New Year’s Day | Monday 01 Jan 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
God of new beginnings,
you wipe away our tears
and call us to care for one another.
Give us eyes to see your gifts,
hearts to embrace all creation,
and hands to serve you every day of our lives.
We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
It is beautiful
how God has done everything at the right time.
He has put a sense of eternity in people’s minds.
Yet, mortals still can’t grasp what God is doing
from the beginning to the end ⌞of time⌟.
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)
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Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise – The Master’s Seminary Chorus | Grace Community Church – Sun Valley, California
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From the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 (GW)
Everything in God’s Own Time
3:1 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:
-
a time to be born and
time to die,- a time to plant and
a time to pull out what was planted, - a time to kill and
a time to heal, - a time to tear down and
a time to build up, - a time to cry and
a time to laugh, - a time to mourn and
a time to dance, - a time to scatter stones and
a time to gather them, - a time to hug and
a time to stop hugging, - a time to start looking and
a time to stop looking, - a time to keep and
a time to throw away, - a time to tear apart and
a time to sew together, - a time to keep quiet and
a time to speak out, - a time to love and
a time to hate, - time for war and
a time for peace.
God Gives Mortals a Sense of Eternity
3:9 What do working people gain from their hard labor? I have seen mortals weighed down with a burden that God has placed on them. It is beautiful how God has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people’s minds. Yet, mortals still can’t grasp what God is doing from the beginning to the end ⌞of time⌟.
I realize that there’s nothing better for them to do than to be cheerful and enjoy what is good in their lives. It is a gift from God to be able to eat and drink and experience the good that comes from every kind of hard work.
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From the Psalms: Psalm 8 – “How Majestic” | Shane & Shane
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From the Epistles: Revelation 21:1-6a (GW)
A New Heaven and a New Earth
2:21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”
The one sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” He said, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true.’ ” He said to me, “It has happened! I am the A and the Z, the beginning and the end.
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All Things New | Hillsong Worship (Cape Town)
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Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 (GW)
Jesus Will Judge the World
25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant ⌞they seemed⌟, you did for me.’
“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.’
“They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’
“He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant ⌞they seemed⌟, you failed to do for me.’
“These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.”
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Whatsoever You Do To The Least of My People OLPS OCD 2019 Dani
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+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, especially in the Middle East; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Bring home the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically and especially, to those who will restore Israel spiritually through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
3:31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
The Peanut Gallery 