Sunday Service - 15 August

Welcome to our online service - 15 August

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 the church. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join us. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.

Please join us for public worship in the church building this Sunday at 10am or 11:30am.

Opening Prayer:

Loving God, we have come to worship you.

Help us to pray to you in faith,

to sing your praise with gratitude,

and to listen to your word with eagerness;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

HYMN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d3gO6qDLNA

All creatures of our God and King

lift up your voice and with us sing:

hallelujah, hallelujah!

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

thou silver moon with softer gleam:

O praise Him, O praise Him,

hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,

ye clouds that sail in heaven along,

O praise Him, hallelujah!

Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,

ye lights of evening, find a voice:

O praise Him….

3. Thou flowing water, pure and clear,

make music for thy Lord to hear,

hallelujah, hallelujah!

Thou fire so masterful and bright

that givest man both warmth and light:

O praise Him……………

4. Let all things their Creator bless

and worship Him in humbleness

O praise Him, hallelujah!

Praise, praise the Father,

praise the son,

and praise the Spirit, Three-in-One:

O praise Him……..

St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) tr W H Draper (1855-1933)

PRAYER OF PREPARATION

Almighty God,

to whom all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from whom no secrets are hidden:

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you,

and worthily magnify your holy name;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

CONFESSION

What God has prepared for those who love him, he has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything. Therefore, let us in penitence open our hearts to the Lord, who has prepared good things for those who love him.

Lord God, our maker and our redeemer,

this is your world and we are your people:

come among us and save us.

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 God who loved the world so much

that he sent his Son to be our Saviour

forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve him in the world,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

COLLECT

God of glory,

the end of our searching, help us to lay aside

all that prevents us from seeking your kingdom,

and to give all that we have

to gain the pearl beyond all price,

through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9FG12eTSbI

How deep the Father's love for us,

how vast beyond all measure,

that he should give his only Son

to make a wretch his treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss:

the Father turns his face away

as wounds which mar the chosen one

bring many sons to glory.

2. Behold the man upon a cross,

my sin upon his shoulders:

ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held him there

Until it was accomplished;

his dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished.

3. I will not boast in anything,

no gifts, no power, no wisdom;

but I will boast in Jesus Christ,

his death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from his reward?

I cannot give an answer,

but this I know with all my heart,

his wounds have paid my ransom.

READINGS

Psalm 34:9-14 New International Version – UK

Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from telling lies.

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

Mark 1:1-11 New International Version - UK

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way’ –
‘a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.”’

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: ‘After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’

This the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

TALK written by Alistair Stevenson

This Sunday at St Gabriel’s we are baptising Millie whose parents, Katie and Luke, live locally in the parish. Our readings, sermon and prayers therefore focus on baptism.

‘Who do you think you are?’ is a BBC series where celebrities trace their family tree. Searching back through their family history to discover where they have come from. It is hugely popular, now into its 17 series with over 150 episodes. It can be really emotional as these people discover the trials and tribulations - the high and lows - of those who came before them. For many it has a huge impact, helping them know who they are and even shaping who they are going to become in the future. The search for identity is at the heart of our culture. If I find out who I am - then I will know what I’m meant to do and be.

Today we are celebrating the baptism of Millie. Her parents, Katie and Luke have made the decision to get Millie baptised because they want faith in Jesus to shape Millie’s identity and her future. As Jesus welcomed children into his arms and blessed them, so we as a church also welcome Millie into this church family.

In our reading from the Bible, we heard from Mark’s gospel. In Mark’s account of Jesus’ life, he describes this extraordinary moment, when the identity of Jesus is confirmed by his father. Not his earthly father but by his father God. God tells him three things:

You are my Son,
whom I love - my beloved one.
with you I am well pleased - the one in whom I delight in.

Only a few words - but in them, Jesus hears everything he needs to hear to start his ministry - a ministry that will be marked by healings, miraculous signs and wonders, people raised from the dead, thousands fed on only a few fish and loaves. A ministry that will lead him to be tortured and sent to the cross to die for us. For Jesus to be able to do these things he needs to know exactly who he is and whose he is.

The extraordinary truth is that the Bible describes those who have a relationship with Jesus as also becoming daughters and sons of God. We enter into God’s family and now, like Jesus, we can hear these words being spoken over us: ‘You are my child, who I love, and take delight in’. That is incredible.

What is your picture of God? Take a moment to picture God in your head. What comes to mind? Some distant figure in the sky? An image from Monty Python? An old painting with God in the sky surrounded by clouds? Maybe you picture an old bloke looking displeased, angry, pointing a finger.

In one story told by Jesus, he describes God as a loving father waiting, looking, watching for his lost son to return. His lost son, who took his inheritance and spent it on completely pointless living. He sees his son in the distance and runs to him, throws his arms around him, accepts him immediately despite all he has done, and celebrates his return.

You might have had or still have a broken relationship with your father or parents. Your father may have even been abusive. But God is the perfect father, who loves his children perfectly.

Knowing whose we are, radically transforms knowing who we are. As Christians we are God’s - we are his possession - we step into his inheritance.

There is a great story of a couple who’d been married for fifty years. They were celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary. And this couple had argued all the way through their marriage. They’d argued day in, day out, week in, week out, month in, month out. The family were astonished that they’d stayed together so long and wondered, ‘What on earth can we buy this couple for their fiftieth wedding anniversary?’ The only thing they could think of was a visit to a top marriage consultant - a psychiatrist who specialised in marriages! All the way to the appointment the couple were arguing. They went in, sat down and the councillor asked them just one question and immediately they argued over it.

So he said, ‘Stop! Look, I’m going to do something I have never done before in my entire professional career.’ He got up from behind the desk, he walked round the other side, he took the little old lady in his arms, he hugged her, kissed her on the lips for a very long time, and then he turned to the husband and said, ‘Now, that is what this woman needs three times a week.’ The husband said, ‘Okay, doctor, if that’s what you say, I’ll bring her in Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays.’

What that psychiatrist was saying is: ‘This woman needs to experience love.

We all need to know that we are loved. Sadly the love we offer to each other as humans is imperfect. We have selfish motives, we get hurt easily, we can be full of pride. The love of God is a love that is perfect and totally unconditional. We are his beloved children. Fully known, fully accepted, fully loved. God’s love for you depends on HIS goodness, not yours. And since he is totally good, you are absolutely loved. Millie doesn’t need to earn Katie and Luke’s love, she already has it. In the same way, we don’t need to earn God’s love - we already have it. We can’t earn it, and we can’t lose it.

If you are a parent or a god-parent, maybe even a good friend you will have no doubt experienced going to watch a child’s music concert or a dance show. Each child comes on, sometimes one at a time, playing the recorder, playing a little tune on the piano, a couple of lines of music on the violin. And you sit through it, because you are polite. But when YOUR child comes up, suddenly everything changes. Your heart turns, you melt as you watch them play - how incredible they are, what sweet music, what a beautiful dance, how can they perform so well at such a young age. As a parent - when you take delight in your daughter or son - it doesn’t matter what they do, or how well they do it - it brings you joy.

We are imperfect parents. God is a perfect father who loves us perfectly and loves to take delight in us. In all our brokenness - all the times we try and fail - every dud note in the melody of life - God takes delight in us.

There is a great story of Lord Radstock who was staying in a hotel in Norway in the mid-nineteenth century. He heard a little child playing the piano downstairs in the hallway. She was making a terrible noise: ‘Plink... plonk... plink...’. It was driving him mad! Then a man came and sat beside her and began playing alongside her, filling in the gaps. The result was the most beautiful music. He later discovered that the man playing alongside was the girl’s father, Alexander Borodin, composer of the opera Prince Igor.

The amazing thing is that when we invite God into our lives, he delights in us - he comes alongside us and takes all the plink, plonk, plinks of our lives and turns them into something beautiful. He takes the messy things and transforms them into something good. That’s what it means for God to take delight in us.

God calls Millie, her family and each one of us into a relationship with him, which involves cooperation. The Christian faith is primarily about what has been done for us by God through Jesus. However, we are not mere spectators. We are called to respond. God wants to involve you in his plans. God comes and sits alongside you and ‘in all things... works for the good’ (Romans 8:28). He takes our ‘plink… plonk... plink...’ and makes something beautiful out of our lives.

I love the Olympics, and having done a triathlon myself I love watching the triathlon - particularly because the British triathletes are the best. Now - I’m sure most people here today, if I asked them, would sit with me and watch a triathlon. However, I reckon there would be very few who would volunteer to go outside with me and actually do a triathlon. In the same way, many in our country call themselves Christians because they believe the Christian life is about where you grew up, or about admiring Jesus’ example, not recognising the call to actually follow it. The writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament describes faith as running a race marked out for us, and as we do so we fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Today we pray that Millie would grow up knowing that she is loved by God, and that one day she will choose to join the race. But the invitation is there for all of us. So I want to invite you to join this race as well. And if you choose to accept the challenge, I’d love to speak with you more about it.

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.

PRAYERS - written by Christine Carney

Thank you, Heavenly Father, that Katie and Luke have brought Millie for baptism today, Please bless Millie and fill her with your Holy Spirit. May she grow up strong, fit and healthy, and may she know in her heart your abundant love for her, a child of God. Please bless Katie and Luke and give them all the patience, love and faithfulness they need to be really good parents to Millie.

Thank you, Father, for the children who attended holiday club. Please continue to bless each of them, and their parents, and show them your love. We pray for rest and recuperation for all the leaders who cared for them so well.

We pray for families in the Greystones area during the rest of the school summer holidays. We pray for positive relationships between couples and their children, and for safety as people go on holiday. Please bless single people, too, and help them to feel safe coming out of their homes and meeting with others.

We continue to pray against the spread of coronavirus across the world and that richer countries will share the vaccine with poorer countries. We pray for your provision, Lord, for those who are struggling financially because of the pandemic and for countries struggling with poverty, flooding or famine as well as coronavirus. We pray for healing for people who have the virus and for those who have Long COVID.

Heavenly Father, we cry out to you for Afghanistan. We pray for wisdom and strength for the Afghan government and that the people will unite against the Taliban. We pray for wisdom for the leaders of countries able to provide support and we pray for safety for all the civilians and refugees.

We commit to you, Father, the wild fires and soaring temperatures in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Africa and North America. We pray for safety for the fire fighters and for ordinary people living in these areas. We pray for Boris Johnson and the leaders of other governments, that they will start to take more urgent steps to reduce carbon, and methane gas, before the UN climate talks, COP26, in November.

We pray in the name of Jesus.

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=g1lAXdbQAEg

WHO CAN SOUND THE DEPTHS OF SORROW

In the Father heart of God,

For the children we’ve rejected,

For the lives so deeply scarred?

And each light that we’ve extinguished

Has brought darkness to our land:

Upon our nation, upon our nation,

Have mercy, Lord.

We have scorned the truth You gave us,

We have bowed to other lords.

We have sacrificed the children

On the altars of our gods.

O let truth again shine on us,

Let Your holy fear descend:

Upon our nation, upon our nation,

Have mercy, Lord.

(Men only)

Who can stand before Your anger?

Who can face Your piercing eyes?

For You love the weak and helpless,

And You hear the victims’ cries.

(AII)

Yes, You are a God of justice,

And Your judgement surely comes:

Upon our nation, upon our nation,

Have mercy, Lord.

(Women only)

Who will stand against the violence?

Who will comfort those who mourn?

In an age of cruel rejection,

Who will build for love a home?

(All)

Come and shake us into action,

Come and melt our hearts of stone:

Upon Your people, upon Your people,

Have mercy, Lord.

Who can sound the depths of mercy

In the Father heart of God?

For there is a Man of sorrows

Who for sinners shed His blood.

He can heal the wounds of nations,

He can wash the guilty clean:

Because of Jesus, because of Jesus,

Have mercy, Lord.

Graham Kendrick.

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.

SAY:

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=DOSocMh4O_U

RESTORE, O LORD,

The honour of Your name,

In works of sovereign power

Come shake the earth again;

That men may see

And come with reverent fear

To the living God,

Whose kingdom shall outlast the years.

Restore, O Lord,

In all the earth Your fame,

And in our time revive

The church that bears Your name.

And in Your anger,

Lord, remember mercy,

O living God,

Whose mercy shall outlast the years.

Bend us, O Lord,

Where we are hard and cold,

In Your refiner’s fire

Come purify the gold.

Though suffering comes

And evil crouches near,

Still our living God

Is reigning, He is reigning here.

Restore, O Lord,

The honour of Your name,

In works of sovereign power

Come shake the earth again;

That men may see

And come with reverent fear

To the living God,

Whose kingdom shall outlast the years.

Graham Kendrick & Chris Rolinson.

BLESSING

Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage;

hold fast that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;

and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always.

Welcome to our online service - 15 August

You can read the sermon in the service below.

VIDEOS FOR THE HYMNS AND SONGS CAN BE ACCESSED BELOW