Worship at Home
Worship for the week beginning 11 September 2022
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Sunday 11 September
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.
Prayer of Approach:
Holy God, we give you thanks and praise for the beauty of this day and for all the promise it offers. We thank you for life, for joy, for every opportunity to walk with you as children of the light. We have many times wandered and abandoned you, the God of love.
We are like the Prodigal Son, lost in a far-off country.
Cleanse our hearts and give us a new heart like the shepherd who left the ninety-nine to go looking for the sheep.
Give us a heart like the father of the prodigal son
Loving and merciful God, help us to find our greatest joy in the finding of the lost and in the joy that comes from being lost and then being found by your love and grace.
Cleanse our hearts and give us a new heart like the shepherd’s heart.
Amen.
StF 104 God moves in a mysterious way
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.
Take courage now you fearful saints
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Refrain
And I will trust
The hands that made the starry heavens
And I will trust
The wounds of Calvary
And I will trust
And I will not be afraid
For all his ways are love
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust him for his grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour,
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Refrain
Let us pray together
Lord, help me (us) to feel your presence in times that I (we’re) lost. Help me (us) to find my (our) way back to You, Lord, I (we) surrender everything to you. Lord, help me (us) to find and do your will.
Amen
Bible Reading
Luke 15:1-10
The parable of the lost sheep
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering round to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.’
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
The parable of the lost coin
8 ‘Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.” 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Time to Reflect
In these two stories in Luke 15, the shepherd loses a sheep, and a woman loses a coin that is saved for something special in her life. Do you then wonder how someone in a position of responsibility loses something that they are charged to keeping safe?
In your own experience of losing something did you find yourself searching everywhere? Did you wonder what you were doing during these moments of lostness? Do you find yourself blaming someone and yourself? These two stories ask us to examine ourselves about Lostness of so many special things attached to you and how you find yourself shifting the blame for that lostness, then taking responsibility.
Take a moment to reflect on the last time you recall having lost or misplaced something of value. What was it? When did you notice that it was missing? Can you describe your emotions during the search? If it was found, how did that change you? And lastly from a reflective practice, how does these questions deepen your understanding of God?
Take a time to sit quietly in Prayer.
God of all things, and people, lost things, found things and found people, lead us when we as a country, Church individuals fall under such difficult paths of losing power of witness of your love to the suffering world. We pray for new opportunities for mission and evangelism to the people in the margins, under such circumstances, grant us you Holy Spirit.
Of courage and determination. Loving God, allow us to know even under such times of loneliness, none feels forsaken by your grace.
Help us Lord, to discern doing what is good and what is right. We bring prayers to those running away from their countries to seek shelter and safety due to conflict, war, violence, and starvation.
Now we bring your children facing inconvenient situations in Ukraine and some regions in Russia, including other parts of the world where conflict, war, violence, starvation persist. Grant your people in these situations’ peace and relief from war and other forms of human right violations, such as girls and children prohibited from attending formal education in Afghanistan.
During this new connexional year, we thank you for the new dawn when your spirit goes ahead of us to make resolutions for surrendering our lives to the leading of your Holy Spirit in performing your perfect will.
We pray for all Church ministers around the connexion reporting to their new stations for the first time, or Ministers transferring to new workstations, and to those coming back from their summer vacation and those from sabbaticals or going for sabbaticals at the start of the connexional year. May they Lord experience your empowering presence as they discover their place and with the grace you have given to each of them to serve your church.
We pray dear Lord; they will feel welcome and supported and know they are tremendously blessed by God. Again, dear Lord, we express our gratitude as a country for the new Prime Minister of Britain, and we pray for wisdom as the new leadership sets to address major domestic and international issues that places back Britain onto its right track.
We pray for our church leaders at all levels in particular laity, Ministers those who work with children and young people and the vulnerable adults in knowing that they are loved and God and the Church cares for them. We bring these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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.
StF 323 : I will sing the wondrous story
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me.
How He left His home in glory.
For the cross of Calvary.
I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way.
I was bruised, but Jesus healed me.
Faint was I from many a fall.
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But He freed me from them all.
Days of darkness still come o’er me,
Sorrow’s paths I often tread,
But the Saviour still is with me.
By His hand I’m safely led.
He will keep me till the river
Rolls its waters at my feet.
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
All my Joy in him complete.
Refrain:
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.
He will keep me ’til the river
Rolls its waters at my feet.
Then at last He’ll bring me over.
All my Joys in him complete.
Refrain:
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.
A prayer of blessing
Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast to what is good.
Render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak.
Help the afflicted; honour all people love and serve the Lord rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit be with you, now and always.
Service prepared by Rev Francis M’Itiiri
Webpage: Paul Deakin