3rd Sunday in Advent

Prayers inspired by: original prayers, Zeph 3:14-20, Phil 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18, Julian of Norwich

An approach, an acknowledgement.

E te Atua kaha rawa
E whakatata ana mātou ki a Koe
Titiro atawhai mai ki a mātou
Me ō mātou tini roimata
Ki a rātou kua wehe atu;
Ko mātou e noho tonu
I tēnei ao hurihuri –
Ka tangi ō mātou ngākau ki a koe.

God of unending strength
We approach You,
Asking that you look kindly upon us,
Especially those who weep
For the ones who have passed on.
We who remain in this ever-changing world –
Our hearts cry unto you.

We give you thanks and praise
For the promise of Your joy,
Whether or not we feel it now.
We wait for You,
And the time to come,
When you will gather us,
In your love, and all manner of things will be well.

For the Church.

E te Atua Aroha, God of love
Through Paul we are charged
To let our gentleness be evident to all,
Because You are near.
Help us, Your church around the world and here now,
To know that You are truly near.
And so to act on that knowledge.
Bless us to be your church in the world.

Bidding & Response

E te Atua aroha,
You are our God, we wait for you.

We pray for the world and for this place.

God, who is near,
We pray for Your world, and the scars of its new and old wars;
We pray for the peacemakers and change-bringers;
We pray for those who challenge power,
For all who reflect Your light and point the way,

And in this land, if we are called to share our shirt and our food with the one who has none,
help us to give with open hands.
Help us to know Your peace, which transcends all understanding, 
The peace that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

E te Atua aroha,
You are our God, we wait for you.

 
We pray for our communities and for our own needs.

God of compassion,
We thank you for the people we live near and among.
We pray for those who are lonely,
Those afflicted by illness, sadness, and incompleteness
At a time of the year that demands so much.
Bless our places of community, and of gathering.
Bless us in our own need,
that you alone know completely.
Help us to remember your joyful promise-

Of wholeness that await us still:

“At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring you home.”

E te Atua aroha,
You are our God, we wait for you.

Āmine.