Welcome: –

Call to Worship: –

(Our Daily Bread 16^th February 2008) 

  I came across this article in the daily devotion series Our Daily Bread.

  “In doing research for his epic story, Roots, the author Alex Haley embarked on the freighter, African Star, sailing from Monrovia in Liberia to Jacksonville in Florida.  He did so to better understand the travails of his ancestors, who were brought in chains to America.

  Haley descended into the ship’s hold, stripped himself of protective clothing, and tried to sleep on some thick, rough-hewn bracing.  After the third miserable night, he gave up and returned to his cabin.  But he could now write with some degree of empathy of the sufferings of his forebears.

  It’s one thing to say we believe that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, identifies Himself with us.  It’s quite another to feel the experience of our identification with Him.  But we need not resort to extreme measures to grasp the truth of that oneness, for Christ Himself has endured the most extreme of all measures to identify with us.  He went to the cross to reconcile a sinful Human Race to Himself.

  “We were God’s enemies, but He made us His friends through the death of His Son.”  (Romans 5: 10) 

  Reading Scripture, praying, and partaking of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, can help us gain at least some awareness of our identification with our Lord and Saviour.  But, regardless of how we feel, our unity with Him is a fact that we must grasp in faith.”

  Let us come together to celebrate with joy in our hearts and praise on our lips this fact of our unity with God, achieved only through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Acclamation of Praise

(from Psalm 47: 1 & 2 and 6 to 9, and 93: 1 to 4) 

Clap your hands for joy, all peoples!

Praise God with loud songs!

The Lord is King.

He is clothed with majesty and strength.

You set the Earth firmly in place,

and it cannot be moved.

Your throne, O Lord, has been firm from the beginning,

and you existed before Time began.

The ocean depths raise their voice to you, O Lord,

they raise their voice and roar.

But you, O Lord, are more powerful than the waves of the sea.

The Lord rules supreme.

The Lord, the Most High, is to be feared;

He is a great King, ruling over all the World.

God sits on His sacred throne,

the rulers of all the Nations assemble before him.

More powerful than all armies is our God.

The Lord rules supreme.

Sing praise to God,

sing praise to our King.

God is King over all the World,

praise him with songs.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 Songs: ‘Glorify your name’  (Scripture in Song volume 2 number 451)

Donna Adkins

‘Change my heart O God’  (Scripture in Song volume 3 number 482)

Eddie Espinosa

Prayer of Confession   

Almighty God, we come to confess our lack of trust in you.  While we sing of your Lordship over all of your Creation, we too often act as though you are powerless in the face of today’s events and the actions and intents of people and of Nations.

Have mercy on us.

Almighty God, we come to confess our short-sightedness.  While we sing of treasuring your

love for us above everything else, we are drawn to Worldly comforts and attractions.

Have mercy on us.

Almighty God, we come to confess our lack of love.  While we talk and pray of the need to care for widows and orphans, we don’t do anything to help those who are left out of Society and are marginalised.

Have mercy on us.

Almighty God, we come to confess our coldness towards others.  While we sing of your love for all people, we don’t do anything to break down the ‘walls’ that separate us from our neighbours.

Have mercy on us.

Almighty God, we come to confess that we do not live our lives as Kingdom People.  We are ruled by our schedules and our urge to be in control.  We make kings of the things that we can acquire, and queens of our immediate desires.  Have mercy on us O God.

Forgive us we pray, Amen.

https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/2785/worship-connection-ascension-sunday-2021-option-1,  https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2019/05/ascension-prayer-of-confession.html,

Assurance of Forgiveness  

(from Romans 4: 5)  

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Rome saying:

“But the person who depends on their faith, not their deeds, and who believes in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is their faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself.”

We have acknowledged Almighty God as our Creator God.  We have expressed our faith in the saving work for Humanity that Almighty God achieved in and through Jesus Christ, His Son.  Let us then put our faith in the promise of God that He has heard our prayers, that He has forgiven us, and that He has cleansed us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(by John Calvin) 

O Lord, heavenly Father,
in whom is the fullness of light and wisdom,
enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit,
and give us grace to receive your Word
with reverence and humility,
without which no person can understand your truth,
for the sake of Jesus Christ
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all glory.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Isaiah 52 & 53:

13  The LORD says,

“My servant will succeed in his task: he will be highly honoured.  14  Many people were shocked when they saw him; he was so disfigured that he hardly looked Human.  15  But now many Nations will marvel at him, and Kings will be speechless with amazement.  They will see and understand something they had never known.”

1  The people reply,

“Who would have believed what we now report?  Who could have seen the LORD’s hand in this?  2  It was the will of the LORD that His servant grow like a plant taking root in dry ground.  He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him.  There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him.  3  We despised him and rejected him: he endured suffering and pain.  No one would even look at him – we ignored him as if he were nothing.

4  But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne.  All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God.  5  but because of our sins be was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did.  We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.  6  All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going their own way.  But the LORD made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.”

Daniel 7:

13  During the vision in the night, I saw what looked like a Human being.  He was approaching me surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to Him.  14  He was given authority, honour, and royal power, so that the people of all Nations, races, and languages would serve him.  His authority would last forever, and His Kingdom would never end.

Colossians 1:

15  Christ is  the visible likeness of the invisible God.  He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.  16  For through him God created everything in Heaven and on Earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities.  God created the whole Universe through him and for him.  17  Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.  18  He is the head of his body, the Church; he is the source of the body’s life.  He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death. In order that he alone might have first place in all things. 

19  For it was by God’s own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God.  Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole Universe back to Himself.  God made peace through His Son’s sacrificial death on the cross and so brought back to Himself all things, both on Earth and in Heaven.

21  At one time you were far away from God and were His enemies because of the evil things you did and thought.  22  But now, by means of the physical death of His Son, God has made you His friends, in order to bring you holy, pure, and faultless, into His presence.

(Today’s English Version)

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 8:

31  Then Jesus began to teach his Disciples:

“The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the Elders, the Chief Priests, and the Teachers of the Law.  He will be put to death, but three days later he will rise to life.”

32  He made this very clear to them.  So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  33  But Jesus turned around, looked at his Disciples, and rebuked Peter.

“Get away from me, Satan,” he said, “your thoughts don’t come from God but from Man.”

34  Then Jesus called the crowd and his Disciples to him,

“If anyone wants to come with me,” he said, “They must forget themselves, carry their cross, and follow me.  35  For whoever wants to save their own life will lose it; but whoever loses their life for me and the Gospel will save it.  36  Does a person gain anything if they win the whole World but loses their life?  Of course not!  37  There is nothing they can give to regain their life.  38  If a person is ashamed of me and my teaching in this Godless and wicked day, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in the glory of his Father in Heaven with the holy angels.

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘Lord of Earth and all Creation’  (Number 62 in Sing Alleluia)

This YouTube clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune, so please disregard the words shown.]

Verse 1 of 3

Lord of Earth and all Creation

let your love possess our Land:

wealth, and freedom, far horizons,

mountain, forest, shining sand:

may we share, in faith and friendship,

gifts unmeasured from your hand.

Verse 2 of 3

People of the ancient Dreamtime,

they who found this Country first,

seek with those, the later comers,

that our oneness wouldn’t be cursed.

Grant us, Lord, union of purpose,

hope for which our children thirst.

Verse 3 of 3

Lord, life-giving healing Spirit,

on our hurts your mercy shower,

lead us by your inward dwelling,

guiding, guarding, every hour.

Bless and keep our Land, Australia,

by your Will and peace and power.

Michael R Thwaites and Honor M Thwaites

Sermon

  We may all familiar with the Australian cartoon series “Bluey”, that depicts the life of the Heeler family.  And, if you watch each episode closely, you may identify scenes that are based on actual Brisbane locations.  But, are you aware that several decades ago there was another Australian cartoon series also based around a character named Bluey?

  Bluey and Curley were the main characters in a Newspaper comic strip, created by the Australian artist and cartoonist, Alex Gurney in 1939.  It originally showed them as new recruits in the Australian Army as they served in various theatres of the Second World War, and then continued as they sought employment after the end of the War, until the comic strip ceased in 1975.  I vaguely remember them from my childhood, reading the comic in the Courier Mail.

  Whereas with the current cartoon series, Bluey, where Bluey is the actual name of the character, with the cartoon series, Bluey and Curley, Bluey and Curley were not their actual names, they were their nicknames, nicknames given to them because of certain physical attributes.  Bluey was called Bluey because of his ..… red hair.  Curley was called Curely because of his ..… curly hair.

  Do we have an instance where a person has been granted a Title based on attributes associated with the Position which they hold, as distinct to their physical attributes?

  If you read the Preface to the Authorised Version of the Bible, commonly called the King James Version, you will find this reference to King James 1 of Great Britain, which reads:

“To the Most High and Mighty Prince, James, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc.”

  Having a desire to find out to what this “etc” may refer, I found a Web site, heraldica.org, that continues the Title with the words:

“and of the Church of England and also Ireland in Earth the Supreme Head”

  A fine Title is it not?  And it is an example of a regal Title granted upon the King that implies great responsibilities, not just for the spiritual welfare of the King’s subjects, but also responsibilities for nourishing the spiritual life and mission of God’s Church in their realm:

“Defender of the Faith”, and

“Supreme Head in Earth of the Church of England and also Ireland”.

In today’s passage from Mark 8, we read of Jesus taking upon himself two such Titles.  In Mark’s Gospel, this passage is the first of three occasions where Jesus refers to his impending and inevitable death and resurrection.  And we read:

“Then Jesus began to teach his Disciples:

‘The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the Elders, the Chief Priests, and the Teachers of the Law.  He will be put to death, but three days later he will rise to life.’”

  (Mark 8: 31) 

  Jesus calls himself “The Son of Man”.  Jesus also describes himself as one who “must suffer much and be rejected”. 

  Immediately prior to this passage we have the passage that records Peter’s declaration that Jesus was “the Messiah”.  This is an identification that came independently to Peter because of his insight into the character and person of Jesus.  It is important to note that it was Jesus himself who took upon himself both the Title of The Son of Man and the Title of the one who “must suffer much and be rejected”, in association with him being the Messiah.  These Titles were not granted upon him by the Disciples, nor by the Jewish Authorities.  These Titles originated in the writings of the Old Testament Prophets, Daniel and Isaiah, and were the subject of much consideration and contemplation by Jewish Teachers over the centuries in an effort to deduce a Timeline for their fulfillment.

  Such efforts were unsuccessful for these Jewish Teachers reaching a consensus on such a Timeline.  It has once been explained to me that attempting to delineate such a Timeline for Biblical prophesy is alike to driving along a country road towards a mountain range in the far distance.  You can clearly see the mountain range ahead of you, but because of the distance and the associated haze, it is impossible to clearly determine which of the mountains rises before the others in its vicinity.  You can see all of the mountains that are there ahead of you, but you are unable to determine which is the first mountain that you will reach.

  Their efforts to reach such an understanding were also coloured by their desire to rid themselves of their Roman overlords, and to, once again, rule themselves in the Land that God had given to them.  And this desire to rid themself of who they termed as “God’s enemies”, tended to imbue itself into their interpretation of the role and action of the foretold Messiah who would come to “deliver the people of God from their enemies”.

  Against such a background, Jesus is making the claim to his Disciples that he is the Messiah, and that he is the Messiah in the context of both of these Old Testament Titles.

  So how do these Old Testament Titles provide a context for understanding the character and role of the Messiah?

  The Good News correctly translate the words in this phrase to read “a Human being”.  But it is unfortunate that in doing so the link is lost to the title of The Son of Man.  In original text reads of Daniel saying:

“I saw what looked like a son of man”.

  The word “son” is the Chaldean word “bar”  (Strong’s OT1247)  which corresponds to the Hebrew word “bane”  (Strong’s OT1121)  meaning son, as in the context of him being the “builder of the family name” through his descendants who would carry on the family name.

  The word “man” is the Chaldean word “en-awsh”  (Strong’s OT606)  which corresponds with the Hebrew word “en-oshe”  (Strong’s OT582)  , meaning mortal man.

  Together it reads “I saw what looked like a son of a mortal man”, meaning that Daniel saw what looked like a male Human being.  But in the vision of Daniel, this person was not just a mortal man, although he looked like a mortal man.

  Unlike a mortal man, he was being presented to God, “the one who had been living forever”.  (Daniel 7: 13) 

  Unlike a mortal man, “He was given authority, honour, and royal power, so that the people of all Nations, races, and languages would serve him.”  (Daniel 7: 14a) 

  Unlike a mortal man, “His authority would last forever, and his Kingdom would never end.”  (Daniel 7: 14b) 

  Because of this context, the understanding was that Daniel’s vision of what appeared to be a son of a man, was The Son of Man, a figure appointed by God’s authority, to rule over the Nations of the Earth with the power and authority anointed upon him by God.  These are the attributes and blessings from God that Jesus is claiming upon himself as God’s Messiah, The Son of Man.  But when, and how, would this vision be fulfilled?

Slide 6

“We despised him and rejected him: he endured suffering and pain.”  Isaiah 53: 3 

  Isaiah, in contrast, had a different vision of the Messiah.  Isaiah refers to him as God’s servant.  (Isaiah 52: 13, 53: 2) 

  Isaiah writes of the people’s reaction to this servant of God, of the people saying:

“He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him.”  (Isaiah 53: 2b) 

“There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him.  (Isaiah 53: 2c) 

“We despised him and rejected him”  (Isaiah 53: 3a) 

“he endured suffering and pain”  (Isaiah 53: 3b) 

“No-one would even look at him”  (Isaiah 53: 3c) 

“we ignored him as if he were nothing”  (Isaiah 53: 3d) 

  Isaiah is writing that this servant of God was a failure in the eyes of the people of God.  How, then, could this apparent failure of a servant of God who was rejected by the people, as referred to by Isaiah, be equated with the Ruler of all Nations appointed by God who was exalted by the people, as referred to by Daniel?  This was Peter’s problem.

Slide 7

“Get away from me, Satan,” Jesus said to Peter, “your thoughts don’t come from God but from Man.”  Mark 8: 33 

  Mark records Jesus making it very clear to his Disciples that he is “The Son of Man” who will be exalted by the people as God’s chosen ruler, but that he “must suffer much and be rejected”.  (Mark 8: 31 & 32a) 

  Peter’s immediate reaction was to “rebuke Jesus”  (Mark 8: 32b)  , more or less saying:

“That’s not how it should be!  God’s Messiah is supposed to come in triumph and defeat the enemies of God.  How could the Messiah let himself be defeated in this way?  Should not the Messiah be demonstrating his power and authority and his right to rule?

  And we can sense the stress Jesus was experiencing at this time.  Jesus was reviviting the very temptations from Satan that Jesus faced in the wilderness immediately after his baptism, the temptation to use his divine powers to perform great feats before the eyes of the people so as to emotionally move them to accept him as their ruler.  Jesus knew that inevitably he would face suffering and death at the hands of the Jewish authorities, for that was the will of God and that was the calling from God to which he was obedient.

  To do anything different was not the will of God, but the will of Satan.  Hence we see the response of Jesus to the words of Peter:

“Get away from me, Satan,” Jesus said to Peter, “your thoughts don’t come from God but from Man.”  Mark 8: 33 

  We can, perhaps, sympathise with Peter, for he was repeating the teaching that he and others of his generation had received in the Synagogues.  But Peter had responded to the call of Jesus to repentance, and the call of Jesus to call others to repent.  Where does this

need to repent of one’s sins before God fit in with the teaching that they would have received in the Synagogues that, as members of the Jewish race, they were automatically accepted by God, that as fervent adherents to the Laws and Commandments of God, they were automatically accepted by God, and that as partakers of the rites and rituals of sacrificial worship and of festivals, they were automatically accepted by God.

  But this highlighted a neglect of the call of God to love Him “with all of one’s heart, with all of one’s soul, and with all of one’s mind”, and “to love one’s neighbours in exactly the manner in which you love yourself”.  (Mark 12: 29 to 31)  This highlighted a neglect to heed the words of the Prophet Micah, that above all else, what God requires of us is “to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with Him”.  (Micah 6: 8) 

  By this neglect to love God with all of their hearts, by this neglect to love their neighbours in the same way that God displays his love for you, by this neglect to live just lives and to walk in humble fellowship with God, the people of God had distanced themselves from God.  They had become separated from God, and unable to reestablish that close relationship that He sought with all people.  And, thus, it was left to God to initiate the healing process.

  It was this understanding that the Apostle Paul sought to give to the Church in Colossae.  Paul writes:

“Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole Universe back to Himself.  God made peace through His Son’s sacrificial death on the cross and so brought back to Himself all things, both on Earth and in Heaven.”  (Colossians 1: 20) 

“by means of the physical death of His Son, God has made you His friends, in order to bring you holy, pure, and faultless, into His presence.”  (Colossians 1: 22) 

  It was for this role that God called His suffering servant to fulfill.  As Isaiah writes:

“We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.”

“the LORD made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.”  (Isaiah 53: 5 & 6) 

  The pride and the arrogance of the Jewish Leaders and religious authorities prevented them from grasping the truth of the purpose and the person of the Messiah as being presented by Jesus.  And we see that so clearly in their response to Jesus, when standing on

trial before them, and being asked whether he still claims to be God’s Messiah, Jesus replies:

“I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right side of the almighty and coming with the clouds of Heaven.”  (Mark 14: 62) 

  In reply, Mark records that “the High Priest tore his robes and said, ‘We don’t need any more witnesses!  You heard his blasphemy.’”  (Mark 14: 63) 

  In all of his interactions with people, either with a crowd of peasants in the countryside whom he sought to teach, or with the high standing nobles and religious authorities living in Jerusalem, Jesus sought to explain that “God’s anointed one is not initially the conquering King so eagerly awaited by the Jews, but the rejected, suffering servant of Isaiah 53.  Yet, for all of this, as the Son of Man, he is still God’s chosen instrument of judgement at his second coming, as highlighted in Daniel 7: 13

  We are closer to the mountain range of Biblical prophesy than the people in the days of Jesus, so we can judge that we have passed the first of the mountains.  But that does not mean that we can see clearly what mountain will be next, or what mountain is the last one.  As such, we need to listen to the call of Jesus:

“If anyone wants to come with me,” Jesus said to the crowd and to the Disciples, “they must forget themselves, carry their cross, and follow me.”  (Mark 8: 34)  ,

This means that, as Jesus humbled himself to come in Human form, so too must we be willing to humble ourselves in our service for God, as Jesus was willing to be treated harshly by ignorant and arrogant opposers to God’s will and purpose in the World, so too must we be willing to suffer the same fate, and as Jesus obeyed the call of God to go wherever it led him, so too must we obey God’s call to serve, to go wherever it may lead us.

  And I thought that I would leave you with this little poem that I read during the week.

Try to bring God’s love and kindness

into someone’s life today;

even just the gift of caring

will the Saviour’s love display.

(Clair Hess in Our Daily Bread  25 February 2008)

Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘In Christ alone’

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

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

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.

Let the Nations of the World recognise that we are all one people, sharing the one Planet,

that you call each Nation to be satisfied to live within the boundaries of the Land in which you have placed them.

Release the Leaders of Nations from the desire for power and prosperity through territorial

expansion and the coercion of neighbouring Nations.

Instil in them the willingness to cease from acts of hostility that causes separation and distrust between peoples.

Give each of us freedom from the consuming desire for material gain,

and instead, instil in each of us a desire to give honour to you and to actively consider the welfare of our neighbour.

We pray for the families of our Nation,

may parents and guardians sincerely accept their obligations to provide for the material and spiritual needs of those for whose care they are responsible.

We pray for those who drive our buses and trains, who fly our planes, and who drive our taxis,

that their paramount concern is the welfare of those with whom they are travelling.

We pray for the members of our Police force and for security personnel,

that you will keep them safe as they fulfill their duties to ensure our safety.

We pray for Doctors, nurses and other staff providing care in our hospitals,

that you will sustain and guide them as they tend to the needs of their patients.

We pray for those who are ill or injured,

that you will relieve their suffering and restore them to health and wholeness.

We pray for those burdened with addictions or fears,

that you will bring about a transformation in their lives, and freedom from that which burdens them.

We pray for those wounded by prejudice and injustice,

that you will comfort them and heal their pain, and guide us in how to eliminate discriminatory practices within our relationships.

We pray for those recovering from the effects of Summer storms and cyclones,

that you will protect them from harm, bring rapid restoration to utilities and services, and the availability of people and resources to rebuild their lives.

We pray for an openness to the wisdom and guidance of your voice,

that we may not be waylaid by busyness, ambition or the transient pleasures of the world around us.

We pray for the gift of your spirit,

that we may profess our faith with courage and announce with joy the wonder of your love.

Copyright © 2024. Joe Milner. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. – https://liturgy.slu.edu/2LentB022524/ideas_other.html

Raymond Chapman in Leading Intercessions P58

William Barclay in Prayers for Young People p23

Norman Wallwork in Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary Volume 5 p25

We pray for the peoples of France, Germany, and Monaco.

We are thankful for the rich historic and cultural legacies that have come to the world from these lands, for Franco-German friendship, reconciliation and cooperation that has emerged since the hostilities of the Second World War, for how churches and governments in France and Germany have welcomed new immigrants, and for the generosity in supporting ecumenical, interfaith and development work in the world.

We pray for overcoming fears and suspicions that still remain from 20^th Century atrocities, and more recent terrorist attacks, for churches and governments to effectively counter anti-immigrant populist sentiments in these countries so that they truly will become more multi-ethnic, for economic decisions that are accountable to those who are most vulnerable and not only to those making a profit, and for the election of political leaders who will further the common good not only for their country but for the sake of Europe and the rest of World.

Prayers

O Holy Spirit

Spirit of patience, Spirit of humility,
Spirit of revelation, Spirit of truth,
Breath of God, we worship you.

Spirit of confidence, Spirit of hope,
Spirit of peace, Spirit of joy,
Breath of God, we worship you.

Spirit of sacrifice, Spirit of forgiveness,
Spirit of light, Spirit of beauty,
Breath of God, we worship you.

Spirit of holiness, Spirit of purity,
Spirit of unity, Spirit of communion,
Breath of God, we worship you.

Spirit of the Father, Spirit of the Son,
Come, Holy Spirit!http://www.pomeyrol.com/liturgie.htm
Morning prayer

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son,
that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger;
and I pray that you would keep me this day also from sin and every evil,
that all my doings and life may please you.
For into your hands I commend myself,
my body and soul, and all things.
Let your holy angel be with me,
that the evil foe may have no power over me.  Amen.

(Martin Luther (1483-1546))

We pray for the people of Tonga and the collaborative efforts of the Bible Society and churches in sharing God’s word, for ongoing unity and relationship development among Tongan churches, church representatives, and the Bible Society South Pacific as they support and work on the translation project.  We pray for Dr Maafu, who is facing health challenges, for strength and healing.

We praise you God that Dr Sam Freney, Bible Society Australia’s Translation Consultant, has joined with Rev. Apenisa from Bible Society South Pacific to work on progressing the Bible translation work underway in Vanuatu.  We pray for the translators’ training and for the successful continuity of their work, that you will bless them with wisdom, strength and commitment.

We pray for Bible Society staff, translators, volunteers, and partners in the South Pacific and Oceania Alliance, for their safety and wellbeing, for innovative mission approaches amid challenges, fostering collaboration with Oceania Alliance, and for the recruitment of dedicated individuals to vital positions in Bible Society, guided by you, Lord.

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We pray for the success of the first year of the new programme cycle (2024-2028) of Bougainville Healthy Communities Program.  We thank you God for the new funding cycle from New Zealand Aid Programme.  We pray that the team can embrace the changes within the newly designed programme and that they can continue to achieve positive health outcomes in Bougainville.  We pray for the success of the PEP trial (preventing leprosy through antibiotics) in Bougainville, that this new PEP project will be rolled out in Bougainville with the help of health volunteers and leprosy experts.  We thank you God for BHCP’s senior management team, who provide guidance and support to the programme.  We pray for good health and protection over them as they often travel to remote locations. We also, pray that they will be able to nurture the Programme’s relationship with the relevant government departments.

We pray for the health and safety of the Preventative Health & Community Empowerment Programme (PHACE) programme team in Papua New Guinea, who are working in some of the most remote places.  We pray for success of the program in the 45 communities in which the PHACE programme team are working to eliminate leprosy.  We pray for the success of The Leprosy Mission-PNG’s Mud Crab farm projects, which are working closely with the National Fisheries of Papua New Guinea, for the main farmers, who are faithfully working in order to sustain themselves and their families.  We pray for continued positive dialogue and partnerships as The Leprosy Mission-PNG works closely with the PNG Ministry of Health, health facilities, the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government, National Fisheries, and several banking institutions, so that it will lead us to eliminate leprosy and encourage healthy living.  We pray for the Senior Management Team, who are providing support to the field-based activities and give thanks for TLM New Zealand’s support.

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We pray for the Western Australian Young Adult Ministry as programs are being planned and placed throughout the year, praying for creativity and flexibility in organising this program.

We pray for the Belyuen (Indigenous Community) School in Northern Territory, that students will continue to enjoy engaging with you each week through your Word at RI.  We pray for lives changed and a community impacted by the Gospel.  We pray for staff who hear from you, that the Holy Spirit would be at work in them.  WE pray for a teacher there, once a strong Christian, that you would bring him and his family back into a relationship with yourself.

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We pray for those who plan to undertake Religious Instruction classes at Bald Hills State School in the coming weeks.  Guide them in their preparation for the words to say and the approach to take with the children in their classes. 

We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Scripture Union Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, as she returns to addressing the concerns and needs of children, parents and teachers at the Bald Hills State School.

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 the Hymn ‘Christ liveth in me’  (Alexander’s Hymns No.3 number 208)

me.

James McGranahan

Benediction    

‘Which of all our friends, to save us,

could or would have shed their blood?

But our Jesus died to have us

Reconciled in him to God.

This was boundless love indeed;

Jesus is a friend in need.’

John Newton (verse 2 of Christ, a true friend  MHB100 – refer to Our Daily Bread 9 February 2008) 

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

 [For the Benediction song we are singing only the first verse and chorus.]

Verse

O pilgrim bound for the Heavenly land,

Never lose sight of Jesus,

He’ll lead you gently with loving hand.

Never lose sight of Jesus.

Chorus

Never lose sight of Jesus,

Never lose sight of Jesus,

Day and night he will lead you right,

Never lose sight of Jesus.

Robert Harkness