Who is Messiah?

Mark 8:27–38 

failed saviour

rejected hope

source of shame: 

who is Messiah? 

Jesus, we say you are 

peaceful resister 

upturned expectation 

life beyond death

who is Messiah? 

Jesus, we say you are 

with our praise

with our confession

with our prayer

for one another

Jesus, we say 

you are our Messiah! 

Who else but you?

 John 6:56–69 

a statement of faith or commitment 

To whom can we go? 

Though you speak wisdom

we cannot understand

or accept, which spins 

our heads, till dizzying,

we stumble and fall – 

To whom can we go? 

Though others mock and scorn

this foolish way, this

nonsense giving away of love

and life as if it has no end – to whom 

can we go, though our fellow

travellers on your path

will leave us, leave you,

offended, upended, beyond 

all bearing? O, Jesus, 

to whom can we go

for words of eternal life,

for embodiment of Holy One – 

to whom, if not to you? 

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We remember the Way

Affirmation of Faith

Lent 3. Year B. 

Exodus 20:1–17 

As we travel through this season

of turning and returning back to You,

dying to the ways of death,

living again Your Way of life,

we remember the rule you gave

to our ancestors in Spirit,

we remember, and we renew

our part in this promise. 

We remember You,

Holy One, our God,

who brings us into freedom. 

We worship only You. 

We will not make an idol

of anything found on Earth,

not bow down or worship

any god but You. 

We will honour the Name,

the Holy Name,

and will not tolerate misuse 

of the Holy Name. 

We will rest. Will breathe. 

Will set time aside for You alone. 

We will honour those who go

before us: parents, elders, ancestors. 

We will treasure life, preserve it. 

We will treasure relationship, and be faithful. 

We will take nothing that is not ours.

We will not lie, or deceive;

will not betray our neighbour,

not look at our neighbour with greed or envy. 

We will love and honour Holy One.

We will love and honour neighbours,

human and not human, and ourselves. 

May it be so. 

Amen. 

Who is Holy One?

Isaiah 64:1–4 

Advent 1: Hope 

Who is Holy One? 

The One who dwells in heaven

The One who dwells on hearth 

The One whose hand made all things

The One whose hand holds all things 

The One who looks with favour on a humble spirit

The One who looks with favour on the receptive heart 

The One rejected by those who diminish life 

The One rejected by those who worship idols 

The One we did not answer when called 

The One we hurt with our turning away 

The One who calls again, anger put aside 

The One who redeems again, Love personified  

A prayer like Paul's

Ephesians 1:15–23 

for the church 

We pray for your church,

Holy One, descendants 

of those to whom Paul wrote. 

May your church and its people

live faithful to the Way of Jesus the Christ,

show love for each other,

be grateful for each other,

pray for one another always. 

Give to your church and its people

your Spirit of Wisdom, and may we

accept this gift, this presence,

this Way, wholeheartedly. 

Help us to live with hope,

trust in your empowerment,

and share these gifts with the world. 

May your church and its people

proclaim the good news of life

in all its fulness, proclaimed by Christ

in his living, his death, his

return to life. 

May your church and its people

be known by the world to be

the body of Christ, embodying

his Way of Love, Peace, Justice,

enacting hope and trust in you,

Holy One, Holy Three, 

Parent, Wisdom, Spirit

incarnate in Jesus the Christ. 

Amen. 

All Saints' Day Prayer

 1 John 3:1–3 

To be child of Holy One 

is to hope

that the dust will fall

from feet unwelcome 

across hostile thresholds 

that the system's shackles

do not bind us, as it seems

at present 

that the light piercing 

cracks in this broken

world is coming for us. 

We hope, because the Holy

children who went before

showed us how to hope,

and we give thanks 

for the saints, the flawed

faithful, our kin. 

We hope, because the Holy 

child Jesus lived this hope 

among us, showed us how 

to hope; and we give thanks

for the human incarnation,

the Spirit with him, Wisdom

within him, Creator before 

and we accept the invitation

to hope – to be 

child of Holy One. 

Amen. 

What really is

1 Thessalonians 2:9–13 

Holy One, Holy Three,
help us to listen

and hear from each other

your voice, your word 

of love; help us 

to speak so that others

may hear from us your

voice, your word of love. 

Amen. 

for what we may be remembered

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 

Dear Holy One,

as Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy wrote

with thanksgiving and joy

to the church in Thessalonica 

so long ago, 

we write in hope for ourselves: 

May we be a people 

mentioned in the prayers of others,

remembered before you

as faithful, loving, steadfast

in hope in Jesus the Christ; 

may we be siblings known

to our kin in Christ as 

beloved of Holy One, showing

in our way of being that we have chosen

to follow You, through what kind

of people we prove to be. 

May we be imitators of Christ

and the faithful saints gone before; 

courageous under attack and temptation,

inspired by the Holy Spirit,

and example to other members

of your Body – may our 

commitment to You be known 

by all, our welcome of all,

our resistance to this world's idols,

our love for Christ who rescues – 

Dear Jesus the Christ,

may we be a people

worthy of your name. 

Amen. 

More like my teacher

Matthew 10:24–39 

Jesus, bid me lose my life
so I may find more life with you.

Jesus, bid me stand my ground,
so I stand for peace with you.

Jesus, bid me claim your Way,
so I may enter your kin-dom now.

Jesus bid me risk my life,
so I may gain a life worth living.

Jesus, whisper life to me,
that I may shout it with my being.

Jesus, meet me in the dark,
and in the light I'll speak with freedom.

Jesus, make me more like you:
whisper, linger, bid me come to life!

Christmas Psalms

1. All sing to our God 
a psalm of praise (after Psalm 96)

Sing, sing a new song to our God!
Sing, sing a new song, all the earth! 

Sing with praise, with thanks for this hope;
proclaim the grace of God, day after day,

declare it far and wide, the shining Divine glory,
sing with all peoples what the Holy is and had done!

Sing, sing a new song to our God!
Sing, sing a new song, all the earth! 

Holy One is marvellous, wondrous, worthy of praise;
above all, most worthy of our love and honour, Holy One.

Creator – Wisdom – Spirit breathed life into being:
sing with all that lives the shining splendour of our God!

Sing, sing a new song to our God!
Sing, sing a new song, all the earth! 

Families and nations, sing your loyalty to Holy One,
worship with your all, the source of life and love.

Holy One will look on all with equal love,
Holy One offers welcome: let us sing, let us sing!

Sing, sing a new song to our God!
Sing, sing a new song, all the earth! 

The heavens resound with joy, the earth with gladness;
the seas sing fathoms deep, the earth reaches high;

mountains, forests, birds fly high;
dolphins, starfish, coral dance below.

Sing, sing a new song to our God!
Sing, sing a new song, all the earth! 


2. Hope will overcome 
an affirmation / response to the story (after Psalm 97) 

Hope reigns, hope will overcome.
From furthest shore to tallest mountain,
in villages and cities, on farms and dusty tracks.

Hope reigns, hope will overcome.

Clouds assemble, thunder forebodes,

justice rises from rubble, a sure, resilient throne. 

Hope reigns, hope will overcome. 

Those who would oppress, who bow

before idols of power and wealth: beware! 

Hope reigns, hope will overcome. 

Earth remembers its Creator,

the people join the restoration. 

Hope reigns, hope will overcome. 

Light is born in the timeless story,

love is born in hearts that listen. 

Hope reigns, hope will overcome. 

Love, be thankful, look up:

hope reigns, hope will overcome. 

 3. Go out rejoicing 
A sending out (after Psalm 98) 

Marvel, wonder, rejoice!
Holy One plays us a new song.
Holy Presence revealed again,
in ever new melodies, so sing:

Marvel, wonder, rejoice!
Holy One remembers love,
Holy Presence revealed again,
for all, for all: so love!

Marvel, wonder, rejoice,
Holy One restores hope and justice.
Holy Presence revealed again
in you, your hope, your justice.

As you go to sing the song,
to love and hope and do justice,
know that Holy One is with you,
always again, revealed in the light.
Amen.

of faith and conviction: three

Praying with 'the Hebrews'. Suite for Year C portions of the letter. 

Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16 

in hope, with conviction,

remember

the example you have seen.

go on, with mutual love: 

look deep for the angels 

in the guise of strangers;

see the prisoner, see

the tortured, as if your own

reflection.

go on, with mutual love: 

honour love and covenant,

yours, your neighbours'. 

go on, with mutual love: 

trust the Holy, do not fear,

and so, show gratitude,

know peace, be content. 

go on, with mutual love,

with Jesus the Christ,

offering praise to Holy One;

be kind, be generous,

delight the Holy One. 

in hope, with conviction,

we see you, Holy One,

we stand in your holy realm. 

Amen. 

of hope and conviction: two

Praying with 'the Hebrews'. Suite for Year C portions of the letter. 

Hebrews 11:29–12:2 

we see you, Jesus,

Christ crucified and risen;

we see you, Jesus, 

teacher of hope and conviction;

we see you, Jesus,

chooser of joy and love;

we see you, Jesus,

showing us Holy One, again. 

for in our story we have also seen

Rahab the rescuer, rescued;

Daniel who shut the mouths of lions,

and David conquerer of kingdoms,

men who sang praise to Holy One. 

we see the Holy One we know in Jesus

in the tortured and mocked,

the just and wise,

the courageous, the faithful,

the ones to whom new life was promised

in our long, long story. 

and so we stand,

with the crowd that has ever

borne witness and we bear witness

in hope and with conviction,

to you, our Holy One: 

and in us, 

may you be seen. 

Amen. 

of hope and conviction: one

Praying with 'the Hebrews'. Suite for Year C portions of the letter. 

Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16 

we remember.
in hope, with conviction,
we remember. 

in hope, with conviction,
Abraham obeyed your call;
went, though he knew not where,
stayed, though he was not yet home,

and we remember.
in hope, with conviction,
we remember. 

in hope, with conviction,
Abraham looked to the future,
promised by Holy One,
to be built by Holy One,

and we remember.
in hope, with conviction,
we remember. 

in hope, with conviction,
Sarah received the promise,
welcomed the chance of new life,
trusted the One who was faithful,

and we remember.
in hope, with conviction,
we remember. 

in hope, with conviction,

our ancestors looked for home,

not known, not here,

home with you, Faithful One: 

and we remember.
in hope, with conviction,
we remember. 

in hope, with conviction,
Holy One prepares our home,
Holy One called our ancestors home,
Holy One calls to us: come home –

and we remember.
in hope, with conviction,
we remember. 

we remember. Amen. 

Keep the word of love

John 14:23–29 

an affirmation / commitment to God 

Jesus, we love you;
we celebrate your return
into the Holy Embrace,
the Source of love and life.

Jesus, we hear you,
your word of love and justice,
and we promise to walk
your Way.

Jesus, we thank you;
your blessing and challenge of peace
give us courage and purpose,
to be your peace in the world.

As you are in the Holy Three,
we accept your invitation to join you,
welcomed home, a welcome
we offer to our neighbours
with our love, our peace, our kindness.

Amen.