Worship for Sunday
28th February 2021
Second Sunday in Lent
Organ Prelude:
Three Chorale Preludes for Lent from Orgelbuchlein
Mark Engelhardt, Organist St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Bay Shore, New York.
A warm welcome to the Revd Michelle Petch, the new Vicar of Rastrick, who has kindly agreed to our using her homily for today. Revd Michelle will be hosting an online service from the vicarage next Sunday using Zoom, so this is likely to be the last of these online services for the time being. We hope you have enjoyed them and found them uplifting.
St Matthew's will we reopening for communal worship on Sunday the 14th March at 9:15 a.m.. We hope you will be able to join us whilst following the Government's Covid guidelines.
Let us begin our worship with the hymn:
Hymn:
Praise my Soul the king of heaven
1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
to his feet your tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who like you his praise should sing?
Alleluia, alleluia!
praise the everlasting King.
2 Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him, still the same as ever,
slow to blame and swift to bless;
Alleluia, alleluia!
glorious in his faithfulness.
3 Father-like, he tends and spares us,
All our hopes and fears he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia, alleluia!
widely as his mercy flows.
4 Angels, help us to adore him;
you behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him,
praise him all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
praise with us the God of grace.
Words : Henry Francis Lyte (based on Pslam 103)
Tune : Praise my Soul by John Goss
Prayer of Adoration
Let us pray
This world is yours, planned in eternity,
created in a moment of sheer exuberance,
permeated with love,
well made.
This place is yours, in its simplicity,
blue sky and countryside, pure creativity,
painted with care,
well made.
This day is yours, pure generosity,
given for moments of gentle reflection,
in the bustle of a day,
well made.
This moment is yours in its entirety,
a drop of time in an ocean of history,
gifted with joy,
well made.
Faith and worship.com
Prayers of Confession
Together we pray:
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.
Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon us,
pardon and deliver us from all our sins,
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
and keep us in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer sung by Charlotte Church
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.
The Apostles Creed
we say together
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.
The Word of God
Old Testament: Genesis 17.vv 1-7,15,16
New Testament: Romans 4.vv 13-25
Homily for Second Sunday of Lent
by Revd Michelle Petch
At a time of change and new beginnings, we pray the
Prayer for Church Growth
God of Mission
Who alone brings growth to your Church,
Send your Holy Spirit to give vision to our planning,
Wisdom to our actions, and power to our witness.
Help our church to grow in numbers, In spiritual commitment to you,
And in service to our local community,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Intercessions (Prayers for Others)
Let us pray for the Church and the World and let us thank God for his goodness,
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, you promised through Jesus Christ your Son, to hear us, when we pray in faith:
Lord God, we bring before you the nations of the world and their peoples.
Look mercifully on your people in the countries of Myanmar and Russia, as their governments exercise authoritarian control.
We pray for the people of the Yemen, in particular the children, living in a world of uncertainty where gunfire and bombing are the norm. We pray that our Government, together with the government of the USA and that of Saudi Arabia might use all their best efforts to bring about a cease-fire with the Houthi rebel forces.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
Let us remember before God all those who are suffering throughout the world from the effects of the Covid-19 Coronanvirus.
Lord God, we thank you that through all our efforts, the effects of the pandemic are now declining in our country. However, we pray for those who even now are in hospital fighting for their lives.
Be with the families and loved ones of those who have died, comfort their sorrow.
Be with all those working in Vaccination centres, whether trained medical staff or volunteers.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
We pray for those who are close to us in Rastrick and who might be in need of a word of love and hope. In particular we pray for those who are living or working on Shaftesbury Avenue, Long Fallas Crescent, Somerset Avenue, Armitage Avenue, and Shepherds Thorn Lane. We also pray for the children from our schools studying at home, their hard-pressed parents and their teachers. not forgetting the children who are able to attend school in person.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
We pray for those in our Care homes in Rastrick and those living or working at Cygnet Lodge. We pray for those who are lonely, and those who have seen their way of life disrupted during the Corona virus restrictions and who not know which way to turn. Lift their spirits and bless those who are helping them in any way.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
We pray for those who are ill and known to us by name................ May your healing grace rest upon them and bring them back to good health.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
We remember those who have recently died and are now with you. In particular we remember..
Doris Wild and Margaret Beal.
We thank you for their service to your church and to Christ over the years and pray that you will comfort their families and friends.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
We pray for the Revd Michelle Petch, as she starts her ministry as our Vicar. May her calling prove fruitful and may she be blessed in all she does in your name. We pray for her husband Darrin and her children. May they find a true welcome from your people here at St Matthew's.
Lord in Your Mercy - Hear our Prayer
And finally a prayer for ourselves:
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We bring all these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour,
Amen.
Hymn:
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
United Methodist Hymnal, 1989
Words : John H. Sammis
Tune: Trust and Obey
Sung by Kaoma Chende
Our service ends with the Grace, as we say together:
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the Love of God,
and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
Notices:
If you have not seen a copy of our Weekly Newsletter, you can find it on our Newsletter webpage
Organ Postlude
Bach, Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543 organ
Aarnoud de Groen plays Johann Sebastian Bach's Fugue in a-minor, BWV 543.
Organ of Bethlehemkerk, The Hague.