Thursday, September 6, 2018

Prayer of thanks for Creation in an Auckland setting on Humanity Sunday as part of the season of creation


In September at St Peter's we celebrate the season of creation and while there is some good liturgical resources around I find that they often reflect the place they are written and don't always connect with us here in New Zealand and Auckland city. Auckland is  a place of unique beauty an isthmus between the Tasman sea and the pacific Ocean with a harbour on both coast, the coasts or totally different than each other as are the harbours, the land in between is dominated by volcanic cones. with both native flora and fauna and introduced plants and animals. We have an indigenous population, that we are wrestling with what it means to be in partnership with, and we have become more and more a world city with a multicultural population. 

This is a Prayer for what has been called humanity sunday which tries and tie all that together in giving thanks to God our creator. feel free to use some or all or none of it...  

For my overseas readers Tangata whenua is Maori for people of the land and refers to the Maori as the indigenous people of New Zealand. Gannet topped cliffs refers to a sea bird that is part of the Bobbie family , and can only be seen nesting on the mainland in two places in the world, both in New Zealand and one just a short drive from Auckland city at Muriwai beach, thus the image that goes with this post. Kauri, pohutukawa and Rimu and Rata are New Zealand native trees as are manuka  (which is more of a shrub) and flax, used by the Maori in their wweaving (so Bob and Weave is a play on words)… 


Creator God, Who spoke and it came into being

We gather to thank you for who you are

And praise you for the wonder of what you have made

We gather from our busy lives, united in your son our saviour

We come together in this place with its stunning uniqueness



You have made it all

And It is good



Thank you for the awe-inspiring grandeur of our island homes coast

The West coast’s surf pounded Iron sand and steep gannet topped cliffs

The inviting white sand and calmer seas of our eastern shore

Our cities harbours, one sun sparkled and gulf island sprinkled

The other mangrove and mud flat lined, vast and moody…



You have made it all

And it is good



Thank you for the land itself, this isthmus on which we have built,

Western rangers, bush lined and forest giant tipped

Terraced Volcanic cones through which our city swerves 

Rich productive soil, cluggy clay even swampy land

Gentle seaward slope, urban tall, suburban sprawl,  rolling rural farmland



You have made it all

And it is good



Thank you for The christmas red of pohutukawa, for  kauri, rimu and rata

The bob and weave of flax and cabbage trees in stormy wind

introduced specimens that line our suburban street

the fleeting beauty of delicate flower on roadside weed

fruit trees, vegetable patch and taste of herb from which we eat



You have made it all

And it is Good



We praise you for the wonder of animal life,

Soaring bird, dawn chorus chirp and morkpork call at night,

For coastal wader and ocean epic voyagers here to roost and rest

For fish and sea mammal, dolphin leap, seals asleep and whales to watch

For companionship of pet, and provision through farm animal graze.



You have made it all

And it is Good



This humanity Sunday, we thank you for the people around us,

Made in your image, diverse and different, called in your son to be one

Tangata whenua, their language and culture deeply rooted in this place,

People from all over, from way back or not that long who call here home,

With the different insights, delights, flare and fare we bring to the table



You have made them all

And it is very Good



Father God, thank you for your love in Jesus Christ

Because of Christ’s death, we can be forgiven and made clean and new

Because of Christ’s resurrection, we have new and abundant life

Thank you that you have sent your promised Holy  Spirit to dwell in us.

We pray we would know the truth today, we are forgiven and loved

Full of your spirit help us to care for each other and all of creation



You are remaking us all in Christ

You are so Good O God  

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