+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. (John 6:63,68)
Morning Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NLT)
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
Morning Prayer
Blessed be my God and Father: he hears the prayers of his children. Lord, hear me now.
+ Thank you, Father, for sending me your Son – may I keep him before my eyes throughout this day.
+ Make wisdom and sound judgement my guide – help me walk in newness of life.
+ Give me your strength in my weakness – when I meet problems give me courage to face them.
+ Comfort me in my sorrow and troubles – that I may be a consolation to others.
+ Direct my thoughts, my words, my actions today – that I may know, and do, your will.
Almighty, ever-living God, you choose what is weak in the world to shame what is strong. Grant that I may follow the example of Jesus, who was lowly and meek yet all-powerful. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
“A Place On Earth” – Fernando Ortega
Blessing
(May) the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
The Lord is king, let the earth rejoice. May I serve the Lord in holiness all my days.
Morning Reading:Mark 2:13-17(NLT)
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one — for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Morning Prayer
Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ, for he promised to be with me until the end of time. Stay with me today, Lord Jesus.
+ In all things I am victorious through your love – take me into your care today.
+ Let the love of your Holy Spirit be in my heart – I consecrate this day to you.
+ Help me to answer your call – may I be salt to the earth and light to the world.
+ As the day unfolds – may I work in harmony with your will for the good of all.
Stay with me today, Lord Jesus. Shed your clear light on my heart, Lord, so that walking continually in the light of your Word I may never be deceived or misled. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
“Nothing Can Separate Us” – Shannon Wexelberg
Blessing
(May) Christ dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Lord, send forth your light and your truth.
Morning Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 (NLT)
But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.
Morning Reading: Mark 2:23-28 (NLT)
One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grain fields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”
Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
Morning Prayer
Blessed be our Savior, Jesus Christ, who by his rising to new life has freed the world from fear. Lord, lead us to the truth.
+ Lord Jesus, as this day begins we remember that you are risen, and therefore we look to the future with confidence.
+ Hear our prayers this morning, and take to yourself our cares, our hopes, and our needs.
+ Deepen in us our love for you today, so that in all things we may find our good, and the good of others.
+ Lord Jesus, we pray that through our own troubles, we may learn to feel the sufferings of others; help us to show them your compassion.
True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as you enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. You live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
“God Of Mercy And Compassion” – God’s Country
Blessing
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalm 50:14-15)
Morning Reading: Mark 2:18-22 (NLT)
Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”
Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
“The New and the Old Clothes. The New Wine and the Used Wineskins” by Kazakhstan Artist Nelly Bube.
“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”
Morning Prayer
Christ has given me a share in his priesthood. Lord, in union with you, accept my love and service.
+ Jesus Christ, you are the eternal priest – make my morning sacrifice of worship acceptable to the Father.
+ Lord, you are love itself – grant that I may love you and serve you throughout the day.
+ Give me today the fruits of the Holy Spirit – make me patient, kind and gentle.
+ Give me the discernment to know the needs of my neighbors and the courage to love them as family.
Almighty Lord and God, protect me by your power through the course of this day, even as you have enabled me to begin it. Do not let me turn aside to any sin, but let my every thought, word and deed aim at doing what is pleasing in your sight. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
“Take All of Me” – Hillsong
Blessing
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!r
There are echoes of the Christmas Season in the Gospel story of the wedding feast of Cana, in which God’s glory becomes visible in Jesus, as it did at his Epiphany and Baptism.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening Prayer:
God of wonders, at Cana in Galilee you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ and summoned all humanity to life in him. Show to your people gathered on this day your transforming power and give us a foretaste of the wine you keep for the age to come. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
__________
Hymn: “God Of Wonders” – Third Day
__________
A Reading from the Old Testament: Isaiah 62:1-5 (NLT)
[God’s relationship with us is described in terms of a wedding — God is as close as a bridegroom to a bride.]
Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see — a splendid crown in the hand of God.
Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride. Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.
__________
A Reading from Psalms: Psalm 96:1-3, 7-10 (NLT)
Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
_____
O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.
__________
“Overwhelmed” – Big Daddy Weave (Sand Stories by Heather Curless)
__________
A Reading from the Letters: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NLT)
[Between now and the start of Lent, the second reading each Sunday is from St Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth. He wrote to them in response to a request for practical guidance. Today’s reading outlines the different gifts needed by each community, which the Spirit provides.]
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
__________
A Reading from the Gospels: John 2:1-11 (NLT)
[The story of the wedding feast of Cana repeats the message of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus’ glory was seen by his disciples.]
The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”
The Wedding Feast at Cana (detail) Paolo Veronese, 1562–3 Paris, Musée du Louvre
“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
__________
Hymn: “God is able” – Hillsong United
God is able | He will never fail | He is almighty God | Greater than all we seek | Greater than all we ask | He has done great things
Lifted up | He defeated the grave | Raised to life | Our God is able | In His name | We overcome | For the Lord | Our God is able
God is with us | God is on our side | He will make a way | Far above all we know | Far above all we hope | He has done great things
God is with us | He will go before | He will never leave us | He will never leave us | God is for us | He has open arms | He will never fail us | He will never fail us
__________
Intercessions:
Gracious God; move among your people with wonder-working power as we bring our needs before you.
+ For all who seek to follow Christ – may we not be slow to do what he asks of us…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christians facing persecution in Africa and the Middle East – draw close to them and show them your glory…. Lord, hear us.
+ For refugees and migrants – provide for their immediate needs and return them home safely, rejoicing at the wonders you have shown them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those preparing to celebrate marriage this year – that your presence at their wedding may bring them joy and oneness in spirit…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all married couples – that their witness of love may show the world your continuing mercy and presence…. Lord, hear us.
+ For widowed, separated and divorced people – that the support of their friends may help them in difficult times…. Lord, hear us.
+ For our loved ones who have died – that they may sing God’s praises in their eternal home…. Lord, hear us.
Loving God, we proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king’: let your power be seen as you answer our prayers offered through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
__________
Hymn: “How Great Is Our God” – (World Edition) [feat. Chris Tomlin]
__________
Benediction:
He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Peanut Gallery 