The Greeting
In the name of God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
We are drawn together as God’s family,
from Whitkirk, Colton and beyond
to offer praise and thanksgiving
to ask the forgiveness of our sins
to hear and receive God’s holy word
to pray for the needs of the world
and to seek God’s grace
that through the Son Jesus Christ
we may give ourselves to God’s service.
Based on the Opening Prayer for Morning Prayer
from the Anglican Prayer Book of South Africa
Words of Welcome and Introduction
Hymn
New every morning is the love
our wakening and uprising prove;
through sleep and darkness safely brought,
restored to life and power and thought.
New mercies, each returning day,
hover around us while we pray;
new perils past, new sins forgiv’n,
new thoughts of God, new hopes of heav’n.
If, on our daily course, our mind
be set to hallow all we find,
new treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.
Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,
as more of heav’n in each we see;
some soft’ning gleam of love and prayer
shall dawn on every cross and care.
Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,
fit us for perfect rest above;
and help us, this and ev’ry day,
to live more nearly as we pray.
Prayers of Penitence
In penitence for our sins let us turn to Christ,
that he may fill us with his new life.
Lord Jesus, you came that we might learn from you
and find rest for our souls.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you came that we might have abundant life.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you came that you might set us free.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Collect
For The Third Sunday after Trinity
Let us pray.
Silence is kept.
God our Saviour,
look on this wounded world
in pity and in power;
hold us fast to your promises of peace
won for us by your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Reading(s) from the Bible
A reading from the book of Genesis.
God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And Abraham said, ‘Here I am.’ God said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’
So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.
Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’ Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And Abraham said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ Isaac said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.
When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ The angel said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’
And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son.
So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’
Genesis 22:1-14
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn
Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you;
allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia, allelu, alleluia.
You shall not live by bread alone,
but by ev’ry word
that proceeds from the mouth of God;
allellu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia…
Ask and it shall be given unto you,
seek and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you;
allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia…
Gospel
Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God.
Alleluia.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus said to the twelve:
‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
Matthew 10:40-end
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Preached by Lynne Pickersgill.
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Written and led by Marsha Thorndike, 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
O thou who camest from above
the pure celestial fire to impart,
kindle a flame of sacred love
on the mean altar of my heart.
There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return
in humble prayer and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire
to work and speak and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire
and still stir up thy gift in me.
Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat,
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make the sacrifice complete.
Closing Prayer and Responses
Let us pray
Silence is kept.
O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining
and whose power we cannot comprehend:
show us your glory as far as we can grasp it,
and shield us from knowing more than we can bear
until we may look upon you without fear;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
We thank you, O God,
for you are gracious.
You have loved us from the beginning of time
and you remember us in times of trouble and of joy.
Your mercy endures for ever.
We thank you, O God,
for you came to us in Jesus Christ,
who has redeemed the world
and saves us from our sins.
Your mercy endures for ever.
We thank you, O God,
for you have sent your Holy Spirit,
who comforts us and leads us into all truth.
Your mercy endures for ever.
Amen.
Dear friends, seek for peace:
peace in your heart, peace in your spirit,
peace in your mind, peace in your home.
From ‘Traces of Glory’ by David Adam.
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Hymn
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
The Blessing
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
Please join us for a drink and a chat after the service in our virtual meeting space.
whitkirkchurch.org.uk/meet/coffee
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Call: 020 3957 2953
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“Seek Ye First”
© 1972 CCCM Music, Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing
“Lord Of All Hopefulness”
Words © 1931, 1982 Oxford University Press
CCL licence: 668063