Greetings …
On 4 August it was National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. The
theme for this year is “we are the elders of tomorrow, hear our voice”.
With the current state of disaster this hasn’t received much airplay, but it is important to
remember that these are some of the most vulnerable people in our country. You might
like to join me in the following prayer written by Tarlee Leondaris and Melissa Newmann (UCA SA Synod) in partnership with Chris Barnett (UCA VicTas Synod) for this day.
Gracious God,
Today we acknowledge the deep hurt experienced by the children and the families of the
Stolen Generation. We pray for those who as children suffered terribly from forcible removal from their family and community. We pray for those children who grew up away from their own culture, contributing to the loss of their own sense of self-identity.
We recognise that these sufferings cause intergenerational trauma. May Your healing presence be felt by all impacted by this trauma.
Lord, please help our governments and policy makers to learn from past mistakes. We pray for cooperative decision making between governments and First Peoples.
Thank you for the contributions our Aboriginal brothers and sisters make to our shared faith and the direction of the Uniting Church in Australia. Lord, help us to hear the voices of First Peoples and to learn from each other and stand alongside each other.
Help us to celebrate the lives of children as you taught us in scripture “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Lord, please hear our prayers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. We pray these children learn their culture from Elders. We pray these children grow to be strong leaders in their communities. We pray they grow to feel empowered. We pray they grow to know their voice counts. We pray they always encounter Your grace.
Amen.

Blessings – Heather.