Invocation
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Good morning, heavenly Father.
We worship you, the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Good morning, Lord Jesus.
We worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world.
Good morning, Holy Spirit.
We worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Opening sentences
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
Who is it that you seek?
We seek the Lord our God.
Do you seek him with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek him with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Declaration of faith
To whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed and have come to know
that you are the Holy One of God.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless glory.
Hebrew Bible reading
Psalm 99:1-9
1 The Lord reigns! Let the peoples tremble.
He is enthroned between the cherubim.
Let the earth quake.
2 The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great
and awe-inspiring name.
He is holy.
4 The mighty King loves justice.
You have established fairness;
you have administered justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God;
bow in worship at his footstool.
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel also was among those calling on his name.
They called to the Lord and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees and the statutes he gave them.
8 Lord our God, you answered them.
You were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their sinful actions.
9 Exalt the Lord our God;
bow in worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.
New Testament Reading
John 3:31-36
31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, the gift of Jesus’ life in us is visible
in the way we witness to the fruitfulness of that gift.
We know that the fruit of the Spirit consists of
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Yet, so often we put conditions on our love—
and joy and peace are difficult to discern
when our words and actions deny their presence.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
By desiring instant results to most things these days,
we confess that we forget what it’s like to be patient.
We find ourselves neglecting the needs of others
because we run out of time to be kind to other than ourselves.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
When we persistently make self-centred decisions
rather than Christ-centred ones,
our understanding of your goodness and faithfulness is weakened
and our discipleship lacks credibility.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
In this aggressive world,
it’s easy to believe one can’t get anywhere
by exercising a spirit of gentleness or even self-control.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Gracious and merciful God,
grant us your forgiveness and your love
so that we may truly care for one another.
Refresh and renew us with the Holy Spirit
so that we are fruitful and vital disciples
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Today, we are praying for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
We are thankful for:
- the peoples of these nations – the diversity of their cultures, languages, and art, and their resilience
- the breath-taking beauty of these lands – the mountains in all their grandeur, overflowing rivers and green paddy fields
- all those who work for the churches and their institutions, especially in places where natural disasters strike
We pray for:
- efforts of governments and others to build up these nations’ economies
- those who have lost families and homes in earthquakes and other disasters as they struggle to rebuild their lives, homes and infrastructure
- those who contribute to religious harmony and advocate for the minority voice of Christians, especially amid religious and ethnic tensionsÂ
- religious and government leaders that they will make it possible for all peoples to live in justice with peace and harmony.Â
- these small nations which depend on other countries and are often threatened by interests of their bigger neighbours.
In our own place in the world, we pray for:
- all whose decisions involve questions of justice, mercy and peace
- federal, state and local politicians
- church leaders, ministers, pastors, teachers, and missionariesÂ
- all the churches of our city or region
- our local community, businesses, and schools
- our local congregation and its ministries
- opportunities to experience meaningful worship and fellowship
- opportunities for discipleship and learning to be more like Jesus
- opportunities for service to others and sharing the good news
- the needs of our families and friends
- our personal needs
Pause for reflection
Classic Prayer
God the Holy Spirit, most loving Comforter,
I pray that You will always turn what is evil in me into good,
and what is good into what is better;
turn my mourning into joy, my wandering feet into the right path,
my ignorance into knowledge of Your truth,
my lukewarmness into zeal, my fear into love,
all my material good into a spiritual gift,
all my earthly desires into heavenly desires,
all that is transient into what lasts for ever,
everything human into what is divine,
everything created and finite
into that sovereign and immeasurable good,
which You Yourself are, O my God and Savior. Amen.
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Contemporary Prayer
O compassionate Lord,
I would prefer power over the storm,
a secure home,
a life protected from the winds.
But help me to live with storms,
shelter with friends,
see my plans broken
but not my life:
rebuilt again and again from the earth.
(Bangladesh. Dear Life, J. Morley, J. Ward and H. Wild, eds © Christian Aid 1998.)
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13, NIV
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.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Sending Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray
that we may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, we pray that this day
we may take up our cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, we pray that this day
you will fill us with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
three persons in one God,
have mercy upon us. Amen.
Canticle
Christ, as a light,
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield,
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever he may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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