The Greeting
In the beginning
before time, before people,
before the world began.
God was.
Here and now
among us, beside us,
enlisting the people of earth
for the purposes of heaven.
God is.
In the future,
when we have turned to dust
and all we know has found its fulfilment.
God will be.
Not denying the world, but delighting in it,
not condemning the world, but redeeming it,
through Jesus Christ,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
God was,
God is,
God will be.
From the Morning Liturgy A – The Iona Community
We come from scattered lives to meet with God.
Let us recognise his presence with us.
Silence is kept.
As God’s people we have gathered:
let us worship him together.
Words of Welcome and Introduction
Hymn
Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use
ev’ry pow’r as thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure-store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Prayers of Penitence
The grace of God has dawned upon the world
with healing for all.
Let us come to him, in sorrow for our sins,
seeking healing and salvation.
cf Titus 2.11
We need your healing, merciful God;
Give us true repentance.
Some sins are plain to us,
Some escape us,
Some we cannot face.
Forgive us;
Set us free to hear your word to us;
Set us free to serve you.
Amen.
From St. James’ Piccadilly
May the almighty and merciful Lord
grant you pardon and forgiveness of all your sins,
time for amendment of life,
and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Collect
For The Second Sunday after Trinity
Let us pray.
Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Reading(s) from the Bible
A reading from the book of Genesis.
The child Isaac grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.
But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named after you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.’ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Genesis 21: 8-21
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn
When I needed a neighbour,
were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour,
were you there?
And the creed and the colour
and the name won’t matter,
were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty,
were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty,
were you there?
And the creed and the colour
and the name won’t matter,
were you there?
I was cold, I was naked,
were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked,
were you there?
And the creed and the colour
and the name won’t matter,
were you there?
When I needed a shelter
were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter,
were you there?
And the creed and the colour
and the name won’t matter,
were you there?
When I needed a healer,
were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer,
were you there?
And the creed and the colour
and the name won’t matter,
were you there?
Wherever you travel,
I’ll be there, I’ll be there.
wherever you travel,
I’ll be there.
And the creed and the colour
and the name won’t matter,
I’ll be there.
Gospel
Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord endures for ever.
The word of the Lord is the good news announced to you.
Alleluia.
cf 1 Peter 1: 25
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus summoned the twelve and sent them out with the following instruction:
‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.’
Matthew 10: 24-39
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
An Affirmation of Faith
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
Prayers of intercession
By Judith Waddington, and ending with…
United with the Church across the world, let us pray with confidence using the words our Saviour 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
Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve:
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
the breadth, length, depth and height to prove,
here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Closing Prayer and Responses
Lord God,
you hold both heaven and earth in a single peace.
Let the design of your great love
shine on the waste of our anger and sorrow,
and give peace to your Church,
peace among nations,
peace in our homes,
and peace in our hearts,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For all that God can do within us,
for all that God can do without us,
Thanks be to God.
For all in whom Christ lived before us,
for all in whom Christ lives beside us,
Thanks be to God.
For all the Spirit wants to bring us,
for where the Spirit wants to send us.
Thanks be to God.
Christ has promised to be with us
in the world as in our worship.
Amen.
From the Morning Liturgy A – The Iona Community
Hymn
O praise ye the Lord! praise him in the height;
rejoice in his word, ye angels of light;
ye heavens, adore him, by whom ye were made,
and worship before him in brightness arrayed.
O praise ye the Lord! praise him upon earth,
in tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;
praise him who hath brought you his grace from above,
praise him who hath taught you to sing of his love.
O praise ye the Lord! all things that give sound;
each jubilant chord re-echo around;
loud organs his glory forth tell in deep tone,
and, sweet harp, the story of what he hath done.
O praise ye the Lord! thanksgiving and song
to him be outpoured all ages along:
for love in creation, for heaven restored,
for grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord!
The Blessing
The Lord bless you and watch over you,
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
the Lord look kindly on you and give you peace;
cf Numbers 6: 24, 25
and the blessing of God Almighty
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
rest upon you, your homes and those whom you love
this day and always.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord:
thanks be to God.
Blessing, honour and glory be yours,
here and everywhere,
now and for ever.
Amen.
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“When I Needed A Neighbour”
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