Trinity 20 2020
Welcome!
This page contains our Sunday act of worship on 25th October. Please read through the material below thoughtfully.
Sentence of Scripture
But now, this is what the Lord says –
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;
(Isaiah 43:1-3a)
Prayer of Preparation
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Hymn
Collect for the Last Sunday after Trinity
Merciful God,
teach us to be faithful in change and uncertainty,
that trusting in your word
and obeying your will
we may enter the unfailing joy of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Prayers of Penitence
John writes:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Let us admit to God the sin that always confronts us.
Lord God,
we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing
and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us
and restore us to the joy of your salvation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
(cf. Psalm 51)
Hear the words of comfort our Saviour Christ says to all who truly turn to him:
God so loved the world
that he gave his only-begotten Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life.
(John 3.16)
Hear what Saint Paul says:
This saying is true and worthy of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
(1 Timothy 1.15)
First Bible Reading
Matthew 24:30-35 Text / Audio – hear the whole chapter
The Song of David
Blessed are you, God of Israel,
for ever and ever,
for yours is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour and the majesty.
Everything in heaven and on earth is yours;
yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
and you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honour come from you
and you rule over all.
In your hand are power and might;
yours it is to give power and strength to all.
And now we give you thanks, our God,
and praise your glorious name.
For all things come from you,
and of your own have we given you.
1 Chronicles 29.10b-13,14b
Second Bible Reading
1 Peter 4:12-19 Text / Audio hear whole chapter
Creed
Let us affirm our faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Though he was divine,
he did not cling to equality with God,
but made himself nothing.
Taking the form of a slave,
he was born in human likeness.
He humbled himself
and was obedient to death,
even the death of the cross.
Therefore God has raised him on high,
and given him the name above every name:
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
and every voice proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
(cf. Philippians 2.6-11)
Sermon
Prayers
Heavenly Father, as we have thought about suffering for you, so we pray with the charity Open Doors for Christians in Africa who face opposition for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray for Christians who are harassed and attacked because of claims that coronavirus is either a western invention or Allah’s punishment against those who have left Islam.
We pray for Rose in Nigeria, widowed when extremists killed her husband in April and now struggling to feed her three children because of the Covid19 lockdown.
We pray for Open Doors partners delivering relief aid to thousands of Christians whose homes were burned by Jihadists in northern Mozambique and who have fled their villages in fear of their lives.
We pray for Aman from Sudan, imprisoned for 17 days because he became a Christian and now reliant on aid to survive.
Gracious Lord, please uphold these people with your love and enable them to face their suffering with dignity and joy, knowing that their pain is a participation in Christ and their hope in him is secure.
Help us to take full advantage of the relative freedom we have to proclaim the Lordship of Christ in word and deed and to bring his blessing to those in need. And where we encounter opposition, give us the courage to stand firm and the grace to keep loving and serving.
We pray these things in the name of Jesus.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Hymn
Blessing
The peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
keep your hears and minds
in the knowledge and love of God
and of his Son Jesus Christ out Lord;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be with you always.
Amen
Epilogue
… and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes…
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Going Deeper
At present, there is no Go Deeper content this week.
Please visit our Go Deeper index page for more.
Some material in this service is from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) and is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council. cf. www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship