good data that characterises Your Kingdom.

Lord, we live in the Information age where we can find the answers to questions in less time than it takes to formulate the question. Help us to question the wrongs with which our information sources overwhelm us. Help us to challenge accepted meanings where we find information that just does not sit well with Your Kingdom.

Lord, although our Knowledge of the world has grown immensely over the last 100 years, with new discoveries and understandings in science, in economics, in social justice, in medicine and in governance. Yet we still lack the wisdom to forge better outcomes for the ignorant, the poor, the oppressed, the sick and the exploited. Help us to learn from our experiences, that through compassion and shared relationships we can build up our knowledge of You that comes through living Your Kingdom.

Lord, we pride ourselves upon our Wisdom, and yet we struggle to get on with each other. Your wisdom, real wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterised by getting along with others. Help us to see and understand your wisdom, that through it we may come to realise Your Kingdom on earth, as it is in Heaven. Through Your wisdom, help us to care for others, thinking especially of those we name now before You: (read list).

09 Sep 2012

On Friday night, I went to the 1st Qualifying Final, the first footy final of 2012 (Go Hawks!) We all know the rush of adrenalin that goes with a great game, and the excitement of a final stays with us for a long time. One of the themes for the finals is "This is Greatness", but I was left wondering that football greatness is not quite the same attribute that we as Christians might aspire to.

So I offer this prayer of the people as a prayer of greatness, greatness as Christ might have seen it. The readings from James today reflect something of how Christ might have defined this notion of greatness, so let us explore greatness for the common man.

(and I should explain, for those unfamiliar with Australian Rules Football, that a "screamer" is a mark or catch of the ball taken by jumping high above others attempting also to catch the ball. It entitles the marker to a free kick.)

Let us pray ...

Lord, the crowd goes wild when the full forward flies high to take a screamer. Not all of us can take screamers, but let our actions in everyday life be our high-fliers. May our everyday responses to those around inspire the "wow" factor, and give others the feeling that in the care, concern, and compassion that they see, they have encountered greatness. "For as much as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me".

This is greatness.

Lord, the life of a football coach is one of highs and lows. Highs on the wins, highs on the "come-from-behind" turn arounds, highs on the success of the club. But there are also the lows, lows on the losses, lows on poor umpiring, lows on the failures of the club, and ultimately, lows on being sacked as coach. Our own leaders, across all spectrums, be they political, business, intellectual or spiritual also know those same highs and lows. Give them the strength to weather the lows and the wisdom to ride the highs, that they can govern and lead with vision and compassion for all. "Faith that does nothing is worth nothing".

This is greatness.

Lord, we sometimes get carried away with the excitement of the game. We set Brownlow Medal winners up upon a pedestal that may expose their feet of clay. We adulate our gold medal winners, and forget about those who also trained hard without reward. We envy those with more material possessions, and overlook our own gifts from you. Help us, and them, to see and acknowledge achievements even where they are otherwise ignored. Help us to see the value in every person, and for us to help them to their best, as Christ did. "But if you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law."

This is greatness.

Lord, all of us get subbed off at some time in the game of our lives. Whether it be for injury or transgression, whether it be deliberate or accidental, help us rebuild our game fitness and once again prepare to take our parts in the team. Where we are team players, help us to lend a hand to those individuals who need our team support. We mention the following players in our church, whome we commend to your rehabilitation: (read list) "Jesus does everything well. He makes the deaf hear! And those who can't talk he makes able to speak."

This is greatness.

We pray these prayers in the hope of greatness as Jesus himself gave us hope in the prayer he taught us: "Our Father, ..."

01 Jul 2012

(Reused from 1 Nov 2009)

"I wouldn't be dead for quids!" ... Have you ever heard someone say this? What did they mean? Those of you who were fans of the Goon Show will recall Eccles' innocent exclamation: "It's good to be alive!" I bet Jairus' daughter said that (or at least the Aramaic equivalent) when Jesus restored her to life. My neighbour said to me when I told him about my travel plans: "John, you have to do it - You are a long time in a box."

These are some of the sayings that people make when reflecting upon the gift of life. And they are all the more profound for being secular sayings. Christians have an additional take on the gift of life - it is a measure of God's love and the promise He has made to us through His Son. But with this gift comes responsibility. Let us reflect on these responsibilities in our prayers of the people today.

Let us pray:

Lord, first and foremost, we thank you for the gift of life, and the wonderful promise you have made about how life itself might be ever more fulfilling. So it is with especial compassion that we bring these prayers before you.

We pray for those who struggle to see your promise through sickness ... disability ... bereavement ... poverty ... war ... We pray particularly for those who are made refugees through no fault of their own, and we think at this time of refugees from Afghanistan ... Sri Lanka ... the Sudan ... Iraq and Iran. Help us to extend compassion to them, in the same way that Jesus did to the downtrodden of his own time, that they may all see and feel your saving grace.

We pray for the leaders of the world, that they may rejoice in the gift of life - not selfishly for their own ends, but generously, that all under their authority may share in the glorious gift of life. We pray particularly for the leaders of our church - the Ministerial Team - the Lay Leaders - the Presbytery, Synod and Assembly - that they may make decisions wisely and in the life-sharing interests of all who hold to Your promise of life.

We pray for the everyday man and woman - that they do not become consumed by the love of money, but may come to see a wider, sharing, engaged community that looks after the life-needs of all within it. May our actions within the community - on the roads, on the footpaths, in shops, or wherever we come into contact with our fellow beings - show love and generosity as a reflection of these attributes perfected in you.

Finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves. Help each one of us to see that we are part, not of the "me-generation", but of a caring and sharing "us-generation". This is often hard for us - but we take heart from the life of Jesus, who through his own human-ness, showed us that such a life is possible. We pray especially for members of our church community we now name before you. (read list.)

Indeed, in the life and name of Jesus, we are emboldened to make these our prayers today, and are encouraged in the prayer that Jesus himself taught us: Our father in heaven, ...

Amen.

26 May 2012

Yesterday I attended a Presbytery meeting at which Darrell Guder gave an inspirational talk on what it is to be a missional church in the 21st century. Prof Guder is the Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. These prayers are inspired by Darrell's thoughts. And there is no truth in the rumor that at the end of Prof Guder's talk, Ineke was heard to exclaim "How Gouda is that!"

Let us pray:

In the last week we have experienced the wind and rain sent by God, and here today the wind and fire of the Holy Spirit. (Wave streamers.)

We pray that peoples everywhere may see the cleansing wind of your power and might. We who have seen the love of God made man in Jesus Christ and are called to be disciples, grant that our witness to the people whom we meet shall give evidence to that love. May love spread to one another, as it spread from Jesus to the early disciples, and the early church.

We praise you for the actions of the disciples in establishing your church, a church that saw itself called and sent out in mission for the world. May the spirit of that early leadership light upon us, that like Paul, we can go forth to build witnessing communities in Christ.

We rejoice in the one-anotherness of the Gospel message. May our one-anotherness make us worthy witnesses to that Gospel, and give hope to the down-trodden, the sick and ill, the homeless and stateless peoples of the world. Give us the courage of those early disciples to speak out against the injustice, exploitation, arrogance and insensitivity that we see around us.

In a fellowship of one-anotherness, we remember our Uniting Church brothers and sisters in the Coatesville congregation, and the churches of Springvale, St Kilda (Chapel Street) and UC Mission. We also offer prayers for those worshipping you in the Monash City Church of Christ with their minister Rev. Peter Broadbent. We commend especially initiatives within their church, including the encouragement of running the ALPHA series for the first time, the leadership shown through those presenting the material, and the steady building of small groups. Be with Pastor Peter as he prepares for long service leave.

Lead us to the generosity of the early saints in sharing what we have. Help us to sow generously the seeds of Christ, not so that we can pull out weeds, or count outcomes for ourselves, but to leave the harvest to Christ.

We name before you people that believe in Christ's community here today, and commend them to your care: (read list)

These are the prayers of your witnessing community in Glen Waverley. Breathe on us your fire to help us to be worthy witnesses.

Jesus, put the holy wind up us to become witnesses in your world.

Amen.

29 Apr 2012

Some of may be unaware of the sudden passing of Peter Barr during the week. In our prayers, we will remember Alison and her family on this sad occasion, and give glory to God for the life and work of Peter

Our Prayers of the People today are based upon Psalm 23, and are drawn from an on-line prayer by Ormonde Plater.

The response, when I say "Glory and praise to you" is "O Living God".

Gathered in the care of the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep, let us pray to God who knows our every need.

For the holy churches in every place, and for the unity of all.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For this our church and all who gather in the name of the risen Christ.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For our ministry team of Rosemary, Greg, Belinda, Alison and Alanee.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For our Synod and Alistair McCrae our moderator, for our Presbytery and Ian Ferguson our Presbytery chair, and for all who minister in Christ.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For the world and its leaders, our nation and its people.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For all those in danger and need, the sick and the suffering, the strayed and the lost.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For those who walk in death's dark valley.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

For ourselves, our families, and those we love.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

Remembering all the saints who have dwelt in the house of the Lord, let us offer ourselves to the living God, through Christ.
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

We remember too those in our congregation we specifically name before you: (read names)
Glory and praise to you – O Living God.

Blessed are you, O Lord, who soothes our head with oil and fills our cup with wine. Hear the prayers we offer for every need, and revive us with your Holy Spirit: through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray this prayer, and the prayer he himself gave us:

Our Father in Heaven ...

(John Hurst)

18 Mar 2012

In our prayers of the people today, I am using some words of Martin Luther King (1967):

Let us pray.

Lord, we pray for the world:

Lord, we pray for the nation:

Lord, we pray for our everyday lives:

Lord, we pray for ourselves:

we also pray for the health, hearts, minds and inner spirits of the following people we name and don't name: (read names)

We ask this in the name of Christ, Amen.

(John Hurst)

19 Feb 2012

We've had some good images, metaphors, for our story today. Mountain tops, dazzling clothes, shining lights. But we know that life isn't always like that. I have a story that starts with the subterranean, not the superterranean!

Start with story about caving and squeezing through tight spaces - getting stuck even! What do you do? Don't Panic! Barb's story - hope even when your battery is failing!

In our lives we often find ourselves in such thin spaces, and we can use those times to draw closer to God.

Let us pray:

When the walls of Our world close in, widen our minds to see new hope, Lord

We pray for the leaders of our world, that they may govern in hope for all mankind. Turn them away from violence Lord, as Jesus taught us to do. Grant that they may approach their differences in wisdom, rather than aggression.

When the walls of our communities close in, widen our minds to see new opportunities of service, Lord

We pray for grace in our daily lives, Lord, that when the thin spaces of money, work, families, and church life are upon us, we may still respond with kindness, compassion and patience.

When the walls of our circumstances close in, widen our minds to see new opportunities of hope, Lord

We pray for steadfast faith in the hour of distress, Lord. When hope seems forlorn, whether in times of adversity, ill health, or bereavement, be always at our side.

We pray that we, as witnesses to you, may be at the side of the following people in our congregation:

Lastly, in recognition that your grace flows to us through the teachings of your son, we pray the prayer that he himself left for us:

(John Hurst)

22 Jan 2012

In our prayers today, let us use the events of the world to reflect upon our own lives, our own prayers, and our own calling. After each litany, I will say the words Thou knowest Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayers, followed by a short silence. Please use that silence to reflect upon the secrets of your hearts.

Let us pray:

We pray for the world, its people, its life, its resources. We seek to be careful stewards of this world, looking to create a sustainable environment, free from wars, pestilence and famine.

We pray particularly at this time for those affected by disasters such as the sinking of the Costa Concordia. Let us keep in mind that we should not be quick to judge the captain of that vessel, for we all make mistakes of some kind.

We pray for our leaders, church, state and workplace. Give them wisdom in their discernment, that freedom, justice and equality for all may prevail.

We pray particularly at this time for our federal politicians. Let us keep in mind that their task is not an easy one, as they juggle with competing interests - for we all fall short of the perfect integrity that You showed us through Your Son.

We pray for our nation as it celebrates its birthday. Just as Jesus' birthday brings new hope, we ask that our national day might bring new hope and vision for this country.

We pray particularly at this time for the people of Australia. Let us celebrate our ancestry and culture, recognizing that we are all travellers in this land of ours. We acknowledge that there are many travellers with many stories - just because they are different from us and our stories, let us not forsake them.

We pray for our community, our friends and our family. Immersed in our daily lives, we need to see the face of God in those whom we meet. Lift up our hearts to offer a smile, a kindly wave, a thoughtful gesture to both known and unknown faces.

We pray particularly for those in our prayer book, whom we name before you: (read names)

Let us say together the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father in heaven, ..."

And the people said: "Amen".

(John Hurst)

9 Oct 2011

The theme for today is "Spiritually Inspired Living". In our Prayers of the People then, let us ask the Holy Spirit to assist us on our spiritual journey. In John 14:15-17 we read "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth ..."

When I say "Holy Spirit, Comfort us in our prayers", your response is "Spirit of Truth, abide with us". (repeat)

Let us pray:

For men and women, that each may learn from each. Where there are differences in thinking, we pray that we can accept and understand those differences. Where there are differences in action, we pray that our actions may complement each other and not lead to estrangement. Where there are differences in spirituality, we pray that each may lead to our common love of God, abiding in us.

For young and old, that the spirit of enthusiasm of the young may blend with the spirit of wisdom in the old, enriching all our lives.

For the rich and the poor, that the rich may share their wealth of earthly needs with the poor, who in turn can share their richness of spirit with the yearning of the rich.

For the powerful and the powerless, that the powerful may act for the good of all, and the powerless may inherit the earth.

For the churched and unchurched, that those who hold dearly to Christ may act in compassion and understanding for all, while those outside the Christian faith may act in respect for the spirituality of the whole human race. We also pray for our Christian friends in the Good Shepherd Catholic church, under the leadership of Father Kaz Trawicki.

For the healthy and the sick, that the healthy may tend to the needs of the sick, We pray especially for people in our congregation whom we name before You: (read prayer list). We pray also in silence for those not named except in our hearts, and for those whom we cannot name. (observe a short silence)

And let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: "Our Father in Heaven, ..."

(John Hurst)

01 Nov 2009

"It's good to be alive!" ... "I wouldn't be dead for quids!" ... "You'll have to carry me off in a box!"

These are some of the sayings that people make when reflecting upon the gift of life. And they are all the more profound for being secular sayings. Christians have an additional take on the gift of life - it is a measure of God's love and the promise He has made to us through His Son.

Let us pray:

Lord, first and foremost, we thank you for the gift of life, and the wonderful promise you have made about how life itself might be ever more fulfilling. So it is with especially compassion that we bring these prayers before you.

We pray for those who struggle to see your promise through sickness ... disability ... bereavement ... poverty ... war ... We pray particularly for those who are made refugees through no fault of their own, and we think at this time of refugees from Afghanistan ... Sri Lanka ... the Sudan ... Iraq and Iran. Help us to extend compassion to them, in the same way that Jesus did to the downtrodden of his own time, that they may all see and feel your saving grace.

We pray for the leaders of the world, that they may rejoice in the gift of life - not selfishly for their own ends, but generously, that all under their authority may share in the glorious gift of life. We pray particularly for the leaders of our church - the Ministerial Team - the Lay Leaders - the Presbytery, Synod and Assembly - that they may make decisions wisely and in the life-sharing interests of all who hold to Your promise of life.

We pray for the everyday man and woman - that they do not become consumed by the love of money, but may come to see a wider, sharing, engaged community that looks after the life-needs of all within it. May our actions within the community - on the roads, on the footpaths, in shops, or wherever we come into contact with our fellow beings - show love and generosity as a reflection of these attributes perfected in you.

Finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves. Help each one of us to see that we are part, not of the "me-generation", but of a caring and sharing "us-generation". This is often hard for us - but we take heart from the life of Jesus, who through his own human-ness, showed us that such a life is possible.

Indeed, in the life and name of Jesus, we are emboldened to make these our prayers today, and are encouraged in the prayer that Jesus himself taught us: Our father in heaven, ...

Amen.

WorshipPrayersPeopleText (last edited 2020-04-15 02:05:25 by JohnHurst)