After Pentecost | Thursday 24 Jul 2025
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening prayer:
O God, you declare your almighty power
chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we,
running to obtain your promises,
may become partakers of your heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and “‘Let another take his office.’”
(Acts 1:20)
From the Psalms: Psalm 85 – Poor Bishop Hooper
o lord you showed your favor
for you restored jacob’s fortunes
you forgave your people’s sins
you kept your wrath withdrawn from them
surely his salvation is near to those who fear him
surely his salvation is near
now come restore us again
abandon your displeasure
will you prolong your wrath for generations
will you be angry forever
surely his salvation is near to those who fear him
surely his salvation is near
steadfast love meets faithfulness
righteousness and peace have kissed
faithfulness springs from the ground
righteousness from the sky looks down
yes the lord will give all his blessings
and the land will lift up its bounty
__________
OT Reading: Hosea 4:1-19 (ESV)
The Lord Accuses Israel
4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heavens,
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
Yet let no one contend,
and let none accuse,
for with you is my contention, O priest.
You shall stumble by day;
the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
and I will destroy your mother.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
I will change their glory into shame.
They feed on the sin of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.
They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
they shall play the whore, but not multiply,
because they have forsaken the Lord
to cherish whoredom, wine, and new wine,
which take away the understanding.
My people inquire of a piece of wood,
and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
and they have left their God to play the whore.
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
and your brides commit adultery.
I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,
and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.
Though you play the whore, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal,
nor go up to Beth-aven,
and swear not, “As the Lord lives.”
Like a stubborn heifer,
Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them
like a lamb in a broad pasture?
Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone.
When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;
their rulers dearly love shame.
A wind has wrapped them in its wings,
and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
__________
Day of Judgement | Christ Church Mayfair
1. Day of judgement! Day of wonders!
Hear the awe-full sound
Louder than a thousand thunders
Shakes the vast creation round.
2. Jesus calls: the dead awaken,
Rise from earth and sea.
All the pow’rs of nature, shaken
by his look, prepare to flee.
(Chorus)
When all earth and heaven melt away,
Gracious Saviour, own me in that Day.
3. Every knee shall bow before Him,
Every heart exposed.
All the stains of our rebellion
Clear before His judgement throne.
(Bridge)
Under earth and heaven’s blackened sky,
Gracious Saviour, You were lifted high.
Bearing all the curse that my sin deserved
As You bled upon that tree;
God the judge hangs cursed for me.
4. Rise now sinner, come to Jesus
Pardoning grace to know.
Meet Him now as gracious Saviour,
Not just then as Judge alone.
__________
NT Reading: Acts 1:15-20 (ESV)
1:15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 
And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
__________
Deliver Us from Evil – Eric Lee Brumley
Jesus taught us how to pray
And the words that we should say
Not my will but Yours be done come now and rescue us
Deliver us from evil
Deliver us we pray
Deliver us from evil
Make straight the way
Who can stand before the Lord?
If our God is for us
Nothing can overcome, the children of the light
Deliver us from evil
Deliver us we pray
Deliver us from evil
Make straight the way
Deliver us from evil
Deliver us we pray
Deliver us from evil
Make straight the way
Get back, get gone, get thee behind me
Get back, get gone, get, thee behind me
Get back, get gone, get thee behind me
Get back, get gone, get thee behind me
Get back, get gone, get thee behind me
__________
Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem: Intervene in ways that only you can, so the whole world will know that you alone are God. Protect your people from the assaults of the evil one, and grant Israel’s leaders the wisdom and courage to do what’s right in your sight. Deliver all the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls. Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones. Protect the innocent and punish the guilty, that all may live in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
The Peanut Gallery 