Play track 5 – Itunes ‘Into the Australian bush:magpies’ by Andrew Skeoch

Our senses are such a gift to us. The way we experience the world and our creator God.

Let us be aware of the gifts of this season as we come to God this morning.

I invite you to sit up straight, close your eyes, relax your shoulders and take some deep breaths through your nose.

Let us now relax and fall into the gift of summer sounds.

In your mind take off your shoes and feel summer under your feet. Where are you? What do you feel between your toes?

Take a deep breath in. Breathe in the fragrance of summer. What do you smell? What has the summer breeze and the rising heat caught for you?

Lick your lips. What do you taste? Savour for a moment the gift of summer foods, the season of fruits that run down your arm.

Take a deep breath. Meet Jesus where he has been waiting for you.  Say hi and spend a moment together.

You may like to write or draw a sensation, feeling, picture or moment of understanding that rose to the surface of your mind as we prayed this morning.

Fold these prayers into patty papers and float these prayer boats on the water trays at the front.

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss—
This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life;

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction—
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—
This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world—
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers—
This is true: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history—
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.

So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ—the life of the world.

From Testimony: The Word Made Flesh, by Daniel Berrigan, S.J. Orbis Books, 2004.

From our ‘celebration of the kids 2011′

Bubbles of Blessing

We are going to pray a special prayer for you now and as these bubbles fall on you, so do our blessings.

May you kids grow strong and happy. May truth be found on your words, stories, songs and dances. May faith, love, hope, compassion, justice and mercy be found in your heart. May you be a blessing to those around you and bring honour to God in your unique ways. May the Light of the World lead you in peace and joy to a full and wonderful life in Jesus. Amen.

Image and verses in italic on screen or paper.

Play Itunes Track ‘Dreamcatcher’ by Alexandre Desplat.

Prayer

I invite you now to take a piece of the clay.  Meditate on the picture of God as the potter and you the clay, just let your hands pray and make whatever comes.

Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way.
Thou art the potter – I am the clay
Melt me and mold me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still

Clay Prayer to Close

Lord God, who creates all things for a reason,

shape us like clay to your purpose, tell us

our true names.

Fire us with the Holy Spirit, in darkness

and in light.

Guide us to the people and places

that can work your will in us.

For we are ready, Lord,

to be made your servants and your disciples

in Christ’s name.

Amen

Prayer from Jane Holland, Warwickshire

The opening Meditation from our service last Sunday.

‘The Lords Prayer in Colour’

We are going to pray the Lords prayer together now, using colours that symbolize our prayer.

Praying team come up and stand at front with symbols ready. Readers please read the prayer slowly and place items down on table slowly.  Readers wait until the previous reader has finished placing down the obect and returned to the stage before beginning their part in the prayer.

Reader 1:

Our Father who is in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. (pause)

We place this white candle down, reminding us that your name is holy, pure as clean snow. The flame reminding us that you are in heaven’s dimension and with us now.

Reader 1 places candle down.

Reader 2:

May Your Kingdom Come, May Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. (pause)

We place this purple fabric down, the colour of royalty. As it unfolds, we pray that your rule will flow over everything and to every place. May every person and all of creation soon experience your way of peace and love.

Reader 2 places fabric down so that it falls on either side of table.

Reader 3:

Give us this day our daily Bread. (pause)

We place these green leaves down to remind us that we trust in You God to meet our every daily need like food, water, shelter and protection. We do not take these good gifts for granted.

Reader 3 places branch of leaves down.

Reader 4:

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. (Pause.)

We place this black earth on the table to remind us of our humanness, our grime. We ask for Your cleansing forgiveness and the strength to forgive.

Reader 4 places down plate of dirt.

Reader 5:

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (pause)

We place down the red apple, reminding us of our need for You to lead us away from those temptations and wrongs that evil has for us.

Reader 5 places red apple down.

Reader 1:

Let us finish the prayer together: Standing as the colours of the rainbow.

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Play Itunes Track ‘Daydream’ by Nitin Sawhney

I invite you to sit as comfortably as you can. Just relax as bring yourself before God this morning.

Lord we open the door and invite your Holy Spirit in.

I invite you to become aware of your feet, imagine them as roots of a tree. Place both of your feet firmly on the floor. Picture them tunneling deep into the earth, searching out water and nutrients.

Lord we desire to plant ourselves firmly in your love. We ask that our roots grow deep down into Your love, that your love draws up into us, filling us.

Like ripples in the water, may this love flow out of us extending to all beings. Beginning with those closest to us, out to friends, aquaintences, neighbours, strangers, those we find hard to love and to all creation.

Read Ephesians 3:14-21

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. (NLT)

—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!  Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!

Glory down all the generations!  Glory through all millennia! (The Message)

Amen

I invite you to take a few deep breaths and relax your body.

Play Itunes track ‘ Morning: Good’ by Paul Motian & Anat Fort.

Isaiah 2:3 says,

Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”

I invite you now to rest your left hand, with palm facing upward on your lap.  Point to the tip of your little finger on your left hand, and consider for a moment something that you bring on your heart this morning. Draw a line slowly from the tip of your finger to the palm of your hand.

These things we place in Your hands Lord. Returning to the centre, to your heart – our source of life and strength.

Point to the tip of your ring finger, and reflect for a moment on your home.  The place we leave and return to. Draw a line slowly from the tip of your finger to the palm of your hand.

These things we place in Your hands. Returning to the centre, to your heart – our source of life and strength.

Point to the tip of your middle finger, and reflect for a moment on the happenings of late. The pace, the experiences, the patterns of your life.  Draw a line slowly  from the tip of your finger to the palm of your hand.

These things we place in Your hands, returning to the centre, to your heart – our source of life and strength.

Point to the tip of your pointer finger and reflect for a moment on your hopes at this time. Draw a line slowly from the tip of your finger to the palm of your hand.

These things we place in Your hands. Returning to the centre, to your heart – our source of life and strength.

Point to the tip of your thumb and reflect for a moment on why you are here. Draw a line slowly from the tip of your finger to the palm of your hand.

These things we place in your hands. Returning to the centre, to your heart – our source of life and strength.

Isaiah 49:15-16 says,

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.

Amen

May your knowing
be undone.
May mystery
confound your
understanding.

May the Divine
rain down
in strange syllables
yet with
an ancient familiarity,
a knowing borne
in the blood,
the ear,
the tongue,
bringing the clarity
that comes
not in stone
or in steel
but in fire,
in flame.

May there come
one searing word:
enough to bare you
to the bone,
enough to set
your heart ablaze,
enough to make you
whole again.

Jan L. Richardson

Opening Meditation ‘ Prayer for the Walk’

Play Itunes ‘ Down to the River to Pray’ by Wanda Vick or ‘A New Life’ by Klaus Badelt

I invite you to place your feet firmly on the ground.

Feel the ground beneath your feet.  Notice your feet at rest.

Thankyou for bringing us to this place God, for gathering us together.

We come into your presence, resting in you, welcoming you, waiting quietly for you.

Psalm 62:5

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.

Play ‘sidewalk’ loop http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/index.php?ct=store.details&pid=V00301

We thank you for all those who have journeyed before us and lift up all who journey beside us, here, around Australia and all around the world.

Thankyou for the way Isiaiah, Jack  and Merinda are following you today, being baptized as you were, following you into the life you have for them, into the church community you have for them.

May we walk together with them into this world, bringing life, identity, rest, shelter, healing and peace to life around us.

We desire to place our feet in your foot steps Lord, for you have shown us the way to live and to love.

In the name of Jesus, our brother and our Leader, Amen.

Preparation:

Have 5 cups on each table – one with lit tea candle, one with half a vanilla pod, one with instant coffee grains, one with salty water, one with fruit eg. grapes.

Play itunes track ‘Lost Time’ (2009) by Tony Woollard

Cup of light – Lit tea candle in cup

Let us Come into God’s presence.

I invite you to watch the flame in the cup as we become aware of the gift of God’s Holy Spirit here with us, moving and breathing in us.

God we ask that you calm our confusions, our messy thoughts and feelings.

Cup of Fragrance – Vanilla pod in cup

I invite you to breathe in the smell of the vanilla seed.

In a world that desensitizes us we ask that your holy spirit open our minds.

Make us sensitive to your presence, always open to the life you want to give.

Cup of Bitter Taste – Coffee grounds in cup

I invite you to put some coffee on your tongue.

Lord God heighten our sense of shame – may impurities in our lives taste detestable.

May these impurities pain us so that we cannot live with them or consume them when they are offered to us.

Cup of Tears – Salty water in cup

I invite you to put some salty water – representing tears on your lips.

We are sorry for the sorrow we have bought to the Holy Spirit by the way we live.

We are sorry for grieving you, for breaking your heart.

You may like to dip your fingers into this water and flick the water away as we pray the following:

We get rid of the lies and pretending. The lies that we tell ourselves and each other.

We get rid of anger and rage towards others, of bitterness we hold onto.

We get rid of harsh words, rude words, cutting words.

Cup of Newness – Fresh fruit in cup

I invite you to take, touch, smell and eat some beautiful clean, fresh fruit.

Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes so we may live in our new nature – created to be like You.

We take in gentleness,

We take in sensitivity,

We take in tenderness

We take in forgiveness for others as we today have been forgiven by God through Jesus.

Amen.