Praying Together 2021

221 Gather Light a candle as a sign of God’s presence and sit quietly. Ring a bell or chime to start the prayer. May the grace and peace of God be with you! And with your spirit. COLLECT Let us pray to the Lord who bends close to hear our prayer. (pause) Creator God, you guard us under the shadow of your wings. Protect our land, its creatures and its people. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah 30:23, 26 The Lord will send rain to water the seeds you have planted, and your fields will produce more crops than you need. When that time comes, your cattle will graze in open pastures. On the day the Lord binds up his people’s injuries and heals the wounds he has caused, the moon will be bright as the sun. The light of the sun will be seven times brighter than usual, and it will be like the light of seven days all at once. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. RESPONSE In today’s reading, Isaiah tells us that the Lord will send rain to water the seeds that have been planted. Do you like listening to the sound of rain? In many parts of Australia, it doesn’t rain very much at all, and farmers are often waiting for rain to come and water the earth. At this time of year, during hot Summer days, many people are experiencing drought. Let us spend a few moments a sking God to nourish the earth with life-giving rain. DISMISSAL May God’s face shine upon us and be gracious to us. Amen. May God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Ring the bell or chime to signal the end of the prayer. Extinguish the candle. Thursday Week 1 Advent 2 December 2021 “The Lord will send rain to water the seeds you have planted.”