Welcome –

Call to Worship 

(Psalm 34: 1 to 9, 10b, 19, & 22) 

“I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising Him.

I will praise Him for what He has done; may all who are oppressed listen and be glad!

Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness; let us praise His name together!

I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me; He freed me from all my fears.

The oppressed look to Him and are glad; they will never be disappointed.

The helpless call to Him, and He answers; He saves them from all their troubles.

His angel guards those who honour the Lord and rescues them from danger.

Find out for yourself how good the Lord is.  Happy are those who find safety with Him.”

Honour the Lord, all His People; those who obey Him have all they need.

Those who obey the Lord lack nothing good.

The good person suffers many troubles,

But the Lord saves them from them all.

The Lord will save His People,

Those who go to Him for protection will be spared.

Comment on the Psalm:

This Psalm is a commemoration by David of his safe keeping by God.  David had sought sanctuary in the Philistine city of Gath while he was being pursued by King Saul.  However, his renown as a military leader of Israel, especially his victories over the Philistine army, aroused the suspicions of the Philistine leader of the City, King Achish.  Upon realising this, David quickly departed Gath and returned to Israel, the account of which you can read in 1 Samuel 21.  Knowing that God had been with him throughout this event led David to compose this Psalm as a way of giving praise to God for His care and protection.  And with that in mind, let us commence our worship today by exclaiming our praise of God who, too, looks over us and protects us, come what may in our lives.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Uniting in Worship Red Book p281, An Australian Prayer Book p261, Leading Intercessions p96, A Year of Prayer p201, Prayers for God’s People Year B p200 and 201  ) 

Almighty God, like Job we look around us and see what you have created, and marvel at your foresight and intellect.  We are amazed by the variety of life, by the myriad of ways you have created animals and plants  We are awed by your power in shaping the vast mountain ranges that you have put in place.  We are awed by the magnitude of the vast oceans that you have formed around our shores.  We are awed by the way that you keep our small planet in its place within the vastness of the Universe.  We are awed by the majestic storm clouds and the mighty power of the ocean’s waves.

    We give to you our praise for you are just and compassionate.  You are the God who cares for those who groan under oppression and sorrow.  You are the God who listens to those who cry out for help and does not pass them by.  It is your tender love that gives comfort to the outcast and to the powerless.  You step beyond social norms and cultural boundaries and religious bigotries, to embrace those that society neglects, and to call to you those that society rejects.

    We give to you our praise, for you are the one who gives light to a World that lives in the darkness of sin and despair, to a World that is blind to your free gift of grace and reconciliation.  You are the one who has done great things for us, not that we deserve your attention, but solely because you are a God of love and grace.  We come together as your people with assurance and hope in your promise to save, for all time, all those who come to you through Jesus Christ.  We are awed by your power in raising Jesus Christ from death to dwell with you.  We come together to thank you for Christ’s intercession on our behalf.  We are honoured to be called your children and to be called to be in your presence.

    We bless you for your Word that nourishes us and comforts our souls.  We bless you for your Spirit that enlivens us and empowers us to live as your people.  We bless you for your presence with us always, for your continual protection and oversight in a World that turns its back on all that you represent and refuses to listen to what you have to say.  May we do with loving hearts what you ask of us.  May we strive to live the life that you command us to live.  May you lead us in the way that leads to you.  To your glory and honour we pray, amen.

Hymn

“Thou will keep him in perfect peace”  Scripture in song volume 1 number 89

[there is no introduction

Composer anonymous

Prayer of Confession 

(Opening Prayers p114, Leading Intercessions pp81 &82, A Year of Prayer pp200 & 201, Amish Prayers p95, Prayers for the Seasons Year B p200, The Book of Worship p88) 

Have pity on us, God our Saviour, for we come before you contrite and repentant for our failings and our disobedience.  We come before you knowing that our best is still far from the way of the Gospel to which you have called us to follow.

We stumble in the darkness of suspicion and prejudice about others.  Our minds are closed to the way of truth that we often profess but fail to follow.  Forgive us.

We avert our eyes from those who are not socially acceptable or are not clean looking.  We demean people who are equally made in your image.  We are too quick to judge them because of their failings and fail ourselves to look upon them as people worthy of love and concern as you are so quick to show to them.  Forgive us.

We fail to control our tongue from speaking evil and our lips from speaking deceit.  We pray empty words of praise while at the same time speak words that are thoughtless and unkind.  We profess to be disciplined and Christ-like, yet are wilful in our thoughts and words and actions.  Forgive us.

We condemn the neglect shown by others yet fail to work towards reconciliation and harmony in even our own small corner of the World.  We too often remember the smallest of hurts that we experience and fail to follow your example of being willing to forgive and forget.  Forgive us.

    We are indifferent to the treasures of wisdom, and fail to use the gifts with which you have endowed us.  We lower our standards and disregard the influence that our conduct may have upon others.  We are proud and vane and love nothing more than boasting about our own deeds and achievements.  Forgive us.

    Merciful God, we come humbly before you, seeking your forgiveness.  Holy God, remove all the sin in our lives that binds and oppresses us.  Give us the courage to cast off our sinful habits and to turn to you for healing. 

Strengthen us to follow gladly the sure path of salvation and to walk humbly in your footsteps.  You have revealed yourself to be a God who is longsuffering and kind, full of compassion and slow to become angry, always ready and willing to pardon sin.  May we then walk in the way of grace and truth all the days of our life.  For this we pray, amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Hebrews 7: 25) 

We are assured that Jesus is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him.  Having confessed our sins before God, we can rely on the saving power of Jesus Christ to rid us of the stain of our sins and to make us clean in God’s sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 12 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to receive your Word.  Silence in us any voice but your own.  In hearing these words may we perceive new truths that you seek to teach us, and may we perceive your will that you seek for us to follow, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Hebrews 7:

21  Jesus became a priest by means of a vow when God said to him:

“The Lord has made a solemn promise and will not take it back, ‘You will be a priest forever.’”  (Psalm 110: 4) 

This makes Jesus the guarantee of a better covenant.

23  There is another difference; there were many other priests, (but) because they died (they) could not continue their work.  24  But Jesus lives on forever, and his work as priest does not pass on to someone else.  25  And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them.

26  Jesus, then, is the High Priest who meets our needs.  He is holy; he has no fault or sin in him; he has been set apart from sinners and raised above the Heavens.  27  He is not like other High Priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people.  He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself.

28  The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be High Priests; but God’s promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 10:

46  They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his Disciples amd a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.  47  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  48  Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet.  But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49  Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

  So they called the blind man, “Take heart.” They said.  “Stand up, he is calling you.”  50  So he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51  “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

  “Teacher,” the blind man answered, “I want to see again.”

52  “Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.”

  At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

[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 for worship in the Church building on Sunday morning, or whether we offer our worship in the ‘digital sphere’, it is important to recognise that, together, we remain one in Christ Jesus, we remain one in fellowship, and we remain one in worship of our God.  With that thought in mind, let us uplift our hands and greet those both here and those in their homes: May the peace of God be with you all.

And also with you.

For the Young at Heart

Screen 1

  Recently, Kerry and I renewed our annual passes for the Dreamworld theme park.  Such a Pass enables you to visit Dreamworld any number of times during the 12-month period that it covers.  You don’t require anything else.  All you need to do is to show the Pass at the entrance and you pass through the gate into Dreamworld.

Screen 2

“Jesus is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him.”

Hebrews 7: 25a

  Jesus can be seen in such a manner as this Pass.  The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews states quite clearly that we do not need anything else to access God other than Jesus.  In Hebrews 7: 25 we read:

“Jesus is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him.”

  Jesus is our pass to salvation and to enter into the presence of God.

Screen 3

“Jesus offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself.”

Hebrews 7: 27b

  We had to pay a price to obtain this pass.  So too did a price need to be paid for our salvation.  In Hebrews 7: 27 we read that Jesus paid that price for us.

“Jesus offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself.”

  Jesus paid that price once, for all people, so that salvation from our sins can be offered now and for all time.  Let no one seek to convince you that anything more is required.

  Through the Pass that Jesus has obtained for us, we can daily experience the peace of mind of sins forgiven and the joy of communion with God.  Let us endeavour to make use of the Pass that Jesus provides every day.

Hymn

“O that I could repent”  Wesley’s Hymns numbers 102 (v1), 103 (v1) and 105 (vs1 & 4)

[sung to the tune Diademata – there is an introduction]

Verse 1 of 4

O that I could repent!

With all my idols part,

And to your gracious eye present

A humble, contrite heart;

A heart with grief oppressed

For having grieved my God,

A troubled heart that cannot rest

Till sprinkled with his blood.

Verse 2 of 4

O that I could repent!

O that I could believe

You, by your voice, the marble rent,

The rock in sunder cleave!

You, by the two-edged sword,

My soul and spirit part,

Strike with the hammer of your Word

And break my stubborn heart.

Verse 3 of 4

To you, tremendous God,

My conscious awe impart;

Your grace be now on me bestowed

Upon my tender heart.

For Jesu’s sake alone

My stony heart remove,

And melt at last, O melt me down,

Into the mould of love.

Verse 4 of 4

This is your will, I know,

That I should holy be,

Should let my sin this moment go,

This moment turn to Thee.

O might I now embrace

Your all-sufficient power;

And never more to sin give place,

And never grieve you more.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

Names:

What do you call a man who fixes potholes for a living?

Phil.

What do you call a man who is always at your front door?

Matt.

What do you call a lady who always sets fire to her power bill and phone bill?

Bernadette.

What do you call a lady who is hanging from a roof?

Eve.

  How important is it to know someone’s name?  We learn the names of our friends, of our neighbours, our mechanic, the people who serve us over the shop counters, the people we regularly meet at the train station, those with whom we share worship.  And why?  Well, it makes our interactions so much more personal and meaningful.  When it comes to the Gospels though, we are only told some of the names of the people mentioned in the stories.

  We know the name of Jairus, the official of the Synagogue, but we don’t know the name of his daughter.  (Mark 5: 23)  We don’t know the name of the woman who touched the hem of the cloak of Jesus  (Mark 5: 25)  ; neither do we know the name of the rich young ruler who sought to find out from Jesus what he needed to do to receive eternal life.  (Mark 10: 17)  We know the name of Cleopas who Jesus met on the road to Emmaus, but who was the other person with him?  (Luke 24: 13 to 35)

  I find this so frustrating because I would rather refer to them by their name rather than refer to them as “that bloke who was blind”, or “that woman who they met at the well”.  In today’s reading from Mark, we are, fortunately, given a name.  We are told that it was Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, who Jesus met on the road leading out of Jericho.

Screen 2

He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Mark 10: 47

    Why was this important for the readers of Mark’s Gospel?  The understanding is that either Bartimaeus or his family were known to those in the early Church, or, at least to those who lived in the vicinity of Jericho.  If anyone sought to verify that this miracle took place, all that they needed to do was to contact Bartimaeus or his family.  For us, it means that Mark wasn’t writing about myths or legends about Jesus, he was writing about real events, events that had taken place within the lifetime of his initial readers, events that he hoped would prove to his readers that Jesus was the promised Messiah, for, as he wrote in the very first verse of his Gospel, “This is the Good News of Jesus, the Son of God”.

    The act of giving someone their sight or of giving sight back to someone was unheard of.  No-one could do this by their own abilities.  It was beyond the skill of their physicians.  It was accepted that only God, the Creator, could possibly have the power to recreate this capability.  The Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah, the Chosen One of God, the Son of God, often talked of the blind being able to see.  And on several occasions Jesus referred to these prophesies to prove to his listeners who he was and to indicate the intent of his actions. 

    In Matthew 11 we have the account of some Disciples of John the Baptist coming to Jesus asking “Are you the one John said was going to come?”  Jesus replied, “Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing: the blind can see, the lame can walk, … the deaf can hear  “.  (Matthew 11: 4 & 5)  Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 35: 5 & 6, where Isaiah writes that the evidence that God is coming to rescue his people would be that “the blind will be able to see, and the deaf to hear, (and) the lame will leap and dance”. 

    In Luke 4 we have the account of Jesus preaching in the Synagogue at his home town of Nazareth, where he reads from Isaiah 61: 1 & 2, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind”, and he finishes by saying, “This passage of Scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”  (Luke 4: 16 to 21) 

    But, as with so much in the Bible, there is a second and deeper understanding of what the prophesies foretold and of what were the intentions of Jesus.  Isaiah wrote in chapter 29 of the hope for the future, and writes “when that day comes, the deaf will be able to hear a book being read aloud, and the blind, who have been living in darkness, will open their eyes and see”.  (Isaiah 29: 18)  Elsewhere, in chapter 42, he writes that “the Lord’s servant will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons”.  (Isaiah 42: 7)  In these passages the references to opening the eyes of the blind is to be taken figuratively, referring to the spiritual blindness of the people of Israel who had refused to consider that they could possibly be at fault before God.  This is brought out so clearly in John 9 where we read of some Pharisees harassing the blind man who had been healed by Jesus on a Sabbath, questioning him as to how it was possible that someone who in their opinion had broken the commandment to honour the Sabbath could do something so sensational.  Jesus condemns them, saying “I came to this World to judge, so that the blind should see and those that see should become blind. “  (John 9: 39)  We can see how the eyes of Bartimaeus were opened in more than one way.

    We find Bartimaeus sitting by the side of the road begging.  Apparently this was the accepted behaviour for someone in his circumstances.  Being blind, Bartimaeus was unable to learn an occupation and unable to contribute to providing for his family.  He was unable to contribute to the social life of the community, dependant upon charity and quite socially powerless.  Being blind meant that Bartimaeus could not learn to read and was therefore unable to study the Scriptures.  He was therefore also unable to contribute to the religious life of his community.

  So in many ways he was viewed with much disrespect by those with whom he mixed.  Is it any wonder then that we read that when Bartimaeus called out to Jesus in an effort to attract his attention those around him “scolded him and told him to be quiet”, treating him as they would a small child.  (Mark 10: 48)  Mark Twain once said that “kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read”.  (Quotable Quotes p78)  Bartimaeus met with no such kindness in his life.  Yet to his credit he persisted in his efforts to attract the attention of Jesus, which paid of in the end.  His determination is an example for all of us, where we are too liable to give in when we start to meet with opposition and disappointment in our work for God. 

    His calls were looked upon by the bystanders as an intrusion upon someone so important and notable as Jesus.  Given that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and the cross, we can possibly comprehend how focused he must have been at this point in time.  His Disciples too may have been in a hurry to get to Jerusalem to ensure that they would be there in plenty of time to prepare for the Passover Festival, and therefore certainly not wanting to delay the journey.  But in spite of all this Jesus did stop.  He stopped to listen to a blind man with no social or religious standing in his community.  He stopped to hear the cry of an illiterate beggar with seemingly no hope for any improvement in his future.  And it is here that the bystanders and the Disciples were in error, for stopping for a blind beggar is exactly what the Kingdom of God is about.  This was central to the ministry of Jesus.  And it is a challenge to us, for who are we most like?  Are we like the bystanders, ever willing to disregard those we do not consider worth the time?  Are we like the Disciples, eager to get on with our projects and to meet deadlines, but neglecting to set as our priority the needs of those in our neighbourhoods?  May we act like Jesus and listen to the cry of the needy and to stop and act with love and compassion.

    Bartimaeus used two titles when he addressed Jesus.  When he calls out to Jesus he refers to him as “Son of David”.  This is an Old Testament term used in reference to the promised Messiah.  It derives in part from Jeremiah 33:17, where God promised that a descendant of King David would always sit on the throne as King of Israel.  It was a description of Jesus used in the speech of the Angel to Mary announcing that God had chosen her to bear the Son of God.  (Mark 1: 32)  This is the first time that we hear this term used in the Gospel of Mark.  We next hear it in chapter 11 of Mark when the crowds celebrated Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  (Mark 11: 9 & 10)  Given that Bartimaeus could not study the Scriptures, from where did he gain this understanding of Jesus?

  When Bartimaeus talked to Jesus he called him Rabbani, meaning my great Master or my Lord.  The only other occasion when Jesus is referred to by this title is when Mary Magdalene met the risen Christ in the garden.  (John 20: 16)  It is a much more respectful title than Rabbi which is the title most commonly used by people when they addressed Jesus.  Given that Bartimaeus had no education, from where did he gain this understanding of Jesus?  It must have been gained from listening to the conversations of others as they talked of the wondrous things that Jesus said and did.  It must have been gained from the answers to the questions that he asked about Jesus from those who had seen and heard Jesus first hand.

  The onlookers had underestimated Bartimaeus.  Where they only saw someone not worthy of their respect, they failed to see someone who had a far greater perception about Jesus than they had.  How often do we underestimate the capacity of others to comprehend the complexities of faith?  How often do we prefer to listen to the learned and the academic, thinking that unless you have letters after your name you could not possibly have anything worthwhile to teach us?

    Paul writes in Romans 4 that Abraham was accepted as righteous by God because he believed.  (Romans 4: 9 / Genesis 15: 6)  James writes of the importance of putting your faith into action.  (James 2: 18)  This is what we see with Bartimaeus.  Bartimaeus had gained the faith in Jesus that Jesus could restore his sight.  When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was in the vicinity he sought the opportunity to put his faith into action by calling for Jesus to come and to act in his life.  And Jesus commends him for this, saying “your faith has made you well”.  (Mark 10: 52) 

Screen 3

“Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.”  (Mark 10: 52 

Do we have the same level of faith?  Do we have the same trust that God could and would act within our lives so as to make a difference?  Do we have the same earnestness in seeking the opportunity for God to act in our life?

    And it is the response to this by Bartimaeus that is so different to the responses of others of whom we have heard in previous weeks.  We read of James and John who sought to follow Jesus for what they could get out of it, position and power and prestige.  (Mark 10: 37)  We read about the rich man who could not bring himself to give up his wealth and to follow Jesus.  (Mark 10: 21 & 22)  Bartimaeus, in sharp contrast, gives no thought to the consequences but immediately follows Jesus on the road.  And it is here that we see that Jesus did not just open the physical eyes of Bartimaeus, he opened his spiritual eyes as well.  His is the example of true submission to Jesus, to live a life of service and praise.    Did Bartimaeus travel with Jesus all the way to Jerusalem?  What happened to Bartimaeus after the crucifixion?  We do not know, and such considerations do not seem pertinent to what Mark is seeking to capture in this account.  But we must ask ourselves, would we have done the same?  Would we have followed not knowing where it may lead?  Are we as grateful as is Bartimaeus for the way God has worked in our lives?  Do we seek to live the same life of service and praise?

    I have three children, and when they were young, I remember going through the checklist every time we took them somewhere; have they got their shoes and socks, where is their hat and jumper, have we got all of the toys that they brought along?  And this mention of the cloak of Bartimaeus jars with my past practice.  We read that he threw it off in his eagerness to get to Jesus, he cast it aside.  Now, this cloak served many purposes.  Bartimaeus would have sat on it during the daytime.  He would have wrapped it around him at night to keep him warm.  It would have served as a cover to keep off the rain and to keep out the dust.  And I want to know, did Bartimaeus pick it up to take it with him when he followed Jesus down the road, because if he didn’t what would he have used instead? 

    But perhaps I’m taking the wrong approach.  The cloak would have represented the old life, the life before the healing and before the heeding of the call to follow.  In casting it aside and forsaking it, Bartimaeus would have been forsaking his dependence on anything else and trusting only on Jesus.  Bartimaeus was very definite in what he sought from Jesus.  Up to this point in time Bartimaeus had sought alms from passers-by.  From Jesus he sought healing, the restoration of his sight.

  But this wasn’t the end, for with his sight came a responsibility to earn a living, a responsibility to take a part in the social life of the community, a responsibility to learn to read and write, a responsibility to study the Scriptures, a responsibility to take part in effective and meaningful worship.  It was the start of a new life.  There would be no going back to the former life of begging and dependency.  There would instead be a going forward of growing and developing.  And this is the most important lesson from the account of Bartimaeus.

Screen 4

    The first part of Mark 10 52 reads “Go,” Jesus told him, “Your faith has made you well.”  It could equally read, “Go, your faith has made you whole.”  I prefer this reading because it encompasses the concepts of a restoring of our relationship with God, of a restoring of what we had lost because of our sin, of being made complete in the eyes of God.  And once this has taken place, how could we ever consider going back to our old selves?  Bartimaeus willingly and rapidly gave up his old life of begging for the new life of following Jesus.  We too are to give up our old life of submission to sin, for the new life of submission to Jesus.  How can we ever consider going back?  Like Bartimaeus, we are to follow after Jesus, down the road to wherever we are being led, away from our old life.  May we seek the same commendation by Jesus in our lives, “Go, your faith has made you whole.”  Amen.

Hymn

“Nearer my God to Thee”  Alexanders Hymnbook No. 3 number 201  MHB468

[Sarah Adams

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  [to be sung to the tune ‘Austria’ – refer to TiS772]

[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 we may passionately and continuously call out to Christ for our needs and courageously follow Jesus on the way of life.

We pray for the grace to risk, that we may sincerely seek the deepest desires that you have placed in our hearts and pursue their fulfillment even when the path is unclear.

We pray for those searching for you, that their eyes and hearts may be opened to the many manifestations of your love for them.

We pray for spiritual insight: that you will help us recognize your presence in our lives, the significance of our relationships, and your invitations to love and service.

We pray for all whose attention is fixed on the allure of wealth, power, and prestige, that you will reveal to them your call to discipleship and the opportunities that you present to use their gifts.  We pray for a listening and sensitive heart, that we may never ignore nor try to silence those who cry out in pain or seek our assistance.

We pray for all who are blinded by prejudice, that you will enlighten their hearts and help them to recognize the value and dignity of each person.

We pray for all who help others grow in their faith, parents, ministers, pastors, elders, and Children’s and Youth Group leaders, that you will bless their efforts as they strive to nurture the seeds of faith that you have planted.

We pray for all who are ill, particularly those with diseases of the eyes, that you will bring healing and renewal to them in body, mind, and spirit.  Bless and guide the work of eye surgeons who seek to relieve the needs of the blind.

We pray for greater reverence for Human life, particularly for those advanced in years or dealing with long-term infirmities, that we may affirm their dignity and support them with love and encouragement.

We pray for all who have been bullied or tormented by others, that you will comfort and strengthen them and renew their sense of dignity.

We pray for greater respect for your work of Creation, that we may be mindful that all the Earth is your gift to us and that it is entrusted to our stewardship.

We pray for World leaders, that their gathering on climate change will outline new paths for protecting the Earth for future generations.  We pray that they will make sincere efforts to eliminate the suffering of those in their countries who are oppressed or face discrimination because of their race or gender or culture or religion or politics. 

We pray for freedom from fear, that you will free us from the fears that hold us from loving, forgiving, and serving, so that we may be dynamic disciples.

We pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that your people may listen closely to you as you seek to renew and deepen the mission of the Church.

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

[Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions p82, David Hostetter in Prayers for the Seasons of god’s People Year B p202]

We pray for the peoples of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.  We pray for stable, democratically elected governments in these Nations, who are committed to the peace and wellbeing of all.  We pray for comfort and healing for the families and loved ones of those who have been killed or disappeared, and for those responsible to be brought to justice.  We pray for a stop to corruption, drug traffic, and violence, and for a change of heart by those who profit from such activities.  We pray for improved economic life and trade policies so that people will not be exploited and can pursue livelihoods in these countries rather than migrating elsewhere for work.

We pray that you will lead people to fill positions for School chaplains where these vacancies exist in schools throughout Queensland.  Guide Scripture Union in preparing and equipping school chaplains so that they are enabled to reflect your compassion and mercy for people in their dealings with those in need in the school community.

We pray for the volunteers involved with the teaching of Religious Instruction at Bald Hills State School.  We pray for encouragement and support for them as they seek to present the Gospel to the children as is permitted within the framework of RI.  We pray that the Holy spirit is working in the minds and hearts of the children who attend RI classes.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, that she is being supported and encouraged in her work by the local Churches.  We pray for strength and energy as she undertakes her tasks at the School.  We pray for guidance as she seeks to address individual needs and concerns in the lives of students, parents and staff at the School.

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

“Leave God to order all your ways”  MHB504

[sung to the tune St Petersburg – there is  no introduction]

Verse 1 of 3

Leave God to order all thy ways,

And hope in Him whate’er betide;

You’ll find Him in the evil days

Thy all-sufficient strength and guide;

Who trusts in God’s unchanging love

Builds on the rock that nought can move.

Verse 2 of 3

Only the restless heart keep still,

And wait in cheerful hope content

To take whate’er His gracious will,

His all-discerning love, hath sent;

Nor doubt our inmost wants are known

To Him who chose us for His own.

Verse 3 of 3

Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways,

But do thine own part faithfully;

Trust His rich promises of grace,

So shall they be filled in thee:

God never yet forsook at need

The soul that trusted Him indeed.

Georg Neumark

translated by Catherine Winkworth

Benediction 

(from The Book of Worship p162) 

May the Lord open our eyes that we may see the beauty of goodness.  May the Lord open our ears that we may hear the appeal of truth.  May the Lord open our lips that we may continually proclaim His praise.  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