Approach and confession prayer 4 February 2018

When the voice of God sounds in the earth,

let the people of God listen!

When the thunder and the wind roar,

when the breakers crunch on the flat sand,

when the peewit cries or the wood pigeon fills the space among the trees

with an unmistakeable cry,

let the human race be humble,

humble with praise and adoration for the Maker and Sustainer and Defender of creation.

When the voice of God sounds in the Church,

let the people of God provide its echo in the world.

When the words of Scripture exactly measure the state of the world,

when the cadence of a hymn expresses a falling tear,

when an idea on a preacher’s lips calls the world’s assumptions into question,

let the followers of Christ ensure that the sound is not restricted to the holy buildings alone.

When the voice of God speaks judgement to the world,

let its hearers feel remorse for the things that deserve to be judged harshly in their words and deeds.

When unkindness is unmasked by brave honesty,

when greed is revealed in the unfairness of society,

when injustice becomes visible because a prophet is nearby to name it,

let the agents of God’s powerful change name what is needed.

When the voice of God speaks promise

of a better tomorrow to a world with so much to mourn in yesterday,

let the faithful rejoice fearlessly.

When love is declared even in the midst of suffering,

when reassurance is given to someone who had no hope,

when an act of trust restores dignity to someone,

let the Spirit of God be heard fluttering through the air among people who have new possibilities.