Creator God, as generations of Tongans, we bring our prayers on the lands of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation and we give you thanks oh God for our first peoples and the land they have cared for which we have made our home.
Lord of the Fonua (Fonua meaning land),
You have blessed us with the beauty of our lands and sea
You have blessed us with fish, shells and mighty whales
You have blessed us with palms and coconut trees
You have blessed us with children of the Pacific
And for that we are thankful for your constant care of humanity and your creation
Loving God, as we give you thanks, we confess our own weaknesses. Through your son Jesus Christ we ask that you save our shores from the weapons of death, provide a voice for our struggles and provide extra paddles to bring us together.
Let the seas of the Pacific Ocean carry messages of peace and goodwill. Turn away from our midst any unkind and brutal practices. Let each child swim and breathe the fresh air that is filled by the Holy Spirit.
O Lord Jesus, bless all who are makers of that inner peace that breaks down the barriers of hatred, and unite us with the open arms of your cross, that all the peoples of the world may live happily together.
Allow us to drink from the tanoa of Your peace,
Right the course of our canoes
to overcome the currents of violence, hatred, war, abuse,
Give us peace of being at rest, so that peace prevails
over any wind that gusts through our islands,
Tattoo in our hearts Your righteousness and purity,
Through all cultures, generations, gender, and all walks of life, we pray as instruments of peace and as the people of Pasifika.
Sisu tapuaki’i ‘e fonua Emeni.
God of Justice hear our prayers
Ke Tau Lotu (Let us Pray) was written and read by Rev Charissa Suli and her family for the School Strike 4 Climate prayer vigil, 24 September 2020.
We are three generations of Tongan women. We are ocean women who have grown up with the importance of respecting our fonua (land), kakai ‘ae Otua (Gods People) pea moe Otua (and God who is Son and Holy Spirit). We are an intergenerational family who strives for peace, reconciliation, justice and equality of all people. We love contributing to the wider community, bearing Gods love and grace in all that we do and most importantly stand in solidarity with our first peoples in all facets of life. Rev Charissa Suli is a Uniting Church Minister working for the National Assembly Office as one of the National Consultants, Liekina Kamisese senior who is Charissa’s mother worked as a nurse for many decades but is now retired enjoying time with her grandchildren and Latu is in year 9 and loves to sing, dance and take the lead in empowering young women of today!