Category: Life around the World

22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 10 Nov 2019, Luke 20:27-38 ~ children of the resurrection

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer:

God of all the living, in the resurrection of Christ Jesus You have given us the life which even death cannot destroy. Remember Your unshakeable promise and strengthen us to live in this world as Your new creation. 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. Amen.

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“How Great Thou Art” -Songs of Praise – Big Sing (BBC)

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Gospel Reading: Luke 20:27-38(NLT)

Discussion about Resurrection

Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. Finally, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

“But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”
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“I Know that My Redeemer Liveth” – Mennonite Choir

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Intercession:

Gracious God of the living: hear the cries of Your children, especially those of us in great distress. Show us Your unfailing love and help us. We pray –

+ For an end to conflict in the Middle East, that Your people may live quiet, peaceful, exemplary lives….

+ For persecuted believers, that they may live courageously and be delivered from cruel, evil people…

+ For imprisoned believers and their families, that they  may trust in Your sovereignty and receive justice…

+ For displaced believers seeking refuge from enemies, that they may receive Your protection and provision….

+ For believers mourning the loss of loved ones, that they may be assured of their resurrection to eternal life….

Gracious God of the living: watch over and protect Your people. Show us Your unfailing love in wonderful ways, through Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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“Heaven Is Looking Brighter” – ForeverBeSure

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Closing: (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

21st Sunday after Pentecost, 03 Nov 2019, Luke 19:1-10 ~ the friend of sinners

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer:

Just and merciful God, true Lord of every house, sure delight of every heart, come into our midst today to speak your word and satisfy our hunger. Enable us to see you clearly, to welcome you with joy, and to give justice and mercy a place in our lives. Grant 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. Amen.
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“Great is thy faithfulness” – Songs of Praise (BBC)

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Gospel Reading: Luke 18:9-14(NLT)

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
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“Psalm 32: Blessed” – Forever be sure

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Intercession:

Faithful, gracious God: You raise up those who are bowed down with grief or worry. Grant us Your mercy and help us we pray  –

+ For all those who follow Christ – that we, like Zacchaeus, may confess our sins, turn to Him, and find peace….

+ For all those who have never known Your love, that Your mercy as demonstrated by believers may surround them….

+ For all who live on the edges of our communities, that they may find that Christ is close to them….

+ For all those in need, the sick and the worried, that the care of believing friends may bring them peace….

+ For the suffering people of Syria, that You may defend and protect them and grant them Your peace….

+ For those suffering persecution and hardship for Your name’s sake, that they may persevere to the end with endurance and faithfulness….

Faithful, merciful God: show us Your compassion and justice as we await the day of Christ’s return in glory, we ask in His holy name. Amen.
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His Mercy Is More – Matt Praise and Harmony

What love could remember no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more

Praise the Lord!
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more

What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father, so tender, is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more

What riches of kindness He lavished on us
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more

Praise the Lord!
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
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Closing: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 (adapted)

Live a life worthy of His call. And may He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Friday Morning, All Saints Day, 01 Nov 2019, ~ “Blessed are those who die in the Lord”

Opening: – Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical Body of your Son: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
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Reading: -Revelation 14:7

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down:
Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.
Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed,
for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

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“For All the Saints” (Sine Nomine) – St Edmundsbury Cathedral Choir(UK)
For over 1,000 years, the site of Suffolk ‘s Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage. The death of Edmund, King of the East Angles, at the hands of the Danes in 869 led to the building of an abbey to house his remains. St James’s Church was built within the precincts of the Abbey, becoming a Cathedral in 1914.

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Reading: – Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith,
let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

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Litany of the Saints – John Becker
The Litany of the Saints (Latin: Litaniae Sanctorum) is a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Old Catholic Church, Anglo-Catholic communities, and Western Rite Orthodox communities. It is a prayer to the Triune God, which also includes invocations for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and all the martyrs and saints upon whom Christianity was founded, and those recognized as saints through the subsequent history of the church. Following the invocation of the saints, the Litany concludes with a series of supplications to God to hear the prayers of the worshipers.

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Closing – Jude 24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
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20th Sunday after Pentecost, 27 Oct 2019, Luke 18:9-14 ~ ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer:

O God, who alone can probe the depths of the heart, You hear the prayer of the humble and justify the repentant sinner.

As we stand before You, grant us the gift of humility, that we may see our own sins clearly and refrain from judging our neighbor.

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. Amen.
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“Your Name” – Paul Baloche

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Gospel Reading: Luke 18:9-14(NLT)

Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
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“Hungry” – Kathryn Scott

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Intercession:

Compassionate God, we fall on our knees before Your throne of grace; hear our prayers for the needs of Your people. We pray especially –

+ For church leaders around the world, that they may lead with humility and grace….

+ For world leaders, that they may govern with wisdom, justice and mercy….

+ For national leaders, that they may not forget the needs of the poor and powerless….

+ For our own country, that politics may be set aside for liberty, justice, and the betterment of all….

+ For those suffering from war and injustice, that they may be delivered from evil and their communities restored….

+ For the sick, particularly people near death, that Your presence and loving-kindness may comfort them as they approach Your heavenly kingdom….

Compassionate God, You rescue Your people in all their distress, hear our prayers we ask in humility and faith, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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“Good Fight” -Unspoken

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Closing: 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (excerpts)

Fight the good fight; finish the race and remain faithful. For the crown of righteousness awaits you, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to all who eagerly await Him – on the day of His return.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

19th Sunday after Pentecost, 20 Oct 2019, Luke 18:1-8 ~ always pray and never give up

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer:

Faithful God, tireless guardian of your people, always ready to hear the cries of your chosen ones, teach us to rely, day and night, on your gracious care. Support our prayer lest we grow weary. Impel us to seek your enduring justice and your ever-present help. Grant 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. Amen.

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“Here I Bow” – Brian & Jenn Johnson

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Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)

Parable of the Persistent Widow

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.

A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

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“Before the Throne of God Above” – Selah

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Intercession:

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth: watch over us, and hear our prayers –

+ For church leaders around the world, that they may remain faithful to the Scriptures….
+ For believers around the world, that we may grow in wisdom and trust of Christ Jesus….
+ For missionaries around the world, that they may graciously endure the hardships of their work…
+ For believers in Syria and the Middle East, that they may never give up praying for your protection and peace….
+ For all who are troubled and hard pressed, that we might never give up praying for your help and deliverance….

Our help is in your name, O Lord, watch over us in our coming and going, and respond with mercy and loving-kindness to your people in need. We ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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All the Poor and Powerless – Shane & Shane

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Closing: Ephesians 3:20-21 ((NLT)

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen