Tag: Imitate God

After Pentecost | Monday 12 Aug 2024: Psalm 81; 1 Kings 17:1-16; Ephesians 5:1-14 ~ Imitate Christ’s sacrificial love.

After Pentecost | Monday 12 Aug 2024

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

Opening:

Almighty God, give us the increase
of faith, hope, and love; and,
that we may obtain what you have promised,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Live in love
as Christ also loved us.”
(Ephesians 5:2)

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From Psalms: Psalm 81  – Hymn “Sing for joy to God our Saviour” | Psalm Musicals – Christian Music Channel

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OT Reading: 1 Kings 17:1-16  (GW)

Elijah Prophesies a Drought

17:1 Elijah, who was from Tishbe but had settled in Gilead, said to Ahab, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord God of Israel whom I serve lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I say so.”

Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: “Leave here, turn east, and hide beside the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. You can drink from the stream, and I’ve commanded ravens to feed you there.”

Elijah left and did what the Lord’s word ⌞had told him⌟. He went to live by the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening. And he drank from the stream.

But after some time the stream dried up because no rain had fallen in the land.

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

17:8 Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: “Get up, go to Zarephath (which belongs to Sidon), and stay there. I’ve commanded a widow there to feed you.”

He got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the town’s entrance, a widow was gathering wood. He called to her, “Please bring me a drink of water.” As she was going to get it, he called to her again, “Please bring me a piece of bread too.”

She said, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord your God lives, I didn’t bake any bread. I have one handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I’m gathering wood. I’m going to prepare something for myself and my son so that we can eat it and then die.”

Then Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home, and do as you’ve said. But first make a small loaf and bring it to me. Then prepare something for yourself and your son. This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Until the Lord sends rain on the land, the jar of flour will never be empty and the jug will always contain oil.”

She did what Elijah had told her. So she, Elijah, and her family had food for a long time. The jar of flour never became empty, and the jug always contained olive oil, as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

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More Than Enough – Family Church Worship | music meets heaven

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NT Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14 (GW)

Imitate God

5:1 Imitate God, since you are the children he loves. Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God.

Don’t let sexual sin, perversion of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you. This is not appropriate behavior for God’s holy people. It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks ⌞to God⌟. You know very well that no person who is involved in sexual sin, perversion, or greed (which means worshiping wealth) can have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Don’t let anyone deceive you with meaningless words. It is because of sins like these that God’s anger comes to those who refuse to obey him. Don’t be partners with them.

Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. Light produces everything that is good, that has God’s approval, and that is true. Determine which things please the Lord. Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. Light exposes the true character of everything because light makes everything easy to see. That’s why it says:

“Wake up, sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” 

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Wake Up Sleeper by Austin French / Landon’s Lyric Videos

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Julian of Norwich
+ O God, of your goodness, give me yourself, for you are enough for me. I can ask for nothing less that is completely to your honor, and if I do ask anything  less, I shall always be in want. Only in you I have all. Amen.

William Laud
+ Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in  error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it;  for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically;
    • Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones;
    • Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the October 7th atrocities;
    • Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
    • Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

+ O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to  ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we  may not stumble; through 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.

After Pentecost | Sunday 11 Aug 2024: Deut 8:1-10; Ps 34:8-15; Eph 4:17—5:2; John 6:37-51 ~ Every believer has eternal life.

After Pentecost | Sunday 11 Aug 2024

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

Almighty God, give us the increase
of faith, hope, and love; and,
that we may obtain what you have promised,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“I can guarantee this truth:
Every believer has eternal life.”
(John 6:47)

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Holy, Holy, Holy (Shane & Shane) / Angie Jermyn

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OT Reading: Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (GW)

Israel Told Never to Forget God

8:1 Be careful to obey every command I give you today. Then you will live, and your population will increase. You will enter and take possession of the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors with an oath.

Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands. So he made you suffer from hunger and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had seen before. He did this to teach you that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that the Lord speaks. Your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t swell these past 40 years. Learn this lesson by heart: The Lord your God was disciplining you as parents discipline their children. Obey the commands of the Lord your God. Follow his directions, and fear him.

The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land. It is a land with rivers that don’t dry up. There are springs and underground streams flowing through the valleys and hills. The land has wheat and barley, grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates. The land has honey and olive trees for olive oil. The land will have enough food for you, and you will have everything you need. The land has rocks with iron ore, and you will be able to mine copper ore in the hills. When you have eaten all you want, thank the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

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From the Psalms: Psalm 34: “Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord” | Bob Hurd

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NT Reading: Eph 4:17—5:2 (GW)

Live as God’s People

4:17 So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things. They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more.

But that is not what you learned from Christ’s teachings. You have certainly heard his message and have been taught his ways. The truth is in Jesus. You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. However, you were taught to have a new attitude. You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, with a life that truly has God’s approval and is holy.

So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body.

Be angry without sinning. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the devil any opportunity ⌞to work⌟.

Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need.

Don’t say anything that would hurt ⌞another person⌟. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free ⌞from the world of sin⌟.

Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.

Imitate God

5:1 Imitate God, since you are the children he loves. Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God.

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Panis Angelicus (Bread of Angels) | Chet Valley Churches

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Gospel Reading: John 6:37-51 (GW)

6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me. I haven’t come from heaven to do what I want to do. I’ve come to do what the one who sent me wants me to do. The one who sent me doesn’t want me to lose any of those he gave me. He wants me to bring them back to life on the last day. My Father wants all those who see the Son and believe in him to have eternal life. He wants me to bring them back to life on the last day.”

The Jews began to criticize Jesus for saying, “I am the bread that came from heaven.” They asked, “Isn’t this man Jesus, Joseph’s son? Don’t we know his father and mother? How can he say now, ‘I came from heaven’?”

Jesus responded, “Stop criticizing me! People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me brings them to me. I will bring these people back to life on the last day. The prophets wrote, ‘God will teach everyone.’ Those who do what they have learned from the Father come to me. I’m saying that no one has seen the Father. Only the one who is from God has seen the Father. I can guarantee this truth: Every believer has eternal life.

“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert and died. This is the bread that comes from heaven so that whoever eats it won’t die. I am the living bread that came from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread I will give to bring life to the world is my flesh.”

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I Am the Bread of Life | Suzanne Toolan | Catholic Communion Hymn | Sunday 7pm Choir | Catholic & Christian Choral Music

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Belief

+ Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever dared admit, but through you I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt on the cross, taking what I deserved in order to offer me complete forgiveness. Knowing that you have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Please come into my life through the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you.

+ Lord hear our prayers for the Church and the world:

    • We pray for the peace of the whole world;
    • and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.
    • We pray for all those who proclaim the Gospel at home and abroad;
    • and for all who teach and disciple others.
    • We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith;
    • and for all those supporting them.
    • We pray for our nation, and for those in positions of authority;
    • and for a spirit of repentance and revival throughout the land.
    • We pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
    • and for the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray for all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;
    • and especially for those in the Middle East.
    • We pray for all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection;
    • and for those who mourn their loss.

+ All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen

The Lord’s Prayer | Marina S

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.

Sunday: 09 August – 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:2-9; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51 ~ I will raise you up

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

Opening sentence and Prayer:

We gather together as friends, called by the Lord to forgive each other as quickly as God forgives us.
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God, our Father and provider, whose Son has given His flesh for the life of the world, sustain Your pilgrim people on our journey with the word of life and the bread of heaven. Draw us nearer to Him in whose name we gather, that, following His way of sacrificial love, we may come to the banquet of eternal life. 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.
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Hymn


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A Reading from the Old Testament: 1 Kings 19:4-8 (NLT)
[Elijah was at the point of despair when God sent him food and drink to nourish him on his journey.]

despair

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 34:2-9 (NLT)

I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.
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A Reading from the Letters: Ephesians 4:30-5:2 (NLT)
[Paul challenges Christians to imitate Christ in the way they treat each other.]

love-is-a-sacrifice

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 6:41-51 (NLT)
[Jesus is the true bread come down from heaven, promising the fullness of life.]

Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”
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Intercessions:

Merciful God: we bring our needs to Your throne of grace – knowing that when we call, You answer us.

+ For all who gather at the Lord’s Table this weekend – that sharing the bread from heaven, we may have fullness of life…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all those who are sick or infirmed – that the bread from heaven may nourish them, bringing health and wholeness…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all those children and teachers who are preparing to return to school at this time of year – that they may find joy in their studies and work, sustained by a solid faith…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people who experience despair, to the point of giving up – that You may send an angel to sustain them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For our brothers and sisters who have died in Christ – that having eaten the Bread of Life, they may live forever…. Lord, hear us.

We bless You, O Lord, at all times: from all our terrors You set us free. Hear our prayers and continue to sustain and support us, we ask, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn:

Benediction:

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. (Jude 24-25)

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