Western Brier Lighthouse. Photo by Dennis Jarvis Western Brier Lighthouse. Photo by Dennis Jarvis. Used under Creative Commons Licence, Attribution, share –alike, CC2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brier_Island_Lighthouse_(1).jpg

We Gather: As we begin our day together, we remember that the graceful presence of our companion God is always with us; that the Spirit of Jesus is here among us; and that Jesus’ dream for embedding the reign of God in our spheres of influence is still our call and mission. Let us pause in God’s presence to reflect on what it means to us individually to be people of purpose, discipleship and mission…..

In our gathering in this place, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and the model of their stewardship of creation which has so much to teach us. As we pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging and extending that respect to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, let us take a moment to be mindful of the stories of all those who have walked before us and lived in a spiritual and sacred relationship with this country.

All: God of Love, as we gather here in your name, open our minds to know your voice. Open our hands to bring about your reign on earth and open our hearts to hold your Spirit. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, your Son and our brother, who calls us on to bring good news to all creation. Amen.

We Listen: A Reading from the Gospel of Luke (4:16-18) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” The Gospel of the Lord All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

My Lighthouse" In my wrestling and in my doubts In my failures You won't walk out Your great love will lead me through You are the peace in my troubled sea In the silence, You won't let go In my questions, Your truth will hold

My Lighthouse, my lighthouse Shining in the darkness, I will follow You My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse I will trust the promise, You will carry me safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Safe to shore

I won't fear what tomorrow brings With each morning I'll rise and sing My God's love will lead me through You are the peace in my troubled sea

My Lighthouse, my lighthouse Shining in the darkness, I will follow You My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse I will trust the promise, You will carry me safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Safe to shore Fire before us, You're the brightest You will lead us through the storms

My Lighthouse, my lighthouse Shining in the darkness, I will follow You My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse I will trust the promise, You will carry me safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Safe to shore

As people called and chosen, let us turn to God with our needs for the journey: We remember our call, to bring abundant life to the learning and living of all who are part of our school communities. That we will remain faithful to our mission… Lord Hear us. All: Lord hear our prayer

We remember our call to honour the dignity of each person we encounter in our work and to promote that vision in our formation of school communities. That we will come to know and see the face of God in all we meet… Lord hear us. All: Lord hear our prayer

We remember our call to live, and promote through our work, our global responsibilities in terms of justice, peace and ecological sustainability. That through every encounter with school communities, we will further this dream of God for our earth. Lord hear us… All: Lord hear our prayer

We remember that Jesus is our foundation, our source of life and our model. That each of us will continue to nurture our own spirituality and wisdom, so we can bring his good news of God’s love to all we meet. Lord Hear us. All: Lord hear our prayer

Bring forth Cards + Lanterns

Sign of Peace: As people called to live and bring God’s peace to all, let us offer each other a sign of that peace we all seek.

We Go into our Day: Let us call this blessing on ourselves as we go about our tasks: All: May our work excite our hearts and kindle in our minds a creativity to journey beyond the old limits of all that has become wearisome. May our work challenge us towards new frontiers that will emerge as we begin to approach them, calling forth from us the full force and depth of our undiscovered gifts. May the work fit the rhythms of our souls, enabling us to draw from the invisible new ideas, and a vision that will inspire. Amen!

Western Brier Lighthouse. Photo by Dennis Jarvis Western Brier Lighthouse. Photo by Dennis Jarvis. Used under Creative Commons Licence, Attribution, share –alike, CC2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brier_Island_Lighthouse_(1).jpg