Sunday 10 May (Mothers Day)
Today, on Mothers Day in Australia, we reflect on loving relationship as the Way to true life.
We warmly invite everyone to share in prayer and reflection as we travel through these unusual days. Here are some resources to assist. They can be used all in one go, bit by bit, or selectively, as suits your needs (privately, or with others).
May God bless us all with divine mothering love, as we continue to affirm resurrection in the midst of struggles and death.
Today, on Mothers Day in Australia, we reflect on loving relationship as the Way to true life.
We warmly invite everyone to share in prayer and reflection as we travel through these unusual days. Here are some resources to assist. They can be used all in one go, bit by bit, or selectively, as suits your needs (privately, or with others).
May God bless us all with divine mothering love, as we continue to affirm resurrection in the midst of struggles and death.
Acknowledgement of Country
Firstly, as we gather in God's presence, we acknowledge the land which is covered by the Milton parish, its traditional custodians, elders past present and emerging, and all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people in our communities. May we honour and share more deeply the wisdom of all, and walk in paths of just reconciliation and renewal of all Creation
Firstly, as we gather in God's presence, we acknowledge the land which is covered by the Milton parish, its traditional custodians, elders past present and emerging, and all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people in our communities. May we honour and share more deeply the wisdom of all, and walk in paths of just reconciliation and renewal of all Creation
Opening Reflections
Take a moment to breathe in God's Love as we open ourselves to journey in Christ. Rest in the love which conquered death. That love can give us peace and courage too to live and praise God in all that we face and feel. As today's Gospel reminds us, Jesus offers us a path of truth and life and the promise that in God 'there are many mansions' where we may rest and flourish. May we take a moment now to breathe that Life into our own lives...
Take a moment to breathe in God's Love as we open ourselves to journey in Christ. Rest in the love which conquered death. That love can give us peace and courage too to live and praise God in all that we face and feel. As today's Gospel reminds us, Jesus offers us a path of truth and life and the promise that in God 'there are many mansions' where we may rest and flourish. May we take a moment now to breathe that Life into our own lives...
You may like to join in/listen to, and reflect upon, the great hymn Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer
Opening Prayer - the Song of St Anselm
The use of feminine imagery for God is hardly new! It is found in prayer and reflection down the ages, including in the words of Jesus and elsewhere in the Bible. One notable example is the beautiful moving Song of St Anselm which is to be found in many Anglican prayer books including our own A Prayer Book for Australia. This was composed by Anselm, a great theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, and is a lovely prayer canticle to use in our worship as we offer our hurts and sins to God and seek God's compassion....
(nb more about Anselm can be found in this article by Canon Marian Free)
as we hear the call of Jesus to follow, listen and/or join in with this version of John Bell & Graham Maule's The Summons...
A Reading from the Gospel of John chapter 14 verses 1-14.
Please join in by reading this passage in your own Bible, or online here.
Reflections (by Penny Jones)
Mothering as source of life, truth and ways to love
click here to read
and/or click on the YouTube link below for Penny's reflection for today...
Mothering as source of life, truth and ways to love
click here to read
and/or click on the YouTube link below for Penny's reflection for today...
Prayers of Intercession
God of the Poor,
Friend to the Weak.
We pray for those close to us and around the world, as we continue to cope with COVID-19 through social distancing and isolation.
We continue to pray for strength during these hard times as we slowly and gradually return to life as we knew it. We are grateful for significant reductions in new cases of COVID-19, in Australia, but we can’t forget about the lives it has affected, the people who are facing unemployment, the 264 thousand death and the friends and families of the deceased.
We pray for them and we continue to pray for the men and women who are doing their best to combat the virus through means including researching a vaccine and helping to soften the unemployment curve.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
God of the Poor,
Friend to the Weak.
We pray for all the mothers and mother-like figures throughout the world, on this Mother’s Day.
We are thankful for their tolerance, compassion and loving support that and we are eternally thankful for their wisdom and guidance, that helped bring out the best aspects in ourselves and formed us into the people that we are today.
We pray that they also have strength during these harsh times and that they are still met with love and compassion from their families and children.
God of Grace,
Hear our prayers.
God of the Poor,
Friend to the Weak.
We pray for those dear to us, who are battling serious illness, injury or have recently departed from us.
We pray for their friends and family going through the cycles of grief, we pray that they’ll eventually find comfort and that those departed will continue to live on in memory.
God of Grace,
Hear our prayers.
(Tom Hammer)
God of the Poor,
Friend to the Weak.
We pray for those close to us and around the world, as we continue to cope with COVID-19 through social distancing and isolation.
We continue to pray for strength during these hard times as we slowly and gradually return to life as we knew it. We are grateful for significant reductions in new cases of COVID-19, in Australia, but we can’t forget about the lives it has affected, the people who are facing unemployment, the 264 thousand death and the friends and families of the deceased.
We pray for them and we continue to pray for the men and women who are doing their best to combat the virus through means including researching a vaccine and helping to soften the unemployment curve.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
God of the Poor,
Friend to the Weak.
We pray for all the mothers and mother-like figures throughout the world, on this Mother’s Day.
We are thankful for their tolerance, compassion and loving support that and we are eternally thankful for their wisdom and guidance, that helped bring out the best aspects in ourselves and formed us into the people that we are today.
We pray that they also have strength during these harsh times and that they are still met with love and compassion from their families and children.
God of Grace,
Hear our prayers.
God of the Poor,
Friend to the Weak.
We pray for those dear to us, who are battling serious illness, injury or have recently departed from us.
We pray for their friends and family going through the cycles of grief, we pray that they’ll eventually find comfort and that those departed will continue to live on in memory.
God of Grace,
Hear our prayers.
(Tom Hammer)
The Lord's Prayer
Please use whatever form seems best to you - or check out the NRSV version here
You may like to share in this beautiful song by Brian Wren and reflect further on today's theme of loving relationships...
Please use whatever form seems best to you - or check out the NRSV version here
You may like to share in this beautiful song by Brian Wren and reflect further on today's theme of loving relationships...
Giving Thanks (Eucharist)
The word eucharist means thanksgiving, and when we share bread and wine together as the body and blood of Christ, we use one of the Great Thanksgiving prayers in our authorised prayer book .
(see photo here from our worship in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at St Francis College in Milton).
When we have no opportunity to gather in this way with an ordained priest to lead us, we may still take time to give thanks for God's blessing to us, and especially the gift of love in Jesus Christ.
Perhaps you may like to read one of the Gospel versions of the Last Supper and Jesus' words at this point? - click here for Mark's Gospel chapter 14, 22-25
If you have an Anglican Prayer Book, you can also read one of the authorised prayers.
As you share food today, you may also like to remember God present with us whenever we take bread and wine, or anything else to eat.
Prayers of Commendation
Mothering God
Give us your Grace
Source of Love
Set us free for Life
Depth of Compassion
Open our hearts to Truth
Nurturer of Joy
Accompany us on the Way. Amen
(Jo Inkpin)
Let us ask God to give us grace to continue to live our lives in faith hope and love:
Touched by the light of new dawn
Send us out to dispel the darkness
Helped by your grace to look twice
Send us out to see you in the stranger
Nourished like seeds in rich earth
Send us out to bring life to the world
Rejoicing that death could not hold you
Send us out to bring joy to the sorrowing
Brushed by the wings of angels
Send us out to proclaim the good news.
(Penny Jones)
Mothering God
Give us your Grace
Source of Love
Set us free for Life
Depth of Compassion
Open our hearts to Truth
Nurturer of Joy
Accompany us on the Way. Amen
(Jo Inkpin)
Let us ask God to give us grace to continue to live our lives in faith hope and love:
Touched by the light of new dawn
Send us out to dispel the darkness
Helped by your grace to look twice
Send us out to see you in the stranger
Nourished like seeds in rich earth
Send us out to bring life to the world
Rejoicing that death could not hold you
Send us out to bring joy to the sorrowing
Brushed by the wings of angels
Send us out to proclaim the good news.
(Penny Jones)
A Blessing for this Easter season...
one more song for today - the great hymn of freedom and justice from Julia Ward Howe, originator of Mothers Day...
Offertory
In our usual worship, we include an opportunity to offer monetary and/or other gifts to God.
If you would like to contribute to the work of Milton Anglicans during the COVID-19 crisis, please feel to do so via electronic means -
via BPoint
or by contacting the parish office
In our usual worship, we include an opportunity to offer monetary and/or other gifts to God.
If you would like to contribute to the work of Milton Anglicans during the COVID-19 crisis, please feel to do so via electronic means -
via BPoint
or by contacting the parish office