I was unable to
attend this service but was moved by the written message that I received.
Gathering God’s People
Call
to Worship
(Abingdon Worship Annual
2011)
O
Lord, you are God. There is no other God but you.
We renounce
all that we have allowed to come between us.
O
Lord, we worship you. We praise and honour your name.
We
worship you on this, your holy day.
For
your love, for your word, for all that you have given:
O
Lord, we thank you and praise you. We love you.
Hymn
TIS 745:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God”
Opening
prayer
Almighty
God, your word bursts forth into our lives like a glorious sunrise. You speak,
and our hearts rejoice. You command, and our eyes are opened. The sound of your
voice brings revival to our souls. Your words are purer than the finest gold.
True and righteous one, living Word, light our way. As we listen to your
Spirit, may the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our hearts be accepted
in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.
With
this short Prayer, I was immediately transported to a different place. How
easily we can forget what God means to us and what God does in our lives. This
prayer, and ones like it, can draw us back.
A
Prayer of Confession
No
matter how righteous we imagine ourselves to be, Lord, your perfect word
reveals our imperfections all too clearly.
No
matter how hard we strive to fulfil the requirements of your law, we always
fall short. We have forgotten that righteousness and perfection come not from
rules and regulations but from faith.
We
have ignored the truth that your righteousness comes from faith.
Open
our eyes to see that all we have accomplished is nothing compared to knowing
Christ as our Lord. Let us count everything as loss, that we might gain heaven
and be found blameless in Christ.
In
the name of the Saviour we pray. Amen.
And
with this, we rest in God, relying on divine strength to achieve that which is
impossible on our own.
Declaration
of Forgiveness
Take
heart; have faith. The goal is in sight. Press on to take hold of it, as Christ
has taken hold of us. Have no fear; leave the past behind. Reach out for what
lies ahead, for the prize, for the life to be found in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Thanks,
be to God!
And
the burden is lifted! And so, having made our peace with our creator, we are
able to reach out to others.
The
Peace
Make
the joy of God's love & forgiveness complete: share with one another the
love that Christ shares with us.
Peace be with you! And
also with you!
Offering
Prayer
Almighty
God, you gave us your commandments and asked us to live according to your holy
will. As part of your design for honourable living, we participate in
this simple act of giving. We dedicate ourselves to living lives of
honesty and peace. Amen.
Hymn
TIS 641: “This
is my will, my one command”
The Service of the Word
Readings: Exodus 20: 1-4, 7-9,
12-20. Philippians 3:4b-14.
Matthew 21:22-46.
Firstly,
Exodus brought to us the Ten Commandments. These are very straightforward and easily
applied to our lives, but it is amazing how we can deceive ourselves into
believing that we are keeping them, when we so far from doing so.
If
we only had this passage for guidance (Philippians) and followed it, I think we
would do very well. If it's not in God’s plan, then it's of zero importance to
us and while we are not able to live the life we should, we are on the right
path.
Matthew
brings us a very serious message. Where do we fit into this story? Are we
faithfully representing the landowner or are we the tenants who are
self-serving and who will have everything taken from them and given to others.
Rev.
John’s Reflection (in part)
God
does not want the tremendous seed planted in us to fail to bear fruit. God
looks for the harvest, both in our hidden depths and in the wide world around
us… God does not place on us an expectation we cannot fulfill. God does not
simply demand fruitfulness from us, but provides all the conditions by which
this can happen. God cares deeply for his vineyard. It is on this basis that he
looks for the harvest. This expectation is not a demand it is a longing.
Hymn
TIS 609:
“May the mind of Christ my Saviour...”
There
followed the Prayers of the People and the The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn
TIS 606:
“Son of God, eternal Saviour” Tune - Ode
to Joy
Benediction
Hear
the voice of the Creator, the mighty God, the One who built the vault of
heaven, who set the sun on its blazing course through the skies! Hear the words
of life, declared not by speech or language or voice but written on the heart!
Go forth in the name of the living Word, the One whose words bring forth the
fruit of the kingdom in your own lives! Amen.
Hymn
TIS 779: “May the feet of God walk with you,”
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