Premier Keneally and Opposition leader O'Farrell have attended a prayer service for the people of Christchurch at St Andrew's Cathedral.
Fresh from an election debate, both leaders joined the NZ Consul General and representatives of the Governor-General and Emergency services at the service on Thursday 24th February, led by the Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen.
Dean Jensen also read a prayer written by Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.
"......we appeal, in the midst of this unspeakable tragedy, to your mercy. To give hope to those who are trapped. To give healing to the injured. To bind up the broken-hearted. To give sustenance to the rescuers. To give wisdom to those in authority.
To give strength to the good people of New Zealand." the prayer reads. 
(photo: The Lord Mayor, NZ Consul, Premier and Opposition Leader sing the "God Defend New Zealand" at the Sydney prayer service)
Faith, Hope and Love
Archbishop Peter Jensen told the congregation "We long to help....our beloved New Zealanders."
"One of the most practical things we can do is to pray. The God who is our Father and who looks on us is also their Father and looks on them. Even now he is sustaining and blessing all our human efforts to find and to comfort and to restore. He will hear our prayer."
The Premier read from Psalm 67 and the Opposition Leader from 1 Timothy 2.
Also leading in prayer was Christchurch pastor Wally Behan, who spoke of a member of his former congregation who was missing.
A special point was made of praying for emergency workers still combing through the rubble.
Word from Christchurch
Mr Behan's son Jay is rector of the Anglican Church at Shirley and his assistant is former Sydney minister Geoff Robson.
Sydneyanglicans.net has just managed to make email contact with Mr Robson who asked for prayer .
"We've only just got power back on, so checking emails etc now. Having the internet again is helping us to appreciate more of the scope of things, as we've had limited access to news. Thankfully so far all our people - from St Stephen's, Shirley - are okay. But getting in touch with people is a slow process, as many phones are down and getting around town is really hard. Jay is biking to people's houses today (his family is safe in Methven) while I've been manning the phones from home. Thanks for the prayer meeting - very encouraging to know this happened. Please keep praying. Pray that we will quickly find out what the needs are and how to help people. Prar that we will work out where to next for church (building badly damaged, like most others), and that we will know how best to hold out the word of life to people at this time." the email said.
Sydneyanglicans.net has been told of other areas where ministry staff are using bicycles to check on parishioners.
Other ministers contacted report communication and infrastructure difficulties, and shock at the loss of friends - some in the collapse of the CTV building.
