Welcome:   –

Call to Worship:   –

(Psalm 49: 1, 2, 5 – 9 & 15) 

Hear this, people everywhere,

Listen, all who inhabit this World,

Both common people and people of status and privilege,

Rich and poor together.

Why should I be afraid in times of trouble,

When I am surrounded by the wickedness of my oppressors,

Those who put their trust in their wealth,

And boast of the abundance of their riches?

No one can ever redeem themselves,

Nor pay to God the price for their life.

For the price of their soul is too high,

Forever beyond their power to pay,

The ransom that would keep them from the grave,

And enable them to live on always.

A person’s greatness cannot keep them from death,

They will still die like an animal.

But God will redeem my life from the grave,

And He will surely receive me in His presence.

Comment on Psalm 49

  The author of Psalm 49 speaks of those who put their faith and trust in their wealth and riches, in their Earthly power and status, to give them true purpose and pleasure in this life, and to keep them from that which all Humans must share, the death of their mortal bodies.  For, in doing so, they are, in reality, replacing the proper worship of God for a worship of their possessions.  Not only is such an attitude futile and foolish, for it will not guarantee fulfillment in this life, but, as well, in doing so their forfeit their access to the grace of God so as to obtain fulfillment in the life to come.

  To live in fellowship with God, to daily walk with God, means receiving fulness of life here and now.  It is life itself, which we can experience every day of our life, and which we can look forward to at the end of our days.

  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p385 & 386, and George Knight in Psalms volume 1 p231 & 232) 

  On that note, let us gather to worship our God, the sustainer of our mortal life here among the Kingdoms on Earth, and the guarantor of our life everlasting in the Kingdom of God.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Prayers for God’s People Year B p110, 117, A year of prayer p80, 156, 160 161) 

Almighty God, to you be all praise, for it is you who has brought everything into being.  It is you who formed the stars and the planets and set the Universe in its place.  It is you who shaped this Earth on which we live and gave it its seasons.  It is you who designed the plants and the animals and gave life to them all.  Your glory is revealed in all that we see with our eyes and with our microscopes; your incomparable intellect and wisdom is shown in the completeness and the intricacies of all that you have made.

  Almighty God, to you be all praise, for you are the one who draws us close.  We have no goodness or merit of our own, yet you have joined us to yourself in a living relationship that spans all human differences, and which will survive beyond the grave.  We profess that Jesus Christ is your son and our only Saviour.  We profess that through him our sins are forgiven, our souls cleansed of all that is ungodly and impure, and that by believing in him we have eternal life.  We rejoice in your loving-kindness and grace.  We will rejoice always as we recall your mercy so freely and readily and expensively given to us.

  Almighty God, to you be all praise, for through you we are bound together as a Church of believers, with bonds that cross race and colour, age and upbringing, culture and class.  We thank you for the daily mercies which come our way, for the comforts and blessings of life, for the joy of family and friends, for the love of those with whom we fellowship in the Church.  We thank you for the certainty of your love and care, for the certainty that whatever comes our way in life you are there with us, for the certainty that whatever happens you are with us forevermore.

  Almighty God, we gather today to honour and adore you, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. 

We sing ‘Thy loving kindness is better than life’  Scripture in Song volume 1 number 71

Hugh Mitchell

We sing ‘God is so good’  Scripture in song volume 1 number121

Paul Makai

translated by Marilyn Foulkes

Prayer of Confession

 (from A Year of Prayer, p81, 82, 156, 157, 161) 

Merciful God, we come humbly before you acknowledging that we are a sinful race.  We have sinned, and we continue to sin.

This is something that we cannot deny, for it is ever before you, and ever before us.  We are conscious of our guilt and ashamed of the grief that it causes you.

We confess that we have sought meaning in the trivialities of the attractions of this World, and have been enticed away from your path by this World’s values.

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we have forgotten your Word and have sought meaning and understanding from what the World tells us.

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we have compromised our witness to your love for the World by uncharitable thoughts and actions.

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we have devalued our relationship with you by depending on what we can accomplish by ourselves and not what you seek to accomplish through us.

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we do not readily welcome into our fellowship those who are different or who challenge our level of comfort.

Forgive us, we pray.

Cleanse us from the defilement of our sins, and deliver us from the evil that leads us astray.

Merciful God, may we live free of the failures that mar our lives and that spoils all Earthly joy.  Lead us out of those things into a place of obedience and faithfulness.

May your Word dominate our thinking, cleanse our consciences, and control our living, so that Christ may clearly be displayed in and through us.

Empower us to love and to serve you with faithfulness and joy, to your glory we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(Moira Laidlaw Liturgies On-line Pentecost 18C) 

Paul writes to Timothy, saying, “There is one mediator between God and Humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all…” (1 Timothy 2: 5,6a)  This undeserved good news is also for us, telling us that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven and renewed.

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

Jeremiah 10:

¹  Jeremiah said to them, “People of Israel, listen to the message that the LORD has for you.  ²  He says,

‘Do not follow the ways of other Nations; do not be disturbed by unusual sights in the sky, even though other Nations are terrified.

³  The religion of these people is worthless.  A tree is cut down in the forest; it is carved by

the tools of the woodworker,  ⁴  and decorated with silver and gold.  It is fastened down with nails to keep it from falling over.

⁵  Such idols are like scarecrows in a field of melons; they cannot speak; they have to be carried because they cannot walk.  Do not be afraid of them; they can cause you no harm, and they can do you no good.’

⁶  LORD, there is no one like you; you are mighty, and your name is great and powerful.

⁷  Who would not honour you, the King of the Nations?  You deserve to be honoured.  There is no one like you among all the wise people of the Nations or among any of their Kings or Queens.

⁸  All of them are stupid and foolish.  What can they learn from wooden idols?

⁹  Their idols are covered with silver from Spain and with gold from Uphaz, all the work of artists; they are dressed in violet and purple cloth woven by skilled weavers.

¹⁰  But you, LORD, are the true God, you are the living God and the eternal King.  When you are angry, the World quakes; the Nations cannot endure your anger.”

1 Timothy 2

¹  First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people;  ²  for Kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.  ³  This is good and it pleases God our Saviour,  ⁴  who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.

⁵  For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and Humankind together, the man Christ Jesus,  ⁶  who gave himself to redeem all Humankind.  That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved,  ⁷  and that is why I was sent as an Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to proclaim the message of faith and truth.

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Luke 22: and Matthew 20:

24  An argument broke out among the Disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest.  25  Jesus said to them,

“The Kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the people’.  26  But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant.  27  Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves them?  The one who sits down, or course.  But I am among you as one who serves,  28b  to give his life to redeem many people.”

[Today’s English Version]

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:

May the peace of God be with you all.

And also with you.

We sing the Hymn ‘Jesus, Shepherd of the Sheep’  Wesley’s hymns number 183

This hymn is sung to the tune heathlands

Verse 1 of 3

Jesus, Shepherd of the sheep,

Pity my unsettled soul,

Guide and nourish me, and keep,

Till your love can make me whole;

From my guilt and grief relieve,

Make me steadfastly believe.

Verse 2 of 3

I tend not to stay one way,

My life flickers like a flame,

But you are as yesterday,

Now and evermore the same;

Constancy to me impart,

Fill now with your grace my heart.

Verse 3 of 3

You I call to hold me up,

Walking over life’s rough sea,

That whatever fills life’s cup

You my soul’s sure anchor be;

That I may be always yours,

Cleanse me of my stains and flaws.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

On the Skyrail going up to Kuranda

  I was relating to those who came to the worship service at PM Village on Thursday just gone, that, on our recent holiday, Kerry and I and our eldest son, Brendan, and his family ventured to Kuranda on the Skyrail.  Here is a photograph of some of the ‘local wildlife’ you might see on the journey.  In the middle of the photograph you can see one of the gondolas that are used to transport people up to Kuranda and back to Smithfield.  You can see the connecting rod from the roof of the gondola to the overhead cabling that moves from pylon to pylon.  I emphasised that, if you seek to travel on the Skyrail and to enjoy the experience, you must place your trust in the skill and diligence of the workers and in the suitability of the coupling at the end of the connecting rod to fasten it in a fixed and stable manner to the cabling, allowing the gondola to move safely along on its journey, and to continue to do so throughout the day.  That is the reality about travelling on the Skyrail.

  Alan Catchpoole talks of a far more important reality.  “Ultimate reality,” he writes, “is found in God and not in this created World.  God is intimately involved with this World and the people in it.  He is ‘a God at hand’ and not ‘a God afar off’.  It is not enough simply to acknowledge that there is a God and be able to discuss His attributes.  (People are) created to relate personally to this God and to respond to all He is and does.”  (Alan Catchpoole in The Wisdom that founded the Earth p39) 

  However, Alan Catchpoole also writes of the “rebellious nature” of Humanity, wherein people are troubled by the Biblical teaching that “God is ultimately and completely sovereign over all things”, “that nothing, not even (our) thinking or personal decision making, is free of divine control”.  (Alan Catchpoole in The Wisdom that founded the Earth p39) 

Screen 2

In what do people place their trust?

  The end result of all of this is that people distrust and rebel against this Biblical teaching of the “ultimate reality” being found in God, and seek to place a trust in an alternative reality.  But in what alternatives do people place their trust?

Screen 3

“No one can ever redeem themselves,

Nor pay to God the price for their life.

For the price of their soul is too high,

Forever beyond their power to pay,”

Psalm 49: 7 & 8

  The author of Psalm 49 writes of those:

“who put their trust in their wealth, and boast of the abundance of their riches?”  (verse 6).  George Frank, in his Commentary on this Psalm, writes that the terms used here “occur elsewhere only with reference to God”.  (George Frank in Psalms Volume 1 p232)  The understanding is that such people place their ultimate trust in their wealth and their riches to get them through this life, as well as, whether they realise it or not, to get them safely and comfortably past this life to whatever takes place afterward.  Their wealth and riches become their god and the place in which they place their trust.

  Don’t we see this in our World today.  Don’t we see people being enticed to the worship

of their wealth and riches and the promises of pleasure and prestige and privilege and power that follow on from having all that you can desire.

  But the author is careful highlight two issues. 

  Firstly, “A person’s greatness cannot keep them from death”  (verse 12)  .  No matter how rich or wealthy you are, your wealth and riches cannot stop you from dying.

  Secondly your wealth and riches cannot be used in bargaining with God for your soul:

“No one can ever redeem themselves,

Nor pay to God the price for their life.

For the price of their soul is too high,

Forever beyond their power to pay,”

  (Psalm 49: 7 & 8) 

  The author of this Psalm has come to the understanding this it is God (who) will redeem (their) life from the grave,  (verse 15)  , that it is their relationship with God that is of the utmost importance.  Their trust in the God who alone has the power over death and their hope of eternal life founded on this trust is at the centre not only of their thinking but of their life as well.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p390) 

Screen 4

“Do not follow the ways of other Nations …  the religion of these people is worthless.”  (Jeremiah 10: 2 & 3)

  The Prophet Jeremiah warns his readers:

“Do not follow the ways of other Nations …  the religion of these people is worthless.”  (Jeremiah 10: 2 & 3)  He speaks of two aspects of the religious life of the peoples who lived in the Nations around Israel.  Firstly Jeremiah advises:

“do not be disturbed by unusual sights in the sky, even though other Nations are terrified” 

  (Jeremiah 10: 2) 

  Here Jeremiah is referring to the belief in celestial gods, namely the Sun, the Moon, the planets, such as Venus, and the stars.  These were believed to be powerful gods since they were understood to control the calendar and time, the seasons and the weather.  It was believed that they provided signs by which omens were read, and therefore they needed to be observed regularly and intently.  (John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas in Jeremiah in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament p650 & 651) 

Screen 5

“The Cosmos is bringing you opportunities for you to focus on your own needs – with great success”

Horoscope advice in the Sunday Mail Stellar magazine 28 August 2022

  If you think that in our modern, educated and enlightened world, such beliefs are no longer held by anyone, look no further than the horoscope pages in our daily newspapers and any regularly published popular magazine.  Such advice in the Sunday Mail Stellar magazine dated 28 August 2022 reads:

“The Cosmos is bringing you opportunities for you to focus on your own needs – with great success”

  Jeremiah highlights he foolishness of believing that the entities in the vast expanses of the heavens could ever exert any influence upon people, when they themselves have been created by God and under the direction of God, who has assigned each plant and star in its place in the night sky and who has determined the forces that guide the Sun and the Moon.  Why worship something that has been created when we should be worshipping the Creator who made them and who directs their path/

Screen 6

“Such idols … can cause you no harm, and they can do you no good.”

Jeremiah 10: 5

  The second aspect of the belief system of Israel’s neighbours is their worship of idols.  Jeremiah details how no expense was spared in making these idols.  They were finely shaped from wood by the best craftsmen, and overlaid with “hammered sheets of silver and gold”.  The idol was not the god, but the god was thought to inhabit the image and manifest its presence and will through the image.  As such it was venerated, offered food sacrifices, dressed in fine clothes and even washed regularly.  (John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark Chavalas in Jeremiah in The IVP Bible Background Commentary of the Old Testament p651) 

  But, says Jeremiah, though these idols may be aesthetically pleasing, they are dead, they have no life in them, “they are like scarecrows in a field of melons”  (Jeremiah 10: 5)  , “they are unable to speak, unable to move, unable to do anything.”  (Robert Davidson in Jeremiah volume 1 p94)  “Such idols” he says, ”can cause you no harm, and they can do you no good.”  (Jeremiah 10: 5)  .  “Can this really be what God is like?” he asks.

Screen 7

In whom should we place our trust?

  In his book, “I was just wondering”, Philip Yancey asks many questions, two of which are:

“Why is it that the most beautiful animals on Earth are hidden away from all Humans except those wearing elaborate scuba equipment?  Who are they beautiful for?”  (p30)  , and

“Don’t atheists and secular humanists have an equal obligation to explain the origin of pleasure in a world of randomness and meaninglessness?”  (p33) 

  Philip Yancey, states, “I am still waiting for a good explanation (to such questions) that does not include the word God.”  (p36)  , meaning that the only explanation that makes sense and gives meaning is one that involves God.  He continues by saying that our role as beings created in God’s image is to “contemplate and appreciate, to reflect on meaning, to revere and to hallow.”  (pxii) 

  This being so, we must ask ourselves:

“In whom should we place our trust?” 

“What, then, is God like?”

Screen 8

“LORD, there is no one like you, … you, LORD, are the true God.”

Jeremiah 10: 6 & 10

  Jeremiah sought to reveal to the People of Israel that “everything that idols are not, the Lord is.”  (study notes for Jeremiah 10: 10 in NIV Study Bible p1152)  He states that on the basis of all that God is, God is deserving to be honoured  (Jeremiah 10: 7)  .  How then does Jeremiah describe God?

  Jeremiah calls God “the true God”  (Jeremiah 10: 10a)  , completely different to the false and worthless idols and fanciful celestial gods.  God is someone in whom we can believe, in whom we can trust.

  Jeremiah calls God “the living God”  (Jeremiah 10: 10b)  , who, unlike the dead idols, can and does speak and move, that He exerts an influence over us and acts for us.

  Jeremiah states that there is no one like God  (Jeremiah 10: 6)  , that God is incomparable, without parallel by any “King or Queen”  (Jeremiah 10: 7)  , that is, those who wield Earthly

power and authority; without parallel by all those who profess to be wise  (Jeremiah 10: 7)  .

  Jeremiah states that God is not restricted to one group of people or to one race, that He is not limited by geography or political boundaries, but that He is King over all the Nations  (Jeremiah 10: 7) 

  Jeremiah states that God is “mighty, great and powerful”  (Jeremiah 10: 6)  , exercising His authority and control over His Creation, demonstrating His authority and control over Time and Space and History.

  Jeremiah states that God is “eternal”  (Jeremiah 10: 10c)  , not limited by our mortal restrictions, not subject to death but in control of death.

Screen 9

“But God will redeem my life.”

Psalm 49: 15

  The author of Psalm 49 writes of God in similar terms.  God is not a god to be fooled by those who would pretend that they can substitute their wealth and riches for God, that their wealth and riches could possibly have the life and power and authority exercised by God  (Psalm 49: 6)  .  God is not a god with whom you could bargain for your soul, or who could be ‘paid off’ in exchange for granting you eternal life.  (Psalm 49: 7)  The very acceptance that it is God who determines such matters is an acknowledgement that God is eternal, as Jeremiah states, that God is not subject to death but is in control of death.

  The author of Psalm 49 concludes this portion of their Psalm on a note of hope.  “But God will redeem my life from the grave”, they write  (Psalm 49: 15a)  .  Here, there is no fear of the future beyond death because they have placed their trust in the compassion and power of God to save them.  Here, they celebrate with joy their confidence in being received by God into His very presence.  (Psalm 49: 15b) 

Screen 10

“there is one who brings God and Humankind together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem all Humankind.”

1 Timothy 2: 5 & 6

  It is this same confidence that Paul expresses in his first letter to Timothy.  Paul echoes

Jeremiah in proclaiming that “there is one God”  (1 Timothy 2: 5)  , that there is no one else in this life or the next to whom we need to turn.  In this letter to Timothy Paul emphasises the desire and striving of God to reconcile Humanity to Himself, “to bring God and Humankind together” as Paul writes  (1 Timothy 2: 5)  . 

  God has a plan, Paul writes, a plan to redeem all Humankind, to save all Humankind from the grave.  It is a plan which God accomplished through His son Jesus Christ, for he writes of Jesus that he “gave himself to redeem all Humankind”  (1 Timothy 2: 6)  .  By speaking in the past tense Paul is expressing his confidence that God’s plan has been accomplished and that God is now waiting for people to respond to His offer of compassion and grace.

Screen 11

“I am among you as one who serves, to give his life to redeem many people.”

Luke 22: 27 and Matthew 20: 28

  It is the importance of the compassion and grace of God that Jesus revealed to his Disciples.  On an occasion when the Disciples were arguing as to who had the greatest authority and influence, Jesus turned the discussion around to talk instead of the critical importance of service.  For Jesus did not come into the World to exercise power and authority but to serve, as Luke relates  (Luke 22: 27)  , to demonstrate God’s compassion and grace, and that his service involved giving his life to redeem us  (Matthew 20: 28)  .

Screen 12

In what or in whom do you place your trust?

  In what or in whom do you place your trust?  What do we worship, what takes up all of our time and energy and focus?  For what do we desire with all or our heart and soul and mins?  Do you seek to bargain with God about how you deserve to receive His favour?  Do you seek to substitute God for a god of your own making?  Have you given up on the whole matter and have accepted that there is no meaning or purpose in the World.

  God is calling us to respond to His great plan to bring fallen Humanity back to a right relationship with Him.  How do we respond to His call?  Have we responded to His call?

  The author of Psalm 49 and the Prophet Jeremiah remind us of the inescapable reality of God.  The essence of what Paul is reminding Timothy is the inexhaustible capacity of God to seek and to save those who are lost to Him.  May we experience the joy in our lives from knowing God as our Saviour.  May we be challenged to share this joy with those whom we meet in our own small corner of the World.  May we seek to be the light of God to the dark corners of our Society so that all the World can be saved. 

“No heart too small, no world too wide to feel the Master’s touch,

Dear Lord of all, we give you thanks for you have sent so much.”  (Our Daily Bread 23 March 2006) 

Amen.

We sing the Hymn ‘There’s a wideness to God’s mercy’ TiS136  AHB72

This hymn is sung to the tune Cross of Jesus.

This YouTube clip has music for 3 verses only and needs to be played through twice for all of the six verses to be sung.

Verse 1 of 6

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,

Like the wideness of the sea;

There’s a kindness in God’s justice

Which is more than liberty.

Verse 2 of 6

There is welcome for the sinner,

And more graces for the good;

There is mercy with the Saviour,

There is healing in His blood.

Verse 3 of 6

But we make God’s love too narrow

By false limits of our own,

And we magnify its strictness

With a zeal God will not own.

Verse 4 of 6

For the love of God is broader

Than the measure of our mind;

And the heart of the Eternal

Is most wonderfully kind.

Verse 5 of 6

Was there ever kindest shepherd

Half so gentle, half so sweet,

As the Saviour who would have us

Come and gather round his feet?

Verse 6 of 6

If our love were but more simple,

We should rest upon his word,

And our lives would be illumined

By the presence of our Lord.

Frederick Faber

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria

[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

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

We pray for the Church, that we may be good stewards of the gifts that you have given us, use them for your glory, and never be possessed by our possessions.

We pray for the grace of diligence: that we may follow the command of Christ and use our gifts and resources to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and care for the sick.

We pray for wisdom, that the Holy Spirit will guide us pursuing our goals and developing our abilities so that our endeavours may lead us into the fullness of life for all eternity.

We pray for deeper gratitude, that we may appreciate all the gifts, opportunities and benefits that we have been given and recognize them as signs of your love for us.

We pray for a greater attention to the small things in life, that you will find us diligent and faithful with all our ordinary responsibilities so that we may share in your greater gifts.

We pray for the leaders of all nations, that they may fulfill their obligations faithfully and establish peace and good order in each Nation.

We pray for the members of all levels of our Governments, that you will give them insight and courage as they address the issues of promoting the common good, equality for all people, and care for those in need.

We pray for the development of ethics and honesty in business, that all who lead companies may be guided by the Holy Spirit in implementing just practices and products that are beneficial.

We pray for employers and employees, that each may fulfill their responsibilities and treat one another with dignity and respect.

We pray for all who are caught in deceit and corruption, that you will free their hearts and open to them the life and wholeness that comes from living in the truth.

We pray for the poor, that you will lift their burden and help them to find ways to meet their needs and prosper.

We pray for all who do not have access to adequate health care, that you will help them find ways to protect and sustain their life and health.

We pray for all who are recovering from the hurricanes, fires, floods and other disasters, that you will comfort them, give them strength and open the hearts of many to assist them.

We pray for preservation of water resources, that you will inspire all who are responsible for stewarding water resources to find new ways to protect and preserve the waters that is needed for all human life.

We pray for an end to violence: that the Holy Spirit will turn hearts from violence, protect children from harm, and help all to respect the dignity of human life.

Copyright © 2022. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/

We pray for the peoples of Ghana, Nigeria. 

We are thankful for Christians and Muslims who take risks to work for dialogue and reconciliation, and people of disparate ethnic groups who strive together for the common good, for churches who have been faithful in spreading the Good News, serving the people and pursuing justice in these societies, for economic growth from natural resources, where it benefits all people – and especially the poor – in these nations, for how people, especially in Nigeria, have been sustained by God in the face of attacks and violence in the context of the movement of population groups and from extremist elements like Boko Haram.

We pray for those affected by violence and terrorism, and that such violent attacks might cease, for leaders of churches, that they might speak out courageously against political, social and economic injustices, for just and peaceful relations between members of different ethnic groups and between Muslims and Christians, for those who suffer from malnutrition and diseases such as malaria, whooping cough and HIV and AIDS, and for better stewardship of the environment and natural resources.

Prayers

O God, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
set our hearts on fire with a new love for Christ and for one another.
Renew our desires and labours to serve others.

We seek healing from division, poverty and injustice in all parts of the world.
We long for life which is full and free.

Give us the courage to take risks to build a highway in the desert
and let us find protection under the shadow of your wings.  Amen.

(© 2002 Abigail Ogunsanya, Nigeria)

We offer you, O Ruler of men and women and of heavenly beings, the gold of our costly service. Take the labour of our hands, the skill of our minds, the power of our organization. Purge us of pride, and stir us from sloth, that we, being refined by your grace, may become better servants of your kingdom, now and hereafter.

Amen.

We offer to you, our Lord and our God, the incense of our worship and our prayer. By the gift of your Holy Spirit, you have hung forth a star in the lowly heaven of every Christian soul; grant us eager feet to follow wherever it leads, until our searching souls are blessed with the vision of yourself, who are our heaven and our home, forever.

Amen.

We offer to you, O Man of sorrows, the myrrh of your church’s sufferings. When we have nothing else to give, this offering remains. Where you are on the cross, there also may your servants be. May your perfect sacrifice avail to make our light affliction redemptive in the world, that sharing the fellowship of your sufferings we may rejoice in the power of your resurrection, now and forever.

Amen.

(From the Assembly of the International Missionary Society, Ghana. In: “With All God’s People”.)

Prayer for unity

We invoke you, Spirit of Unity,
Transform our divisions and reshape our vision.
All of creation, all living beings, cry in the midst of injustice and brokenness.
Spirit of Unity, reconcile your people.
We invoke you, Spirit of Unity,
Heal the wounds of our history,
Remove from us all that sustains our present divisions.
Unstop our ears to hear your call for unity.

(© Mercy Oduyoye, Ghana. We Would Be One, Institute of Women in Religion and Culture, Accra, Ghana.)

Ghana, Nigeria | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org)

We pray for the people of Somalia, who are currently suffering the effects of failed rains for their crops and grasslands, increasing prices for materials and a lack of access to imported grains.  We pray for rain so that they can grow their crops and grass for their herds.  We pray for ready access to grain now so that they have something to eat.  We pray for stable government so that what the people require is readily accessible.  We pray for generosity by those Nations who have more than enough to eat, so that they will be led to share it sacrificially wit those in need.

Christian leaders call for emergency famine relief (unitingworld.org.au)

No time for complacency: Somalia’s unfolding famine catastrophe (theconversation.com)

We give thanks for Sister Elena van den Berg and the Reverend Lucky Kunene in the province of kwaZulu Natal, where they run leprosy clinics and leprosy awareness activities in the province.  We pray that they will find hearts that are receptive to their message about the early diagnosis of leprosy.  We give thanks for Lucky’s and Elena’s tireless devotion to their communities.

We pray for Goodman Qhosholo, who runs leprosy clinics and the leprosy awareness campaign in the Eastern Cape.  We pray for his safety on the long and dangerous roads that he travels every day, bringing the Gospel and treatment to far-flung communities.

We pray for Gundula Koethnig, who supervises the care of leprosy patients in Mpumalanga, the province bordering the Kruger Wildlife Park.  We pray for her work as she seeks to inspire health workers to be aware of leprosy and to stand by patients during their recovery.  We pray for her safety as she travels long distances in the course of her ministry.

We pray for RampUp, The Leprosy Mission’s project in South Africa promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in the church.  We pray that increasing numbers of congregations will open their doors to this ministry and that they will be eager to learn about how they can make their places of worship accessible.

We pray for Thembi Zuma, who manages The Leprosy Mission’s Johannesburg office, where she provides the link between our supporters and the Mission.  We pray that she is enabled to maintain her cheerful, friendly and efficient interaction with our supporters.

Leprosy Mission 2022 Prayer Diary.pdf

We pray for chaplaincy in the remote & regional areas, that people would feel called to serve in Scripture Union ministries.  Please pray for the success of the interactions with schools, families, churches and communities with whom they have continued to have contact.

We pray for the new Scripture Union organised Inspire Art Camp for students in Years 7-11, that it will great time of creating and to learn about our being part of your Creation.

We pray for the success of Scripture Union run September Camps throughout Queensland, for the safety of those participating, for guidance or the leaders and helpers, and good health for all who attend these camps.

SU Prayer-Guide-Sep-2022-Brisbane.pdf

We pray for those providing Religious Instruction at Bald Hills State School, that you will encourage them as they lead their weekly classes, and that they will feel supported by the class teachers.  May the Holy Spirit work in the hearts and minds of the children in these classes, that they will come to an understanding of the truths of the Gospel and respond to the message of your love and grace for them.

We pray for the chaplain at Bald Hills state School, Kylie Conomos, that you will continue to guide her and support her as she provides care for the students, teachers and parents of the school.

  We pray for those who have not been able to worship with us recently. We ask that they may feel your close presence with them each day, that they will experience your support and encouragement as they journey through life in this time of uncertainty and change.

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  To your glory we pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

We sing the Hymn ‘I need Thee every hour’  Alexander’s Hymns No.3 Number 71  MHB475

Annie B Hawks and Robert Lowry

Benediction 

(from Invocations and Benedictions p77) 

Let us turn our minds towards God, that we may understand the true meaning of life.  Let us turn our wills towards God, that we may be guided by His words of truth.  Let us abide in the love of God, that we may experience the peace that only He can give.

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

Benediction Song

“Now to him who loves us saves us”  TiS771

(only the one verse is needed)

Now to him who loved us, gave us

Every pledge that love could give,

Freely shed his blood to save us,

Gave his life that we might live,

Be the Kingdom

And dominion

And the glory evermore.

Samuel Miller Waring