Welcome to our service - 18 June 23
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom and in the church. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join you. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
Please join us for public worship in the church building this Sunday at 10am or 11:30am.
OPENING
OPENING
Faithful One, whose word is life: come with saving power to free our praise, inspire our prayer and shape our lives. For the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
HYMN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu2uA6U4Fxg
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God,
shouldst die for me!
2 'Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies;
who can explore His strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all let earth adore,
let angel minds inquire no more.
3 He left His Father's throne above -
so free, so infinite His grace -
emptied Himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
for, O my God, it found out me!
4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray -
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free.
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
5 No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown,
through Christ, my own.
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
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.
CONFESSION
Coming together as God’s family, with confidence let us ask the Father’s forgiveness for our failure to respond fully to his grace, for he is full of gentleness and compassion
A time of silence - for reflection
Lord, when we resist your work within us;
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy
Jesus, when we prefer not to be changed;
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy
Lord, when our attitudes are moulded by hardness of heart;
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and keep us in eternal life. Amen.
COLLECT
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
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCYdLA8qR5c
JESUS PUT THIS SONG INTO OUR HEARTS,
Jesus put this song into our hearts,
It’s a song of joy no one can take away,
Jesus put this song into our hearts.
Jesus taught us how to live in harmony,
Jesus taught us how to live in harmony,
Different faces, different races, He made us one,
Jesus taught us how to live in harmony.
Jesus taught us how to be a family,
Jesus taught us how to be a family,
Loving one another with the love that He gives,
Jesus taught us how to be a family.
Jesus turned our sorrow into dancing,
Jesus turned our sorrow into dancing,
Changed our tears of sadness into rivers of joy,
Jesus turned our sorrow into a dance.
Graham Kendrick.
Copyright � 1986 Thankyou Music.
READINGS
1 Corinthians 14: 1- 19 (1335)
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognise the melody. And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?
It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.
There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.
So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.
Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
Mark 16: 9 – 20
After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.
Afterwards he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.
Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Questions for reflection:
· What is your experience of the gifts of the Spirit?
· Do you think the gifts of the Spirit are still important for the church today?
Below is a list of the gifts as outlined in the New Testament:
Romans 12: 6-8
- Prophecy
- Serving
- Teaching
- Encouraging
- Giving
- Leadership
- Kindness
1 Cor. 12 7 - 11
- Word of Wisdom
- Word of knowledge
- Faith
- Healing
- Miracles
- Prophecy
- Discernment of spirits
- Speak in unknown languages (tongues)
-Interpret tongues
1 Cor 12: 28 - 30
- Apostles
- Prophets
- Teachers
- Those who do miracles
- Healing
- Helping others
- Leadership
- Speak in unknown languages
Ephesians 4: 11
- Apostles
- Prophets
- Evangelist
- Teachers
· What strikes you as you read this list?
· Are there any of the gifts that you have experienced personally?
· What does the passage in 1 Cor. 14 tells us about the gifts of tongues?
Spend some time in prayer asking that the Spirit would make you more open to his gifts and using the gifts to build the body of Christ and grow God’s kingdom.
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
O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
When I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
Come and listen to me.
Jacques Berthier/Taizé.
Copyright © 1982 Ateliers et Presses de Taize (France).
PRAYERS
We come boldly to the throne of grace,
praying to the almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
for mercy and grace.
We plead before your throne in heaven.
Father of heaven, whose love profound
a ransom for our souls has found:
We pray for the world, created by your love,
for its nations and governments …
Extend to them your peace, pardoning love, mercy and grace.
We plead before your throne in heaven.
Almighty Son, incarnate Word,
our Prophet, Priest, Redeemer, Lord:
We pray for the Church, created for your glory,
for its ministry to reflect those works of yours …
Extend to us your salvation, growth, mercy and grace.
We plead before your throne in heaven.
Eternal Spirit, by whose breath
the soul is raised from sin and death:
We pray for families and individuals, created in your image,
for the lonely, the bereaved, the sick and the dying …
Breathe on them the breath of life
and bring them to your mercy and grace.
We plead before your throne in heaven.
Thrice holy! Father, Spirit, Son,
Mysterious Godhead, Three in One:
We pray for ourselves,
for your Church, for all whom we remember before you …
Bring us all to bow before your throne in heaven,
to receive life and pardon, mercy and grace for all eternity,
as we worship you, saying,
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
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
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jABSW-UuT1o
My Jesus, my Saviour,
Lord, there is none like you;
all of my days I want to praise
the wonders of your mighty love.
My comfort, my shelter,
tower of refuge and strength,
let every breath, all that I am
never cease to worship you.
Shout to the Lord all the earth,
let us sing power and majesty,
praise to the King;
mountains bow down and the seas will roar
at the sound of your name.
I sing for joy at the work of your hands,
forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand;
nothing compares to the promise I have in you.
(C) 1996 Kingsway Thankyou Music
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
SAY:
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you,
and of your own do we give you.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErwiBz1QA4o
Great is thy faithfulness,
O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not,
thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou has been thou for ever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
2 Summer and winter,
and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is thy....
3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is thy....
Thomas O. Chisholm
(c) 1923, 1951 Hope Publishing Co.
BLESSING
May God our Father, whose grace is everlastingly poured into our hearts, fill you with an overflowing love. Amen.
May God the Son, through whose death and resurrection we receive life in abundance, shine in your lives. Amen.
May God the Holy Spirit, who works in us and through us to redeem God’s world, give you the power and persistence to follow him. Amen.
And may Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.