The Lord our peace

Yahweh Shalom – The Lord our peace

We praise you.

We don’t need to tell you that our world is troubled

Bushfires and loss

Wars and rumours of wars

Sickness, violence

El Roi – God of seeing

You already know.

We don’t need to tell you that we long for peace, peace for our community, peace for our world

But even in our own homes, even in our own minds, peace isn’t always to be found.

El Roi – God of seeing

You already know.

Peace is not easy,

Peace can be costly

even for you.

In these weeks of Advent we await again with joy the birth of the prince of peace

Knowing that in only a few months we will be experiencing the grief of Good Friday,

But you are Yahweh Shalom

The Lord our Peace

Your thoughts are not our thoughts,
    nor are your ways our ways

Yahweh Shalom

The author, architect and perfecter of peace

With you there is often a way through

A secret tunnel to forgiveness

A hidden doorway to reconciliation

An overgrown and unexpected path to a new and better way through

Help us to keep our eyes peeled for them

Peace is who you are

Peace is what you want for us

Peace is what you bring

Our hopes for peace are in the best possible hands.

For this we praise and thank you.

Amen

Thank you God that you are so very good

Prayer of praise

Thank you God that you are so very good.

Full of love and always wanting the best for your people and your creation

Thank you that you know us and notice  us.

We praise you for giving us life itself

and all that we need to live and to grow

We thank you for giving us the gift of each other

- a place to belong

Thank you for giving us the gift of freedom

Thank you that shared your life with us

You showed us how to live the very best life that could be lived

And then you gave life up

Until bursting forth again

Full of life

You beat death forever

So that we could live lives that are truly alive.

Christ is risen, he’s risen indeed

May our lives, on the good days and the bad days

The struggling days and the joyful days

The broken days and the beautiful days

Tell of your life in us

And our life in you

May our lives tell of your goodness to us

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

That's what you're like

God, we praise you for who you are

We are grateful for what you’re like

The solid rock when the whole world is shaking

The fresh air when the room is stifling

That’s what you’re like.

Warm sun on our back when the week has been wintry

Fresh shoots when everything seems to be withering

This is what you’re like.

Good food when there’s been too much junk food

Cool clear water when all other options are full of artificial colours and flavours and sweeteners and preservatives

That’s what you’re like.

The familiar voice when home is distant

The still small voice when the world is yelling at us

This is what you’re like.

God, we praise you for who you are

We are grateful for what you’re like

So in the light of all of that

We don’t know why we find ourselves pursuing things that aren’t like you

Or are the opposite of you

Why do we let ourselves get lured in by things that diminish us, or tire us out for no good reason;

Things that waste our time and resources.

But sometimes we do.

We’re sorry Lord.

Help us each day to keep an eye out for you

To find you

To follow you.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Alleluia on Easter morning!

Alleluia!

Lord Jesus!

You loved us, even in our unloveliness.

You showed us that on Friday.

In your birth and through  your life and in your death

You have made yourself known to us.

Our God isn’t one who stands off and watches from afar.

You are no fence sitter God.

You are in amongst it with us.

You have power over the natural world

You might have found another way

To bring us close to God

But you chose not to.

You chose death.

And in choosing it you took all its power away.

The Son of God

made himself weak

and laid down his body

to give us strength and life and health and hope.

Alleluia, Son of God in the body of a carpenter,

Who calls us by name and knows us as brother and sister and friend!

Alleluia, all powerful  Son of God,

King of Kings, Teacher and Lord!

Lamb of God,

you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God,

We worship you.

For the Lord God almighty reigns.

Amen