Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –   

  In a reflection, Rev Clive Ayre talks of being involved in the rebuilding of a “worship centre” at Clayfield that had been severely damaged in a storm.  He writes that he is careful to refer to it as a “worship centre” and not a Church because of something that the Apostle Peter states in his first Letter to the early Church in present day Türkiye, where he writes:

“come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual Temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  (1 Peter 2: 5) 

  The Church, writes Peter, should be considered as the people of God, not the timber and bricks of the building in which they gather for worship.  (from Living Stones in Clive Ayre Reflections on Faith and Life p50 & 51) 

  We gather as part of God’s Church.  We share in the privilege of being God’s people.  We gather to worship and praise Almighty God for who He is and for what He has accomplished in the World.  We gather together in thankfulness and gratitude for the love and grace that God has shown to each of us. 

  Let us then greet each other, both those who are here and those in their homes who cannot be here, with these words:

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of Praise  

(Psalm 145: 1 to 9, 21a &10b) 

I will proclaim your greatness, my God and King,

I will thank you for ever and ever.

Every day I will thank you;

I will praise you for ever and ever.

You are great and to be highly praised,

Your greatness is beyond understanding.

What you have done will be praised from one generation to the next;

They will proclaim your mighty acts.

They will speak of your glory and majesty,

I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

People will speak of your mighty deeds,

And I will proclaim your greatness.

They will tell about all your goodness,

And sing about your kindness.

You are loving and merciful,

Slow to become angry and full of constant love.

You are good to everyone,

And have compassion on all that you have made.

I will always praise you,

I will always give you thanks.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 Songs

The first song is: ‘Lift up your heads to the coming King’ (Scripture in Song Volume 2 number 218)

Steven Fry

The second song is: ‘Jesus name above all names’  (Scripture in Song volume 2 number 226)

The words are shown below

Naida Hearn

Prayer of Confession   

From sin and misery

Come, Lord, and rescue me.

Come, my wandering soul to seek,

Come, my sinful soul to heal,

All my guilty fetters break,

All your saving grace reveal.

Still let your grace abound

To me, a sinner found,

Bowed in deep humility

Before the God that I adore,

Cleanse my heart, my earnest plea,

Revive it and restore.

Spirit of grace, come down to me,

For where you are is liberty.

Your presence looses all my bands,

And melts all that which binds my hands,

Consumes like grass the cords of sin,

And burns up all the sin within.

May in you, Lord, I find,

The way to peace of mind,

Sole comforter of souls forlorn,

Who only can my sins remove,

Make my life in you reborn.

Show the power of your love.

Amen.

(Charles Wesley Poetical Works vol IX verses 138 & 139, vol X verses 43, 44, 224 & 225, vol XI verses 5 & 6)

(in Alan Kay Wesley’s Prayers and Praises p24, 26, 28 & 30)

Assurance of Forgiveness 

The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy:

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinner.”  (1 Timothy 1: 15) 

Let us then be comforted by these words of Paul that, having confessed our sins before God and having expressed our faith in the saving work of Christ Jesus, we are assured that God has forgiven us and cleansed us in His sight. 

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

Exodus 16:

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim, and on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, (and) they came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.  2  There, in the desert, they all complained to Moses and Aaron  3  and said to them,

“We wish that the LORD had killed us in Egypt.  There we could at least sit down and eat meat and as much food as we wanted.  But you have brought us out into the desert to starve us to death.”

4  The LORD said to Moses,

“Now I am going to cause food to rain down from the sky for all of you.  The people must go out every day and gather enough for that day.  In this way I can test them to find out if they will follow instructions.  5  On the sixth day they are to bring in twice as much as usual and prepare it.”

6  So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites,

“This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you our of Egypt.  7  In the morning you will see the dazzling light of the LORD’s presence.  He has heard your complaints against Him – yes, against Him, because we are carrying our His instructions.”

8  Then Moses said,

“It is the LORD who will give you meat to eat in the evening and as much bread as you want in  the morning, because He has heard how much you have complained against Him.  When you complain against us you are really complaining against the LORD.”

9  Moses said to Aaron,

“Tell the whole community to come and stand before the LORD, because He has heard their complaints.”

10  As Aaron spoke to the whole community, they turned toward the desert, and suddenly the dazzling light of the LORD appeared in a cloud. 

11  The LORD said to Moses,

12  “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites.  Tell them that at twilight they will have meat to eat, and in the morning they will have all the bread they want.  Then they will know that I, the LORD, am their God.”

13  In the evening a large flock of quails flew in , enough to cover the camp, and in the morning there was dew all around the camp.  14  When the dew evaporated, there was something thin and flaky on the surface of the desert.  It was as delicate as frost. 

15  When the Israelites saw it, they didn’t know what it was and asked each other,

“What is it?”

Moses said to them,

“This is the food that the LORD has given to you to eat.  16  The LORD has commanded that each of you is to gather as much as they need, two quarts for each members of their household.”

35  The Israelites ate manna for the next 40 years, until they reached the Land of Canaan.  (Joshua 5: 12) 

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.

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Matthew 20:

1  Jesus said to his Disciples,

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like this.

Once there was a man who went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard.  He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard.   3  He went out again to the marketplace at nine o’clock and saw some me standing there doing nothing,  4  so he told them,

‘You also go and work in the4 vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.’

5  So they went.  Then at twelve o’clock and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.  6  It was nearly five o’clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men still standing there.

‘Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?’ he asked them.

7  ‘No one hired us,’ they answered.

‘Well, then, you go and work in the vineyard,’ he told them.

8  When evening came, the owner told the foreman,

‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.’

9  The men who had begun to work at five o’clock were paid a silver coin each.  10  So when the men who were the first o be hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given a silver coin each.  11  They took their money and started  grumbling against the employer.

12  ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour, ‘ they said, ‘while we put up with a whole day’s work in  the hot sun – yet you paid them the same as you paid us!’

13  ‘Listen, friend,’ the owner answered one of them, ’I have not cheated you.  After all, you agreed to do a day’s work for one silver coin.  14  Now take your pay and go home.  I want to give this man who was hired last as much as I gave you.  15  Don’t I have the right to do as I wish with my own money?  Or are you jealous because I am generous?’”

16  And Jesus concluded,

“So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.”

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing Hymn ‘I know that my Redeemer’  (TiS202  AHB132)

This audio clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune.

The words are shown below:

Verse 1 of 3

I know that my Redeemer

Lives crowned upon the throne;

Lord over Earth and Heaven

He saves, and he alone;

He conquered death by dying

Upon the accursed tree,

And from his death sprang glorious

Eternal life for me.

Verse 2 of 3

I think upon my Saviour,

I trust his power to keep,

His mighty arm enfolds me

Awaking and in sleep.

Christ is my rock, my courage;

Christ is my soul’s true life;

And Christ (my heart still know it)

Will bear me through the strife.

Verse 3 of 3

In Jesus’ name I’m living,

In Jesus’ name I’ll die;

I’ll fear not through life’s vigour

From Death’s cold shadows fly.

O grave, where is your triumph?

O grave, where is your sting?

Come, when you will, and welcome,

Secure in Christ I sing.

from an Icelandic Burial hymn

Hallgrimur Petursson

translated by Charles Pilcher

Sermon

“This, too, will pass?”

  Going shopping is such a normal, regular activity isn’t it?  But who can forget the challenges of going shopping with children or grandchildren:

            The attractions and distractions for little children with big eyes and little fingers,

            The lessons for us about when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no’,

            Learning to determine what are needs and what are wants, and being game enough to state the difference,

            How to deal with temper tantrums, for how do you undertake a reasoned discussion with a small child who is screaming at you?

  Sir Sydney Smith, a renowned forensic scientist and pathologist, once remarked that “no child is born a criminal”.  (Concise Dictionary of Quotations, p302:1)  Perhaps he hadn’t taken his child shopping, and, when putting them in their car seats afterwards, found a small lolly that the child had surreptitiously taken from the lolly stand at the checkout counter and had secreted into their shirt pocket.

  Ann Landers, an American newspaper advice columnist, once stated, with an air of confidence, “Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you.  You cannot defeat me.’  Then, repeat to yourself the most comforting of words of all, ‘This too will pass.’”  (Enduring Words for the Teacher)  Perhaps she, too, hasn’t regularly gone shopping with their children, for it is difficult to “hold your head high”, while your child is screaming at you in the middle of a supermarket aisle.  Such advice as “This too will pass.” Seems to be poor consolation in such circumstances.

“There in the desert they all complained to Moses and Aaron.”  Exodus 16: 2

  Moses, in leading the People of Israel on their Exodus from Egypt, found himself being challenged in a very similar way.  In today’s passage from Exodus 16 we find the People of Israel entering the Desert of Sin.  They had been journeying for a month by this time, and had experienced God at work in sending the 10 plagues upon the Egyptians, of God protecting them from the pursuing Egyptian army at the Red Sea, and of God miraculously providing drinkable water for them at the bitter well at Marah.  But what do we read in verse 2, “There in the desert they all complained to Moses and Aaron”.  They were about to starve, so they exclaimed, because they did not have any food to eat. 

  The Church has had 2000 years to do its research and to walk all over the Sinai Peninsula,

and has determined with some degree of certainty where this incident took place.  It is commonly accepted that the People of Israel where in an area between the localities of Ayun Musa and Abu Zenimah, situated on the mid-western coast of the Sinai Peninsula.  (John Walton Victor Matthews & Mark Chavalas in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the Old Testament, p91)  The place is, indeed, a dry and dusty wilderness, so we could possibly sympathise with the People of Israel in their predicament, except for two things. 

  Firstly, they expressed a longing to be back in Egypt; “There we could at least sit down and eat meat and as much other food as we wanted”.  (Exodus 16: 3a)  In saying this, they were neglecting their experience of enslavement and oppression back in Egypt.  (Alan Cole in Exodus p130)  In saying this, they were losing their focus on the Land that God had promised to them, and were exaggerating the positive nature of their former conditions back in Egypt.  (Henry Halley in Halley’s Bible Handbook p78) 

  Secondly, they brought false accusations against Moses and Aaron, “you have brought us out into this desert to starve us all to death”.  (Exodus 16: 3b)  The People of Israel were quick to lay upon Moses and Aaron the worst of motives for leading them out of Egypt.  (Alan Cole in Exodus p130)  Moses clearly explains to the People that they were, in fact, complaining against God; “we were only carrying out His instructions” Moses states.  (Exodus 16: 7b)  The People of Israel were, in reality, asking “Is the LORD among us or not?”  (Hywel Jones in Exodus in the New Bible Commentary p129)  , in spite of the evidence of “the miraculous saving grace of God”  (Alan Cole in Exodus p130)  , through God leading them safely through the waters of the Red Sea and, also, of providing fresh water for them at Marah.

“when the dew evaporated, there was something thin and flaky on the surface of the desert”  Exodus 16: 14

  God chooses to act immediately to alleviate their need, for we read in Exodus 16: 4 “I’m going to rain down food from Heaven for you”.  In Exodus 16: 13 we read of God sending vast numbers of migrating quail upon the camp site, which the people could catch and eat as their evening meal.  And, in the morning, the people noticed a thin flaky substance on the surface of the desert which they could gather, up to 2 quarts per person per day so we read, equal to 4 pints or 2 ^1/4 litres.  This was the manna which God would continually and generously provide for the People of Israel for the next 40 years.  (Exodus 16: 35, Joshua 5: 12) 

  We know that God is referring to both the quails and the manna because there is a reference to it in Psalm 105:40 where we read “They asked, and He brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of Heaven”.  (see also Psalm 78: 23 to 28) 

  We can see that the provision of both the quail and the manna was evidence of God’s miraculous provision for the People of Israel.  But we need to ask ourselves what was the motivation for God to chose to act in this way.  Was it because the People of Israel were compliant to God’s wishes?  Was it because they were People deserving of such tender loving care?  Was it because they were meritorious in some way, or were always expressing their thankfulness to God for what He was doing for them?  Hardly!!  It was the exact opposite, for we read of the People’s complaints and ingratitude.

  Why then did God choose to heed their call for help?

  “they will know that I, the LORD, am their God”  (Exodus 16: 12b)  was the reason God gave for His actions.  God was demonstrating His generosity towards the needy; God was demonstrating His generosity towards the underserving.  This was evidence of the inclusive and patient character of the mercy of God.  (Walter Brueggemann et al in Texts for Preaching  Year A p489) 

  The regular provision of manna was “a recurring witness (to the people of Israel) of the presence of God among them and the expression of the mercy of God towards them.  (Walter Brueggemann et al in Texts for Preaching  Year A p468)  God was demonstrating His zealousness for the well-being of His People, where His compassion was evidenced by His continuing intervention in the life of the People of Israel.  (Walter Brueggemann et al in Texts for Preaching  Year A p468) 

  But, just as importantly, the People of Israel were without excuse should they forsake their Deliverer, who provides for them and does not leave them to die in the wilderness.  (Hywel Jones in Exodus in the New Bible Commentary p129) 

  How often do we, too, neglect the very same fact, so evident before our eyes if we but looked, that our benevolent and loving God demonstrates his benevolence towards us in numerous and consistent ways, so as to meet our needs.

“And Jesus taught them”  John 6: 26

  Jesus was teaching the crowd by the Sea of Galilee when he stated, “I am the bread of life.  Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died.  But the bread that comes down from Heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die.  I am the living bread that came down from Heaven.  If anyone eats this bread, they will live forever.  The bread that I will give them is my flesh, which I give so that the World may live”.  (John 6: 48 to 51) 

  Here we see God acting on a broader scale than with just the needs of the People of Israel.  Or, to put it another way, God, in His choice of time and circumstance, has intervened in the life of all Humanity, to deal with the supreme need of each individual, and to bring about His will and His Kingdom.  (W Brueggemann et al in Texts for Preaching  Year A p489)   How does today’s reading from Matthew 20 illustrate this?

“The owner hired some men to work in his vineyard.”  Matthew 20: 1

  We read of the owner of a vineyard hiring workers to harvest his grapes.  He goes to the Market Place at 6 o’clock in the morning when the labourers would normally gather to be offered work.  He hires some workers and offers them a silver denarii for the labour.  This was the accepted day’s wage for a full day’s work for hired labour, enough to cover the daily costs of a labourer and their family.  (Craig Keener in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p99) 

  There is some urgency in gathering in the grape harvest so that none are spoiled, so the owner returns to the Market Place to hire more workers, at 9 o’clock, at 12 noon, at 3 o’clock and finally, at 5 o’clock.  On each occasion, the owner guarantees to pay each worker a “fair wage”.

  The basis of our Industrial system is for a fair wage to be paid for a fair amount of work.  Those who work more hours are, quite correctly, paid more than those who work less hours.  In the same way, those labourers who worked less than a full day for the owner of the vineyard would not have expected to be paid a full day’s wage, only a “fair wage” for the amount of work that they had undertaken for the owner.  (Craig Keener in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p99)  Yet, in the story as told by Jesus, it was the opposite that took place.

“He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day”  Matthew 20: 2

  All the labourers, from those who worked just one hour to those who worked a full day, that is, 12 hours, were paid a full day’s wage.  To many, such a situation is offensive for it challenges our sense of justice.  How could the owner of the vineyard justify paying the same wage to those who worked one hour as well as to those who toiled in the hot sun for 12 hours.  We can empathise with those who worked a full day at this apparent unfairness being shown to them.  (Douglas Hare in Matthew p229)  Is Jesus describing God as being similarly unfair in His dealings with some people?

  Jesus is, in fact, stating that any commercial conceptions of what is right and of what is just are irrelevant when it comes to understanding how God acts.  (Randolph Tusker in Matthew  An Introduction and Commentary p190)  Implicit in many ancient religions was the sense that you could bargain with your god so as to obtain what you want.  Your generosity with your sacrifice is designed to inspire a like generosity from the god to whom you offered your sacrifice.  (Douglas Hare in Matthew p230) 

  The correct understanding of the God of the Bible is that “the greatness of God humbles all Human attempts to lay claim against the Almighty for services rendered to Him”.  (Douglas Hare in Matthew p231)  “In the Kingdom of God, all reward is the result of God’s grace and not of Human merit.”  (Randolph Tusker in Matthew  An Introduction and Commentary p190) 

  The owner of the vineyard claims the right to pay his workers not on the basis of their merits but on the basis of his own compassion.  Why should such generosity be condemned as injustice?”   (Douglas Hare in Matthew p231)   

  Salvation, Jesus is telling his listeners, is entirely a matter of God’s grace.  God is free to do what He wills, with whom He claims as His own to love, as and when it suits His will and purpose.  The benefits of the Kingdom of God are the same for all who become subject to the rule of its King, whenever they may come under His dominion.  (Randolph Tusker in Matthew  An Introduction and Commentary p191)  Peter mentions this in his letter to the Churches in `current day northern Türkiye, were he writes:

“and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for His people” 

  (1 Peter 1:3 to 5) 

  The same paradise awaits the first of those called to be a Disciple of Jesus as well as the penitent thief on the cross adjacent to Jesus on Calvary, who, in the last hour of his life, experienced divine grace.  (Randolph Tusker in Matthew  An Introduction and Commentary p191)  

  God demonstrated His generosity to the People of Israel in their time of need as they journeyed through the desert.  God demonstrates his generosity to all Humanity, in our time of need for repentance and reconciliation.  At no time is such generosity deserving, for it arises solely because God is a God of love and mercy.  God has always shown grace to the underserving because He is faithful to His promise to be in a covenant relationship with each one of us.  The response that God desires is one of implicit trust on our part in His continuing love and mercy.  (Randolph Tusker in Matthew  An Introduction and Commentary p191)  Those who worship God must imitate His generosity and not begrudge it when it is bestowed on another, for none deserves the glorious future that God has prepared for them.  (Douglas Hare in Matthew p231)  Divine grace is, as one writer describes it, the great equaliser which rips away all presumed privilege and puts all recipients on a par.  (Walter Brueggemann et al in Texts for Preaching  Year A p495) 

  Let us then respond as the Psalmist suggests, “give thanks to the LORD, proclaim His greatness, and tell of the wonderful things He has done”.  (Psalm 105: 1a and 2b)  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing Hymn ‘ Come let us with our Lord arise’  (TiS375  AHB279  MHB661)

This clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune.  The words are shown below.

Verse 1 of 3

Come, let us with our Lord arise,

Our Lord, who made both Earth and skies;

Who died to save the World he made,

And rose triumphant from the dead;

He rose, the Prince of life and peace,

And stamped the day for ever his.

Verse 2 of 3

This is the day the Lord has made,

That all may see his love displayed,

May feel his resurrection’s power,

And rise again to fall no more,

In perfect righteousness renewed,

And filled with all the life of God.

Verse 3 of 3

Then let us render him his own,

With solemn prayer approach the throne,

With meekness hear the Gospel word,

With thanks his dying love record;

Our joyful hearts and voices raise

And fill his courts with songs of praise.

Charles Wesley

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

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

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

We pray for all who have lost hope or who are isolated from family and friends,

that they may experience your presence with them today and recognize someone’s love for them.

We pray for all who are working to aid those in need, particularly firefighters and emergency service workers,

that you will give them strength and wisdom, and protection from harm.

We pray for all who have been cheated out of their wages:

that you will bring justice for those who have been defrauded and help them in their attempts to reclaim what they are justly owed.

We pray for all who are unemployed or underemployed:

that you will open opportunities for them to use their gifts and talents for the good of society and not allow their time and energy to be idled away.

We pray for all who are suffering persecution for their faith,

that you will protect them from harm and help them to give faithful witness to the Gospel.

We pray for an end to violence in our local communities,

that you will open the hearts of local leaders to address the injustices in their communities and promote dialogue and new understanding amongst citizens.

We pray for all who have been impacted by wildfires and floods, earthquakes and hurricanes,

that you will comfort those who have lost homes and livelihoods, family sand friends, and help them find new homes and the resources that they need.

We pray for greater stewardship of creation,

that you will impel our hearts to oppose the misuse of the Earth’s resources and empower

us to work tirelessly to protect the magnificence of nature for future generations.

We pray for peace and co-operation among the Nations of the world,

that the Leaders of Nations will be moved to end hostile relationships with their neighbours, and that the peoples of Nations will be led to perceive where they are being lied to and led astray by their leaders, and that they will be empowered to make changes as to who will govern them so as to bring about peace and prosperity for them.

We pray for all who are seeking God,

that the Holy Spirit will lead them into an encounter with you and open them to your presence and action in their lives.

Copyright © 2023. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/25OrdA092423/ideas_other.html

We pray for the people of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru.

We are thankful for the distinctive rhythms, music, dance, food and natural medicine in this area, for the beauty of the region, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and ocean coastlines, and especially indigenous peoples’ relationship with, and care for, the natural environment, for churches who witness and work both ecumenically and with those of other faiths to build relationships of trust and commitment amid ongoing injustice and oppression, and for the diversity of languages and cultures flourishing in the region despite disruptions that have occurred through colonization, and political and economic turmoil.

We pray for Christians to have the courage, imagination and energy to build bridges of peace and understanding against conflict and division, and to pursue justice for the poor, marginalized and dispossessed, for an end of corruption in all levels of the society, including economic exploitation which impoverishes and hinders economic growth from benefitting all, for immigrants and refugees seeking a new home, and those who accompany and support them, for coca farmers to find sustainable incomes from other crops, for an end to drug trafficking, and effective assistance for those who are addicted.

Our Father in heaven, holy is your name.We thank you for the gift of life,
which is renewed every moment with your beauty.
Your mercy, God, confirms your love.
In your hands are our destiny and our life.
All-powerful and merciful God, we pray for the future of Peru,
for the poor who often go hungry,
for the victims of disasters.
Provide them with all they need from you,
with all they require of you.
For the salvation of our souls through the death of your Son,
we thank you,
but we pray for those who are left out,
who do not have a relation with you,
who do not even know of your existence.
Lord, no longer allow human evil to go forward.
Keep corruption, which often touches the life of churches,
from proliferating.
We especially pray for the authorities of Peru,
that they be given the wisdom to plan towards a better future.
We pray for justice because here, too, the rich dominate
while justice is denied to the poor.
Lord, we pray for the leaders of your churches,
give them courage to bear with the poor, and the ignorant,
but also with those educated, who in their hypocrisies scorn your people.
Grant, O Lord, peace in all the world
and an end to war which only destroys and kills.
May the strength of the Holy Spirit dwell in our hearts.
May we live under your refuge and protection.
Bless our families.
Give us your happiness.
Thank you, Lord, for turning your ears towards our requests.
Give us the humility to accept your will.
In your hands we place our future and our livelihood.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us much more than we deserve,
especially for giving us the happiness
of having access to your word.
Receive our adoration and our prayers.
Thank you, Lord, for answering us.

(Victor M. Ascanio Huaringa, Peru, 2005. English transl. Terry MacArthur/WCC)

Prayer for peace and justice in Bolivia

O God, from Bolivian soil,
The Bolivian people implore you to listen to their voice,
feel their sadness and see the tears of your people,
which are also your tears.
So many bodies without any life left
have fallen in the streets,
in the roads and in the fields,
leaving behind pain and sorrow within the Bolivian family.

In those moments in which their hearts are mourning from such suffering,
give them consolation.
Do not allow them to relinquish their self-control,
but give them a vision
so they can see with their own eyes the way they ought to go,
so they can reach life by the path of justice.
Hear, O God, the voices of the multitudes
who march in the streets and highways
crying for justice,
tired of so much misery,
the lack of work, corruption and violence;
tired of so much authoritarianism by the people in power,
who take decisions without consulting the people
and who are guided by their own stingy interests;
tired that the natural resources
that you have given for the well-being of all the people
are once more being used to benefit the economic interests of the large
transnational corporations.

Hear the voice of the Bolivians
and give them discernment and strength
so that they can respond
to hatred with love,
to injustice with righteousness,
to apathy with commitment to their people,
to individualism with solidarity,
to violence with peace.

Hear their voice and inspire within their hearts (and within ours)
the knowledge of peace,
the strength of justice,
the joy of being close to one another.
Guide them to walk with the crowds on the way of peace with the signs of justice.
O God, hear their voice
and grant to them (and us) your eternal peace.

(Gustavo Loza and Mirela Armand Ugon, Cochabamba, Bolivia. © Red de Liturgia y Educación Cristiana CLAI-CELADEC.)

(https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle/bolivia-brazil-chile-peru)

We pray for the success of the work of the Anglican Church in Tanzania as they work with the Bible Society in Tanzania to provide Bibles for Secondary Schools who have elected to teach bible Knowledge as a subject, in the  hope that the students who undertake that subject develop a deeper understanding of Scripture.

(https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/bible-knowledge-in-high-schools/)

We pray for encouragement and guidance for the students enrolled in Indigenous Translating Courses, so that they gain the formal training vital for successful Bible translating.

(https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/rims-training-and-workshops/)

We pray for your guidance for indigenous Bible translators in Australia as they work with their Churches and the Bible Society Australia to provide Bibles in languages that aid their readers understanding of the Gospel message.

(https://www.biblesociety.org.au/projects/australia-bible-translation/)

We pray for your blessing on camps organised by Scripture Union Australia during the school holidays:

Mapleton Adventure Camp, SMASH Camp and Splashout Moreton North Camp in south-east Queensland, SUPA camp in South Australia, and Zone 40 Adventure Camp and Noisy Forest mountain-biking Camp in the ACT.  We pray that you will guide and protect the team leaders as they plan for and lead the camps.  We pray that the children and youth who attend these camps with be kept from harm, and have their hearts and minds opened to an understanding of your love for them.

SU Prayer-Guide-SEP-2023-SEQLD.pdf

We pray for the success of the work of The Leprosy Mission India as they seek to reach our to people in need of leprosy care, especially their efforts with early screening and disability assessment.

We pray for the safety and good health of the hospital staff as they tend the injured, perform surgery and undertake rehabilitation programs.

We pray for financial support for services provided by The Leprosy mission India to communities who cannot afford to pay for the care that is required to address their leprosy treatment.

(The%20Leprosy%20Mission%20Prayer%20Diary%202023.pdf)

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

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, that she is refreshed and rested over these holidays.  Please guide and equip her as she seeks to address the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the school.

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

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

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

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

Give us today our daily bread.

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

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

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

Now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing Hymn ‘Count your blessings’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3  No. 153)

Johnson Oatman jnr

Benediction    

“God knows each winding way we take,

And every sorrow, pain and ache,

His children He will not forsake,

He knows and loves His own.”

(…. Bosch in Our Daily Bread 23 September 2007)

Let us put our trust in God’s providence and abundant care for us.

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

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Benediction Song: ‘I am His, and He is mine.’  (Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 193)

Wade Robinson