Worship

 

Opening Prayer

Psalm 146.3,5: Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save;

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Hymn: STF 331 King of Kings, majesty

Sing/ Read /pray /proclaim the words or listen to it here  :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZMMd99nM8

 

King of kings, majesty,

God of heaven living in me.

Gentle Saviour, closest Friend,

Strong Deliverer, Beginning and End,

all within me falls at your throne.

Your majesty, I can but bow;

I lay my all before you now.

In royal robes I don't deserve,

I live to serve your majesty.

 

Earth and heaven worship you,

Love eternal, faithful and true,

who bought the nations, ransomed souls,

brought this sinner near to your throne;

all within me cries out in praise.

Your majesty, I can but bow;

I lay my all before you now.

In royal robes I don't deserve,

I live to serve your majesty,

I live to serve your majesty.

Jarrod Cooper

 

Let us pray together

Almighty God,

You are great and wonderful, a mystery beyond our understanding, yet you bend down to us with your love and care.

For your grace and for the amazing gift of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, we praise your holy name.

Thank you that you never lose faith in us even though at times we fail to trust in you. 

Forgive us when we forget to place our life decisions before you, when we push away your gentle wisdom and substitute our own misguided judgments.

Forgive us when we listen to others instead of you and fail to open our hearts to your loving guidance.

When we bring our honest regrets to God and seek his forgiveness, we are blessed with God’s gracious word of mercy and pardon that breathes new life into us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s Gospel Reading: Mark 12.38-44

Time to Reflect

Jesus accused the religious leaders of his time of exploiting their position in society for personal gain. He warned the people not to be taken in by their outward show and their patronising demeanour; their attitude of entitlement and demands for the most important seats in the synagogue and the places of honour at banquets. This was all a front, said Jesus; the long pious prayers a sham that hid avarice and pride. The poor, including vulnerable widows who gave generously to the leaders out of respect, were in reality being cheated.

The hypocrisy of the religious leaders is contrasted with the genuine sacrifice of the widow who, despite her dire poverty, gave everything she had in the service of God.

Through this teaching, Jesus asks us to examine our own Christian lives and patterns of giving. Do we go to church to worship God or because we are regarded as “pillars of the congregation” and wish to preserve that status? Are we holding back some of our resources from God for our own benefit instead of wholeheartedly giving our lives, talents and all that we have to his service?

Take a time to sit quietly

A time of prayer

We pray for the church, for the world and for ourselves.

 

Lord, we pray for a strengthening of integrity, wisdom and faith for all Christian leaders; for resilience and courage for Christians who are persecuted, and for the fresh inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on all believers so that through their witness all the world will come to know the saving love of Jesus Christ.

 

Hear our prayers for national leaders, politicians and community leaders and all those who have any power or influence over the lives of others. May they act with compassion, justice and honesty, always putting the needs of the most vulnerable first.

 

Where there is conflict or war, we pray for the Holy Spirit to turn hard hearts towards peace and dialogue instead of violence. Hear our prayers for hope and restoration for the people of Afghanistan, Yemen, Lebanon and other areas around the world where there is economic breakdown, food poverty and lack of education provision.

 

We pray for comfort and courage for all who suffer injury, loss and hardship, for those who are displaced from their homes, and for those who are so desperate they risk their lives on dangerous journeys to reach safety. May God protect and guide them. We give thanks for aid workers who struggle in difficult situations to bring food, shelter and medicines to those in most need.

 

We ask for the healing touch of Jesus on the lives of people who are ill, in pain, anxious or trapped in addiction. We name in our hearts those known to us and to Jesus who are in need of our prayers and God’s love at this time. May they know the peace of mind and heart that only Jesus can give.

 

Loving God, thank you that you know us through and through, our hopes and dreams, our joys and sorrows. May we continue to know your loving acceptance and blessing in our lives, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

  

 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father ……

Hymn: Listen to STF 254 Seek ye first the kingdom of God

Seek ye first the kingdom of God (StF 254) (methodist.org.uk)

or sing a verse of a hymn that comes to mind

 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness,

and all these things shall be added unto you;

Allelu-, alleluia:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,

allelu-, alleluia!

 

Ask, and it shall be given unto you;

seek and ye shall find;

knock, and the door shall be opened unto to you;

Allelu-, alleluia:

 

We shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word

that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord;

Allelu-, alleluia:

Karen Lafferty (b. 1948)

 

A prayer of blessing

Follow Jesus in all that you do and say, showing kindness and respect to all and the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit remain with you and those whom you love, today and forever more. Amen.

Original Materials by Claire Hargreaves

AllHymns reproduced under CCLi 1144191.  Local Churches please insert CCCLi No here 3382 / 761 

 

We are grateful to all the Ministers and Local Preachers from around the Connexion who have contributed to Worship at Home. This resource is administrated by Ministries: Vocations and Worship in the Connexional Team.

For more worship resources see

The Bible (methodist.org.uk)

Singing the Faith Plus (methodist.org.uk)