Students, staff and school communities of Lutheran schools across Australia are invited to celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week – a week of celebrating the growing, embracing and out pouring of quality lifethe growing, embracing and out pouring of quality life honouring the beauty and blessing that flows in all its fullness from the heart of our generous Godhonouring the beauty and blessing that flows in all its fullness from the heart of our generous God

Leader: Creator God, you have blessed us with gifts from your creative hand – with those qualities that make us who we are You have gifted us to beYou have gifted us to be You have gifted us to goYou have gifted us to go You have gifted us to doYou have gifted us to do Today we celebrate your good gifts to us!

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Look around our worship space and see all of the words describing gifts and talents we have identified. That is AWESOME! Let’s thank God for them…

Dear God You give gifts and talents to each person that’s each one of us.that’s each one of us. The gifts and talents are different for each person, that’s special!that’s special!

You give us gifts and talents so that we can fully grow, each one of us, to be the person you would like us to be – not to keep our gifts and talents to ourselves, but to help othershelp others support otherssupport others share with and care for othersshare with and care for others love otherslove others

We are your light, your hands and feet on this earth, our home. Teach us to value our own special gifts and talents. You have given us your Spirit to help us. Thank you dear God. Amen

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Bible reading and reflection

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A prayer of intercession Loving God For many people, too many people, the world is a sad place. They have lost hope, courage, their homes, their work, their smiles. They are hungry, sick, and sometimes forced to do things that they know are wrong For many people, too many people, the world is a sad place. They have lost hope, courage, their homes, their work, their smiles. They are hungry, sick, and sometimes forced to do things that they know are wrong. Surround them with your love:

If they are sad, bring them joy. If they are sick and hungry, give them strength and something to eat. If they are without hope, let your light shine in their lives. Help us to be supportive, helpful, caring…. We pray for our people in focus during NLSW, the people of Burundi and Sudan who are working through a resettling process, trying to get their lives back together again.

Guide and strengthen them in their efforts. Protect them from harm and danger. We ask, loving God, that you give us strength, too, and generosity and wisdom to act where action is needed so that we can be contributors to a quality life for others. We remember that we are, by your grace. We remember that we are, by your love. Amen

Symbolic action As the baskets are circulated through the worship space, place your ‘gift’, written on a piece of paper, into one of the baskets as a symbol that: this special gift is part of you, and given by Godthis special gift is part of you, and given by God you can ‘go’ anywhere with this giftyou can ‘go’ anywhere with this gift and you can use it for the benefit of othersand you can use it for the benefit of others

Creator God We name these gifts and talents you have given us (….list….) to acknowledge their presence and realise their worth in making a difference to life on this earth. We praise you for making us who we are!

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