Sunday 16th August

 

This coming Sunday, our minister will be enjoying a well-deserved break. He has served us well in these difficult days of Covid19.  Many churches have felt unable to offer a programme of weekly worship. Stephen has faithfully provided us with this. So we say thank you Stephen, and enjoy your short break.

This leads us into OUR THEME OF THANKFULNESS. This is a time together to celebrate and be thankful.

We begin with the words of a well-known hymn,

Now thank we all our God, with hearts, and hands and voices;

who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices;

Who, from our mothers’ arms, hath blest us on our way

with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

 

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,

the Son, and Him who reigns with Them in highest heaven;

the one eternal God, whom heaven and earth adore;

for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Paul in his letters constantly gives thank for all the Christians in the group he is writing to. We would echo these words for all the Christian believers and others who have given their all to save lives during the pandemic.  THERE ARE MANY OTHERS OF DIFFERENT FAITHS, MUSLIM, HINDU, SIKH AND THOSE OF NO DEFINED FAITH.  We thank you for them all in prayer.

PRAYER

We thank you Father God that in every condition of life good or bad you are with us.

We thank you for THE MYRIAD OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE TO GIVE HELP IN THESE DANGEROUS TIMES - NHS WORKERS… CARE WORKERS… CHARITY WORKERS.

PEOPLE OF DIFFFERENT CHRISTIAN GROUPS.

PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS.

PEOPLE OF NO RELIGIOUS FAITH.

WE THANK YOU THAT YOUR HOLY SPIRIT HAS WORKED IN SO MANY LIVES.

WE PRAY NOW FOR THE END OF THIS VIRUS AND GUIDANCE IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

 

OUR READING   Philippians Chap 1 v3-21

THE VIRUS IS NOT OVER BUT MASSIVELY LESS THAN IT WAS AND WE ARE MUCH BETTER EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH IT.

We have, over recent weeks, celebrated the arrival of VE day and this weekend VJ day. All unnecessary loss of life is a cause for sadness but the loss of life experienced in World War 2 massively dwarfs the terrible covid loss.  Both are bad!  The Christian’s task is by living the way of Christ.

We can change things for the better and believers have done this over centuries of time.

A reading where Paul tell us how we should be. He was in chains almost certainly facing execution but he writes this!!

READ Philippians Chapter 4 v 4-9

Let Paul’s word be our closing blessing. Consider the words of the song Lord, I come before your throne of grace which speaks to us of God’s love and presence.

Lord, of mercy, You have heard my cry,

through the storm You’re the beacon, my song in the night.

In the shelter of Your wings hear my heart’s reply,

singing What a faithful God have I.

What a faithful God have I, what a faithful God.

What a faithful God have I, faithful in every way.

THE GOD OF PEACE BE WITH US ALL. - Ron

Page last updated: Sunday 23rd August 2020 5:11 AM
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