+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. (John 10:27)
Morning Reading: Mark 6:1-6 (NLT)
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.
Morning Prayer
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he gave us new birth into a living hope by his Son’s resurrection from the dead. Father, give us your strength.
+ Turn our eyes to Jesus Christ your Son. May he lead us in our faith and bring it to perfection.
+ We pray for cheerfulness and a generous heart; may we bring joy to our homes, to our work, and to all whom we meet.
+ We pray for all who are working today; be with us at home and in the city, in the factory and in the fields.
+ We pray for those who have no work; we pray for the disabled and the sick, for those who cannot find work, and for those who are retired.
Remember, Lord, your solemn covenant, renewed and consecrated by the blood of the Lamb, so that we, your people, may obtain forgiveness for our sins and a continued growth in grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
“All I Have Is Christ” – Sovereign Grace
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ | Hallelujah! Jesus is my life
I once was lost in darkest night | Yet thought I knew the way | The sin that promised joy and life | Had led me to the grave | I had no hope that You would own | A rebel to Your will | And if You had not loved me first | I would refuse You still
But as I ran my hell-bound race | Indifferent to the cost | You looked upon my helpless state | And led me to the cross | And I beheld God’s love displayed | You suffered in my place | You bore the wrath reserved for me | Now all I know is grace
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone | And live so all might see | The strength to follow Your commands | Could never come from me | Oh Father, use my ransomed life | In any way You choose | And let my song forever be | My only boast is You
Blessing
(May you) grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)
+ 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
Bring comfort to your people, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Morning Reading: Luke 2:22-32 (NLT)
Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Morning Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the light of the world. We worship and honor you, our Lord and Savior, who was presented to his Father in the temple, and who came to bring comfort to us all.
+ On the cross you consummated your sacrifice to the Father: unite us in your death that we might rise with you in glory.
+ You brought consolation to Israel: bring us now your wisdom, fresh understanding and new vision.
+ Your people continue to proclaim your coming: bring light to all who search for truth.
+ You are the sign of contradiction, the corner-stone rejected by the builders:
build us as living stones into a temple where you will dwell.
Almighty, ever-living God, on this day your Only-Begotten Son was presented in the Temple, in flesh and blood like ours. Purify us in mind and heart that we may meet you in your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
“Hope of the Nations” – Brian Doerksen
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!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Take courage, my children, call on God: he will deliver you from tyranny, from the hands of your enemies. Rejoice, for mercy will soon reach you from your Savior.
Morning Reading: Mark 5:1-20 (NLT)
So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”
And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
Morning Prayer
Almighty Father, the heavens cannot hold your greatness: yet through your Son we have learned to say: Father, may your Kingdom come!
+ We praise you as your children; may your name be kept holy in the hearts of all mankind.
+ Help us to live in the hope of heaven today: make us ready to do your will on earth.
+ Give us this day the courage to forgive others: as you forgive us our trespasses.
+ Father, be with us in all our trials: do not allow us to fall away from you.
Lord God, who entrusted the earth to mankind to till it and care for it, and made the sun to serve their needs: give us grace this day to work faithfully for your glory and for our neighbors’ good. May your kingdom come, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
“Break Every Chain” – Jesus Culture
Blessing
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5b-6)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
We gather as people loved by God, as people called to pass on the love we have received. The love God has given the world will never fail, but will last as long as humanity lasts.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer:
God of salvation, in Jesus Christ, you announce freedom and summon us to new life in him. As we marvel at the grace and power of your word, enlighten us to see the beauty of the gospel and strengthen us to put it into practice. 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.
__________
Hymn: “Love divine all loves excelling” (Keswick Praise version)
__________
A Reading from the Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 (NLT)
[Jeremiah is called and assured that nothing will defeat him.]
The Lord gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
_____
The Prophet Jeremiah Icon, John in Korovniki Church (c. 1654, Yaroslavl)
“Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
__________
A Reading from Psalms: Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17 (NLT)
O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors.
O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you!
_____
I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just.
O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
__________
“I Trust In You” – Regi Stone
__________
A Reading from the Letters: 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (NLT)
[An explanation of practical love.]
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
__________
A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 4:21-30 (NLT)
[Jesus is rejected by his own – the perfect beginning for Luke’s Gospel, which was written mainly for the Gentiles.]
Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.
“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”
When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
__________
Hymn: “My Hope Is Jesus” – Hillsong
__________
Intercessions:
God is our hope, our salvation – we are welcome to present all our needs to him.
+ For the Church and everyone who is part of it – that all Christians may grow in love…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those called to be prophets – that they may faithfully preach God’s word, no matter what happens…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people of every religion – that all may work for peace and justice…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christian Schools around the world – that they may be places of forgiveness, mercy and peace…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all believers who gather for worship today – that our faith may be seen in lives of love…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the people around us in any kind of difficulty – that they may receive the help they need…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who have died in Christ – that they may know perfect love in heaven…. Lord, hear us.
Lord our God, you are a rock where we can take refuge: hear our prayers and grant us your sustaining grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
__________
Hymn: “Jesus Lover of My Soul” – Darlene Zschech
Benediction:
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
“This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Morning Reading: Mark 4:35-41 (NLT)
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Morning Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me courage, for perhaps I lack it more than anything else.
+ I need courage before men against their threats and against their seductions.
+ I need courage to bear unkindness, mockery, contradiction.
+ I need courage to fight against the devil, against terrors and troubles, temptations, attractions, darkness and false lights, against tears, depression, and above all fear.
+ I need Your help, dear God. Strengthen me with Your love and Your grace.
Console me with Your Presence and grant me the courage to persevere until I am with You forever in heaven. Through Jesus Christ, my Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
“Oceans” – Hillsong United
Blessing
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
The Peanut Gallery 