A mighty fortress is our God:- https://youtu.be/8XUYZoguhEQ

Our God:- https://youtu.be/01Yj7H-eSjM

You are worthy of my praise:- https://youtu.be/hEcWkt7rxrg

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

The confession and absolution

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Reader prays:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to him: have mercy on us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,

and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Amen.

The Word of God.  One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

A reading from Genesis 15:1-6

1After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward."  2But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"  3And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."  4Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir."  5He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them."  Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  6Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm 33:12-15, 18-22.  We will say the Psalm responsively by half verse.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he chose for his inheritance. 

13From heaven the LORD looks down

and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth –

15he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do. 

18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

20We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield. 

21In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name. 

22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,

even as we put our hope in you.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen.

A reading from Hebrews 11:1-16

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  2This is what the ancients were commended for.  3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.  By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.  And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.  5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.  By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.   8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age -- and Sarah herself was barren -- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.  12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.  13All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.   15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  16Instead, they were longing for a better country -- a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Here I am to worship:- https://youtu.be/CoxopsRSfdU

A reading from Luke 12:32-40

32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.  33Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.  37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.  I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.  40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you Lord Christ.

Today’s Reflection:

Message for Proper 14 from the Gospel of Luke:- https://youtu.be/ZBpOrfMoeXc

We believe:- https://youtu.be/FtPmX7e_Rpw

Let us follow this series of videos from Prayercast weekly, and pray for unbelieving Muslims and others to come to know Christ:-

https://prayercast.com/men.html

Holy Lord God Almighty, 

For the greed that leaves millions without food and shelter, while others bask in comparative wealth and luxury, 

forgive us.   

For the warfare that is so motivated by the lust for power, and the fear and grief that are inflicted on orphans and widows, 

forgive us.

For the children that lack medical supplies to cure the most basic of illnesses,

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us, and forgive the part our nation plays in the world’s pain and injustice.

For the increasing number of broken marriages, 

forgive us.

For the millions of aborted babies each year, 

forgive us.

For the negligence of our society to care for the weak, poor and elderly, 

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, forgive our nation. May your Church prove to be the antidote to loneliness, fear and the breakdown of family life.

For making idols of money, sex and power, 

forgive us.

For placing comfort ahead of community and pleasure ahead of people, 

forgive us.

For the times when our own selfishness leads us to settle for less than the best you have planned for us, 

forgive us, Lord. 

Lord Jesus, we are sorry for every occasion we have pursued hollow and temporary pleasures ahead of the rich joy of relationship with you. 

May the wanderings of your people that we read about in your Word soberly remind us that sin ultimately leads to death, and that life in all its fullness is found only in You.

Please add your own petitions either silently or out loud.

Amen.

O God,

You will build your church.

Forgive me when I don’t play my part.

Forgive me when I stop others.

Forgive us when we lack the courage to obey.

Forgive us when we get in the way of people seeing you.

O God,

You will build your church.

Give me wisdom to see the gifts you have given me for your church.

Give me discernment to see who you are calling to leadership, especially if it’s me.

Give us confidence to respond to your call and serve.

Give us courage to encourage and support your new leaders.

O God,

You will build your church.

Bless your leaders with the gifts they need.

Bless us with willing, obedient hearts.

Bless our reaching out to other churches in partnership.

Bless our community through the work of your church.

O God,

You will build your church.

Let it be so!

Amen.

THE OFFERTORY SENTENCE

Is He Worthy:- https://youtu.be/OIahc83Kvp4

The Reader:

I appeal to you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

COMMUNION RITE

Reader: The Lord be with you.

All:    And Also With You

Reader:  Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us ;

All:   Therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Reader:     The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:   Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

Reader:  For as in Adam all die,

All:   so also in Christ shall all be made alive.   

The Lord’s Prayer is said, uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,

as our Saviour taught us, so we pray:-

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.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory Forever and ever.  Amen.

Jesus Messiah:- https://youtu.be/FwJzTV1uurU

The Conclusion

All our problems:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All our difficulties:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All the devil’s works:

We send to the cross of Christ

All our hopes:

We set on the risen Christ

Joyful, joyful we adore thee:- https://youtu.be/eMY3ivdNzwE

Reader:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

All:

Thanks be to God Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Glorious things of thee are spoken:- https://youtu.be/3_CHF4gRyfI

Blessed be your name:- https://youtu.be/RbvftFiH9Hg 

Cornerstone:- https://youtu.be/hlSfwPUEEac

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

The confession and absolution

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Reader prays:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to him: have mercy on us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,

and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Amen.

The Word of God.  One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

A reading from Isaiah 28:14-22

14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.  15You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement.  When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."  16So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.  17I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.  18Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand.  When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.  19As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through."  The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.  20The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.  21The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon - to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.  22Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm 46.  We will say the Psalm responsively by half verse.

1God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.  

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging. 

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells. 

5God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day. 

6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 

7The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

8Come and see the works of the LORD,

the desolations he has brought on the earth. 

9He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 

10"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 

11The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen.

A reading from Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-29

18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them.  22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.  You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.  25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.  If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?  26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."   27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.  28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Be still and know:- https://youtu.be/BgaHaioAjyg

A reading from Luke 13:22-30

22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.  23Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"  24He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.  25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'  "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'  26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'  27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'  28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.  30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you Lord Christ.

Today’s Reflection:

Message for Proper 16 from the Gospel of Luke:- https://youtu.be/bIq5RadZKYg

African Credo:- https://youtu.be/QLxKgBHCIUM

Let us follow this series of videos from Prayercast weekly, and pray for unbelieving Muslims and others to come to know Christ:-

https://prayercast.com/children.html

Holy Lord God Almighty, 

For the greed that leaves millions without food and shelter, while others bask in comparative wealth and luxury, 

forgive us.   

For the warfare that is so motivated by the lust for power, and the fear and grief that are inflicted on orphans and widows, 

forgive us.

For the children that lack medical supplies to cure the most basic of illnesses,

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us, and forgive the part our nation plays in the world’s pain and injustice.

For the increasing number of broken marriages, 

forgive us.

For the millions of aborted babies each year, 

forgive us.

For the negligence of our society to care for the weak, poor and elderly, 

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, forgive our nation. May your Church prove to be the antidote to loneliness, fear and the breakdown of family life.

For making idols of money, sex and power, 

forgive us.

For placing comfort ahead of community and pleasure ahead of people, 

forgive us.

For the times when our own selfishness leads us to settle for less than the best you have planned for us, 

forgive us, Lord. 

Lord Jesus, we are sorry for every occasion we have pursued hollow and temporary pleasures ahead of the rich joy of relationship with you. 

May the wanderings of your people that we read about in your Word soberly remind us that sin ultimately leads to death, and that life in all its fullness is found only in You.

Please add your own petitions either silently or out loud.

Amen.

O God,

You will build your church.

Forgive me when I don’t play my part.

Forgive me when I stop others.

Forgive us when we lack the courage to obey.

Forgive us when we get in the way of people seeing you.

O God,

You will build your church.

Give me wisdom to see the gifts you have given me for your church.

Give me discernment to see who you are calling to leadership, especially if it’s me.

Give us confidence to respond to your call and serve.

Give us courage to encourage and support your new leaders.

O God,

You will build your church.

Bless your leaders with the gifts they need.

Bless us with willing, obedient hearts.

Bless our reaching out to other churches in partnership.

Bless our community through the work of your church.

O God,

You will build your church.

Let it be so!

Amen.

THE OFFERTORY SENTENCE

Refiner's Fire  :- https://youtu.be/aSIazjrA0Ls

The Reader:

I appeal to you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

COMMUNION RITE

Reader: The Lord be with you.

All:    And Also With You

Reader:  Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us ;

All:   Therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Reader:     The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:   Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

Reader:  For as in Adam all die,

All:   so also in Christ shall all be made alive.              

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has 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.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Just as I am without one plea:- https://youtu.be/pZhAWErbbwU

The Conclusion

All our problems:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All our difficulties:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All the devil’s works:

We send to the cross of Christ

All our hopes:

We set on the risen Christ

Sing, sing, sing:- https://youtu.be/IV5Vdi_55OU

Reader:  Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

All:  Thanks be to God Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Joyful joyful we adore thee:- https://youtu.be/eMY3ivdNzwE

All the earth will sing your praises:- https://youtu.be/awWmKpxErd0

10,000 Reasons:- https://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

The confession and absolution

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Reader prays:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to him: have mercy on us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,

and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Amen.

The Word of God.  One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

A reading from Deuteronomy 30:15-20

15See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.  16For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.  17But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.  You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.  19This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm 1.  We will say the Psalm responsively by half verse.

1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 

2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night. 

3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. 

Whatever he does prospers. 

4Not so the wicked! 

They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 

6For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen.

A reading from Philemon 1:1-20

1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, 2To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.  6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.  7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.  8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus -- 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.  12I am sending him -- who is my very heart--back to you.  13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.  14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced.  15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good -- 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.  He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.  18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.  19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self.  20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

No eye has seen:- https://youtu.be/CQ2yWhVxN48

A reading from Luke 14:25-33

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.  27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?  29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'  31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.  Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.  33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you Lord Christ.

Today’s Reflection:

Message for Proper 18 from the Gospel of Luke:-https://youtu.be/4-cQBCHPly8

This I believe:- https://youtu.be/VRzI_FbWTkg 

Let us follow this series of videos from Prayercast weekly, and pray for unbelieving Muslims and others to come to know Christ:-

https://prayercast.com/mistrust.html

Holy Lord God Almighty, 

For the greed that leaves millions without food and shelter, while others bask in comparative wealth and luxury, 

forgive us.   

For the warfare that is so motivated by the lust for power, and the fear and grief that are inflicted on orphans and widows, 

forgive us.

For the children that lack medical supplies to cure the most basic of illnesses,

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us, and forgive the part our nation plays in the world’s pain and injustice.

For the increasing number of broken marriages, 

forgive us.

For the millions of aborted babies each year, 

forgive us.

For the negligence of our society to care for the weak, poor and elderly, 

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, forgive our nation. May your Church prove to be the antidote to loneliness, fear and the breakdown of family life.

For making idols of money, sex and power, 

forgive us.

For placing comfort ahead of community and pleasure ahead of people, 

forgive us.

For the times when our own selfishness leads us to settle for less than the best you have planned for us, 

forgive us, Lord. 

Lord Jesus, we are sorry for every occasion we have pursued hollow and temporary pleasures ahead of the rich joy of relationship with you. 

May the wanderings of your people that we read about in your Word soberly remind us that sin ultimately leads to death, and that life in all its fullness is found only in You.

Please add your own petitions either silently or out loud.

Amen.

O God,

You will build your church.

Forgive me when I don’t play my part.

Forgive me when I stop others.

Forgive us when we lack the courage to obey.

Forgive us when we get in the way of people seeing you.

O God,

You will build your church.

Give me wisdom to see the gifts you have given me for your church.

Give me discernment to see who you are calling to leadership, especially if it’s me.

Give us confidence to respond to your call and serve.

Give us courage to encourage and support your new leaders.

O God,

You will build your church.

Bless your leaders with the gifts they need.

Bless us with willing, obedient hearts.

Bless our reaching out to other churches in partnership.

Bless our community through the work of your church.

O God,

You will build your church.

Let it be so!

Amen.

THE OFFERTORY SENTENCE

The Servant song:- https://youtu.be/PMCaPGozu90

The Reader:

I appeal to you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

COMMUNION RITE

Reader: The Lord be with you.

All:    And Also With You

Reader:  Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us ;

All:   Therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Reader:     The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:   Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

Reader:  For as in Adam all die,

All:   so also in Christ shall all be made alive.     

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has 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.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Behold the Lamb:- https://youtu.be/481xyHUrwQA

The Conclusion

All our problems:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All our difficulties:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All the devil’s works:

We send to the cross of Christ

All our hopes:

We set on the risen Christ

Build your kingdom here:- https://youtu.be/8awpRHg5waw

Reader: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

All: Thanks be to God Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise to the lord the almighty:- https://youtu.be/MSpYz-Y6gq4

Hosanna (Praise is rising):- https://youtu.be/oAaQ5EEXidc

I Lift my hands:- https://youtu.be/-Q_5YVAbwGc

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

The confession and absolution

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Reader prays:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to him: have mercy on us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,

and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Amen.

The Word of God.  One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

A reading from Amos 8:4-7

4Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, 5saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?" - skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, 6buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.  7The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

The Psalm appointed for today is Psalm 138:1-8.  We will say the Psalm responsively by half verse.

1I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

2I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name

for your love and your faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word. 

3When I called, you answered me;

you made me bold and stouthearted.

4May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,

when they hear the words of your mouth.

5May they sing of the ways of the LORD,

for the glory of the LORD is great.

6Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,

but the proud he knows from afar.

7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life;

you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. 

8The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;

your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen.

A reading from 1 Timothy 2:1-8

1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men -- the testimony given in its proper time.  7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.  8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Be Thou my vision:- https://youtu.be/UhuZYXy_YmI

A reading from Luke 16:1-13

1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.  2So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'  3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job.  I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg -- 4I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'  5"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  6" 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied.  "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'  7"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'  " 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied.  "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'  8"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.  For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.  9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.  10"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.  11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?  13"No servant can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you Lord Christ.

Today’s Reflection:

Message for Proper 20 from the Gospel of Luke:-https://youtu.be/jxenvuvQMrA

https://youtu.be/cJdG7EFiI2A

This I believe:- https://youtu.be/VRzI_FbWTkg

Let us follow this series of videos from Prayercast weekly, and pray for unbelieving Muslims and others to come to know Christ:-

https://prayercast.com/shame.html

Holy Lord God Almighty, 

For the greed that leaves millions without food and shelter, while others bask in comparative wealth and luxury, 

forgive us.   

For the warfare that is so motivated by the lust for power, and the fear and grief that are inflicted on orphans and widows, 

forgive us.

For the children that lack medical supplies to cure the most basic of illnesses,

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us, and forgive the part the nations play in the world’s pain and injustice.

For the increasing number of broken marriages, 

forgive us.

For the millions of aborted babies each year, 

forgive us.

For the negligence of our society to care for the weak, poor and elderly, 

forgive us, Lord.

Lord Jesus, forgive the nations. May your Church prove to be the antidote to loneliness, fear and the breakdown of family life.

For making idols of money, sex and power, 

forgive us.

For placing comfort ahead of community and pleasure ahead of people, 

forgive us.

For the times when our own selfishness leads us to settle for less than the best you have planned for us, 

forgive us, Lord. 

Lord Jesus, we are sorry for every occasion we have pursued hollow and temporary pleasures ahead of the rich joy of relationship with you. 

May the wanderings of your people that we read about in your Word soberly remind us that sin ultimately leads to death, and that life in all its fullness is found only in You.

Please add your own petitions either silently or out loud.

Amen.

O God,

You will build your church.

Forgive me when I don’t play my part.

Forgive me when I stop others.

Forgive us when we lack the courage to obey.

Forgive us when we get in the way of people seeing you.

O God,

You will build your church.

Give me wisdom to see the gifts you have given me for your church.

Give me discernment to see who you are calling to leadership, especially if it’s me.

Give us confidence to respond to your call and serve.

Give us courage to encourage and support your new leaders.

O God,

You will build your church.

Bless your leaders with the gifts they need.

Bless us with willing, obedient hearts.

Bless our reaching out to other churches in partnership.

Bless our community through the work of your church.

O God,

You will build your church.

Let it be so!

Amen.

THE OFFERTORY SENTENCE

Everlasting God:- https://youtu.be/nuudVoMyZyE

The Reader:

I appeal to you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

COMMUNION RITE

Reader: The Lord be with you.

All:    And Also With You

Reader:  Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us ;

All:   Therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Reader:     The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:   Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

Reader:  For as in Adam all die,

All:   so also in Christ shall all be made alive.     

Standing at the foot of the cross, 

let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has 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.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Let us break bread together:- https://youtu.be/Egk-pX_1nHg

The Conclusion

All our problems:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All our difficulties:

We send to the cross of Christ.

All the devil’s works:

We send to the cross of Christ

All our hopes:

We set on the risen Christ

All the earth will sing your praises:- https://youtu.be/awWmKpxErd0

Reader:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

All:

Thanks be to God Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!