Welcome to our service - 12 February
Racial Justice Sunday
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom and in church. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join you. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
Notices
Please don’t hesitate to ring Alistair (07769 213 581) if you have any questions or would like support.
SERVICE
Racial Justice Sunday is for all churches to reflect on the importance of racial justice, to give thanks for the gifts and beauty of human diversity, and to commit to end racism and acts of discrimination. It is, however, more than an annual reminder of the Church’s commitment to the task of anti-racism. In the words of Richard Reddie from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, this Sunday represents “a call for Christians to engage in the righteous struggle for racial justice because racial justice is everyone’s business”.
The gospel calls all Christians continually to confront the idolatry of racism and the evils in our world and to proclaim justice and mercy as we seek to walk with our God (Micah 6:8). Our worship unites us to Christ, transforms us in Word and Sacrament, and sends us out into the world to uphold the dignity of all in Christ. Racism and racial discrimination are issues of justice because they deny basic human dignity to men and women made in God’s image. Wherever and whenever we treat another “as lesser, or other, our theology fails to celebrate the dramatic nature of our transformation as people who find their primary identity in Christ. In Christ, our differences are not simply erased but rather embraced, valuing the unique ways we each reflect the image of God”(From Lament to Action, p. 7–8).
Opening
Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord endures for ever.
The word of the Lord is the good news announced to you.
Alleluia, alleluia.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQeIGbKqiw8
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God,
shouldst die for me!
2 'Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies;
who can explore His strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all let earth adore,
let angel minds inquire no more.
3 He left His Father's throne above -
so free, so infinite His grace -
emptied Himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
for, O my God, it found out me!
4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray -
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free.
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
5 No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown,
through Christ, my own.
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
CONFESSION
We have wilfully misused your gifts of creation;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have seen the ill-treatment of others and have not gone to their aid;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have condoned evil and dishonesty and failed to strive for justice;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have heard the good news of Christ, but have failed to share it with others; Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have not loved you with all our heart, nor our neighbours as ourselves;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
ABSOLUTION
May the Father of all mercies
cleanse us from our sins,
and restore us in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
COLLECT
Merciful God,
you are righteous and love justice:
stir the hearts of your people that,
rejoicing in our diversity,
we may repent of the wrongs of the past,
and, by your grace, seek the peaceable kingdom of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
PRAYER FOR RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY
God of compassion,
who sent Jesus Christ
to deliver us from all manner of injustices and inequalities,
create in us new hearts and enlarged visions
to see your image in every person
irrespective of background, race and ethnicity.
May we be generous in our love of others
as we work towards ending misunderstanding, racism and injustice; creating communities of human flourishing,
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZugvUQ4m90U
Be still,
for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here;
come bow before Him now
with reverence and fear:
in Him no sin is found -
we stand on holy ground.
Be still,
for the presence of the Lord
the Holy One, is here.
2 . Be still,
for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
He burns with holy fire,
with splendour He is crowned:
How awesome is the sight -
our radiant King of light!
Be still,
for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
3. Be still,
for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place:
He comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister His grace -
no work too hard for Him.
In faith receive from Him.
Be still,
for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
David J Evans (c) 1986 Thankyou Music
READINGS
Deuteronomy 15.1-11
At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money. This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbours or relatives, for the LORD’s time of release has arrived. This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites—not to the foreigners living among you.
“There should be no poor among you, for the LORD your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today. The LORD your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you.
“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for cancelling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the LORD, you will be considered guilty of sin. Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.
John 12. 37 - 50
But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:
“LORD, who has believed our message?
To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?”
But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
“The Lord has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and have me heal them.”
Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgement by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
TALK taken from Chapter 6 of ‘e-booklet’: Deuteronomy: Wellness God’s Way from ‘Burning Heart’
How does the Old Testament Law relate to me?
One of my heroes is the Anglo-Saxon King, Alfred the Great.64 He’s most often remembered for his heroic defence of his kingdom against the Vikings, which laid the foundations for the creation of the nation of England. What’s really inspired me though, is that alongside all that he was also a man of great faith in Jesus, and something of a scholar.
One of his less well-known achievements is that he wrote one of the most important law codes in English history. That law code begins with the ten commandments and some translations of bits of Exodus, followed by some reflections on the New Testament and how the Old Testament law should be understood by Christians.
Most of us are probably unlikely to be writing national laws any time soon, but that concern to work out how the laws of the Old Testament should relate to us as Christians today is one that we should all share. If we’re honest, most of us don’t find it easy.
Some aspects of the Old Testament law – or torah – are easier to understand than others. We’ve already looked at some ways in which this book of Deuteronomy is relevant and applicable to us as Christians in previous chapters. When it speaks of the character or grace of God, or of our need for forgiveness and salvation, we can see the connections quite easily.
In this chapter though we’re going to turn to the bits of Deuteronomy that we often find harder to get our heads around - the details. We are going to be looking at chapters 12 to 26, which are full of detailed individual commands about all different aspects of life, and how the Israelites were supposed to live.
As we look at these chapters, we’ll ask what they teach us about how to live as the people of God. Crucially we will be asking: what applies to me – and how – and what doesn’t?
As we look at both the themes and the details of these chapters, we’ll also be looking more widely as well. We’ll be asking the wider questions: how as Christians should we read and understand Old Testament commandments? What is their relevance to me, now? How is God speaking to us through them?
Why do we do this...but not that?
One of my favourite treats is the classic full-English breakfast – bacon and eggs and sausages, black pudding, baked beans, tomatoes and the rest. I love it! If I was an Old Testament Israelite though, half of it would be off limits to me – no bacon, no sausages, no black pudding. Those are just some examples of things that Deuteronomy 14 tells the Israelites not to eat. Christians have always eaten foods – and done plenty of other things – that aren’t allowed in the Old Testament law.
There are also lots of things that the law tells the Israelites to do that we don’t – we don’t circumcise our sons, worship only in Jerusalem, or cancel all debts every seven years (although I’m guessing some of us would be quite keen on that last one!).
Yet, when it comes to other parts of the law, we are as committed to them as any ancient Israelite. For instance, as we saw earlier in this series, we still count Deuteronomy 6v4-5 with its call to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength” as the greatest commandment.
All of which begs the question – why? Or more specifically, why do this...but not that?
Learning from the New Testament
To answer that question, we have to look forward to the New Testament before we turn back to Deuteronomy. This tension between the things that we do and the things that we don’t reflects two seemingly very different streams of what the New Testament teaches about the law.
Firstly, the New Testament strongly affirms the Old Testament law. As Paul explained to Timothy: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”66 Clearly, Paul anticipated that we would read and love books like Deuteronomy. He encourages us that we should use them as a guide and resource for our ‘training in righteousness,’ because these words are ‘God breathed’ and through them God speaks to us by the Holy Spirit.
Elsewhere though, Paul (and the rest of the New Testament writers) is equally clear that we no longer have to follow the law. As Paul puts it very simply in Romans 6v14: “you are not under the law, but under grace.”
That may all seem like a contradiction - but it’s not. The New Testament is clear that for Christians the Old Testament law is useful, and God still speaks to us through it, but we are no longer bound by it.
66 2 Timothy 3v16. While this refers to the whole Old Testament, and not just the law, it does obviously include the law – there are also lots of other New Testament examples in which the law is praised.
Paul uses a helpful analogy in Galatians 3 and 4, in which he compares the law to a tutor or guardian. He explains that while we are children, we are subject to the authority of our tutors. Once we reach adulthood though, that all changes.
I never had a home tutor, but the illustration still works as I think back to my experience of school. There were lots of rules (and even punishments) that I was under that no longer apply to me. I can wear whatever clothes I like (no uniform policy), I don’t need to worry about having to spend my Saturday mornings in detention, and I can even run in the corridors.
Paul tells us that a similar dynamic is at work as we move from the old covenant – and the law – to the new covenant, in Jesus. We are no longer under the authority of the old rules.
However, while I am no longer bound by the rules of my schooldays, they have helped me to understand and live life as a grown up. I still use what I learned, and I now see that many of the rules where there for our good. Even though my teachers can’t punish me for things like fighting or bullying, I still try not to do them!
It is the same with the Old Testament law. It no longer has authority over us, but as Paul says elsewhere, it is ‘holy, righteous and good.’67 Most importantly of all, it still reveals God to us. It shows us his character and his ways, it unpacks what he loves and what he hates, and it shows us the importance of living life according to his ways. Not only so, it also demonstrates an example of what it looks like to do that - and that is priceless.
The question we tend to ask when reading the law is: “am I still bound by this command?” The principles above suggest that that is the wrong question. Instead, we should be asking: what does this teach me about God and what it means to be his people? If we ask those questions, Deuteronomy 12-26 immediately begins to have relevance for us.
If you read through the whole section, you will see all kinds of themes and priorities. Many scholars point out that the basic outline of these chapters seems to loosely follow the order of the ten commandments, and so once again we see the first priority of our relationship with God and our worship emphasised, as it has been throughout this book. Then – like the ten commandments themselves – the focus moves onto our relationships with each other, and all the various details of life.
The level of detail we find in these laws shows us that God is not a distant God. They show us that he cares about every aspect and detail of our lives, down to what we eat and what we wear. How gloriously different from so many other religions - God wants to be involved in our whole lives. That shows us that he is interested in Monday to Saturday as well as Sunday and ‘secular’ things as well church stuff.
Not only that, but these laws show us that God cares about all of us. Most ancient religions were focused on the rich and powerful and privileged. Deuteronomy does talk about them – for instance, half of Deuteronomy 17 is all about future kings of Israel. But Deuteronomy also talks a lot about supporting the poor, includes a law to protect the rights of foreign women captured in war, and gives specific instructions to rich employers to make sure their workers are not exploited.
How wonderful is that? If you’ve ever felt small or insignificant in this world – well those verses are for you. They are a reminder that God cares about you – God loves you. I could go on, as there are plenty of themes here we can see and learn from.
It isn’t just in the themes of these commands that we can find God – we can also find him in the details. It’s the desire to know how we do that which is usually behind that consistent question: ‘does this law apply to me?’
On one level the answer is always ‘yes.’ Paul tells us that all scripture is God-breathed – that means that every detail and every command tells us something of him, and he speaks to us through every verse.
On another level though the answer to the question ‘does this law apply to me?’ is always ‘no.’ We are not under law, and the punishments we read about later in the book (and that we’ll look at in our final chapter), no longer apply to us.
That means that the question is perhaps better put: how does this law apply to me? What can I learn about God from it? In order to answer those questions, we need to ask another: why is this here? What is the purpose of this law?
Back in the time of the reformation some brilliant people spent a lot of time wrestling with this question. They came up with three helpful categories of Old Testament law: the civic; the ceremonial; and the moral.
‘Civic’ laws
The first type of law they identified is the civic – national laws and instructions for how society should run. We are no longer part of ancient Israel, and so these don’t apply to us. That doesn’t make them irrelevant though – in fact, quite the opposite! They show us something of God’s heart, and his vision for this world he has created.
Let me give you an example. In Deuteronomy 24v19, we read: “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.”
Now, I don’t own any wheat fields. Even if I did though, I don’t think that this law would apply directly to me.
The point of the law is to provide food and sustenance for the poor, the powerless, and the disadvantaged in society. In an ancient society like Israel, the best way to do that was to let them glean (as this is called) the leftovers and uncut bits of vineyards and fields. If you read the book of Ruth, you’ll find this principle in action in chapter 2.
Today though, there are much better ways to look after the poor and disadvantaged than leaving bunches of wheat on the floor of a field and hoping someone spots them. The principle – the ‘why?’ behind the law – is still very relevant though. God doesn’t change, so this teaches us that he cares – and will always care – about the disadvantaged in society. That means that we as his people, should act accordingly.
We actually have so many different examples through history of Christians doing exactly that. Think of William Wilberforce and the Clapham sect campaigning against the slave trade, or of the myriad Christians today volunteering and working in Food Banks, debt advice centres, or the like. Whether they realise it or not – all of them are acting on what we read here in Deuteronomy 24v19
That is all an example of how we can apply what the reformers called the “civic law”, in our lives.
‘Ceremonial’ Laws
The second type of law the reformers identified were the ceremonial laws. These are all the instructions and commands about Israel’s worship, and particularly the temple and sacrificial system.
The main purpose of these laws was actually to point forwards to Jesus. The best place to look for an explanation of all this is in the New Testament book of Hebrews. Chapters 9 and 10 are all about how the Old Testament Temple, and all the sacrifices, point forward to Jesus.
The writer describes them as “a shadow of the good things that are coming” – by which he means what Jesus has done for us.
Again, let me give you an example. This section of detailed laws opens in chapter 12 with a big chunk on worship, and it has two main points. The first is that the Israelites were told to get rid of all pagan worship and practices throughout the land. The second is that they were then commanded to worship God only in ‘the place the Lord your God will choose’
Now, there’s lots we could look at here. I think that the main point though is to highlight and stress that there is only one way to God. That came first through this sacrificial system, and then through the one to which it points – Jesus.
That’s increasingly controversial in our world and culture. We’re often told that the different religions of the world are simply different paths up the same mountain, or encouraged to explore spirituality in our own way, without being bound by any one faith or dogma.
As we read this though, those ideas just fall apart. It’s very clear that all the different religions around Israel didn’t lead to God – in fact quite the opposite, they led the people away from God. The people of Israel are not to worship God as they please. Instead, the only way to God is the way that he has given us. As Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the way, the truth, and the life – no-one comes to the Father, except by me.”
That’s the second type of law – the ceremonial. It relates to the whole system of Israelite sacrifices and worship, all of which were a shadow pointing forward to Jesus.
The place God did actually choose changed over time – it was initially the Tabernacle, which was pitched in Shiloh, and later the Temple in Jerusalem.
The final type of law that the reformers identified was the moral. These are just simple moral commands, and they are as valid now as they were then. Even though we are not ‘under’ them, we are still called to do them.
We don’t follow these commands because we are compelled to, but because they show us God’s ways. I quoted Romans 6v14 earlier: “you are not under the law but under grace.” Perhaps surprisingly to us, that wasn’t an invitation to do what we like, but actually part of an exhortation to live life God’s way – the preceding verses say this: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
What does this look like in practice in Deuteronomy? Much of what we’ve looked at in previous chapters would actually fall into this category They’re full of general principles for the relationship between God and his people throughout the ages. An example would be the command to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength.
Most of the detailed laws in chapters 12-26 probably fall into the other two categories, but there are some in our chapters which fall into this category pretty clearly.
For instance, Deuteronomy 25v13-15 is a command for shopkeepers and people buying and selling goods. It says: “Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures.”
Well, using dodgy weights and measures is a way of cheating customers. It’s a form of dishonesty or small-scale theft, and that goes against God’s character.
Moses continues, “For the LORD your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.”73 It’s a moral command that is rooted in who God is – if he hated dishonesty then, then he still hates it, and we shouldn’t do it.
That actually means that this principle is much more widely applicable than just calling for honesty amongst shopkeepers. The Bible doesn’t say anything directly about modern issues like dishonest expenses claims or fiddling company accounts, but I think it’s pretty clear from this verse that we shouldn’t do them.
A helpful framework
I find this division of the law into three different categories – the civic, the ceremonial, and the moral, really helpful. Asking which category any particular law falls into helps me to work out why it was written, and so what God might be saying to me through it.
This is just a framework to help us though – the threefold structure isn’t found anywhere in the Bible, and at times it can be unclear which category to put a law into.
For instance, you could actually say that the last example I used is as much a Civic command as a moral one. The command to use accurate weights and measures establishes the importance of honest business practices, which are key in any society.
That’s fine – because this categorisation should just be a framework to help us work out how we can learn from whichever law we’re looking at. It’s simply a guide to help us answer that key question: how does this law apply to me?
Don’t worry!
It’s also fine if we end up bamboozled by the whole thing and can’t work out what the point of a particular law is. Use whatever help you can find – friends, pastors, books, etc. Most importantly of all, pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help. But don’t worry if you don’t understand everything.
There’s a command in Deuteronomy 22v11 that I’ve never been able to work out: “do not wear clothes of wool and linen together.” Many people much cleverer than me have spent a lot of time trying to work out what the point of that law is, and much of what they say is very persuasive. I have to confess, I’m still not sure any of us know the answer though!
Laws that bring us to God
The point of all these laws overall though is to draw us closer to God, to show us his ways, and help us work out what it means in practice to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength.
As we finish, shall we pray that he’d help us?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you for these wonderful chapters – however difficult to understand we sometimes find them! Please open the eyes of all my heart, so that I may meet you as I read them, and learn how better to love you. Then help me to put what I learn into practice - help me to love you more in all I do. Come Holy Spirit. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand
of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
When I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
Come and listen to me.
Jacques Berthier/Taizé.
Copyright © 1982 Ateliers et Presses de Taize (France).
PRAYERS - written by John Gough
Heavenly Father, we give thanks for being able to meet in worship this morning.
We bring before you our world. Our country and our church and parish here in Greystones.
This week has seen an earthquake that has struck parts of Turkey and Syria and has caused a devastating loss of life.
Search and rescue teams from across the world are working alongside the local people as they work together day and night in sub-zero temperatures searching for all who are missing.
Much needed aid from the UN and other charities started to arrive on Thursday, this and much more will be needed for quite a long time this year to help and support these people.
In a moment of silence pray for the bereaved, the injured, and all who are providing support in both countries.
Lord in praying for our country, we bring before you all who are struggling under the impact of the slump in our economy. With prices rising daily the number of people seeking help from food banks is on the increase. Families are in difficulty trying to keep up with payments for rent's and mortgages.
With strike action being taken across the country by workers in varying occupations, their struggle highlights the need for a change of outlook from the government to allow sensible negotiations to take place to bring the strikes to an end.
In a moment of silence pray for families, friends and neighbours who are all having difficulties at this time.
Lord we pray for our church and parish here in Greystones.
We give thanks for the series we are following in Deuteronomy.
Grant wisdom to all who are producing the weekly sermons and pray that you will speak to our hearts through them. We pray also for who meet together fortnightly in the study groups.
We also praise you Lord for all who meet on Sundays at 5 pm for At the Table, as they share hot food and share their stories on life and faith together.
And we also give thanks for the children's group that meet on Friday mornings in the church hall and the Cuppa and Cake get together on Friday afternoon's.
Lord, we pray for the Alpha Course, we ask that you will bless all who lead and support each week, and we ask that you touch the hearts of all who are attending the course as they explore the basics of the Christian faith,
In a moment of silence pray for our church, that we will be a blessing to our parish here in Greystones with the differing events that will take place in the coming year. Amen.
Additional Intercession for Racial Justice Sunday
God of all people, Hear our prayers for mercy. We cry to You for help in such a time of trouble. We have fallen short of Your hopes and dreams for us. We can see so many in our communities treading water; We can see so many starting to struggle in the depths of despair and debt; We can see so many affected by issues in society that we could play our part in mending; Yet we don’t do enough. We come to You, Merciful God, seeking forgiveness.
God of mercy, Hear our prayers.
God of all people, Hear our prayers for mercy. We come to You, Lord, You who are sovereign over all, And we ask that You would draw the whole world together, Casting out the evils of prejudice and arrogance that cause hatred and oppression. We long for Your justice and peace in our nation and world. We come to You, Merciful God, seeking justice.
Take a moment to reflect on or name some current situations from the news/local community/wider society where we hope to see God’s justice
God of justice, Hear our prayer.
God of all people, Hear our prayers of hope. We come to You, Lord, You whose love is without limit and without end, And we ask that You help us to open our hearts, minds and wills to You, As we hope for the day When we can live as members of one family at home in the world. We come to You, Merciful God, in hope.
God of mercy, Hear our prayer.
God of justice, Answer our prayers. God of hope, Inspire us anew. Amen
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO1G-o7Yj-c
Beauty for brokenness,
hope for despair,
Lord in Your suff'ring world
this is our prayer.
Bread for the children,
justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset
Your Kingdom increase.
2. Shelter for fragile lives,
cures for their ills,
work for the craftsmen,
trade for their skills.
Land for the dispossessed,
rights for the weak,
voices to plead the cause
of those who can't speak.
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray.
Melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain.
Come change our love
from a spark to a flame.
3. Refuge from cruel wars,
havens from fear,
cities for sanctu'ry,
freedoms to share.
Peace to the killing fields,
scorched earth to green,
Christ for the bitterness,
His cross for the pain.
4. Rest for the ravaged earth,
oceans and streams,
plundered and poisoned,
our future, our dreams.
Lord end our madness,
carelessness, greed.
Make us content with
the things that we need.
God of the poor….
5. Lighten our darkness,
breathe on this flame,
until Your justice burns
brightly again;
until the nations
learn of Your ways,
seek Your salvation
and bring You their praise.
God of the poor…………….
Words and Music: Graham Kendrick
(Copyright © 1993 Make Way Music)
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvMeTWAiUz8
Lord, the light of your love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness shining,
Jesus Light of the world shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us,
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory,
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire,
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word Lord
And let there be light.
2. Lord, I come to Your awesome presence
From the shadows into Your radiance,
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine...
3. As we gaze on Your kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness,
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story,
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine Jesus, shine...
Graham Kendrick (c) 1987 Make Way Music/Thankyou Music
FINAL BLESSING:
The blessing of God the Father,
who made from one every nation that occupies the earth;
of God the Son, who bought us for God from every tribe and language and people and nation; and of God the Spirit,
who brings us together in unity,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.