Welcome to our online service - 4 September
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:
Let everything be said and done in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ.
Sing psalms, hymns and sacred songs:
let us sing to God with thankful hearts.
Open our lips, Lord:
and we shall praise your name.
HYMN:
O worship the King,
all-glorious above;
O gratefully sing
His power and His love;
our shield and defender,
the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour,
and girded with praise.
2. O tell of His might,
O sing of His grace,
whose robe is the light,
whose canopy, space;
His chariots of wrath
the deep thunder-clouds form,
and dark is His path
on the wings of the storm.
3. The earth, with its store
of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power
hath founded of old:
hath ‘stablished it fast
by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast,
like a mantle, the sea.
4. Thy bountiful care
what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air,
it shines in the light,
it streams from the hills,
it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills
in the dew and the rain.
5. Frail children of dust,
and feeble as frail,
in Thee do we trust,
nor find Thee to fail:
Thy mercies, how tender,
how firm to the end,
our maker, defender,
Redeemer, and friend!
6. O Lord of all might,
how boundless Thy love!
while angels delight
to hymn Thee above,
the humbler creation,
though feeble their lays,
with true adoration
shall sing to Thy praise.
Words: Robert Grant (1779-1838)
Music: William Croft (1678-1727)
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
Seeing we have a great high priest who has passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith,
and make our confession to our heavenly Father.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
ABSOLUTION
Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon us,
pardon and deliver us from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
and keep us in life eternal;
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. Amen
SING:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQkzHwz2eLE
1. I will offer up my life in spirit and truth,
Pouring out the oil of love,
as my worship to You.
In surrender I must give my every part,
Lord receive the sacrifice of a broken heart.
Jesus, what can I give, what can I bring,
to so faithful a friend, to so loving a King?
Saviour, what can be said, what can be sung, as a praise of Your name
for the things You have done?
O, my words could not tell, not even in part,
of the debt of love that is owed
by this thankful heart.
2. You deserve my every breath
for You've paid the great cost,
giving up Your life to death,
even death on a cross.
You took all my shame away,
there defeated my sin,
opened up the gates of heaven
and have beckoned me in.
Jesus, what can I give...
Matt Redman: (c) 1994 Unveiled Music/Kingsway's Thankyou Music
READINGS
Philippians 4:4-7 New International Version
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Luke 14:25-33 New International Version - UK
Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.”
‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
This the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
TALK written by Alistair Stevenson
Our passage from Philippians has become a bit of a ‘verse for the year’ here at St Gabriel’s. In January, as I took time to pray for the coming year, this verse was particularly poignant and relevant to, not only my personal situation at the time and our life together as a church family, but also to situations in our world.
As a PCC we have also been taking time at the beginning of our meetings to prayerful consider this passage and share how God’s Spirit wants to speak to us through it.
Today I would like focus on four key phrases and would ask you to prayerfully consider how the Spirit might want to speak to you today through them.
Firstly – ‘Rejoice!’
Paul is writing these words likely in prison with almost certain death awaiting him. And he is speaking to a church in Philippi that is facing dark days ahead with many dangers and persecutions inevitably coming soon. Even in that context he reminds them (and himself) to rejoice. In spite of all that is to come – rejoice – again I tell you rejoice.
To rejoice in spite of circumstances is the very essence of the quality of joy that comes from faith in Jesus. Joy comes from the heart and is not necessarily connected with your outward circumstances.
As Nicky Gumble writes:
Joy…’is not a fleeting emotion, but a deep way of being – a state of mind that is available to everybody. It is not found in things, but in a Person.’
Worship at its very heart is ‘Rejoicing in the Lord’. Our prayer life should start with worship – giving thanks to Jesus for who he is and what he has done.
Take time now to worship God and give thanks for what he has done in your life.
Secondly – ‘Do not be anxious’.
Corrie ten Boom defined worry as ‘a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a centre of fear’.
Worry and anxious start from a place of fear. Fear is one of the most significant negative drivers in our life. Fear also shapes so many of the decisions in our world. We are all fearful of something (or many things!). Our deepest fears are often not about material things or situations but about our identity - who we are and how we give and receive love.
It is important to acknowledge our fears and bring them to God.
It is important to recognise that some of our worries like Paul are real. Some however are illusory. Either way, it is important not to disregard our worries or feel guilty for feeling worried. Sometimes we can feel anxious about feeling anxious. It can become a vicious circle. In either case, a life weighed down by worry is not really living.
When we are worrying or anxious Jesus doesn’t rebuke us or want us to feel guilty. Instead, he wants us to come to him.
As he says in Matthew 11:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (The Message Translation)
The more we keep company with Jesus the more we are able to learn to live freely and lightly. We start to develop habits, routines, rhythms of grace that are unforced and ultimately life giving.
Firstly, acknowledge your anxiety and worry. Bring it before Jesus and lay it at his feet. As you do so, remember that he is so pleased that you are coming to him with your worries rather than going somewhere else. He doesn’t condemn or judge. He welcomes you with a huge smile and arms outstretched ready to embrace you. It’s only in that place of loving embrace that things will start to change.
Secondly, don’t jump to trying to think of ways to ‘fix’ your worries and anxiety. More often than not we can’t fix them. In our passage Paul doesn’t promise that our problems will be fixed by Jesus. Instead, as we will see, he promises that instead we will receive a peace that passes all understanding.
Thirdly, but in every situation… present your requests to God.
Is it only the “important” things that we present to God? Is it only the things that we think are “holy” or “Godly” or worthy of God’s attention?
No. Paul says in every situation.
As is has been beautifully put: ‘There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care”.
As William Barclay writes:
‘A child may take anything, great or small, to a parent, sure that whatever happens to him is of interest there, his little triumphs and disappointments, his passing cuts and bruises; we may in exactly the same way take anything to God, sure of his interest and concern.’
As we start a new academic year, come out of summer and look to the coming autumn and winter there are many situations personal and other, that we need to bring to God in prayer.
The energy price cap confirmed for 1st October means that the average household energy bill will be £3,549/year up from £1,277/year at the end of March. That is a huge increase that will impact nearly every household. This is a very real worry and is exactly a situation that we should bring before God. We should bring this situation before God, not only as to how it will impact us personally but also those who are the poorest in our communities and nation.
Firstly, take some time now to write down situations in your life that you want to present to God. Remember, Paul invites us to bring ‘every’ situation’. Try not to spend time dwelling on each situation in turn but instead write them down on a piece of paper to create a list. Once you have done this, hold it in the palms of your hands and ‘present’ it to God simply praying ‘Your will be done’.
Secondly, take some time to write down situations in our world that you want to present to God. As above, create a list and ‘present’ it to God.
Finally, the ‘peace of God’.
While it can sometimes be helpful to do so, so often we try to understand our worries and anxiety. To analyise it’s root and source. We are quick to find solutions and try and fix problems. We get angry or frustrated when we don’t think that God is ‘doing’ anything to fix our problems or mend a broken situation.
Paul doesn’t promise us that God will have an answer and solution to our worries and anxiety – but he does promise that God has a solution. The solution is a peace that transcends all understanding.
Nicky Gumble writes:
“The word for peace means far more than an absence of hostility. It means wholeness, soundness, well-being, oneness with God and every kind of blessing and good. It is a peace ‘which transcends all understanding’. It surpasses both your ability to cope, and your anxiety about what is to come.”
The result of believing prayer is that the peace of God will ‘stand like a sentinel on guard upon our hearts’. The word that Paul uses (phroureó) is a miliary word meaning to stand guard, like a miliary sentinel – either in order to prevent hostile invasion or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight.
The peace of God guards you heart. That means it guards how we receive love and how we show love. It guards against our deepest passions and desires. To guards and heals where our hearts have been broken or are hurting.
It guards your mind. That means it guards against your thoughts. The negative voices you might hear in your head. It guards against words that have been spoken to you or over you by others. It guards against the ‘logic’ that you may use to understand situations.
The peace of God is there to protect and to fight for you from the attacks of the enemy or the messages of our world that may instead cause our hearts to fear. You don’t need to do anything to guard your own heart and mind – it is guarded by the peace of God. A light that no darkness can hide or extinguish. It is a peace that is beyond our understanding – this means that it goes beyond logic and human ‘sense’. It works outside the ways of the world and the limitation of human skill and ability. Human skill and knowledge can never produce it. It can never be of human contriving; it is only of God’s giving.
Take a moment to imagine the peace of God personified. In your mind’s eye see how it moves to stand and guard your heart and mind.
You may even want to draw a picture of our heart and mind on a piece of paper and then write or draw the piece of God standing guard in front of them both. As you do so, give thanks to God that
Let’s close with The Message translation of these verses:
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.
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 Liz Cannell
We come this morning with thanksgiving and praise, and to bring our needs and concerns to our God who loves his people around the world. We give thanks for this time of holidays, for time spent with family and friends, new experiences, and a time of refreshment.
Many may be facing changes at this time, new schools, new classes, a move to college or a job, making new friends and with wider opportunities. We ask that you will be with each of us especially at times of change in our lives. May your guidance and the knowledge of your love give us confidence in times of uncertainty.
We pray for the Prime Minister who will be announced tomorrow, for guidance and wisdom over the coming weeks and months in the challenges ahead and the unknown future. We pray too for the appointment of ministers, that they will bring good understanding and vision to their roles, and who will take action to help those in greatest need and those who do not know where to turn for help. We pray too for decisions of local councils, for our city of Sheffield, and for the practical help given by community groups and charities.
As we hear of the destruction caused by the floods in Pakistan we pray for all the people who have had to leave their homes, who have lost family and livelihoods. May they receive the help they need in the present circumstances, but also long term help to rebuild their communities
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer
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=07FBSrx5Oq4
Brother, sister let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
2. We are pilgrims on a journey,
we are brothers on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
3. I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
4. I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
`til we've seen this journey through.
5. When we sing to God in heaven
we will find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony.
6. Brother, sister let me serve you,
Let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
Richard Gillard,
Betty Pulkingham,
Copyright © 1977, Scripture in Son
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=4_fvFfPqjO4
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Music: trad. arr. Bainbridge, Hogg & Bryant
BLESSING
Keep us, Father, in this community of faith, the Church of your Son Jesus Christ,
and help us to confess him as Messiah and Lord in all we say and do. We ask this in his name.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen.