Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.‘Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God as long all my life long.’ (Psalm 146: 1-2)Hymn: For the healing of the nations...Isaiah 35:4-7aThe gospel calls us to turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ. As we offer ourselves to him in penitence and faith, we renew our confidence and trust in his mercy. Let us confess our sins: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for the day: Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence: give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Mark 7:24-37Please see the Message from the Minister.Let us pray: We pray for St Peter’s Church and the Church throughout the world: for the strength and courage to share God’s love; We pray for the world: for reconciliation where there is conflict, for justice and peace; We pray for our communities, families and friends: for relationships to flourish; We pray for all who are sick or suffering: for healing in mind, body and spirit; We pray for people who have been bereaved: for comfort in their grief. Let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: 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. Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say...May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service, the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our hearts, and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and and be with us always. Amen. Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
Throughout the Olympics and Paralympics we are discovering the names of people we never knew a few months ago. Attached to those names are special stories of courage and tenacity and of the will to succeed. Those people are ordinary folk who have found themselves in extraordinary situations, winning gold and silver and bronze medals. In the Gospels, there are stories of people who, like the Olympians, are ordinary people. Often we don`t know their names and we know little about their backgrounds . . but they are part of the great tapestry of the Gospel proclaimed down the centuries, a tapestry of which you and I are part today. There are two such people in our Gospel today. The first one is a woman, and more than that, a Gentile, coming from an area avoided by the Jewish people. We don`t know her name or her history. In later writings she is given the name Justa and her daughter had the name Berenice. This anonymous woman comes to Jesus through desperation. She has heard about his healing powers and she longs for him to heal her daughter from a serious disease. She knows that she has disadvantages: she is a woman and a Gentile. Jesus` reply seems harsh as he reminds her of his mission to the Jewish nation. But she perseveres and is rewarded. Her daughter is healed. This woman came to Jesus, and she persevered in her request. Here is a simple picture of our daily relationship with Jesus. Think of the people for whom you have a concern at this moment: maybe someone who is very ill or someone who is going through a dark tunnel of depression. It may be someone who is finding it hard to climb out of the deep darkness of bereavement. We long to help them, and perhaps we offer words of encouragement or practical help. But how much are we praying for them? How much are we persevering in prayer? Is it daily or weekly – or when we think about it? The Gospels are full of accounts of people who have come to Jesus and asked for his help, and who have gone on asking. Such an attitude puts God in his place as almighty . . and such an attitude enables our faith to grow. In this Gospel reading there is another anonymous person who meets Jesus, this time from beyond Galilee. It is a man who could neither hear nor easily speak for himself, a man who is brought to Jesus by his friends. It is an unusual account of healing. Jesus takes the man aside. He puts his fingers in the man`s ears. He spits and touches the man`s tongue. And from deep within comes a sigh from Jesus, as though he is groaning at the sadness of this man`s suffering. He can`t speak to him to be understood. Instead he uses signs, signs to touch the man and reach the deepest part of his being to bring healing and wholeness.We need to be open to the different ways in which Jesus works in our lives. It may be that we are praying about a particular situation which doesn`t seem to change. We need to say to God as we pray: `Lord, help me to be open to what you want to do in this situation, in my life, in our church. What do you want to say to me before I speak to you? How do you want me to pray?` At the end of this account of the healing of these two people is the account of the watching crowd`s reaction. They were amazed, and their words link to the prophecy in Isaiah 35 of the task of the Messiah: `He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.` And they say something else about Jesus: `He has done everything well.`However you feel about yourself this morning: remember that he has done everything well.However you feel about apparent unanswered prayer, remember that he has done everything well.When the storms come and you feel you are sinking, remember that he has done everything well. When you despair of the state of the world, be reminded that God is in control, and that his kingdom is coming. Isaiah 35 again: `Say to those with fearful hearts, `Be strong, do not fear; your God will come . . water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.` (Revd) Pat Hopkins
We will open the church daily between 10am and 4pm from 5th September provided that there are sufficient volunteers to facilitate this, with a request to visitors to wear masks, sanitise hands, keep an appropriate distance from others while inside the building, and refrain from touching anything. The candle stand will be in use. We will continue to monitor the situation and to respond with your physical, mental and spiritual health as a priority.
Our services of Holy Communion on Sundays will commence at 10am from 5th September. Numbers will no longer be restricted at Sunday services, and we are looking to offer organ/piano music and congregational singing in due course. Masks which cover the nose and mouth must be worn unless exempt. Please sanitise your hands as you enter the church building. There will be a limited number of distanced seats at the back of the church. Please do not attend if feeling unwell or if you have been asked to isolate. A Thursday service will continue to take place at 11.00am in church. The same guidance applies as above, but due to less demand for attendance social distancing is more easily achieved, and there will be no congregational singing. Lateral flow tests are advised. Booking is no longer required, you may simply turn up on Thursdays at 11am or Sundays at 10:00am.