Worship at Home
Worship for the Week Beginning 23rd January 2022
Christian Unity Week
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Sunday 23rd January
Rev francis M’Itiiri has prepared this week’s message
This short act of worship is for use from home. Please use this service whenever you like during the week.
Pause to settle yourself in God’s presence, knowing that other people are sharing in worship with you.
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© ROOTS for Churches Ltd www.rootsontheweb.com. Reproduced with permission.
Call to Worship: Psalm 84 how lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Brothers and sisters, we are united today with fellow believers in the four corners of the world as we gather to pray for the visible unity of the Church. We do this with worship resources prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches.
Hymn: O Worship the King: STF 113, SOF 456
O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.
O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space; His chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form, and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.
Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air; it shines in the light.
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.
O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!
Prayers of Praise and Confession
We praise you for you did not abandon us despite our rebellion but sent your Son to brighten our darkness and be our light and our salvation. You light up our paths and give us wisdom and faith in a world of untruth and doubt, in our various churches and diverse cultures and to be witnesses to Jesus, the one true God and King.
We worship you, O Lord.
Forgive us Lord for having disfigured your good creation and squandered its resources through our consumerist practices. We have polluted your rivers and seas and poisoned your air and soil and contributed to the extinction of many species. We have failed in our commitment to justice. We have built walls between us and planted the seeds of distrust towards the other.
Lord forgive, our God have Mercy
We have separated people based on ethnicity, religion and gender and we have claimed Jesus on our side in any war we waged.
O Lord, we come before you in repentance.
Ministry of the Word:
Moses and the burning bush
3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.’
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’
And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’
5 ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ 6 Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
‘“Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,”
who was, and is, and is to come.’
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.’
The great commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflection
When the Magi from their far-away countries arrived at Bethlehem and saw the child with his mother, they worshipped him. In the presence of this revelation of God among us, eyes are cast down and knees are bent. Similarly at the sight of the burning bush, Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God. When the disciples saw the risen Christ on the mountain in Galilee, they were amazed and troubled. Yet they worshipped him. In the heavenly liturgy (Rev 4), the twenty-four elders fall before Him who sits on the throne. Encountering God’s presence, we respond thus: gazing, followed by amazement, leading to worship.
Do we see ourselves truly worshipping in whatever context we are in? How many times do we see without perceiving, our eyes remaining blind to God’s presence? How can we worship in truth if we do not see first? In our narrow vision, too often we see only tangled with disagreements, forgetting that the one Lord has given his saving grace to us all, and that we share in the one Spirit who draws us into unity.
Often in our pride we follow our own laws and human traditions, whilst often disregarding the love we are called to share as one, people justified by Christ’s blood, with a common faith in Jesus as our Saviour.
Our future in God is a future of unity and love; our way to this destination must reflect that same truth of one-ness in Christ.
(Moment of silence) Nicene Creed
Confess the Apostle’s creed:
Nicene Creed (according to the tradition of the Eastern Churches)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
With faith and confidence, we come in prayer, before God, who is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: The Magi came from the East to pay homage and offer special gifts from their cultures and countries. We pray today for all Christian communities around the world in all their diversity of worship and tradition: Lord, we ask you to preserve these treasures, particularly in areas of the world where the presence and survival of Christians is threatened by violence and oppression.
O, Lord hear our prayer
We pray for children living in places in the world where violence continues and where its results are tangible: Strengthen, O Lord, the bonds of unity and mutual love among our churches and help us to cooperate and witness to your holy Name. Inspire us to work without ceasing to defend the oppressed and include the marginalised. Encourage us to stand together in the face of tyranny and oppressive regimes as we seek your Kingdom among us.
O, Lord, hear our prayer
We pray for all the refugees and uprooted people in this world: Equip us, Lord, to show hospitality to those driven from their homes, and grant us the spirit of welcome to those looking for heaven.
O, Lord, hear our prayer
We pray for our efforts to seek harmony and dialogue with other religions: Lord, give us humility and patience to walk with others with respect on their journey.
O, Lord, hear our prayer
We pray for our churches in this changing world: Lord, help us to find new and creative ways to follow you and to witness to you so that the world may believe. We rejoice with great joy. Heavenly Father, fixing our eyes on you, so we do not lose our way. Unite us, for you are the way, the truth, and the life, and now as you taught us this prayer, we pray together:
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
Hymn: STF 447: Jesus be the centre
Jesus, be the centre
be my source, be my light
Jesus.
Jesus, be the centre
be my hope, be my song
Jesus.
Be the fire in my heart,
be the wind in these sails;
be the reason that I live,
Jesus, Jesus.
Jesus, be my vision,
be my path, be my guide,
Jesus. Refrain
(Verse 1 is repeated)
Final prayer and Blessing:
Go now and live as children of light.
For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.
Let us wake from sleep and Christ will shine upon us.
Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
And as we depart in separate ways, may the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Love of God the Father, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, remain always with you.
Amen.
Go in peace.
Amen.
Service prepared by Rev Francis M’Itiiri
Webpage: Paul Deakin