Published by the Uniting Church Assembly

God of Many Names
L God of a thousand names,
You come to us in many forms - manna to the hungry
R water to the parched
L embrace to the grieving
R rainbow to the despairing
L champion of the oppressed
R defender of the exploited
L friend to the lonely
R rescuer to the lost
L rest for the weary
R shock to the comfortable
L peace to the restless
R gift to the joyful
L mystery to the knowing
R revelation to the seeking
L manna, water, embrace, rainbow, champion, defender, friend, rescuer,
rest, shock, peace, gift, mystery, revelation...
In silence, let us reflect on what God's name is for
us at this moment...

(Silent reflection)

Let us give thanks to God.

ALL. God of many names. and still the one, true God,
You reveal Your name to us in our need,
yet remain beyond our control or understanding.
You are God. and we are Your people.
In trust and love. we commit ourselves to exploring and discovering
who You are and whose we are.

John and Norma Brown

Racism

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. Amos. 5: 24

"As the Indigenous people of this land, we fight for our rights such as: to be heard; to have access to our Sacred sites; to maintain and participate in our cultural ceremonies and to have our spirituality recognised; and for the survival of the many generations which are to follow. We the Aboriginals of Australia lift up our voices and cry: 'We have survived.'"
Racism thrives on dominance and control. It demeans the oppressor and destroys the oppressed. It goes against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It renders the oppressor and the oppressed into a state of spiritual disability. Lilla Watson, an Australian Aborigine writes:

"If you have come to help me you are wasting your time.
But
If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine
then let us work together."

Working together commits us into taking risks for each other;
recognising the dignity of every human being;
accepting the interconnectedness of justice and righteousness for all peoples.
Prayer
God of Justice, give us ears to hear with You the cries of
Your children held captive by race and colour;
God of Justice, give us eyes to see with You beyond race
and colour to dignity and identity;
God of Love, give us hearts to love with You beyond the
structures and systems we have created to keep Your
children in bondage;
God of Love, give us courage to seek reconciliation and to
be mediators for peace and freedom for all. Amen

Ranjani Rabera

"When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." (John 20: 19)

In the Moving

Prayer
It is a fearful thing to move, O gracious God.
The ones who wait for us may not be kind.
We may never know what to say and what we do may be misunderstood.
Our faith may fail and justice may keep traveling into the distance before we reach it.
Be present in our moving, O God of the human and the small ones,
flow through our life in freedom, fill our hearts with Your courage
and breathe into our souls Your wisdom and love. Amen

Dorothy McRae McMahon

Mysterious, stranger God
Never confined by culture, colour, class or creed,
Meeting us anew in the mystery of the stranger,
Becoming in Jesus both refugee and migrant.
Thank you for newcomers,
Settling bravely in Australia's remoteness,
Forsaking familiar, families and friends,
For stranger's insecurity in a strange land.
Stranger God of the stranger,
Ever welcoming excluded outsiders
Celebrating life's richness in difference and diversity,
May your Spirit still stir this cultural mix, Australia,
That we may continue to embrace the gift of new migrants,
Including their skills, valuing their difference.
And in them, meeting You.

Frontier Services

"How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity.
It is like precious oil poured on the head...
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
Even life for evermore."
(Psalm 133, NIV)

Prayer
My dear Lord,
We are amazed by the way of Your creation.
You created us all different but in Your own image,
And You said, "It is good!" with full satisfaction.
When we were rebellious against Your throne,
You scattered us in different languages.
Now we can see that You are gathering us back.
People are moving into safe places to live,
forming multicultural communities together.
Lord, we look up to You, searching for Your work.
What does this change mean, Lord?
What is Your will to fulfil through this huge change in our time?
Show us Your ways, O Lord.
Guide us in Your truth.
Teach us how to live all together in harmony and in unity.
We are all different,
But together, we want to please You and glorify You,
as Your precious and holy people.
Amen.

Seongja Yoo-Crowe