Theme:‘Imitators and Influencers’
Preparation
Opening
Opening Hymn: We cannot measure how you heal
Opening Prayers
May the grace of God be among us,
and the peace of God be in our hearts.
Amen.
Holy Spirit, be among us as we meet to worship,
as we sing and as we read,
as we listen and as we speak,
as we hear and come to know,
as we learn and begin to understand.
Holy Spirit, be among us.
Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
We praise you, Lord, for witnesses through the ages who have told your story and made you real to the next generation. We thank you for people whose names are well known and prominent, and we thank you for those whose names are long lost in the annals of history – but who are known to you. We praise you for all whose good Christian lives have impacted on who we are, and what we are, and where we are. We praise you that in every generation there are witnesses who stand out, who stand up to be counted, who make a difference to the Christian path. We praise you, Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we have been brought by word, by deed, by action to follow you.
Amen.
Readings
Psalm 99
Response: Exalt the Lord our God!
The Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1.1-10
Paul and his companions gratefully greet those who responded joyfully to their gospel message. The Holy Spirit empowered the proclaiming and receiving of the word, and the faith, hope and love at work in the community are already inspiring others who hear of them.
Reflection:
- How aware are you of Influencers in your life ?
- How would you feel if someone saw You as an Influencer ?
Gospel: Matthew 22.15-22
Audio reflection:
Prayer
Prayers of Intercession:
Lord God, in our corner of the world it isn’t easy to really feel the pain of persecution for our faith, but we know that it happens. We pray for those who are persecuted and punished, violated and scarred because of their faith. We pray for those who despite these things speak out and speak up, and witness to you, the living God. We pray for the families of these people that they may be given strength and support in their own faith and discipleship. We pray for those who teach us of you, who unpack your truths, who explain what living a Christian life is and how to follow you. We pray for those who guide us in times of struggles with our faith, those who stand by us in times of denial and bewilderment. We pray for those who are dying in the faith, and those who are struggling to find their faith before they die. For these and all your witnesses, Lord, we pray.
Amen.
Collect for St Luke:
Almighty God you called Luke the doctor to be an evangelist and a physician of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel give your Church the same love and power to heal ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Anthem Litany to the Holy Spirit
In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when I my sins confess,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!
When I lie within my bed,
Sick in heart and sick in head,
And with doubts discomforted,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!
When the house doth sigh and weep,
And the world is drown’d in sleep,
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!
Text: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Music: Peter Hurford (b. 1930-2019)
The ‘Our Father’
We draw all our prayers together in the words of –
Our Father who art in heaven…
…for ever and ever. Amen.
Affirmation of Faith:
Do you believe and trust in God the Father,
source of all being and life,
the one for whom we exist?
We believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Son,
who took our human nature,
died for us and rose again?
We believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God
and makes Christ known in the world?
We believe and trust in him.
This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
A sending out prayer
Into a world of confusion and disbelief,
into a world of welcome and rejection,
we take the grace of God that has been among us,
and the peace of God that has been on our hearts.
Amen.
Blessing:
Closing Hymn: Brotner, Sister, let me serve you
Organ Voluntary: