Christ our king
we praise and bless you that you gave up heaven to come to be with us, to become fully human, to live among and with us, to share our pain, our sorrow, our joy, our laughter.
Through being with us, you taught us how to love, and showed the greatest love of all, love willing to give itself up for friends.
Teach us to be willing to love others without condition, and be willing to place our friends needs before our own, that your love will be know and made complete in our relationships with one another.
We bless and praise you that you call us friends, and for the blessing of friendship. It enriches and enlivens us, making us whole.
With friends around us, we can share the good and the bad, the lows and the highs.
We bring before you those who feel they have no friends.
Those bullied at school and work
those suffering with mental health problems
the isolated, who may go days without seeing another soul
be with them, Loving God, and in your holy spirit, guide and enable us to reach out to all who feel they have no friends, that they can know you call them friends, through us reaching our in love and friendship to them
We bless and praise you that we live in a country where we are able to freely and peaceably take part in the democratic process.
May all those who were elected to office on Thursday honour their commitments, serve with integrity and work with one another to for justice, equality and fairness for all who call this country their home
Jesus, our friend
we are blessed to call you our friend, and to call all who love and serve you friends, in this church, with our sister church in Saline and your church throughout the world.
As friends, united in your love, may we work together, to support and sustain one another, in bad times and good, that together we may bear the fruit you wish us to give to the world.
The fruit of love, shown in and through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whom we are united in love.
Amen