A Prayer of thanksgiving and confession...

A female Blackbird sings in front of te matau a Pohe (the fish hook of Pohe) a bridge over the Hatea river in Whangarei

On Sunday we will be launching  Hope Whangarei. This is a new church which is an amalgamation of the three Presbyterian parishes in the city of Whangarei. I've just moved up to Northland to be part of this new adventure and this prayer is for the launch service... It reflects something of the beauty of the city and region. It is set in five groupings introduced by a two line heading and consisting of three stanza's with four lines followng this pattern  From... locating us in time and space, we... what is the action we are doing and for... the prayer itself... 

Almighty God

We praise you for the wonder of your creation

From our island home

We praise you for its unique flora and fauna

For bird song, kiwi call, gull swark

For delicate flower and giant forest kauri

From a city where we can look up and see the night sky

We thank you for the lights amidst the dark

For moon beam, star field and galaxy swirl

For the humbling vastness of the universe unfurled

From this Oceanside port

We give you thanks for the endless stretch of the sea

For rocky point and wave pounded sandy shore  

For quite Harbor beach, and mangrove lined inlet   

Loving  God

We praise you for your provision and care

From this place of fertile soil and temperate climate

We praise you for the bounty of sea and field

For food from orchard and garden

For the fresh water of rain and stream

From this city surrounded by hills

We thank you for your protection and keeping

For watching over our comings in and goings out

For guarding and guiding our footsteps

From the midst of our busy lives

We give you thanks that our times are in your hands

For being with us in all life’s stages and histories relentless march

For seeing us in our hour of need and drawing near

Father God

We praise you for mercy and grace

From standing here before the cross

We praise you for sending your son Jesus into this world

For his life and teaching to show the way

For new life in him for us, through his death and resurrection

From a church whose logo is the burning bush

We give you thanks for sending the fire of your Holy Spirit

For its leading and guiding, comfort and presence

For enabling and empowering us to live for, and witness to, Christ

From beside the Hatea river

We thank you for living water that flows through us all

For bringing us together today as one church Hope Whangarei

For your presence with us to bring healing and health to this place

Holy God

We come this morning and confess our sins

From the midst of our brokenness

We come to ask your forgiveness

For all that we have done wrong

For un love, hurtful word and action

From the midst of seeking our own comfort

We confess our inaction and neglect

For all the good we have left undone

For want ignored and love withheld

From being far off to being bought near

We thank you that you have heard our cry

For being faith and just

For forgiving us our sin and whipping the plate clean

God who is with us today

We pray that you would renew us again

From a place of being aware of our need

We pray you might fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit

For us to grow in the depth of our knowing

For us to grow in the depth of our love

From this time and place of new beginnings

May we know your presence to lead and guide

For us to come together as one church

For us together to share the hope we have in Christ

Here and now as Hope Whangarei

We ask you to help us serve you, each other and this city

For all people to come and know the love of Jesus Christ

For the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Amen