Sunday Service - 30 August

Welcome to our service - 30 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.

To the right is Alistair’s talk. It can be watched separately or as part of the rest of the service.

If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom. 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.

The church is open for personal and private prayer on Sunday afternoons,

4 - 5:30pm in July and August.

From September we will be starting a socially distanced and COVID-19 compliant unsung Holy Communion service at 11:30am each Sunday. We ask you to come with a face mask. Please do join us if you can.

SERVICE

Opening Prayer:

Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray.

Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEh7Vt9sxmc

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,

the King of creation;

O my soul, praise Him,

for He is thy health and salvation;

all ye who hear,

brothers and sisters, draw near,

praise Him in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things

so wondrously reigneth,

shelters thee under His wings,

yea, so gently sustaineth:

hast thou not seen?

all that is needful hath been

granted in what He ordaineth.

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth

prosper thy work and defend thee!

Surely His goodness and mercy

here daily attend thee.

Ponder anew

what the Almighty can do,

who with His love doth befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord!

O let all that is in me adore Him!

All that hath life and breath come now

with praises before Him!

Let the amen

sound from His people again:

gladly for aye we adore Him.

Words: Joachim Neander (1650-80)

tr. Catherine Winkworth (1829-78)

Music: Stralsund Gesangbuch (1665)

CONFESSION

The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. Let us come to the Lord, who is full of compassion, and acknowledge our transgressions in penitence and faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, we confess we have failed you as did your first disciples. We ask for your mercy and your help.

Our selfishness betrays you:

Lord, forgive us.

Christ have mercy.

We fail to share the pain of your suffering:

Lord, forgive us.

Christ have mercy.

We run away from those who abuse you:

Lord, forgive us.

Christ have mercy.

We are afraid of being known to belong to you:

Lord, forgive us.

Christ have mercy.

Amen.

ASOLUTION

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.

Amen.

COLLECT

God of constant mercy,

who sent your Son to save us:

remind us of your goodness,

increase your grace within us,

that our thankfulness may grow,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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

CHANGE MY HEART, O GOD,

Make it ever true;

Change my heart, O God,

May I be like You.

You are the potter,

I am the clay;

Mould me and make me,

This is what I pray.

READINGS

Romans 12:9-21 New International Version - UK

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:

‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 16:21-28 New International Version - UK

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’

Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

This the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

TALK written by

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 Grace Jackson

Lord we want to thank you for all the good things you have given us to enjoy - for the beauty of the earth, for the love of family and friends, above all for your love which from our birth lies over and around us.

Thank you for head teachers and others who have worked so hard to make schools safe for children to return next week. We pray that teachers and pupils, and parents also, may be kept safe from the virus, and that children may adapt quickly to the new arrangements and be able to settle in to their work. We also pray for those who left school this year and are still undecided about what to do next, and we ask that they may all be able to find work or an apprenticeship or a place at university.

We pray that there may not be a large resurgence of Covid 19 this coming winter here in Britain or in other countries around the world, and that a vaccine will be found to combat it. Please bless the work of scientists as they work hard on this, and we pray that when a vaccine is found it will be made available to the poorest and most needy countries. We continue to pray for doctors and nurses and other NHS workers, that they will be kept safe, and may have any emotional support they need as they care for patients with distressing symptoms. We pray for the many people who are anxious about losing their jobs or who already find themselves unemployed. Sustain them through this time and give them strength as they look for work. And we pray for refugees and asylum seekers and others who were living rough on the streets in Sheffield, who were given temporary shelter during the height of the pandemic. We ask that somehow they may be found more ongoing accommodation and not have to be returned to the streets.

Lord, help us to remember that the whole world is yours, and the people in it, and we are called to care because you care. And so we are bold to bring to you some of the most needy countries and peoples of the world, now having to deal with outbreaks of Covid 19 on top of their other grievous problems. We pray for war torn Syria, for Yemen, also at war and with a lack of medical supplies and a health system that has basically collapsed. Thank you for the work of Medicine without Borders in Yemen, and elsewhere around the world. We pray for food, shelter and medical care for the people of Beirut following the huge explosions earlier this month which left 300,000 homeless. Please protect the displaced people and children living in the large refugee camp in Bangladesh; and help farmers in East Africa deal with floods as well as unusually large swarms of locusts causing large scale food shortages. We pray for help for families made homeless in Haiti by Storm Laura, and for other countries in its path.

Turning back to our own country, we pray about our relationship with our European neighbours and the need for a trade agreement to be reached before the end of the year. We pray that the stalled negotiations may be restarted and get past the sticking points. We pray for our own parish, and especially for the children who took part in the St Gabriel's Holiday Club this year, and their parents, that as well as the fun they may remember some of the things they learned about God's love for them. We pray for our Vicar, Alistair, the Churchwardens Stuart and Peter, and the Church Council. Please guide them in their discussions and the decisions they make and actions they have to take to enable the church to function in these difficult times. We specially ask your blessing, Lord, on the new pattern of Sunday services from September including the continuation of the Zoom service and also a Communion Service in the church building.

We seek your blessing for this next phase in the life of the church here in Greystones. Breathe on us with your life giving Spirit, and equip us with the gifts of the Spirit for service to you and to our neighbours. We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 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=QTIwZ3XNyEY

CHRIST’S IS THE WORLD in which we move,

Christ’s are the folk we’re summoned to love,

Christ’s is the voice which calls us to care,

And Christ is the One who calls us here.

To the lost Christ shows His face;

To the unloved He gives His embrace:

To those who cry in pain or disgrace,

Christ makes with His friends

A touching place.

Feel for the people we most avoid,

Strange or bereaved or never employed;

Feel for the women, and feel for the men

Who fear that their living is all in vain.

To the lost Christ shows His face...

Feel for the parents who’ve lost their child,

Feel for the women whom men have defiled,

Feel for the baby for whom there’s no breast,

And feel for the weary who find no rest.

To the lost Christ shows His face...

Feel for the lives by life confused,

Riddled with doubt, in loving abused;

Feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,

Which longs to be pure but fears to begin.

To the lost Christ shows His face...

John L. Bell & Graham Maule.

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=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.

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.

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.

BLESSING

May the Father,

who so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

bring you by faith to his eternal life.

Amen.

May Christ,

who accepted the cup of sacrifice in obedience to the Father’s will,

keep you steadfast as you walk with him the way of his cross.

Amen.

May the Spirit

who strengthens us to suffer with Christ that we may share his glory,

set your minds on life and peace.

Amen

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

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