Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –    

  There was an article in last Sunday’s Weekend Australian Magazine about an Albert ‘Boyo’ Ware, who lives with his family on Moa Island in the Torres Strait.  The article goes into some detail about his upbringing and life, including a mention of the religious background of those who live on Moa Island.  The conclusion of the article reads:

“as for what life has in store next, who knows?  Says ‘Boyo’ cheerfully: “God has His plans!’”

  (Weekend Australian Magazine August 5-6 2023 p9) 

  I don’t believe that this was said with any negative resignation about the future, that he has no control over what may occur to him.  I believe that it was said with assurance and hope, that Almighty God certainly may have plans for the life of ‘Boyo’ and his family, but that God would also be walking beside them and meeting their needs come what may in the future.

  The author of Psalm 85 writes:

“Humanity’s loyalty will reach up from the Earth, and God’s righteousness will look down from Heaven.”  (Psalm 85: 11) 

  This passage talks of God’s openness to a relationship with us which leads us to seek to live a life inseparable from him.  (Leslie McCaw & Alec Motyer in Psalms in the New Bible Commentary p505)  Artur Weiser writes about this verse saying,

“the righteousness of God, which embraces the saving will of God in all its aspects, evokes the faithfulness and faith of people”.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p574) 

  We have gathered here today to, likewise, respond to the righteousness and love of God with our faithfulness to Him.  Let us be united in our worship of God and in our fellowship together, and uplift our hands to greet those here and in their homes with these words:

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of Praise

 (from Leading Intercessions p33, The Book of Worship p213, Invocations p41 & 42, Opening Prayers p92, An Australian Prayer Book p246, Uniting in Worship red book p207, and Prayers for God’s People p159) 

  Almighty God, we come before you with gratitude for your love and friendship, for your goodness and mercy.  We give you thanks for the grace that exceeds what we can hope for or ask.  We are humbled by the gift of Jesus Christ, your only Son, who, through obedience to your will, gave his life for our sins, who gave his life to redeem us so that we can be in close fellowship with you. 

  Almighty God, you seek those who are lost and deserted, those who are hungry for spiritual healing and wholeness, and bring them back to a right relationship with you, for no other reason than because your love is so real and inexhaustible.  There is nothing and no-one to whom we can compare you, there is no substitute for you, no alternative to your creative power and majesty.

  Almighty God, you continue to bless us and to provide for our needs.  You lift up our spirits when we are sorrowful and concerned.  You strengthen us in times of heartache and trouble.  Your Word to us is totally trustworthy.  Your promises are absolutely dependable.  You are the source of our hope and comfort in this life and in the promised life beyond time and space.

  In humble gratitude we offer our praise and worship, this day and always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or sing 2 Songs:

The first song is ‘Unto Thee O Lord’  (Scripture in Song volume 1 number 104)

Charles Monroe

The second song is ‘Praise the name of Jesus’  (Scripture in Song volume 1 number 111)

Roy Hicks

Prayer of Confession 

(from Leading Intercessions p33, The Book of Worship p213, Invocations p41 & 42, Opening Prayers p92, An Australian Prayer Book p246, Uniting in Worship red book p207, and Prayers for God’s People p159) 

Merciful God, in spite of what we see of you and what we know of you, we still seek to put our trust in other things; in material wealth and security rather than in your eternal care, in transient pleasures rather than the joy of your fellowship, in what is logical and sensible rather than in faith and hope in your ability to overcome all that can harm those whom you love.

Please forgive our lack of strength to put our total trust in you.

Merciful God, the World scoffs at the mention of your name, the World ridicules those who believe in a Creator God who made the Heavens and the Earth in six days, the World rejects the need for the forgiveness of sins and proclaims our ability to save ourselves, and that all that is needed is to live good lives.  But in many ways, we remain silent when the World speaks, we do not defend you in our conversations, we do not use your Bible to reveal the errors and falseness of the worldly way of life. 

Please forgive our lack of courage to stand up and speak of our beliefs and of the certitude of our faith.

Merciful God, we live in an Age where compassion is often non-existent.  Yet we do not heed your call to encourage the neglected, to help the disoriented, to care for the aged and ill, or to befriend the lonely.  Often we pass them by on the other side of the road, often we turn a blind eye to them and pretend that they don’t exist.  We block our ears to their cries and close our eyes to their needs, often denying their very existence. 

Please forgive us for our insensitivity and callousness.  Please forgive us for not being your hands in the World that demonstrates your love in words and action.  Please forgive us for our pride and our fear to touch what isn’t clean or pretty or socially acceptable.

In humbleness and penitence we bring our sins before you, acknowledging our failures and mistakes, seeking your forgiveness and cleansing, and pleading for renewal and reassurance. 

May our thoughts and deeds be guided by your Spirit.  May our motives and intentions be influenced by the love that you show to others and which you encourage us to emulate.  May our desire be to live so as to honour and glorify you.  This we pray in your name.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Romans 10: 10) 

The Apostle Paul states, “For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.”  And so, having confessed our sins and trusting in the grace and mercy of God, we can be confident in declaring that our sins have been forgiven, and our lives cleansed in the sight of God.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 13 & 14 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to be guided by your Word and the Holy Spirit, that in your light we may perceive your mercy and grace, that in your truth we may find freedom, and that in your will we may discover peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Romans 10:

5  Moses wrote this about being put right with God by obeying the Law:

“Whoever obeys the commands of the Law will live.”  (Leviticus 18: 5) 

6  But what the Scripture says about being put right with God through faith is this:

“You are not to ask yourself, ‘Who will go up to Heaven?’  (That is, to bring Christ down.)  7  Nor are you to ask, ‘Who will do down to the world below?’.  (That is, to bring Christ up from death.)  8  What it says is this, ‘God’s message is near you, on your lips and in your heart.’  (That is, the message of hope that we preach.)  (Deuteronomy 30: 12 – 14) 

9  If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.  10  For it is by faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.

11  The Scripture says:

“Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”  (Isaiah 28: 16) 

12  This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles.  God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him.  13  As the Scripture says:

“Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.”  (Joel 2: 32) 

14  But how can they call to Him for help if they have not heard the message?  And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed?  15  And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out?  As the Scripture says:

“How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news?”  (Isaiah 52: 7) 

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Matthew 14:

22  Then Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people away.  23  After sending the people away, he went up a hill by himself to pray.  When evening came, Jesus was there alone;  24  and by this time the boat was far out in the lake, tossed about by waves, because the wind was blowing against it.

25  Between three and six o’clock in the morning Jesus came to the Disciples, walking on the water.  26  When they saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.  “It’s a ghost!” they said, and screamed with fear.

27  Jesus spoke to them at once.

“Courage!” he said.  “It is I.  Don’t be afraid!”

28  Then Peter spoke up.

“Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.”

29  Come!” answered Jesus.  So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus.  30  But when he noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water.  “Save me Lord!” he cried.

31  At once Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him,

“What little faith you have!  Why did you doubt?”

32  They both got into the boat, and the wind died down.  33  Then the Disciples in the boat worshipped Jesus.

“Truly you are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Young at Heart

One volume of a copy of the two volume Gutenberg Bible

  568 years ago, this coming Tuesday, 15^th August, Johann Gutenberg and his associates Johann Fust and Peter Schoeffer, printed the first of the approximately 160 copies of their two volume Gutenberg Bible, in their printing house in Mainz, Germany.  It is said to have been “the first full-length book to be printed from moveable type in Europe, and the first printed edition of the Scriptures”.  (William Blake This Day in Christian History, Wiliam Targ in an article on Johann Gutenberg in the Encyclopedia International volume 8 p238) 

Johann Gutenberg, a German businessman and goldsmith, developed the method of printing with movable type several years beforehand.  He used the finest material he could procure, and the binding of each copy was hand sown.  The expense taken to print a single Gutenberg Bible was estimated to have amounted to about three times the annual salary of an average clerk at the time.

(https://guides.highpoint.edu/c.php, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutenberg_Bible )

Slide 2

Johann Gutenberg and his printing press

  Not only did Johann Gutenberg’s printing press introduce an era of the mass production of literature, machine printing of books eventually led to copies of the Bible being made available to households, where once it was restricted to Churches, Schools and Universities.

  Why is this an important event to appreciate?  For well over three quarters of the History of the Church, people did not have a ready access to a copy of the Bible for their own individual reading and study, even if they could read, being reliant upon listening to it being read in the worship service.

  We seldom appreciate how fortunate we are to have our own copy of the Bible in a format and language that we can follow.  May we value what we have readily available to us, and may we use what we have readily available to us so that we can deepen our understanding of in whom we have placed our faith, and in what we believe and why.

You are invited to listen to, or sing the Hymn ‘Trust and obey’  (Alexander’s Hymns no. 3  number 53  MHB516  AHB531)

Edgar Stites

Sermon

I picked up this book from somewhere, written by an Ernest Shepard, titled “Eeyore’s gloomy Little Instruction Book”.  It states on the cover that it was inspired by the writings of A. A. Milne concerning Winnie the Pooh and his friends in The Hundred Acre Woods.  I’d like to read you a piece of advice contained in it:

  “When you shout, ‘Is anybody at home?’ into a rabbit hole, and a voice answers “No!”, it probably means you’re not welcome.” 

  Straightforward and unambiguous advice is it not?  The intent is clear and cannot be misunderstood, unlike the verbal interaction between Jesus and Peter in today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel. 

  Who in their right mind would consider stepping out of a boat while they were in the middle of a deep lake in the middle of a storm, and then consider walking on the water?  Yet that is what we read that Peter did.  Knowing Peter’s impulsiveness and tendency to act before thinking, would Jesus have ever issued the challenge for Peter to leave the safety of the boat and step out onto the water?  Yet that is what we are led to believe that Jesus did.  Isn’t it more plausible that amidst the howling of the wind and the beating of the rain upon the boat and the water, amidst the confusion at the time and the weariness from their rowing, when Peter thought that he had heard Jesus say “Come, Peter!”, what in fact Jesus said in reply to Peter’s request was “Come off it Peter.”

  So, how did the Disciples find themselves in the boat in the first place?  They had just fed the great crowd of people who had come to hear Jesus, from the five loaves and two fish that were available.  Jesus stayed behind so as to pray in private and sent the disciples off to cross the lake by boat, with the intention of reaching the village of Gennesaret as we read in  verse 34.  Later that night, while they were still halfway through their journey across the lake, a strong wind came up, as it so often did, which started to make their journey most uncomfortable.  The parallel passage in Mark 6 reads that the disciples were straining at the oars because they were rowing against the wind.  Such an apt description.  And we can so clearly picture the disciples; cold, wet, and miserable, tired from the events of the day and exhausted from the seemingly endless rowing, despairing from the obvious lack of progress with the wind blowing against them, and very much concerned about what may happen to them.  And on top of all this, they see an apparition coming towards them over the water. 

  The Disciples clearly did not recognise that it was Jesus.  For why should they?  They were in the middle of the lake.  Had they ever seen Jesus, or anyone else for that matter, walking on water?  No.  The wind would have been whipping up the waves making for poor visibility.  How could they possibly have seen that it was a person who was coming towards them?  Is it any wonder then that they were terrified and screaming when they saw this figure upon the water?  (Matthew 14: 26) 

“When they saw him walking on the water they were terrified”  Matthew 14: 26

  They are recorded as saying “It is a ghost!”, as we read it in the Good News translation.  And here we find the problem with translating the Greek text into English, for the English word “ghost” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “gast”, not from the Greek word that is used here.  The Greek word in this passage reads as “phantasma”  (Strong’s NT5326)  , from which we derive the word “phantom”, which we then interpret as “spectre” or “apparition” or “ghost”, meaning a disembodied figure indistinct yet visible to the sight.  And the Greek word that is used occurs only in two passages in the New Testament, the parallel passages in Matthew 14: 26 and Mark 6: 39 that record the reaction of the Disciples to seeing Jesus walking towards them. 

  All of this makes for a nice grammar lesson, yet it does help us to picture the scene.  In addition to their difficulties with the wind and the waves, this apparition comes towards them.  What more trouble is in store for them?  What unknown terrors does this apparition bring their way?  Would this apparition now prevent them from reaching their destination safely?  

  And as so often happens, Jesus perceives their feelings and seeks to calm their fears.  “It is I.” he says, “Do not be afraid.”  (Matthew 14: 27)  For this is the message that he consistently seeks to bring to all of Humanity.  This is the good news that he declares to us.  Amidst our concerns, large and small, amidst the turmoil and confusion in our own lives, Jesus comes to us, saying “It is I.  Do not be afraid.”, “Leave your burdens at my feet and enjoy the peace that I bring to you.”  (Matthew 11: 28) 

  William Barclay writes:

“There are times when we are up against it and life is a desperate struggle with ourselves, with our circumstances, with our temptations, with our sorrows, with our decisions.  At such a time no person need struggle alone, for Jesus comes to them across the storms of life, with hand stretched out to save, and with his clear voice bidding us take heart and have no fear.”  (William Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew  The Daily Study Bible p106) 

  In the boat, with ears strained from the sound of the wind and the rain, with eyes sore from the salt spray and the lack of sleep, with minds dull from weariness and despair, did the Disciples actually hear what Jesus said?  Was Jesus close enough to the boat for them to hear clearly?  Were they listening intently enough for them to catch every word that Jesus said?  Could they see clearly enough that it was Jesus standing there before them?  I don’t think so.  I don’t think that it was possible for them to do so.  So, we can then understand why Peter asks his question.  “Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.”

  Now, what he would have done if it wasn’t Jesus who was there with them we will never know.  And we don’t need to know because there is no value in considering that scenario.  Why he sought to go walking on the water instead of saying, “Quickly get into the boat and help us get out of this mess.” I do not know.  But that is what he asked.  That was the proof that Peter sought so as to prove that it was Jesus who was there before them.  And Jesus

replies “Come!”  (Matthew 14” 27) 

  Why did Jesus make this reply to Peter?  Why respond in this way to such an odd request?  What would it prove to the Disciples that Peter could walk on water?  Would not it benefit the Disciples more if their safety and their safe arrival could be guaranteed?  For, later, when the storm is abated solely by the actions of Jesus, this indeed is what we see, we see their open declaration “Truly, you are the Son of God.”  (Matthew 14: 33)  Wouldn’t the sensible thing to do be to take an action so as to take away the Disciples’ fears rather than to pander to someone’s odd request?

  Jesus replies “Come!”  He perceived the need for Peter to receive the proof he desired.  He perceived the need for Peter to exercise his faith.  “Come on out.”, Jesus says, “Have faith enough to do something you could never consider you are capable of doing.”  Jesus says the same thing to us.  Jesus says to each one of us, “Come.  Come to me.  Come away from your perceived security and dare to have the faith in me to be led to something new.  Come away from your comfort and join me in a new journey.  Come.”

  “Peter climbed out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus.”  (Matthew 14: 29)  Peter listened and obeyed.  Peter heard the call of Jesus and followed the command.  Do we?  Do we climb out of our boat so as to follow Jesus?  Are we willing to leave our comfort and security to follow Jesus?  Do we hear and do?  Peter did, because he needed to exercise his faith.  We too are called to do likewise.

“Peter started to sink down in the water”  Matthew 14: 30 

Peter commenced to walk on the water.  Peter walked on the water only because he looked to Jesus and concentrated on walking to him and following him.  But his mind drifted from his goal.  He started to look around at the waves and to listen to the wind.  (Matthew 14: 30)  The doubts crept in.  His faith wavered, and his feet sank, and he became afraid once again.  Why?  Why did Peter take his eyes off Jesus?  When he took his first steps onto the water should not the exhilaration of the task have sustained him?  Should not the amazement of what he was doing and the wonder that it was Jesus who was there, and that it was Jesus who was making it all possible have kept him going?  Perhaps it was because he was depending upon his own strength that was the issue and not depending on the capacity of Jesus to accomplish what he had set out to do.  We too face the same issue.  When we too start to depend upon our own strength, we too start to take our eyes off Jesus.  It is then that we too become concerned about the ‘wind’ and the ‘waves’ around us.  Our faith falters and then we begin to sink below the ‘waters’. 

  When the Apostle Paul sought to encourage the Church in Rome, he too sought to focus on the issue of faith.  Paul stressed that “it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.”  (Romans 10: 10)  “If (we) confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, (we) will be saved.”  (Romans 10: 9)  There is no talk of being able to help ourselves.  There is no talk of any action we can take to make ourselves acceptable before God.  It is by our faith, we are called to believe.  We are asked by Jesus, “Come to me and you will be saved”, “believe and you will be in a right relationship with God.”  Jesus calls us to come.  

Dietrich Bonhoffer writes,

 “The road to faith passes through obedience to the call of Jesus.  Unless a definite step is made, the call vanishes, and if people imagine that they can follow Jesus without taking this step, they are deluding themselves.  Faith is only real where there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.”  (Dietrich Bonhoffer in The Cost of Discipleship quoted in Walter Brueggemann et al Texts for Preaching a Lectionary Commentary based on Year A p441) 

  When Jesus calls, it may not be as vivid as when Jesus called Peter out onto the waves amidst a storm.  Yet, Jesus calls us to take steps into the unknown, into the uncertain, into that over which we have no control nor influence.  But that is the point, for in acting in faith we are depending on the power and strength of Jesus to accomplish that which He calls us to do.  Jesus seeks to find in us a “faithful follower”.  We are assured that we will find in Jesus “a steadying, delivering hand” in any circumstances that threaten to overwhelm us  (Walter Brueggemann et al Texts for Preaching a Lectionary Commentary based on Year A p442)  , or as William Barclay writes,

“In every time of storm and stress, the presence of Jesus and the love which flows from the Cross bring peace and serenity and calm.”  (William Barclay in The Gospel of Matthew  The Daily Study Bible p107)  

  I will finish by quoting a poem by Dennis de Haan:

“To stretch our faith, to take the risk,

God says we will succeed

If we but ask Him for the strength

And grace that we will need.”

  (from Our Daily Bread 6 August 2007) 

Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or sing the Hymn ‘Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts’  (MHB109  AHB420)

Bernard of Clairvaux

translated by Ray Palmer

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

 [This YouTube clip is for another hymn so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed.]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

Almighty God, knowing of your love for all of Humanity, especially of your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

We pray for those who are recovering from hurricanes, floods, forest fires, and other natural disasters,

that you will give them courage, ease their pain, and touch the hearts of many to assist them.

We pray for all who are facing the storms of persecution, the Christians in many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East,

that you will keep them safe and help them witness to the Gospel faithfully.

We pray for all who are experiencing the storms of daily life,

that they may keep their eyes and attention on Jesus who strengthens us and calms our chaos.

We pray for greater restraint in our Parliaments and Legislative Assemblies,

that all political leaders may show respect for their opponents, express their ideas and concerns thoughtfully, and work to promote the common good of society.

We pray for all who are experiencing financial difficulties,

that you will give them hope, open new opportunities for them, and guide them to the assistance that they need.

We pray for all who are ill,

that you will relieve their suffering, bring healing to the sick, and sustain them as they work to recover their strength.

We pray for all who are working to end the scourge of diseases,

that you will give strength to all who are caring for the sick, wisdom to those searching for a cure, and insight to those working on a vaccine.

We pray for an end to armed conflict between Nations,

that you will turn World leaders from the use of weapons of destruction, open new avenues to resolve disputes, and protect Humanity from the use of violence.

We pray for a renewal of our faith,

that we may keep Christ as the centre of our attention and never tire of calling out for your saving help when challenges arise.

We pray for freedom from fear,

that we may hear the voice of Christ calling us to “not be afraid” and learn to turn to you in every circumstance that is beyond our control.

Copyright © 2020. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/19OrdA080920/ideas_other.html

We pray for the peoples of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea.

We are thankful for the natural resources and diverse gifts that come from these countries, such as the distinctive music and dance of Cameroon, for those who minister to victims of sexual violence, trafficking and other human rights abuses, for Christians and people of other faiths who courageously have pursued reconciliation and peace among those in conflict, and for individuals and organizations who have provided for health clinics and schools in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

We pray for just resolutions to the conflicts and violence among diverse groups and their leaders, for refugees who flee to other countries, and for those who host them, for economic developments that make it possible for all to rise out of poverty, and for stable democratic governments that effectively serve the common good.

For our country Cameroon, our regions, our villages, our towns
Heavenly father, we humbly pray: 
Direct the leaders of our country, Cameroon, now in this time when terrorism is overtaking this great nation. Grant them wisdom and understanding, and help them to respond to this crisis, quickly and effectively.  Direct them that they may do what is right in your sight. May they follow your divine will to lead our nation on the paths of peace and safety.

Unite all response agencies in an organized and harmonious fashion to bring quick and effective resolution to the issues created by the actions of Boko Haram. Empower us as Cameroonian citizens to do our own part, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Give us strength to support all who have been affected by this tragedy.

O Lord, we also pray for effective eradication of corruption that is destroying our beautiful and rich country. Touch our heart and enlighten our thoughts so that we will use our resources for the benefit of the entire nation, for Africa and ultimately the whole world.

Bring peace and comfort to all those who are suffering as a result of these crises.  Surround us with your love and mercy!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Catherine Manga, Cameroon)

We pray for the Bible Society Mongolia as it works towards translating the Bible in the Khalkh dialect, a need expressed by church leaders and believers, and which has the potential of being widely used in all Protestant as well as Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches in Mongolia.

(https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/mongolian-standard-version/)

We pray for the work of The Ceylon Bible Society (CBS) in its translating the Gospel Parables of Jesus into Sign Language for the Christian deaf and hearing impaired community in Sri Lanka .   (https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/gospel-parables-in-sri-lankan-sign-language/)

We pray for The Leprosy Mission Myanmar Staff as they commit to serving the community, for the safety of the team while they provide services in hard-to-reach areas, that they will be protected from violence and harm, amidst the political instability.  We pray for their partners at Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital and the Christian Leprosy Mission Eastern Shan, that you will bless them and their work. We pray for the successful completion of the new dormitory for service users in Taungoo, that we will have enough staff and volunteers to run the centre and to serve more people.  We pray for MAPAL, the Myanmar Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy, for the association to become stronger and that they will be a blessing to their communities.

We pray for those who will recommence Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School this year.  Guide them in the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes.  May the Holy Spirit challenge the children in the RI classes to come to a closer relationship with you.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School.  Please be with her and her family as they holiday overseas.  May she have a relaxing time and return refreshed.

We pray for those who are unable to attend worship.  Please guide and comfort them in their particular circumstances.  May they be aware of your care for them as they meet what each new day brings.

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  To your glory we pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or sing the Hymn  ‘Open my eyes’  (Alexander’s Hymns no. 3  number 64)

Clara Scott

Benediction 

(from Amish Prayers inside front cover)  

May God awaken in us a hunger and thirst for you and your righteousness.  As we go, may the Holy Spirit lead us along the straight path according to God’s will, may our works bring honour to His name, and may we be tools to bring joy and relief to our neighbours wherever we may meet them.  And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or sing the Benediction Song

‘I am His, and He is mine.’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 193)

Wade Robinson