Australia Day call to worship

God was here in this spot

When the earth was a formless void.

God was here in this spot when the land rose up and the mountains and rivers formed

God was here when just the indigenous people moved from place to place

God was here when the first European settlers arrived and then when people came from many different lands

And God is here now

With us

Enjoying our company

Alive and well

Still creating

still knowing

still loving

still making all things new.

Come, let’s worship our God!

Australia Day weekend prayer of thanks and confession

Loving God, we live in an amazing place

And there’s so much to be grateful for here. 

For beaches and big waves for boogy boarding

For juicy peaches and lamb chops

For everyone being able to go to school (even if we don’t always feel like that’s what we want to do.)

For being free to believe what we want to believe

For peace and feeling safe

For police and health workers and teachers

And places to go if we need help.

For electricity and clean running water

For wide open spaces and fresh air.

These things are so good.

Thank you God.

But sometimes we take good things for granted

And forget to be grateful.

We’re sorry.

Sometimes we’re no good at sharing

and want to keep all the good things to ourselves.

We’re sorry.

Sometimes we’re not good at being mates.

We’re  sorry.

Sometimes we don’t give people a fair go.

We’re sorry.

Help us to live as grateful, welcoming, fair, loving people of God.

Amen.