Service theme: ‘Being Christian’: Truth, Talk and Anger
(Acknowledging inspiration from Colin Gibson’s hymn, May the anger of Christ be mine).
We pray in solidarity with the peoples of the world.
May the anger of Christ be ours
As we stand for justice and work for peace.
We give thanks for this place and its people:
a community where we take the wisdom of our past
and re-form it to meet our 21st Century understanding;
an environment of enquiry and renewal,
reinterpretation and fresh understanding;
a place of restoration to wholeness and spiritual wellbeing.
May the anger of Christ be ours
a focused, protective energy
while we protect the rights and dignity of others.
We acknowledge with thanks, everyone in this faith community who works for peace and justice—the volunteers, the marchers, the submission and letter writers, the petition signers, the liturgy creators and speakers; and those in paid roles whose employers support justice and compassion.
We give thanks for the members of our community
who help us understand the issues of the day, and our social justice coordinator who draws together our ideas and initiatives, so our work for peace and justice is harmonious and effective.
May the grace of Christ be ours
as we prioritise and plan, act and inform
as we realise the Beloved Community, here and now.
We acknowledge the banning of single-use plastic bags
as a small but significant first step to reduce the pollution of our beaches and oceans and landfill.
We determine not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem we humans have created, but to do our part—however small—to dispose of our leftovers thoughtfully; to make careful purchasing decisions, and encourage retailers to reduce and recycle unnecessary packaging.
May the action of Christ be ours
As we find new ways and rediscover older ones, to care for our environment, our oceans and our earth.
We think of people and places in need, in the wider world, and name a few today.
We hold in our hearts the families of children killed in an air strike in Yemen;
We think of the families of 260 people killed in earthquake and aftershocks on Lombok and the 20,000 people who have lost their homes.
We grieve with grieving communities in North America, where shootings in Canada are increasing;
with the families and communities in the US
where a disproportionate number of Black people are killed by police, and a disproportionate
number of white men gun down schoolmates and colleagues.
And we think of our own homeland, Aotearoa, where Māori—particularly young men—are
profiled, arrested and imprisoned in disproportionate numbers.
May the love of Christ be ours
as “In everything, we do to others
as we would have them do to us”.
Amen
words of spirit and faith 