Multi-Faith-Sacred Service
A Multi-Faith Sacred Service will be held on Sunday 30th November 2025 at 8am to 8:30am at Horseshoe Beach. Beautiful music, reflections and prayers from different traditions in keeping with themes in the Rising Tide People's Blockade. People from any faith and none are welcome.
Why not download the A4 flyer and invite others in your community.
Multi-Faith Sacred Service
Order of Service
Led by Rev. Alex Sangster
Reflective music by Rosemary Ponnekanti as we gather for our prayers this morning
Welcome
Acknowledgment of Country
We begin by acknowledging the Awabakal and Worimi peoples are the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters around us today, who took care of the environment with such wisdom. We lament with sorrow that this land was never ceded, nor was there ever any Treaty made. We pay our respects to Awabakal and Worimi Elders past and present and young leaders now emerging and we stand with them in their ongoing, courageous struggle for their human rights and protection of Country.
Gathering
We gather together as people of faith in our different traditions
to stand in solidarity
with our glorious glowing earth.
We plant our feet deep on Country.
We breathe in and out-
Ruach*, spirit, breath.
We hear oceans roar
and feel the wind upon our faces.
We are at- one with creation and all of life and so together
we gather
to defend and demand and activate and encourage
Chant: Everything is sacred, everything is blessed, all of life belongs here to find their sacred rest
* “ruach”, Hebrew for spirit, breath
Recognition and Confession
In this moment we acknowledge our brokenness, the ways we wound our lives the lives of others and the life of the world
moment of silent reflection with music
Words of hope
Let us set our feet upon the path of healing.
Let us be the repairers of the breach.
May we go out in joy and be led forth in peace,
that the mountains and hill may burst into song
and all the trees of the field once more clap their hands.
Readings from different traditions
A Dialogue from the Jewish tradition - Doug Hewitt
Mishkan T'Filah, A Progressive Siddur, p.257
For the expanding grandeur of Creation,
Worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies,
Filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations,
We are grateful.
For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides,
Its sunsets and seasons,
We are grateful.
For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises,
Its hopes and achievements,
We are grateful.
For human community, our common past and future hope,
Our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work
For peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression,
We are grateful
For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism,
For understanding of views not shared,
We are grateful.
For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world,
Who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom,
We are grateful
For human liberties and sacred rites:
For opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose,
We are grateful
We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes,
Not by our words but by our deeds.
Blessed are You, Eternal One: Your name is Goodness, and You are worthy of thanksgiving.
moment of silent reflection with music
A Muslim reflection:
Imam Dr Mohamed Mohamed from the Mayfield Mosque will recite and reflect on verses from the Koran.
moment of silent reflection with music
A Buddhist poem
Grace and the Great Turning
by Joanna Macy
When you act on behalf
of something greater than yourself,
you begin
to feel it acting through you
with a power that is greater than your own.
This is grace.
Today, as we take risks
for the sake of something greater
than our separate, individual lives,
we are feeling graced
by other beings and by Earth itself.
Those with whom and on whose behalf we act
give us strength
and eloquence
and staying power
we didn't know we had.
We just need to practice knowing that
and remembering that we are sustained
by each other
in the web of life.
Our true power comes as a gift, like grace,
because in truth it is sustained by others.
If we practice drawing on the wisdom
and beauty
and strengths
of our fellow humans
and our fellow species
we can go into any situation
and trust
that the courage and intelligence required
will be supplied.
moment of silent reflection with music
Call for Courage and Commitment
We stand in solidarity with the courageous work of citizens at this Peoples’ Blockade.
May it bear much fruit.
May our corporate leaders, our politicians and our everyday humble, holy, human folk
be awakened to the cost of not stopping Australia’s corrupt complicity with fossil fuels.
People: May it be so.
We call upon the Australian Government to commit to phasing out the export of coal and fossil gas and to transition to a sustainable economy, which is powered by clean, green renewable energy.
People: May it be so.
We stand in support of the people of the city of Newcastle. Together, as a country, we must work to transform this place from the world’s largest coal port to a hub of prosperity offering many job opportunities in sustainable industries.
People: May it be so.
We say together: The peace prayer of St Francis
Make us be instruments of your peace
Make us be instruments of your peace
Where there is hatred let us sow love
Where there is hatred let us sow love
Farewell – Blessing
SONG – Dare to Love Again
By Leigh Newton
- Dare to love again,
Dare to love again;
Love is the only revenge,
Dare to love again.
- Rising like the sea,
Rising by degrees;
Rise with love for what might be,
Rising like the sea.
- If not now then when?
If not now then when?
The future holds no promises,
Dare to love again.