Prayers

Come to God,
who wants us to flourish.

Come to God,
who writes the law of life into every heartbeat.

Come to God,
who knows our failings – but also our possibilities.

We’re here to see Jesus!
And news spreads fast –
but Jesus is troubled.

We’re here to see Jesus!
But unless the grain of wheat falls and dies –
it is just a single grain.

We’re here to see Jesus!
Save me from this hour –
but it is for this reason I came.

We’re here to see Jesus!
And there is a voice from heaven –
thunder? An angel?

We’re here to see Jesus!
And Jesus is lifted up from the earth
and draws all people together.
Here is Jesus!
Amen.

Just a tiny seed, (look at something very small in hand)
in the earth it goes, (point finger down into the earth)
just a little rain. (wiggle fingers as hands are lowered)
It begins to grow. (wiggle fingers pointing upward)

From that tiny seed (look at something very small in hand)
grows a mighty tree. (open arms out wide)
Branches spread out wide (stretch arms upwards)
shelter you and me. (move hands to protect head)

In that mighty tree (open arms out wide)
birds will perch and sing. (open and shut hand)
Like the tree, God’s love (open arms out wide)
from small seeds can spring. (look at something very small in hand)

For 3 voices

1 Come, I am making a new covenant with my people.
2 But we broke the last one.
3 And the one before that.

1 Come, I am writing my covenant on your hearts.
2 But David sinned against you.
3 And we are not much better.

1 Come, I have written my covenant into a human body.
2 But the grain of wheat falls to earth
3 and dies.

1 No, you don’t understand,
my covenant is the grain of wheat that dies and bears much fruit;
my covenant is not for constantly breaking and renewing.
It is eternal
and it is everlasting.
Amen.

You will need: newspapers, pencils, scissors and an ear of wheat template.

Distribute the templates to cut out. Then invite people to look through the papers, fi nd a news story where new life (or a new way of seeing things) is needed and cut it out. Ask people to stick their ear of wheat to the corner of their news cutting and add them to the Prepare the space display.

For two voices and congregation

What are you doing?
I’m planting seeds!

Wherever we fi nd devastation and hopelessness:
help us to plant seeds;
make us nurturers of fertile ground.

Wherever we meet fear and anxiety:
help us to plant seeds;
make us nurturers of fertile ground.

When we fi nd people who want to give up:
help us to plant seeds;
make us nurturers of fertile ground.

When people want to learn:
help us to plant seeds;
make us nurturers of fertile ground.

When people don’t want to learn:
help us to plant seeds;
make us nurturers of fertile ground.

Make us workers with you, Lord,
in your project of creation:
help us to plant seeds;
make us nurturers of fertile ground.
Amen.

Ripened grain swelling with promise
sways heavily in the breeze,
breaking the sun-dried, brittle stalk,
scattering the grain into the baked soil.

Rains wash the grain into cracks in the soil
and there they lie cocooned
in the warmth and the darkness,
protected in earth’s womb.

The nip of chilly frosty mornings
are banished by the rising summer sun,
pale white roots bury deeper to seek nutrients
and a tiny green shoot reaches for the sky.

Leaves appear, straining towards the light
stems grow strong and steady,
summer breezes ripple the maturing corn,
blazing yellow in the glory of the sun.

Small terracotta pots, painted with bright colours,
filled with earth and sprinkled with seed,
a splash of water and a place on a sunny sill;
tiny pots, gifting the seeds of our love for each other.

God of brightly painted terracotta pots:
plant in us the seeds of your love
God of the earth and tiny seed:
help us to grow in both the rough and the smooth.
God of the rain and the warming sun:
nurture us as we become a confident community.
God of dying and rising again:
help us to scatter the seeds of your love wherever we may go.
Amen.

I will be their God and they shall be my people.
I have written my law of love on their hearts.
Amen.

May the God who is patient with us
bless us as we carry our journey of faith into the week ahead.
May the Son who redeems us
bless us as we confess that we are broken and need healing.
May the Spirit who gathers us together
bless us as we seek to live as a community that lives in the light,
now and for ever.
Amen.