Our living, growing, church

Acts 1:15–17, 21–26 

We pray for the church,

living, growing, changing. 

We give thanks for our leaders,

past and present and emerging. 

May those who are concluding 

roles and terms and responsibilities

among us do so with peace

for all that they will not do,

and gratitude for all that they have given. 

May we show grace to those

who have gone before,

listen for their wisdom,

honour their contribution,

even as we make the job our own. 

May those who discern a new season

of service, contribution, giving,

in new roles, terms, responsibilities

among us, do so with courage

for the challenges ahead,

and hope for the life they will nurture. 

May we support and encourage

our leaders, through presence

and prayer, listening, trusting,

participating in the life our our 

community with all we each can give. 

We pray for our church,

living, growing, changing,

as it has done always,

with You. 

Amen. 

These people who have received

Acts 10:44–48 

Astonish us, Holy One,

with your wide, wide welcome. 

Challenge us, Holy One,

to welcome unexpected outsiders. 

Astonish us, Holy Spirit,

with your indiscriminate drenching. 

Challenge us, Holy Spirit,

to share you, abundantly. 

Astonish us, Wisdom Word,

with your voice in unfamiliar tongues. 

Challenge us, Wisdom Word,

to listen for you beyond our expectations. 

Astonish us, Divine Parent,

with your Love, your Love profound. 

Challenge us, Divine Parent, 

to love, with you, all that you love. 

Amen. 

As your people

Acts 8:26–40 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like the court official

reaching for Holy One

travelling to the Sacred Home

of the people of God, 

may we travel Ethiopia

to Jerusalem distances

and more

to worship you

to gather together

as your people. 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like Philip, in tune

with Holy One, responding

to the call to go,

may we get up and go

with no more clarity than 'towards –' 

with trust

with joy

playing our part in the Body

of your people. 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like the unnamed foreigner

reaching for Holy One,

searching the Story for Spirit,

for meaning, for hope,

may we welcome fellow travellers

through these sacred traditions

and listen

and wonder

and enter the Story together

as your people. 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like Philip, open, ready

to run towards the unknown

to listen

to accept an invitation

to enter the story together, 

may we run

together to worship

together to celebrate

you

as your people. 

Amen. 

Jesus asks

Acts 4:9–10 

If we are questioned today

because of a good deed done

for someone who was sick, 

and are asked how this one was healed,

or why that one was fed,

this one clothed, these ones given

a drink of water; 

if we are questioned today

because of a clear word spoken

for someone who was oppressed,

and asked by what authority,

or why this one needs funding,

or that one to be heard,

these ones seen, those ones given time

and access to support; 

if we are questioned today

because of our forgiveness 

and asked, how could we? 

or why would we? 

If we are questioned

because we do as Jesus asked,

then someone is asking,

someone provoking, a good question. 

May it be so. Amen. 

raised to life

Acts 3:12–19 

Confession 

Dear God;

we have been unjust, unkind, unwilling

to believe you can transform life. 

We have looked at lives transformed

by love, by the invitation to wonder,

and we have dismissed what

makes us feel uncomfortable. 

We are sorry. 

Like the crowd who turned

from their trust in Jesus to save them,

we have not trusted in your mystery;

forgive us our cold hearts,

our reluctance to grow,

our lack of welcome for each other. 

Forgive us when we crucify Jesus 

again with our rejection of each other. 

Forgive us when we let go of your faith,

betray your trust, abandon you in our fear. 

Love, 

your people. 

Assurance of Grace 

To my dear people, 

Thank you for saying sorry. 

Please remember that I raised Jesus from death to life, 

and so I raised you with him: 

get up, now, and live! 

Do not be afraid, but be at peace. 

I forgive you. Always. 

Love, 

God. 

That none will be in need

 

Acts 4:32–35 

prayer for ourselves and the world 

Holy One, we bring our prayer to you,

for ourselves and for the world; or

for ourselves as agents for change in the world. 

We pray that we may be of one heart,

committed to you and your Way of Love. 

Where one has plenty and another

is in need, may we give and receive

with generosity and grace,

that all may have enough. 

May we each, in this priesthood

of all believers, tell the story

of your return to life,

in our living, our words, our love. 

Holy One, we bring our prayer

to you, that none will be in need,

that none will be bound by greed,

that all may have enough – 

that all may have enough, to live,

to truly, fully, live! 

Amen. 

Fly to us Spirit Holy

Acts 2:1–21 

Fill our rooms with sound,

with wind, with rushing; 

bowl us over, unsettle us,

ruffle us with your feathered

wings, Spirit Holy, Spirit Breath. 

Float your fire above us, 

dance your flames, radiate

your heat, delight us, 

ignite us with your flickering

tongues, Spirit Holy, Spirit Fire. 

Flit on our voices with words

that others will understand,

speak in us, sing through us, 

vocalise your force 

of life, Spirit Holy, Spirit Friend. 

Sing praises with a Psalm

Acts 1:1–11 and Psalm 47 

Is this the time our nation

will rise again? Is this 

the time we have our own

king again? 

People, clap your hands, 

shout joy, sing loud,

to Holy One Most High,

awesome, king of all the earth! 

Is this the time to sing 

again, to shout our God 

is king of all the earth? 

Sing of God who sets 

our seat beyond the rest; 

sing of God, gone up with shouts

and trumpet sounds, sing praise,

sing praise, sing praises with a psalm! 

Why gaze into the clouds, dear

folk, when he is gone? 

Why watch the sky when he

has given you the earth to walk in peace? 

The princes gather? 

Our God is king – with shields

and throne and – ? 

Walk the earth in peace,

your God will come among you

as before and always, not as

the kings of earth. 

A Holy 'king', a Holy realm,

princes will be like all

the people of Holy One, 

exalting Holy One alone,

who are our shield, our song. 

This is the time, so sing

your joy aloud, so open

to the realm of God that comes

upon the earth: sing 

praises with a psalm!

To the God we do not know

Acts 17:23 

God, we do not know
how you made the earth,
sun, stars, planets, galaxies;
whales, rhinos, ants, butterflies;
us – by speaking love –
yet we trust that you did,
and we are grateful.

God, we do not know
how you maintain patience,
good will, grace, and humour
with our wandering away,
our efforts to replace you –
yet we trust that you do,
and we are grateful.

God, we do not know
how you are with us,
human, Divine, Spirit, flesh;
how we are the body
together that Jesus once was –
yet we trust that you are, we are,
and we are grateful.

God, our God, we do not know
you, but we know ourselves
known by you, and being known,
loved, and being loved, alive!
To our unknown God who
lets us know you enough:
we are grateful for your trust.
Amen.

 

yet they forgive

Acts 7:44–60 

1.

stones tear flesh to death
drunk driver kills her children
fear cuts them, martyrs

2.

Torah gift unkept
Holy Spirit opposed, Christ
betrayed, rejected

Day by day we grow

Artwork: youth & friends,
Wesley Uniting, Canberra

Acts 2: 42–47 

day by day, grow us together
day by day, moment by moment

grow us in kindness,
as we look for each other,
encourage each other,
remember, celebrate, care
with one another

grow us in generosity
as we share our food
with the hungry, give water
for the thirsty to drink,
offer shelter, spread our wealth
towards those who have not
enough

grow us in trust in you,
as we still ourselves,
as we pray in word
and silence and action,
as we sing, tell your story,
live your Way of Wisdom

day by day, grow us together,
each day with you, each moment one.

Lament and thanksgiving for broken bread

Luke 24:13–35 and Acts 2:36–42
in a time of suspended gatherings 

sarah tells stories · Lament And Thanksgiving For Broken Bread

we cannot ‘break bread’ with others, now,
beyond those in our homes. For many of us,
we cannot ‘break bread’ except alone.
We lament, for there is much we miss
with the seats at our tables empty;
there is much we miss, unable to receive
from others, hospitality.
we lament, feeling the sorrow,
the loss, the emptiness of ‘breaking
bread’ away from the community.

pause

and yet, somehow the empty
tables, empty chairs remind
us of the people who have sat
here, have laughed with us,
have cried, debated, wondered,
with us; for the stories we
shared here, for the food
that nourishes us still,
and the company that will
again; we give thanks
for the phones and tablets,
the satellites and wires that bring
our loved ones to our tables,
though it is not the same,
for now, it is enough, reminds
us to hope for bodies to fill
these chairs again, for tables
to visit again, for company embodied
once more in the ‘breaking bread’
and sharing.

pause

in our sorrow, in our making
do, in our thanks for what has been
and hope for what will be
again, we see you,
Holy Friend, we feel
you, present in our lonely
days, never leaving us
alone: you are with us,
and we will sit with you,
broken bread of life. Amen.

We the devoted

Acts 2:36–42 

bread broken our prayers

speaking our story rising

Spirit our life's breath 

Unprecedented

Acts 2: 22–32 
a prayer of confidence in a time of uncertainty 

in these strangest of days
like nothing we've seen or heard
of before – we remember

we remember strange times
and uncertain seasons,
when the sun burnt too hot
and the snow lay too thick
for life to go on as normal

and we remember:
this, too, shall not last

we remember strange events
and dangerous days,
when tyrants reigned in terror
and wars cut down, cut off
and life was far from normal

and we remember:
love and kindness will overcome

we remember strange portents
and unsettling signs,
when heaven tore open,
when temples fell
and nothing was normal again

and we remember,
you are here with us, as well.

Amen.

Peace for the hardest of times

Acts 10:34-43 

tell good news of peace
to all the earth,
tell good news of peace

though the earth is wounded,
scarred, and scorched, is made
a wasteland before our eyes, oh

tell good news of peace
to all the earth,
tell good news of peace

though homes have fallen, lives
are lost or changed forever,
livelihoods gone up in smoke -

oh, tell good news of peace
to all the earth,
tell good news of peace

though kangaroos, possums,
and koalas flee the flames or
far too often perish, with herds
and flocks, and packs, and dens -

tell good news of peace
to all the earth:
oh, tell good news of peace

with teams of brave ones,
flying tanks and leaky buckets,
pour water on the burning earth
with love and care and our protection

with silent presence stand beside
the grieving, the angry, the utterly bereft,
with love and care and deep compassion

with gentle calm accept the trust
of animal to human in these upside down
times of need and bind the wounds,
quench the thirst with love
and care and hopeful devotion

oh tell good news of peace
to all the earth:
tell good news of peace.

Jesus ascends. Acts 1:1–11

by way of introduction to this new site, here is a prayer for the feast of the Ascension - 5 May 


Is this the time
that we expected, as we lived,
ejected from home and country,
objected to by powers that see
not the humans here before
their violent arrival?

It is not for you to know, 
but yet to hope, sing on although
the songs stick in your throat, to
dream on, envisioning a shape
for the shadow dancing on the wall,
showing you the light.

Why stand you there, looking heavenward? 
In a cloud he left you, in a cloud
he comes again: the cloud is you.
'You will be my witnesses,' you heard
him say – crowd in around the story,
shout loud the invitation from the hills,
the time is now and always, see heaven
here, be heaven here on earth.

Amen.