Welcome: –

Passing the Peace: –

As we gather for worship let us remember that we are one people in Christ Jesus.  We are all welcomed by God into His presence and graced by His mercy.  Let us, then, be united in our worship of God and in our fellowship together, and uplift our hands to greet those both here and those in their homes with these words:

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Call to Worship 

(from Uniting in Worship blue book p217) 

Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast,

Not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him,

The death that He died, He died to sin, once and for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.

So also consider yourselves dead to sin,

And alive to God in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since by a Human being came death, by a Human being has come also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die,

So also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Liturgies Online Year A Easter 2 +Uniting in Worship blue book p218 314 +Aust Pray Bok p210 +Opening Prayers p37 +The Book of Worship p180) 

God our Saviour, we rejoice in our belief that Jesus is the Christ, your Son, and that, in believing, we might have life in His name.  We worship you with praise and thanksgiving for that gift of life made possible through his costly death and victorious resurrection.

    You wash away our sins and give us new life in the Spirit, and bring to our awareness the blessings that are ours through fellowship with You.  Day by day you refine our faith, that we, though we have not seen Christ in the flesh, may truly confess him as our Lord and Saviour.  You are the source of all joy and peace that the World cannot either give nor take away.  Please fill our hearts with trust in you, that, by night and by day, at all times and in all seasons, we may commit all that we have and hope to be to your never failing love.

    O most merciful Redeemer, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.  Amen.

You are invited to listen or sing along to 2 Songs: The first song is ‘There is a Redeemer’  (Scripture in Song  volume 3  number 644)

Keith and Melody Green

The second song is ‘In the stars His handiwork I see’  (He’s everything to me number 1) The words are printed below:

In the stars His handiwork I see,

On the wind He speaks with majesty,

Tho’ He ruleth over land and sea,

What is that to me?

I will celebrate Nativity

For it has a place in History,

Sure, He came to set His People free,

What is that to me?

Till by faith I met Him face to face,

And I felt the wonder of His grace,

Then I knew that He was more than just a God who didn’t care,

Who lived away up there, and,

Now He walks beside me day by day,

Ever watching o’er me lest I stray,

Helping me to find the narrow way,

He’s everything to me.

Till by faith I met Him face to face,

And I felt the wonder of His grace,

Then I knew that He was more than just a God who didn’t care,

Who lived away up there, and,

Now He walks beside me day by day,

Ever watching o’er me lest I stray,

Helping me to find the narrow way,

He’s everything to me.

David Evans

Prayer of Confession 

(from Leading Intercessions p21   Uniting in Worship blue book p215 # 8 + 2 Peter 1: 5 to 7 adapted) 

Merciful God, you have clearly shown to us evidence of your grace through the events of the first Easter, yet often we create barriers that close our hearts against your love.

We repent of our sins.

The reality of your love and mercy are clearly shown in the changes in people’s lives and character, yet often we feel constrained by our doubts and fears.

We repent of our sins.

You never promised us a smooth path in life only that you will be never cease to walk with us, yet our trust in you waivers as soon as we start to face trials and hurdles in our life.

We repent of our sins.

Through our faith you have given to us goodness, endurance and self-control, yet often the skip in our step turns to a dragging of our feet, and we are easily swayed by desires and temptations.

We repent of our sins.

Through Jesus you have demonstrated the need for Godliness in our lives and an affection for others, yet often we fall back on old habits and turn our eyes away from those in need or those who cry out for comfort.

We repent of our sins.

Your divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life, yet often we become so short-sighted that we cannot see and have forgotten that we have been purified.

Have mercy upon us, O God, and forgive our sins.  Grant us a mind to meditate on you, eyes to behold you, ears to listen to your word, a heart to love you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of Jesus Christ our lord.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 2 Peter 1: 1b) 

The Apostle Peter reminds us that because of the faithfulness of our Saviour Jesus Christ, we have been given mercy and grace from Almighty God, and so, we can be confident that if we confess our sins, we can trust that God has heard our prayer, that God has forgiven us, and that God has welcomed us as His friends.

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

Psalm 16:

1  Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.

2  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.”

3  How excellent are the Lord’s faithful people!  My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

4  Those who rush to other gods bring many troubles on themselves.  I will not take part in their sacrifices; I will not worship their gods.

5  You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.

6  How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are!

7  I praise the Lord, because he guides me, and in the night my conscience warns me.

8  I am always aware of the Lord’s presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me.

9  And, so, I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure  10  because you protect me from the power of death.  I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.

11  You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/psalms/16.html)

Acts 2:

14  Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me and let me tell you what this means.

22  “Listen to these words, fellow Israelites!  Jesus of Nazareth was a man whose divine authority was clearly proven to you by all the miracles and wonders which God performed through him.  You yourselves know this, for it happened here among you.  23  In accordance with his own plan God had already decided that Jesus would be handed over to you; and you killed him by letting sinful men crucify him.  24  But God raised him from death, setting him free from its power, because it was impossible that death should hold him prisoner.

25  For David said about him,

“I saw the Lord before me at all times; he is near me, and I will not be troubled.  26  And so I am filled with gladness, and my words are full of joy. And I, mortal though I am, will rest assured in hope,  27  because you will not abandon me in the world of the dead; you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.  28  You have shown me the paths that lead to life, and your presence will fill me with joy.”  (Psalm 16: 8 to 11) 

29  “My friends, I must speak to you plainly about our famous ancestor King David.  He died and was buried, and his grave is here with us to this very day.  30  He was a prophet, and he knew what God had promised him: God had made a vow that he would make one of David’s descendants a king, just as David was.

31  David saw what God was going to do in the future, and so he spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah when he said,

“He was not abandoned in the world of the dead; his body did not rot in the grave.”

32  God has raised this very Jesus from death, and we are all witnesses to this fact.

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/acts/2.html)

1 Peter 1:

3  Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Because of his great mercy He gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death.  This fills us with a living hope,  4  and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for His people.  He keeps them for you in Heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.  5  They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God’s power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.

6  Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer.  7  Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine.  Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and, so, your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure.  Then you will receive praise and glory and honour on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8  You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him.  So, you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express,  9  because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him.

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/1-peter/1.html)

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 20:

19  It was late that Sunday evening, and the Disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities.  Then Jesus came and stood among them.

“Peace be with you,” he said.

20  After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side.  The Disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord.  21  Jesus said to them again,

“Peace be with you.  As the Father sent me, so I send you.”

22  Then he breathed on them and said,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.  23  If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came.  25  So the other disciples told him,

“We have seen the Lord!”

Thomas said to them,

“Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26  A week later the Disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them.  The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said,

“Peace be with you.”

27  Then he said to Thomas,

“Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side.  Stop your doubting, and believe!”

28  Thomas answered him,

“My Lord and my God!”

29  Jesus said to him,

“Do you believe because you see me?  How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”

30  In his Disciples’ presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book.  31  But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.

[Today’s English Version]

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/john/20.html)

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen or sing along to the Hymn ‘I will sing the wondrous story’  (TiS233  AHB173  MHB380)

Francis Harold Rowley

Sermon

People make lots of claims today, don’t they, and it is difficult at times to determine when someone can or cannot substantiate the claim that they make.

  If I make the claim that I could comfortably fit a ripened pumpkin in the palm of only one hand, and turn it upside down while holding it only in that one hand, how many people would accept the truthfulness of my claim?

  Here I am holding a ripened pumpkin comfortably in the palm of one hand.

 Here I am holding it upside down.  Of course, it helps when you have a very small pumpkin.  You have heard the phrase, ‘runt of the litter’, here is the ‘runt of the vine’.  None-the-less, I have supported my claim by visual evidence.

  The Apostle Thomas refused to accept a claim made by his fellow Apostles.

  He was absent when Jesus appeared to the other Disciples on the evening of the day of His resurrection.  (John 20: 24)  When the other Disciples sought to share this good news with Thomas he expressed his doubt about the resurrection.  He would not believe that Jesus was alive unless, as he stated, “I see the scar of the nails on his hands and put my finger on those scars and put my hand in his side.”  (John 20: 25) 

   We read that a week later Thomas was with the other Disciples as they gathered behind locked doors, and Jesus appeared to them a second time.  On this occasion Jesus immediately approached Thomas with the invitation for Thomas to see and to touch the very scars and wounds of Jesus that Thomas had demanded he needed to do to obtain the necessary evidence for proving that Jesus was, indeed, alive.  “Stop your doubting and believe.” Jesus declared.  (John 20: 27)  Jesus challenged Thomas to believe.  And we read of his immediate move from disbelief to genuine faith. 

‘Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Stop your doubting, and believe!”’ John 20: 27 

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1400620314/vector/the-sceptical-apostle-thomas-and-jesus.jpg)

It is important to note that this faith was not in Jesus the Prophet, but in Jesus the Risen Lord.  We see this brought out in the welcome that Jesus spoke when He entered the room, “Peace be with you.”  (John 20: 26)  This should not be understood as the ordinary Semitic greeting, but is the peace of the pardoned sinner, the peace that only Jesus Christ can give, the peace that He was able to give after His death and resurrection, and which He had previously promised to them.  We read this in John 14: 27 where Jesus says “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you.  I do not give it as the World does.” 

   And we also note the difference in the way Thomas responded to Jesus.  When the risen Jesus appeared to Mary in the Garden, she called Him “rabboni” in the Hebrew, or “didaskalos” in the Greek, meaning a very respected teacher or Master.  (John 20: 16)  Thomas, however, calls Jesus my “kurios”  (Strong’s NT2962)  and my “theos”  (Strong’s NT2316)  , meaning my Lord and my God, someone supreme in authority and of supreme divinity.  (John 20: 28) 

One writer suggests that this is the highest acclamation of Jesus found in John’s Gospel, and is a fitting climax to the Gospel, because the reason John wrote his Gospel, as we find at the end of chapter 20, was “in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and that through your faith in Him you may have life.”  (John 20: 31)  (Donald Guthrie in John in the New Bible Commentary p966) 

   What is of supreme importance for us is that we do so believe.  Jesus asks Thomas, “Do you believe because you see me?”  (John 20: 29a)  Looking at what occurred in that room with the other Disciples, we must ask ourselves “Who could not believe, when you are actually present to see and touch the risen Christ in the flesh?”  Jesus then states, “How happy are those who believe without seeing me.”  (John 20: 29b)  But, considering the extent of the change we see in Thomas and the sincerity of his response, couldn’t we ask “Wouldn’t it be to our advantage if we too can see the risen Jesus?  Wouldn’t more people respond to God if they too saw the risen Christ?  Is our belief actually hindered by not being able to see the risen Christ in the flesh?” 

   Today’s reading from Psalm 16 commences with a petition, a characteristic of Jewish psalms and prayers, “Protect me, O God” or “Keep me safe, O God”.  (Psalm 16: 1a)  This petition, however, does not arise from having to face some calamity from which the writer needed deliverance.  Instead, we understand that the writer is praying that God would protect them as He had done so in the past.  For we read, as we read it in the New English Bible, “in you I have found refuge” and “no good thing has come apart from You”.  (Psalm 16: 1b & 2b)  This prayer arises out of a worshipper’s experience of God’s care and provision.  This experience has been repeated again and again in their life, to the point where their faith in God has become an essential part of their life.  There is no expression of anxiety or doubt in this prayer, because the writer is fully confident of God’s attentiveness.

   They proclaim their loyalty and faithfulness in God, in obedience to God’s covenant relationship with His people, the Jews.  “You are my God”, they state  (Psalm 16: 2a)  ; a declaration of God’s sovereignty and that God has a claim on their life and service.  They express their delight with being in the company of others who, too, are faithful to God and who, too, have experienced God’s graciousness.  They also declare that they shun the company of those who avidly pursue the worship of other gods, alternatives to the worship of the one true Creator God.  (Psalm 16: 3 & 4) 

   They acknowledge the ways in which God has blessed them.  The New International Version reads, “You have assigned to me my portion and my cup”.  (Psalm 16: 5a)  This reminds us of the passage in Psalm 23: 5 where it states “my cup overflows”.  This is an indication of God’s gracious provision in the here and now.  The verse continues, “you have made my lot secure”.  (Psalm 16: 5b)  This is a reference to the future, how the writer has the confidence in God’s graciousness towards them so that they have no fears for the future.

   They have experienced the wisdom of God in His counsel and direction in their lives.  They have experienced the discipline of God through His instruction and correction.  (Psalm 16: 7)  And it is with confidence that they describe God as the one who stands in front of them, to protect them from threats, but also as the friend who stands at their right hand side.  (Psalm 16: 8a)  They are ready to declare “nothing can shake me” or “ I will not be shaken”,  (Psalm 16: 8b)  , meaning that no threat or no anxiety can seriously intrude on the peace that they have experienced flowing from their relationship with God.

   Assured as they are from a life-long communion with God, they know that in the future they will be safe in God’s arms, for we read, “My heart is glad” and “I feel completely secure”.  And then in verse 10 we have the statement “you protect me from the power of death … you will not abandon me to the world of the dead”.  Several versions translate this as “the pit”.  (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Artur Weiser in The Psalms p171)  Others make mention of the place named “Sheol”.  (Amplified Bible, New American Bible)  This is understood to be a place of emptiness, of nothingness, where a soul is left to rot forever, banished under divine wrath and rejection, where one experiences the extreme of eternal separation from God.  (Strong’s OT 7585, Artur Weiser in The Psalms p176 7 177, Leslie McCaw and Alec Motyer in Psalms in the New Bible Commentary p460)  The faithful Jew would seek confirmation that they would avoid such a destiny.  And, so, we read the joy expressed by the writer of Psalm 16, where they state “You show me the path that leads to life”, “your presence fills me with joy”, and the longing that they would experience “the eternal pleasures” from being in the presence of God.  (Psalm 16: 11)  This is a longing for the close communion with God after death, when in Heaven.

   So, we have someone who has not seen God in the flesh, yet has seen God at work in their life.  They are able to state how, through God’s gracious provision, they have been blessed and protected.  And by their faith, they know that they will continue to receive such gifts from God throughout their life on Earth and in their future in Heaven.  Belief for the writer is not dependent upon a visible God, but on the visible consequences of trust and obedience, and the hoped for blessing in the future.

  It need not be any different for us.  In our daily walk with God we too can experience this closeness with God, this dependence upon His instruction and counsel.  And we too can have this same faith that, in God, we need have no fear for the future.

The Apostle Peter

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/489488391/photo/vienna-st-peter-the-apostle-from-carmelites-church.jpg)

 The Apostle Peter takes this a step further.  Significantly for us at this Easter time, we read how Peter sees in this Psalm a reference about Jesus Christ.  He declares to his audience that the resurrection of Jesus was inevitable.  Jesus was not to be seen just as a good man, and neither was Jesus to be seen as some type of ‘superman’.  Instead, we are to understand that God was the operative force.  It is God who is at work.  It is God who performs the mighty acts.  It is God who has already decided what is to take place.  And it is God who raises Jesus from death.  (Acts 2: 22 & 23, 1 Peter 1: 3) 

   Peter uses the context of Jesus, saying to God, His Father, in the words from Psalm 16: 8 – 11, ‘You will not abandon me in the world of the dead, you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave’.  (Acts 2: 27)  This is the Good News that we celebrate at Easter, the empty tomb, the risen Christ.  God was at work in the World in a profoundly decisive way.  God was at work in the World upsetting the plans of Satan to draw Humanity away from God.  God continued His involvement in the World.  He was at work in the life of the early Church as it sought an identity in the post resurrection world.  He is at work in the Church today as we move forward into the unknown future. 

Peter wrote of Jesus to the early Church saying,

‘You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him.’  (1 Peter 1: 8) 

  Donald Guthrie writes,

“This is the kind of faith which has sustained the Christian Church to the present time.  Ultimately, true faith must always be independent of sight.”  (Donald Guthrie in John in the New Bible Commentary p966) 

  We have no need to view the risen Christ, because the risen Christ is alive in each of us, transforming our lives.  We experience the risen Christ in the same way that the writer of Psalm 16 could declare God upholding them.  Peter retains this theme is his Letter to the early Church, where he writes, “Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Because of His great mercy He gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death.  This fills us with a living hope, and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for His people.”  (1 Peter 1: 3 & 4)  May we share this joy as we live out our faith in the risen Christ and live out our trust in the graciousness of our loving God.  Amen.

You are invited to listen or sing along to the Hymn clip ‘I am His, and He is mine.’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 193)

Wade Robinson

Offering

Offering Prayer    

‘For the life that you have given’  (TiS774)  

[This YouTube clip is for another hymn but is used here for the tune, 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

Loving 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.

May all peoples have reverence for you and obedience to your commands and laws.

Remove from National leaders the worship of wealth, the striving for power and prestige, and the dependence upon brute force to achieve their desires.

Cleanse our political and business leaders from corruption, factional fighting, and hostile and denigratory words and actions.

Give to them the vision of the worth of working together to remove need and want, and to build opportunities for individuals and communities.

Grant to all who suffer the awareness of your care and compassion.

Heal the hurt and broken bodies, give peace to troubled minds, and restore hope to grieved and anxious spirits.

Heal the wounds of differences among families, and between friends and neighbours.

By the offering and acceptance of pardon where there has been wrong, may we know together the fullness of life that you have brought about through the Easter events.

Move the consciences of the wealthy and the satisfied to alleviate the needs of the suffering and the destitute

Motivate those who have the capacity to give of what they have, so that enough effort and material aid are provided so that there are none who suffer in your World were no-one should want of anything, where there is the capacity to provide for the needs of each individual on Earth.

Inspire your Church to proclaim to all peoples the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

  Break through the barriers that close Human hearts to the message of your love and grace.  Give confidence to those who are constrained by doubt and fear, so that they respond to the words of hope and renewal.

(from Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions p20 & 21, David Hostetter in Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year A p85 & 94)

We pray for the Church, that we may offer an uncompromising witness to Christ by being united in mind and spirit as we worship, study and serve the needs of others.

We pray for a spirit of reverence, that as we break the bread and share the cup, we may recognize more fully the Risen Lord in our midst.

We pray for all Christians, that we who have received the Spirit, may generously participate in the mission which Christ entrusted to the Church.

We pray for Christian unity, that by devoting ourselves to listening to the Scriptures and growing in prayer, we may promote greater unity and cooperation in the Body of Christ.

We pray for all who struggle with faith, that your Word may open them to a relationship with you and enlighten their path to fuller life.

We pray for the grace to forgive, that flowing from your forgiveness of us, we may forgive those who have harmed or wronged us.

We pray for all who are bound by sinfulness, that you may break their bonds and open a new path of life that reveals love, kindness and mercy to them.

We pray for all who all who are ill, particularly those with Covid-19, that you will bring an end to the coronavirus and give hope, healing, and new life to those who are sick.

We pray that you will inspire and give insight to all who are caring for the sick, developing treatments, or researching vaccines.

We pray for greater appreciation of Creation, that as we experience the creator of all that exists, we may treat all of creation with a greater reverence as God’s gift to us.

We pray that Christ’s gift of peace may settle in the hearts of all the Human family and guide us away from violence and revenge.

Copyright © 2020. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/2EasterA041623/ideas_other.html

  We pray for the peoples of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania.

We give thanks for the blending of Christian traditions and practices, from the West and East, for the faithful witness of churches amid political changes, for those working for more democratic governance in these countries, and for those who welcome newcomers and provide for them and others in need.

We pray for better relationships among different ethnic groups and traditions, for respect for the rights of children, women, the young and the elderly, so they can receive adequate education, jobs and health care, for economic developments that serve all people, and for ending practices that harm the air, soil and forests, and installing instead measures to protect the environment.

Prayers

Grant us the gift of unity

O, Lord, who give unto each nation its place and time and mission: grant us the
gift of unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, that the ancient church, and all
Christians of this land, each loyal to their confession, culture and nationality,
may discover new forms of common Christian witness, and stand before the
divided world as a united and humble fellowship.
O Lord, who commanded your disciples to pray both for their neighbours and
their enemies: give us such love for one another, that with one voice and one
heart we may glorify your name, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(Dr Ion Bria, Romanian Orthodox Church. WAGP p. 161)

God,
who comes into our life with your light and says: ’this should not be’; who did not spare even your most precious treasure to change the stifling order of the world into a life-giving freedom! Give us your Spirit, so that we are able to rise against the apathy, oppression and selfishness in us and in the world! In Jesus Christ we pray:
Lord, hear our prayer!

God,
who came into this world as a stranger to redeem us; who was taken in by the Egyptians, when you had to flee from your home in the times of the Herod’s persecution! Give us your Spirit, so that we may act like your followers when we encounter immigrants! In Jesus Christ we pray:
Lord, hear our prayer!

God,
we give you thanks for families and for the togetherness and support of the family! Give us your Spirit, so that we are able to follow Christ when we see our family not as the egoistic source of our own pride and power, but the solid grounding which enables us to be open towards the unknown and support our fellow-creatures. In Jesus Christ we pray:
Lord, hear our prayer!

Jesus Christ,
who entrusted your Church to the apostles -to Peter and Paul, and to John, James, Mary Magdalene and even to Thomas… Give us your Spirit, so that we may spread the Gospel in the world in a multi-coloured unity! We pray for all church leaders, that they might draw strength from the story of the cross; that they could say the words of hope, justice and mercy without hesitation! In Jesus Christ we pray:
Lord, hear our prayer!
Amen.

(29th of August, 2015, on the ordination of the author, Áron Bence, pastor of Alberti Lutheran Congregation, Hungary)

Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI) as it attends to hundreds and thousands of patients every year, trains thousands of youths in different trades, conducts rigorous research on clinical, social, and other aspects of leprosy, and provides training on leprosy.  May it stay true to its motto, promoting the healing, inclusion and dignity of people affected by leprosy, other Tropical Diseases and disabilities.  Please support TLMTI as it invests in generating sustainable livelihoods and empowering underserved communities, especially the ones affected by leprosy.  With your guidance, may TLMTI continue to be able to hold the hands of people affected by leprosy during their ailing and uncertain times, not just with treatment, but also with different interventions that make them financially independent and socially acceptable.

We pray for travel mercies for the various Audit & Risk Management teams as they endeavour to visit various units to conduct audits in the next six months.  Please protect them from Covid and safety from all dangers, and that they remain in good health.

The Leprosy Mission Prayer Diary 2023.pdf

May your Word give nourishment to the roots of our faith so that in our words and actions we can give nourishment to those in the Community in which we live and move.

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 or sing along to the YouTube Hymn clip: ‘Yet not I, but through Christ in me’

Jonny Robinson  Rich Thompson  Michael Farren

Benediction    

‘More like the Master I would ever be’

‘More like the Master I would ever be,

More of his meekness, more humility;

More zeal to labour, more courage to be true,

More consecration for work he bids me do.

More like the Master is my daily prayer,

More strength to carry crosses I must bear,

More earnest effort to bring his Kingdom in,

More of his Spirit, the wanderer to win.

More like the Master I would live and grow,

More of his love to others I would show,

More self-denial, like his in Galilee,

More like the Master I long to ever be.’

Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

(https://hymnary.org/text/more_like_the_master_i_would_ever_be)

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Benediction Song

‘Never lose sight of Jesus’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 6)

[For the Benediction song we are singing only the first verse and chorus. The words are printed below]

Verse

O pilgrim bound for the Heavenly land,

Never lose sight of Jesus,

He’ll lead you gently with loving hand.

Never lose sight of Jesus.

Chorus

Never lose sight of Jesus,

Never lose sight of Jesus,

Day and night he will lead you right,

Never lose sight of Jesus.

Robert Harkness