Prayer for Ukraine 16/10/2022

The war in Ukraine is now 234 days old

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world.

Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.

Centre yourself and pray…

O God of peace, our hearts are heavy
And our brains can barely keep up with the breaking news.
We don’t know what to say or what to do in a world so wounded.
So we come to you with hearts heavy for
All who sit in the crossfires of violence and acts of war.

O God of peace, be with the people of Ukraine.
With the mothers who carry babies to subway shelters.
With the fathers who hold their heads in their hands.
With the children who absorb the traumas.
Of violent acts of powerful men.

O God of peace, we don’t know the words to pray
For a warring world and all who are vulnerable in it.
We don’t pretend to know the extent of the damages
Or what tomorrow (or today) will bring.
But we know that you are a God of peace
And we can’t bomb our way to shalom.

O God of peace, comfort the crying and heal the hurt.
Tend the aching and soothe the fearful.
Make us instruments of your peace
Creating a sacred symphony where
Rhythms of grace are danced upon
And evil has lost its sting, now and forevermore.

O God of peace, hear our prayer. Amen.

Kayla Craig

Friday 28th October 2022

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world.

Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.

Centre yourself and pray…

Helpless and bewildered, we continue to watch the news from Ukraine. We continue to pray for peace, for all people there. We pray to the Lord in whom we place our hope.

Please join in prayer – with your own words or with the prayer for peace of St. Francis of Assisi:

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

Amen

Picnic for Nature   

Our church, in conjunction with the Nature Conservation Foundation of NSW, is holding a picnic at Blackalls Park on Sunday October 16th at 11.30am. Everyone is invited to come along and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. BYO food, drink, chair or picnic rug. 

                                                          PRAYER FOR UKRAINE 25/09/2022

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world.

Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.

Look at the following collage of windows from Mariupol, Ukraine

Centre yourself and pray in your own words…

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.
We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.
We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.
May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen

18/09/2022

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world.

Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.

Centre yourself and pray…

Loving God,

We pray for the people of Ukraine,

For all of those suffering or afraid,

That you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,

For compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world

 that in this time of crisis

We may reach out in solidarity

To our brothers and sisters in need. Amen.

(Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin)

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world.

Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.

Centre yourself and pray…

Loving God, your Son Jesus Christ, wept over Jerusalem. 
Today, we weep over Ukraine.

We weep for those uprooted from their homes and lives.

We weep for those cowering in basements.

We weep for those who have witnessed death and destruction on their streets.

We weep for those separated from parents, from children, from spouses and siblings.

We are amazed at the resilience of people seeking to comfort those in need and so we pray for Governments opening up borders so that Ukrainians can have safe passage.

We pray for churches and individuals providing food, clothing and shelter.

We pray for medical workers ensuring that shattered bodies are put back together again.

We pray for ordinary Russians demonstrating and voicing their disapproval of the military actions in Ukraine.

May the Holy Spirit give us the willpower to turn our tears into action also.

May we, through our words, prayers and example pursue the things that make for a just peace in the world today and especially in Ukraine.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen   


 from Dilys Ward 

Prayer for Ukraine 04.09.2022

Light a candle, as a visible sign of the light of Christ, who is the light of the world.

Take a deep breath. Feel the breath of God that has given you life.

Centre yourself and pray…

Six months have passed and the situation in the Ukraine continues. We hold the Ukraine people in our hearts and think of all those who have fled into nearby countries.

We pray that they will be able to find long term accommodation and work.

That they will be able to find friendships and spiritual communities to support them.

As winter advances, that there will be enough gas that everyone will be able to afford to stay warm.

That there will be spiritual unity in the churches and that it will be an example to the nations.

May God bless all throughout the surrounding countries who are sacrificing so much to help their neighbours. Encourage them and give them strength as they support the Ukrainians in their struggles to survive as a nation and as individuals.

We pray that the war will end, that families can be reunited, and that the trauma of their sufferings will be eased a little, as those around them support them in so many ways, both small and large.

Jordan Crispin (Pioneers Australia) and Eula McKane