Prayers for Worship
Lent 4
by Ron Gordon

John 3: 14-21

Collect:
 

Eternal God you caused light to shine across the earth to bring life and growth, 
and in Jesus the light of your love has shone into our hearts there to grow and prompt our response: 
as Jesus taught us, to love you with our whole being and to love our neighbours as ourselves. 
In this is eternal life in which we share all you offer here and now, and in the realm of your love always. 
Blessed is God forever. Amen.

Prayer:
 

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are exalted forever as the giver of life and light and love. 
You created and sustained all things. You called a wilful and rebellious people to be your own, 
but to them you showed mercy by sending the prophets to speak your word of judgement 
and loving kindness. In Jesus you have met us on our own level as human to human 
and spoken words of eternal life. Your love endures forever.

Lord Jesus, true word from the Father, you are exalted forever. You chose the hard way of struggling 
with us and for us, and offered yourself through suffering and death to liberate us and bring us to the Father. 
You give us the freedom to accept you with all that springs up of light and life, or to reject you 
and to surround ourselves with futility and darkness. You appeal to us lifted up on the Cross, 
which could not extinguish your love that endures forever.

Holy Spirit companion of the Father and Son, spirit of love, life and light, you are exalted forever. 
You prompt us with the words and deeds of God and open to us the nature of God revealed in Jesus Christ 
our Lord. You show us that Jesus by his death and resurrection is God’s acceptance of all who believe in him. 
You prompt us to put ourselves into God’s care and to come to the light leaving behind 
the deeds of darkness. Help us respond to your love which endures forever.

Truly most holy God, you are the very fount of love, flowing out to others and seeking 
not to condemn, but to bring all to life and light.

May we worship you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.

© 2009 Ron Gordon (used with permission)

into life
by Jenn Gordon
 
John 3:14-21

and so I sit
in soft seductive shadows

preferring the bland blanket
of distraction and denial
to the revealing light of day

electing to be embraced
by shades of  possibilities
rather than the searing heat of decision

choosing the anonymity and security
of the merging masses
to the radical risk of standing exposed

and still you come
to call us
into life

(Comments to Jenn at jennieg@labyrinth.net.au.)