The next weeks and months have the grand title of Ordinary Time. This simply means that we are not on one of the two great liturgical journeys (Advent – Christmas – Epiphany and Lent – Holy Week – Easter). It allows for coming off the lectionary if that is local tradition. Instead might come surprises like outdoor services or a preaching series on a particular topic or Bible Book which during the liturgical journeys, time does not allow.
Theme: The in-crowd
Gathering and Opening Prayers
A call to worship and a gathering prayer
Come, all of you, just as you are, to worship.
Whether today you feel strong or weak, full or empty,
God welcomes you all into God’s in-crowd.
Come just as you are to worship
Loving Lord, you look us in the eye
and remind us that we are already part of your family.
Help us to let go of anything that gets in the way,
that we may worship you with all our hearts,
and wholeheartedly love all our neighbours. Amen.
The Collect for Trinity1:
God of truth
help us to keep your law of love and to walk in ways of wisdom,
that we may find true life in Jesus Christ your Son.
Hymn
Gathering around the Word
Bible Reading:
Jesus draws crowds of followers in Galilee where his family are concerned about the fear and rumours that surround him. Mark uses a story within a story to increase the ever-present drama. Both stories speak of relationships and how we behave towards one another. Jesus redefines family as those who do the will of God and therefore redraws the boundaries for community.
This week, we tune into the subtle or loud voices that undermine the well-being of community, and we listen for the equally subtle or insistent voice that patiently restores us as individuals to community; to being part of God’s in-crowd. It is hard to be fully aware of what is influencing us, and we need diverse and honest voices to help us see us as we really are.
Bible Reflections:
Bible Discussion:
- How did you experience the building up of community at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What did you experience or observe that had the opposite effect?
An Affirmation of Faith:
We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
cf Ephesians 3
Gathering in Prayer
Prayers of Intercession
God of truth,
we pray for those who are slandered today;
for those in the public eye whose lives are laid open to the world…
Protect them mentally and physically and draw them close to you.
we pray for journalists tempted to tamper with truth;
and for those whose lives are in danger for telling hard truth,
especially those in Belarus….
protect them mentally and physically and draw them close to you.
We pray for sportsmen and women facing the pressures of winning…
and losing…
protect them mentally and physically and draw them close to you.
We pray for families where half-truths have destroyed trust and broken relationships,
where there is estrangement….
protect them mentally and physically and draw them close to you.
We pray for one another,
especially where we have been hurt by the words of others and felt excluded.
protect them mentally and physically and draw them close to you.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
The Our Father
We join with others of the St Catherine’s family across the globe
in our preferred form or language.
Our Father……
Amen
The Sending Out
A sending out prayer
Loving God,
you sent your Son into your world
to gather us all up into your kingdom.
Be with us, as we hear and respond to your call to do the same. Amen.
Hymn
A Blessing
Organ Voluntary