Winter Prayers and Worship Resources

1. Winter Prayers and Worship Resources Compiled by the Reverend John Dunn

2. Theme Prayer Lord, your door is always open to us. Your heart is always open, overflowing with love. Help us, your church, to keep our doors open to all who struggle with poverty or homelessness. Give us open hearts,to recognise our sister, our brother, in need. And fill us with the will to work in our community and our country towards ending the pain and waste that poverty and homelessness create. In the name of the one who emptied himself of all but love, our Saviour Jesus. Amen Adapted from “Poverty & Homeless Action Week”, UK 2008 UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

3. Prayer for the Work of UnitingCare West • God of Hope and Joy • In your greatness you call all • To seek those who are lost, • forgotten and isolated. • God of light and strength, • By your Grace • you call us all to be together • To journey our understanding of the Way. UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

4. Show us all the way forward • Into this world you love, • To be your hands and heart, • To respond with willingness and humility, • To love and share • as you have loved and shared. • Send us all to the edges, • Give us all the grace to stand beside • Those who are voiceless, • marginalised and rejected, • Those who experience pain and hardship, • Loneliness and grief, coldness and hunger. UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

5. Show us all how to care, how to listen, • How to respond, how to love, • how to proclaim and liberate. • Lead all who serve in your name so that in being • your hands and heart, • We may ever faithfully • walk in your Spirit. • Amen • Adapted from UnitingCare Launch Prayer UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

6. A prayer of confession... Lord whose kingdom includes everyone: Forgive us for the times we have discounted people who are not like us; Help us to mirror your welcome and love in our churches, schools and communities; And keep us in the knowledge that all people and places count in your eyes. In Jesus’ name Amen UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

7. Christ has no body now on earth • Christ has no body now on earth but yours, • no hands but yours, • no feet but yours; • yours are the eyes through • which to look out Christ’s • compassion to the world, • yours are the feet • with which he is to go about doing good, • and yours are the hands with • which he is to bless us now. • St Teresa of Avila UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

8. Our own part in your world(invitation to make an offering) • God our Creator, • in your hands is the outcome of everything. • What you ask of us is not that • we should solve every problem, • but that we should do our own part in your world • as faithfully as we can. • As the offering is received the gathered people pray .... • Receive us now with our gifts; • confirm us in the faith that Jesus is Lord, • and grant us always the help of your Holy Spirit, • for Jesus’ sake. • Amen • Liverpool Justice and Peace Commission UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

9. Open my eyes • O Lord, • open my eyes that I may see the need of others, • open my ears that I may hear their cries, • open my heart so they need not be without succour; • let me not be afraid to defend the weak • because of the anger of the strong,nor afraid to defend the poor • because of the anger of the rich. • Use me to bring love and hope and faith where it is needed • and so open my eyes and my ears • that I may this coming day • be able to do some work of peace for you. • Amen • Alan Paton UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

10. A prayer for the homeless ... • God of Justice,have mercy on those who sleep on the streets or in hostels, • on the floor or on a sofa,in store rooms or offices, • and those who know that their friends' hospitalityis at breaking point. • Help us to build a fairer society,where having no home does not exclude anyonefrom work and health and respect. • Help us to build a society where all may ‘dwell in safety’. • In the name of the homeless Saviour, Jesus.Amen. • A Prayer of the month from ‘The Well at Willen Community’ UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

11. A prayer for those losing hope ... • O God,who created us out of love,we pray for all who are losing hope.Help us to understand what it is liketo be poor or marginalised,or exhausted by the sheer struggle to survive.Fire our imaginations,and enliven us to work for the reliefof their suffering; through Jesus Christ our Lord. • Angela Ashwin, ‘The Book of a Thousand Prayers’, 2002 UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

12. For homeless children ... • Dear Lord, we pray for all childrenwithout a home of their own this day.Guide them to a place where theywill feel loved and cared for.Help us to support and cherish them,and give us the wisdom to discernhow best to guide them.For your love’s sake. Amen. • Lord Jesus, you began life homeless.Mary and Joseph protected you on the journey into Egypt.Grant that today's homeless childrenmay find such loving and faithful protectors,and bless all who care for these homeless young.In your name we pray. Amen. UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

13. A Commission and Sending Forth ... • Cease to do evil, learn to do good, • Search for justice, help the homeless, • The poor, the hungry, the elderly, • The lonely, the imprisoned. • May the love of God enfold us, • And the fire of the Spirit inspire us, • And may the blessing of the Loving God • Come down upon us and remain with us always. • Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. • Amen UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

14. Some suggested Hymns from Together in Song ... • When I needed a neighbour,Sydney Carter 1915-2004 • 650 Brother, sister let me serve youRichard Gillard 1935 - • God of freedom, God of justiceShirley Erena Murray 1931 - • Jesus Christ is waiting, John L. Bell 1949 – • Touch the earth lightly,Shirley Erena Murray 1931 – • 681 Lord let me see,Ross Langmead 1949 – • 690 Beauty for brokennessGraham Kendrick 1950 - UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011

15. If you wish to know more about UnitingCare West • or the 2011 Winter Appeal please contact 1300 663 298 • or visit our website at www.unitingcarewest.org.au • Thank you for your ongoing support. UnitingCare West Winter Appeal 2011