Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –

(from Psalm 20: 6 to 9) 

“Now I know that the Lord gives victory to His chosen King;

God answers him from His holy Heaven,

And by His power gives him great victories.

Some Kings put their trust in their war chariots,

Others put their trust in their horses,

But they will stumble and fall.

We put our trust in the power of the Lord our God,

And we shall rise up and stand upright.

O Lord, do help us, O King,

Who answers us when we call.

  Psalm 20 is understood as a prayer offered to God by a priest or prophet on behalf of the King of Israel, prior to the King leading his army goes into battle.  These four verses of the last half of this Psalm are an assurance of “Divine help” for them.  There is allusion to the enemy’s trust in “speedier and more powerful armies”, but for the People of Israel, their outlook is that “the decision does not ultimately depend on Human might, but lies in the hand of God, with whom they are in a Covenantal relationship”.  In their time of need, they turn to God, their Heavenly King, who they know from their experience in the past, will deliver them from their current peril, as He will continue to deliver them into the future.

  (Artur Weiser in Psalms p205 – 210, Leslie McCaw and Alec Motyer in Psalms in New Bible Commentary p463) 

  We are not called upon to lead armies, but never-the-less, we too face our own personal ‘battles’, we too face our own strife in life.  Our outlook should be framed from what we read in this Psalm, that in dealing with them, the decision does not ultimately depend on our strength, but lies in the assurance of help from God, with whom we, too, are in a Covenantal relationship.  Our purpose in gathering today is to offer our praise and worship of God, who demonstrates His power to save, who lavishes His tender mercy upon those whom He calls His own People, and who answers our prayers whenever we call to him.

Prayer of Praise

(from A Year of Prayer p132 to 133) 

  Almighty God, we give you praise because of what we see in Creation, your power at work holding everything together, your wisdom directing life within us and around us.  We may marvel at the findings of Science, yet we know that you created all these things at the beginning of Time and Space.  We may wonder at the intellect of others as they deduce and determine how life works, yet we know that you decided upon all these things before any life was created.  Humanity seeks to replicate your creative powers but fails to match the intelligence and insight that we see behind your Creation.

  Compassionate God, rather than abandoning us to all the destructive powers of evil, you chose to confront the power of sin and death by sharing our Humanity and our suffering, in and through the sacrificial love of Jesus.  Through his love, lives formerly overwhelmed by the fear of death and darkness have been enlightened and eased.  Jesus Christ, your son, is surely the everlasting sign of your steadfast love towards us, and towards all people.  He is the assurance that we are known intimately and valued by you in ways beyond our Human understanding.

  God our comforter, in you we have someone who listens to our cries of despair and our calls for help.  In you we have someone who walks beside us day by day, guiding us in the right paths and leading us to places of peace and rest.

  Almighty God, you are the only God.  There is no substitute for you nor an alternative to you.  You are our God, the God whom we worship and adore.  You have intervened in History to demonstrate to all Humanity that you are the one true God, who is worthy of all praise and honour and deserving of our total obedience.  It is you whom we gather to offer our praise and worship, now and always, to your glory we pray.  Amen.

Hymn

“With gladness we worship, rejoice as we sing”  MHB11

[sung to the tune St Denio – there is an introduction]

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (St Denio) – YouTube

Verse 1 of 4

With gladness we worship, rejoice as we sing,

Free hearts and free voices how blessed to bring,

The old, thankful story shall scale your abode,

Thou King of all glory, most bountiful God.

Verse 2 of 4

Thy right would we give you, true homage your due,

And honour eternal, the Universe through,

With all your Creation, Earth, Heaven and Sea,

In one acclamation we celebrate Thee.

Verse 3 of 4

Renewed by your Spirit, redeemed by your Son,

Your children revere you for all you have done.

O Father, returning to love and to light,

Your children are yearning to praise you aright.

Verse 4 of 4

We join with the angels, and so there is given

From Earth Hallelujah, in answer to Heaven.

Amen! Be Thou glorious below and above,

Redeeming, victorious, and infinite love.

George Rawson

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, your Law is an expression of your divine perfection, an unmistakable image of what is holy, pure and good.  Your standards and principles reveal to us how to act justly and honourably in all that we do.  Your words guide us as to how to walk uprightly and how to treat others with respect and as equals in your sight.

Yet your Law has left us destitute and desperate; for your Law compels us to confess that we have not lived up to its precepts and its demands.  We confess that we have sinned and have sinned repeatedly.  We have taken our eyes off you and off what you love, and, instead, have become entranced with the appeals of the World.

Merciful God, forgive us. 

We have sought fulfilment and solace in Worldly pleasures and experiences.

Merciful God, forgive us. 

We have clung onto things that draw us away from your love and which build up barriers between us and others.

Merciful God, forgive us. 

We avoid the challenges of meeting people who are different or who demand of our time and spare change, or who present needs that are real and need to be met.

Merciful God, forgive us.

We humbly acknowledge that by our sinfulness we have forfeited your favour towards us, and acknowledge with sorrow that, by our own efforts, we cannot remove our sin nor atone for our sin.

Merciful God, we cannot earn our salvation by our moral actions nor by our religious rites.

We come confessing our sin that separate us from yourself and that separates us from each other.

Merciful God, forgive our sins and cleanse our souls of all that is impure and unlovely.  Restore our relationship with you through your mercy and grace.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness  (from 2 Corinthians 5: 14a & 15a) 

The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus Christ revealed His love for all people by dying and being raised from death for their sake.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us accept with joy this good news, that God has heard us, that God has forgiven us, and that God has cleansed us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination  (from Holy Communion Two in Uniting Church Worship Services p21)  

O Lord, our God, you have given your Word to us that it may be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  Grant us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, so that we may be obedient to your Will and live always for your glory, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

Bible Readings

1 Samuel 16:

1  The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you go on grieving over Saul?  I have rejected him as King of Israel.  But now get some olive oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

2  “How can I do that?” Samuel asked, “If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!”

3  The Lord answered, “Take a calf with you and say that you are there to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.  3  Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do.  You will anoint as King the man I tell you to.”

4  Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is this a peaceful visit, seer?”  5  “Yes,” he answered, “I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.  Purify yourselves and come with me.”  He also told Jesse and his sons to purify themselves, and he invited them to the sacrifice.

6  When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab and said to himself, “This man standing here in the Lord’s presence is surely the one He has chosen.”  7  But the lord said to him, “Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is.  I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge.  People look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”

8  The Jesse called his son Abinadab and brought him to Samuel.  But Samuel said, “No, the lord hasn’t chosen him either.”  9  Jesse then brought Shammah.  “No, the lord hasn’t chosen him either.”  Samuel said.  10  In this way Jesse brought seven of his sons to Samuel.  And Samuel said to him, “No, the Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.”  11  Then he asked him, “do you have any more sons?”  Jesse answered, “There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.”  “Tell him to come here,” Samuel said, “We won’t offer the sacrifice until he comes.”

12  So Jesse sent for him.  He was handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled.  The Lord said to Samuel, “This is the one, anoint him!”  13  Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers.  Immediately the Spirit of the Lord took control of David and was with him from that day on. 

2 Corinthians 5:

14  We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognise that one man died for everyone, which means that they all share in his death.  15  His purpose in dying for all was that people, while still in life, should cease to live for themselves, and should live for him who for their sake died and was raised to life.  16  No longer, then, do we judge anyone by Human standards.  Even if at one time we judged Christ according to Human standards, we no longer do so.  17  When anyone is joined to Christ, he is a new being; the old order is gone, the new order has come.

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Word of God.                                                                         

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 4:

26  Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this.  A farmer scatters seed in their field.  27  They go to bed at night and get up in the morning, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing.  How, they do not know.  28  The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain.  29  When the grain is ripe, the farmer starts cutting it with their sickle, because harvest time has come.

30  Jesus also asked, “What shall we say the Kingdom is God is like?  What parable shall we use to explain it?  31  It is like the mustard seed, which is smaller than any seed in the World.  32  But once it is sown, it springs up and grows taller than any other plant, and forms branches so large that the birds can settle in its shade and make their nests.

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Passing the Peace

Whether we gather in person in our Church building or whether we gather in spirit in our homes, we remain one body, one people of God, one in fellowship and one in worship.  With that in mind, let us uplift our hands and greet those both here and those who cannot be here: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

For the Young at Heart

Screen 1

  When we were cleaning out Mum and Dad’s place at the time when we were moving them into residential care, we came across this diary of my Grandmother.  My Grandparents made a trip back to England in 1964, sailing on the SS Himalaya. 

Screen 2

Now, we may complain about having to spend a day and a half flying from Brisbane to a destination in Europe, but that is nothing compared to the 32 days that they spent on their ship.  I presume that my Grandmother did not know what to expect from the journey, so she kept this diary as a way of reminding her of the sights and the sounds of their journey.  And you can follow them, leaving Sydney on May 4^th, travelling to Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Colombo, Bombay, Aden, Suez, Naples, Marseilles, and arriving at Tilbury, England on 5^th June.

Screen 3

(New Bible Atlas p105)

  In today’s reading from 1 Samuel 16, we read of a journey that the prophet Samuel made from his home in Rama, to the north of Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, to the south of Jerusalem.  The distance is about 20 km, a day’s journey.

  Like my Grandparents, Samuel did not know what to expect on his journey or at the end of his journey.  All that he was told was:

“go the Bethlehem,  see a man named Jesse,  and anoint one of his sons as the next King”.

  Of course, Samuel had many questions:

“Who is this Jesse fellow?”  “How many sons does Jesse have?  “Which son has God chosen?”  “How will I know which son God has chosen?”  “What features should I look for in the son?”  And, most importantly, “If Saul, the current King, finds out that I am anointing a new King to replace him, how can I explain it to him without me losing my life?”

  But we read that God provided everything that Samuel needed:

A reason to go to Bethlehem in case Saul comes along and asks him, and that is, “to offer a sacrifice”.  (verse 2 & 3)

Advice not to trust is his own instincts, ”pay no attention to how tall or handsome he is”.  (verse 7)

Advice to listen God and to obey what God said, “that is the one, anoint him”.  (verse 12)

  Samuel had to relearn the lesson that if God had given him a task to fulfill, God would provide all that was needed for the task to be fulfilled.  In the same way, God does not leave us unprepared for the tasks to which he calls us.  John records Jesus telling the Disciples, that when he would no longer be with them God would send the Holy Spirit to them, the Helper, “who reveals the truth about God”.  (John 15: 26)  In a similar manner, Jesus promised that he would not leave the Disciples alone to carry out the commission to which he calls all disciples, “to go to all peoples everywhere”, for he would be always with them, “to the end of the age”.  (Matthew 28: 20) 

  Samuel found the guidance and encouragement in God that he needed to do the work in the World that God sought for him to do.  Let us, likewise, be assured of God’s guidance and encouragement as we journey through life doing the work that God seeks for us to do.

Hymn

“One there is above all others”  MHB100

[sung to the tune Irby – there is an introduction  This YouTube is for another hymn and continues for longer than the 4 verses, so stop it at the end of the hymn.]

Verse 1 of 4

One there is above all others,

Well deserves the name of friend;

His is love beyond a brother’s,

Costly, free, and knows no end:

They who once His kindness prove,

Find it everlasting love.

Verse 2 of 4

Which of all our friends, to save us,

Could or would have shed their blood?

But our Jesus died to have us

Reconciled in Him to God:

This was boundless love indeed;

Jesus is a friend in need.

Verse 3 of 4

When he lived on Earth abased

Friend of sinners was His name;

Now above all glories raised,

He rejoices in the same;

Still he calls them family, friends,

And to all their wants attends.

Verse 4 of 4

O for grace our hearts to soften!

Teach us Lord, at length to love;

We, alas, forget too often

What a friend we have above;

But when home our souls are brought,

We shall love you as we ought.

John Newton

Sermon

  There is the story about the teachers of the local school in a country town who were encouraged to think of more ways that their hall could be used by the people of the town.  They agreed with a suggestion put forward by the sports teacher to hold fencing lessons in the hall on Saturday mornings.  One morning, soon after these lessons had been advertised in the local paper, the school Principal came running to the staff room exclaiming that a truckload of posts and barbed wire had just been delivered outside of the school hall.  “Oh no,” said the sports teacher, “I told one of the local farmers that he would need to bring along his own equipment for the fencing lessons.”  (adapted from Readers Digest May 1990 p62) 

  Today’s passage from Mark records Jesus telling his listeners a parable relating to a farmer, a farmer who is sowing seed.  Jesus based his parable on an agricultural situation that must have been well-known to his Galilean listeners.

Screen 1

  We read of the farmer scattering his seed around his field, in a manner that had been passed down through many generations, in much the same manner as we read in the parable of the Sower; throwing the seeds, seemingly carelessly, with little intent as to where they would land. 

  The farmer wakes each morning, goes about his other tasks on his farm, and then goes to sleep at night.  All the while, we are told, the seed is active with an inner vitality of its own; at first sprouting a small shoot, growing into a small stalk, then into a larger stalk, then forming a head of unripened grain, and finally forming a head “full of grain which is ripe”.

Screen 2

  It is an image of small and insignificant beginnings, of silent and steady growth, leading to abundant and surprising results.  (John Reilly in Praying Mark p59)  And, just as importantly, Jesus is reminding his listeners of something of which farmers know all too well, that it is God’s providence, not the farmer’s power, that makes the seed grow.  (Craig Keener in Mark in The IVP Bible Background Commentary p146)  It is God who makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall, so Jesus says on another occasion.  (Matthew 5: 45) 

  So it is with the Kingdom of God, Jesus tells his listeners.  Jesus is attempting to illustrate the reign of God in the hearts of people.  The process of spiritual growth is a mystery, Jesus is saying, how God works in the hearts of each individual is like a secret, it cannot be detailed nor explained, yet it is natural for those who are in the Kingdom of God.  (Alan Cole in Mark p94)  He hinted as much to Nicodemus when Nicodemus visited Jesus at night, “The wind blow wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or to where it is going.  It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3: 8)  “The emphasis (of the parable) is upon the fact that the Word of God will do its work in the hearts of people if given the opportunity in the right conditions, in exactly the same way as the Earth reproduces itself in the soil.  (Graham Swift in Mark in New Bible Commentary p861)  “In His own way, God knows how to bring forth abundant fruit from the Gospel seed which has been planted in the individual.”  (RSV footnote to Mark 4: 26 p1501) 

  The Apostle Peter sought such growth in those who formed the early Church.  “Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” he encourages them.  (2 Peter 3: 18)  The Apostle Paul mirrors these sentiments in his letter to the church in Philippi.  “I pray that your love will keep growing more and more,” he writes,” together with true knowledge and perfect judgement, so that you will be able to choose what is best.  Then you will be free from all impurity and blame of the Day of Christ.  Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.”  (Philippians 1: 9-11) 

  The way God works may be unknown, but it is not automatic.  “The word of God will do its work in the hearts of people if given the opportunity in the right conditions.”

  This is brough out upon a reflection of last Wednesday night’s State of Origin game in Townsville.  The Queensland players would have heard the coach’s instructions during training.  They are professional footballers so they would have understood what they heard.  Yet, from what we saw from the game, the players did not act upon what they heard.

  In last week’s passage from Mark 3 we read of Mary and the brothers of Jesus journeying to Capernaum where Jesus was staying, with the intent of taking Jesus back to Nazareth for a period of rest and reappraisal.

Screen 3

https://www.istockphoto.com/en/vector/ -gm1298780476-391583161

  When Jesus was told that his Mother and Brothers were outside of the house in which he was staying, wanting to speak to him, Jesus gave this memorable reply, “He looked at the people sitting around him and said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers.  Whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, my mother.”  (Mark 3: 34 & 35) 

  Mary and the brothers of Jesus presupposed that family ties took precedence of everything else in the life of Jesus.  Jesus, in contrast, perceived that one’s relationship with God was the most important thing in one’s life.   One writer puts it this way, “Mere knowledge about God and the Gospel is insufficient and empty.  Knowledge of God is not an abstract concept but is personal and moral.  It is not static but dynamic because God is a living God.  Our faith in God is not an intellectual discovery but a transforming and life changing spiritual experience.  Those whom Christ knows intimately are those who listen to the Word of God and live it out.  (Alan Cole in Mark p87)  There can be no spiritual growth unless we are seeking to listen to God’s Word and to do God’s will.

Screen 4

https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/amethyst-and-rose-quartz-crystals-gm1215838694- ch/crystals/%3Fpagi%3D2%26&utm_term=crystals

  The was an article in an edition of Body and Soul Magazine dated 3^rd June 2018, titled “Can a crystal change your life?”.  In this article a Heather Askinosie, a supposed authority on crystals, writes, “If you look back in History, every civilisation since the beginning of time used crystals for such things as to aid healing, or to help with digestion.  Today people use crystals to enhance well-being, to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression.  The only person who’s going to change your life is you.  The energy of the Earth (concentrated in crystals) is a tool to help you remember that you’re powerful.  Crystals to me are a tool like meditation, I can hold onto them and say ‘Hey, its time to breathe, to stop, to get back into balance.  The crystals help me get there.’”  (body & soul 03/06/2018, p06) 

  Where is the danger in such a belief and practice?  In Psalm 54: 4 we read, “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”  According to Heather Askinosie, from where does her help come?  Well, it comes from within herself, with significant assistance from her crystals.  This is a repudiation of all that the Bible states regarding our relationship with God.  This is a rejection of all that Jesus is saying in today’s parable about the farmer, that our life and our spiritual growth and well-being is totally bound up in our relationship with God.  It has nothing to do with holding a rock in your hand.

Screen 5

  Paul brings this out clearly in today’s passage from 2 Corinthians 5.  Paul commences by saying “For the love of God controls us” (RSV), that is, we are constrained to follow a course of action.  (Norman Hillyer in 2 Corinthians in New Bible Commentary p1080)  One writer puts it this way, “Paul is under the all-compelling constraint of Christ’s love for him.  It holds him in a grip so powerful that he has no choice but to live a life of loving service for others.”  (Randolph Tasker in 2 Corinthians p 85) 

  Paul gives two explanations for this.  Firstly, he writes, “We are convinced that one has died for all, and therefore all have died.”  (v14 RSV)  Here he is saying that Jesus Christ died not only on behalf of all people, but also in their place.  He died the death they should have died.  (Norman Hillyer in 2 Corinthians in New Bible Commentary p1080)  The penalty for the sins of all people was borne by Jesus.  This is why His love has such a compelling power, and engenders in believers such undying gratitude.  (Randolph Tasker in 2 Corinthians p86) 

  Secondly, Paul argues that the realization Jesus Christ died the death that we should have died, impels in us a desire to spend the rest of our lives for him.  Our old sinful self, which was our centre of reference, should be cast aside for one whose centre of reference is the one who died for our sins and rose again.  (Randolph Tasker in 2 Corinthians p86)  We are to be a new person on the inside.  We have a new beginning in life, one where our sins have been absolved.

Screen 6

“if anyone is in Christ they are a new creature”  2 Corinthians 5: 17

  But there is even a deeper understanding.  Paul writes in verse 17, “when anyone is joined to Christ they are a new being”, or in other words, “if anyone is in Christ they are a new creature”.  Paul, here, is saying that there is a transformation that has taken place in the heart and mind and soul of the believer, they have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, such that they are now a different person to the one prior to their believing the Good News.  (Randolph Tasker in 2 Corinthians p88)  Paul understands that those who are in Christ , have participated in the resurrection of Christ, and, as such, have already begun to participate in the resurrection life of the coming world.  ( Craig Keener in 2 Corinthians in The IVP Bible Background Commentary p501)  How then can we go back to the way of life led by our old sinful self, unless we reject the change that has taken place in our life.  But, if this regeneration is real then there can be no going back.

  Here is the source of Paul’s joy.  God not only promises a new beginning, he has commenced it already in our lives, and he promises to grow and develop in us an understanding of His Word, just as the ear of corn grows and develops in the farmers field.

  I thought that we could finish by together saying this poem by Helen Steiner Rice titled “We ask in thy name”.

Screen 7

Bless us, Heavenly Father. Forgive our foolish ways,

Grant us strength to serve you, put purpose in our days,

Give us understanding, enough to make us kind

So we may judge all people with our heart and not our mind.

And teach us to be patient in everything we do,

Content to trust your wisdom, to follow after you.

And help us when we falter, hear us when we pray,

And receive us in thy Kingdom to dwell with you some day.

“We ask in thy name” by Helen Steiner Rice

in Loving Thoughts p57 & 58

Hymn

“Jesus comes with all his grace”  TiS 219  AHB 149  MHB 878

(it can be sung to the tune Vienna but the only YouTube that I could find for this tune only has 4 verses – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YB7r41SawY )

[sung to the tune Monkland – there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 5

Jesus comes with all his grace,

Comes to save a fallen race,

Object of our glorious hope,

Jesus comes to lift us up.

Verse 2 of 5

Let the living stones cry out,

Every child of Abraham shout;

Praise we all our lowly King,

Give him thanks, rejoice and sing.

Verse 3 of 5

He has our salvation wrought,

He our captive souls has bought,

He has reconciled to God,

He has washed us in his blood.

Verse 4 of 5

We are now his lawful right,

Walk as children of the light;

We shall soon obtain the grace,

Pure in heart, to see his face.

Verse 5 of 5

We shall gain our calling’s prize;

After God we all shall rise,

Filled with joy, and love, and peace,

Perfected in holiness.

Charles Wesley

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

[to be sung to the tune ‘Austria’ – there is no introduction]

[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

Let us come before God with our cares and our concerns.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that the seed of faith planted in the heart of each believer may grow into a bountiful manifestation of your reign in the World.

We pray for a deeper love and appreciation for your Word, that it will nourish and enrich us as we strive to be true disciples of Jesus.

We pray for a renewal of faith, that the Holy Spirit will enable us to live in a trusting reliance with you, who is always faithful and who desires to share life with us.

We pray for growth in hope, that your faithful love will sustain us in times of discouragement and empower us to persevere through difficult times with the confidence that you make all things new.

We pray for a spirit of Evangelization, that we may scatter your Word through our work, daily activities, and conversations so that many people may encounter Christ today.

We pray for a bountiful harvest, that you will grant growth to crops, seasonable weather, and protection from disease so that all may be nourished and sustained by the fruits of the earth.

We pray for a renewal of stewardship, that we may recognize our gifts of time, talent, and treasure that you have entrusted to us and place these at the your service and the service of one another.

We pray for the sick, that you will bless and strengthen those preparing for or recovering from surgery, that you will restore them to health, and fill their hearts with peace about their new healing and wholeness.

We pray for all who are in need, that you will give strength to those struggling with addictions, protection to runaway youth and refugees, and comfort to the isolated and the grieving.

We pray for the protection of the human family: that God will strengthen those who are working to defeat the Covid-19 virus, speed resources to those in crisis, and bring healing to all who are sick.

We pray for all levels of our Governments, that you will help them to fulfill their duties, seek the truth and the common good in all the issues that arise, and be open to learning from one another.

We pray for safety and protection for those responsible for safeguarding our personal, medical, and public data to greater awareness and insight as they work against destructive internet attacks and ransomware intrusions.

We pray for peace, that you will help World leaders to dialogue honestly so that violence may end, the weak and innocent may be protected, and that the dignity of each person may be respected.

Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/ 

We thank you for the leaders of Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School, and ask that they will be encouraged to continue with their efforts.  May your Spirit be inspiring the children in the classes to search for a deeper understanding of the part that you can play in their lives.

We pray for the Chaplain at Bald hills State School, Kylie, that you will encourage and guide her as she seeks to meet the needs of children , parents and staff at the school.

We pray for those who have been unable to worship with us recently:

We ask for your care and protection for them.  May they be assured of your constant presence with them.  Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  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.

Hymn

“Sing we the King who is coming to reign”  MHB116

Sing we the King who is Coming to Reign – YouTube

Verse 1 of 5

Sing we the King who is coming to reign,

Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain,

Life and salvation his empire shall bring,

Joy to the Nations when Jesus is King.

Chorus

Come let us sing: praise to our King,

Jesus our King, Jesus our King;

This is our song who to Jesus belong,

Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

Verse 2 of 5

We all shall dwell in his marvellous light,

Races long severed his love shall unite,

Justice and truth from his sceptre shall spring,

Wrong shall be ended when Jesus is King.

Chorus

Come let us sing: praise to our King,

Jesus our King, Jesus our King;

This is our song who to Jesus belong,

Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

Verse 3 of 5

All shall be well in his Kingdom of peace,

Freedom shall flourish and wisdom increase,

Foe shall be friend when his triumph we sing,

Sword shall be sickle when Jesus is King.

Chorus

Come let us sing: praise to our King,

Jesus our King, Jesus our King;

This is our song who to Jesus belong,

Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

Verse 4 of 5

Souls shall be saved from the burden of sin,

Doubt shall not darken his witness within,

Hell has no terrors, and death has no sting,

Love is victorious when Jesus is King.

Chorus

Come let us sing: praise to our King,

Jesus our King, Jesus our King;

This is our song who to Jesus belong,

Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

Verse 5 of 5

Kingdom of Christ, for your coming we pray,

Haste, O Father, the dawn of the day

When this new song your Creation shall sing,

Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King.

Chorus

Come let us sing: praise to our King,

Jesus our King, Jesus our King;

This is our song who to Jesus belong,

Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.

Charles Horne

Benediction 

(from Invocation p84, Prayers for the God’s People p147) 

Let us find joy and peace in the might and strength of our loving God.  By our words and deeds, let us share to the World what the Lord has done in our lives, and be a witness to His grace, mercy and love.  And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Benediction Song

“For from Him, and through Him”  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 15

[I could not find a YouTube recording of this song nor of the tune]

For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things,

To God be the glory for ever, Amen.

For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things,

To God be the glory for ever, Amen.

Ena Thompson