Loving God,
As a nation
this week we have come together to grieve
We have
experienced the pain and suffering expressed in psalm 88:18
‘you have
taken from me friend and neighbour
Darkness is
my only friend’
We have been
wrestling with shock, our emotions going every which way
We have
wanted to show care and compassion but had to keep going,
Simply
getting the things that need to be done…done
Mixing tears
with our normal tearing around like mad things
In the face
of it we turn to you for comfort and help
We life up
our voices to you Our rock and our refuge
We thank you
for your great love for us
We
acknowledge we all are made in your image
Made for
relationship with you,
That each
human has dignity and value because of that
We
acknowledge we are broken and sinful
That we
turned away from your light and allowed darkness to flourish
We thank you
that you did not turn away from us
You sent
your son into this world as its true light
In Jesus we
beheld your glory, full of grace and truth
We have seen
the depth of your great mercy for us
In the midst
of the worst of our inhumanity
You gave
your son for our forgiveness and salvation
In Christ
his life death and resurrection, is fresh start and new life
We thank you
that you have come to dwell in us by your Holy Spirit
You are our
comforter and our guide
You are
making us into your new people,
As we walk
with the spirit you produce Christ like fruit in us
You enable
and empower us to show your love to one another
You are with
us to witness to the hope we have in Christ
To see
people come to follow you, in all nations everywhere
We
acknowledge that we are not finished products
That we are
sinful and do wrong things
We have been
confronted about evil and hate and unlove in our nation
We know
those things dwell within us as well
And we pray
that you would forgive us Lord
And renew a
right spirit within us
Thank you
again for your mercy and love
Thatas we confess
our sin you are righteous and just and forgive us
You wipe the
slate clean
We pray the
love and care and compassion we have seen this week
May not
simply be grief induced by may be a step towards genuine peace and care in this
country
We pray for
the families and friends of those who have died
May they now
comfort in the midst of their mourning
We pray for
the Muslim community in New Zealand that they will feel safe and welcome
We pray for
those still injured that they may know your healing hand
We pray for
medical staff for your guiding hand and presence
We pray for
our police and emergency workers
That they
may experience your presence and know peace and healin
We thank you
our leaders, political and cultural and religious
People who
in the face of sorrow and terror have given hope,
Who have
helps show us how evil can be overcome by good
We pray you
would fill us with your spirit afresh this morning
To be able
to share your love and our hope
To the glory
of God father son and holy spirit Amen
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