08/07/2025
Amen π
As NAIDOC Week begins, we open this significant time with a prayer from Rev. Helen Richmond of Parramatta Community Uniting Church.
Loving God, from generation to generation you are faithful.
As we begin NAIDOC week we acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout this land. We pray for Elders as they pass onto the next generation, the richness and strength of heritage, faith, language and identity. We ask for guidance and strength as they face many challenges in their communities, supporting families who are disadvantaged and those who suffer racism. We lament the number of young Indigenous people caught up in the juvenile justice system, those imprisoned, those suffering trauma.
As our young people navigate the different demands and pressures of life, help them find self esteem in knowing they are loved by you, and connected to the those who have gone before who help point the way.
We pray that our young people may have hope as they face the future, and courage in shaping it.
God who covenants with us, we renew our commitment to covenant with you and one another towards a vision of your renewed world. Continue your work of healing our nation and restoring what has been lost. We acknowledge that the land was never ceded as we hear the cries for treaty. As we reflect on the history of this land and our place in it, we ask that you would decolonise our hearts and minds. Give to decision makers a willingness to listen to the wisdom of First Nations peoples and enact policies that undo harm and create inclusive communities, towards a just sharing of the resources of this land.
Help our congregations journey with local Indigenous people, building bridges of understanding, making opportunities to share stories and finding ways to work together. Enable, through your Spirit, true truth-telling and respect for one another, as we learn to care for country. Weave your diverse peoples together into the unfolding story of who we are and who can become through your liberating grace.
Amen.
Glenbrook Uniting Church