Showing posts with label Peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peace. Show all posts

Tuesday, 17 August 2021

Oh, sigh with us


Prayers for the world, August 2021 


The sea bed shuddered,
rocking the islands cradling
fragile lives not yet restored.

pause

Creator of all, through you
we, too, are breaking again
with the people of Haiti,
with all life on Haiti,
with death and grief and pain
through the land of Haiti.

Creator of all, sigh with us;
then show us how to endure together.


The tanks thunder, guns
flash and bullets rain
on towns still not standing tall.

pause

Sustainer of all, through you
we, too, are breaking again
with the people of Afghanistan,
with all life in Afghanistan,
with death and grief and pain
through the land of Afghanistan.

Sustainer of all, sigh with us;
then show us how to resist together.


Flames engulf forests and the smoke
chokes clouds and all below,
earth groaning, but is the pain rebirth?

pause

Breath of all, through you
we, too, are breaking still
with all creation,
with all life in creation,
with death and grief and pain
through all creation.

Breath of all, sigh with us;
then show us how to change together.


Doors shut us in again, borders
lock us out again, invisible wolf
huffing and puffing the house down.

pause

Healer of all, through you
we, too, are breaking still
under this virus,
life with this virus,
death and grief and pain
with this virus.

Healer of all, sigh with us;
then show us back to life together.


Creator of seas and islands,
Sustainer of justice and peace,
Breath in all that lives,
Healer of all that breaks:
sigh with us and
then show us how to thrive, together.

Amen.


Fellow creatives and ministers, Alex Sangster and David MacGregor continue this mood of prayer, with O God of the Sorrows w. Lord Have Mercy. 

Sunday, 18 July 2021

with Jesus

John 6:1–21 

withdraw to the mountaintop,
the sacred height, the thin
place; withdraw into the Presence
of God 

follow the Son of Holy One,
through valleys, over hills, follow
the Son of Holy One, seek, and find
God's peace 

look for the little one, the poor,
the young, the unlikely one – look
where you think you can not look and see
your God 



 

Sunday, 11 July 2021

The rhythm of our days

Mark 6:30–34, 53–56

May the rhythm of our days
include gathering together to share
all we have done, who we have met; 

include a coming away to a deserted
place alone, to rest awhile, be fed; 

include compassion, open eyes
and open hearts to those whose need 
we can meet, today; 

include courage for crossing stormy
seas, wisdom to recognise the Sacred,
patience as we learn how to follow;

include mooring our boat in new places,
meeting strangers with peace that heals. 

May the rhythm of our days
resemble yours, Jesus our guide
to life, and may we know, ourselves, the peace 
with which you call us to meet each other. 
Amen. 


Sunday, 13 December 2020

Help us carry your light


Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26 
Advent 4: Love 

We praise you Holy One,
giver of peace everlasting. 

In the midst of chaos,
troubled politics,
contagious viruses,
droughts, fires, storms, floods,
be our peace, we pray. 

We praise you Holy One,
faithful in steadfast love. 

In the midst of chaos,
fraught family tensions,
loneliness and isolation,
ill health, grief, hurt,
be our healing love, we pray. 

We praise you Holy One,
redeemer of broken promise. 

In the midst of chaos,
overwork, no work,
relocations, dislocations,
ever new beginnings, 
be the promise we can trust. 

We praise you, Holy One,
light in and after the darkness;
help us carry your light wherever we go. 
Amen

Sunday, 30 August 2020

Sing with your all


Psalm 149 

Praise Holy One! 
Sing a new song,
proclaim Divine wonder
among the people. 

Be glad in your Maker,
rejoice in your Liberator;
dance your praise, play
tambourine, piano, trumpet! 

Holy One delights
in their people,
showers blessings 
on the humble. 

Sing from where you are,
home, work, streets, fields;
sing with your being, 
with your love, your peace, your kindness! 

Praise Holy One!
Sing a new song,
proclaim Divine wonder,
dance, play, love! 

Sunday, 28 June 2020

Rescue me

Romans 7:15–25 



Tyrant's tendrils wind
tangled knots bind high, tighter: 
breath of Peace – release 

Wednesday, 8 January 2020

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.

Saturday, 22 December 2018

A story of justice, peace and joy

God give you comfort, gentle folk,
disturb you on the Way;
remember Jesus, child of Love,
was born on Christmas day
to save us all from tyranny,
for we have gone astray.

O, story of justice, peace and joy, peace and joy.
O, story of justice, peace and joy.


From Spirit, Wisdom, Creator,
the blessed angels came,
revealing to the shepherds:
the world has changed today!
A child is born, to Mary,
the Son of God, by name.

O, story of justice, peace and joy, peace and joy.
O, story of justice, peace and joy.


Now to our God sing praises,
all you within this place,
and with true loving kindness
each other do embrace;
thus Christ is born, and born again -
we need his light to blaze.

O, story of justice, peace and joy, peace and joy.
O, story of justice, peace and joy.


'A story of justice, peace and joy.'
Words: (c) Sarah Agnew 2018.
Tune: God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

Friday, 9 November 2018

Golden crystal hope

Hope is the gold we melt and pour
between the crystal pieces, shattered,
smatterings and scatterings beneath our feet. 

Tread carefullyhold gently the shards,
bear the wounds the healing cuts. 
Offer the sacred price for peace, to mend
the broken crystal at our feet.

May the Holy bless us as we go, in peace. Amen 



Written for the commemoration of 80 years since Kristallnacht, the state-sanctioned demolishing of Jewish synagogues, schools, homes, and businesses in Germany and Austria; written for the interfaith gathering hosted by The Canberra Jewish Centre and Wesley Uniting Church, 7 November 2018, at which was premiered the work by Elena Kats-Chernin, ‘To Mend Broken Crystal...’, which inspired this blessing.