Sermon preached at Southery Methodist Church Sunday 2nd May 2021 5th Sunday of Easter Some hymns on spotify, follow the links for others Prayers used below the order of service Order of Service Call to worship: Psalm 22:28-31 Hymn: Where shall my wondering soul begin? Prayer of Adoration Prayer of Thanksgiving Prayer of Confession Lord’s Prayer Hymn: Christ our King before creation 1st Reading: Acts 8:26-40 2nd Reading: 1 John 4:7-21 Sermon Hymn: Let him to whom we now belong (Link to text, tune on spotify) Prayers of Intercession Hymn: Thou God of Truth and Love The Grace Prayers Prayer of Adoration Gracious God, as we come together this day to pray to You as our God, we praise You with all our hearts and minds. We praise You as the Lord enthroned on High, and the Holy Spirit alive in us. We praise You as the Christ who died for us, and rose again to triumph over death. We praise You as the Lord God, the blessed three in one. We praise You and revel as we think of the Glory and magnificence of You. Praise be unto You, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Amen Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God our Father we give our thanks to You for all the wonderful things You have given unto us. We give thanks for all the things we get from You every day, from the breath which comes to our lungs to the food and drink which sustain us. We thank You for all the things we have been brought safely through, and all the strength given to us in these difficult times. We thank You for all You have given unto us and all to come, Thanks be to You Our God, Amen Prayer of Confession Lord our God, we bring before You the sins we have committed. We confess all the things we have done wrong in thought, word and deed. We confess that we have done wrong by the things we have not done. We confess our sins, and ask Lord God that You Forgive Us. We ask for this forgiveness, trusting solely in Your love for our forgiveness, and we thank You Lord God that we are washed clean of our sins. Thanks be to You Father Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. Lord’s Prayer 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 Forever And Ever Amen Prayers of Intercession We bring our prayers of Intercession before God to ask his help in the world, as in the traditional way there is a response, after the words “Risen Lord Hear us” the response is, “Risen Lord, Graciously Hear us” Risen Lord Hear us Risen Lord Graciously Hear us Those in Want O Lord we bring before You those who are in want of material things, be it of food, of water, of shelter or anything else that is necessary to life. Lord, we know that their stories are many and varied, as are their needs. So we ask that where we can help their relief from want, we shall know how to do so, and shall set to it with a will. Where we cannot help them with our hands, we pray for the hands and hearts of others to be moved to help with all possible speed. We pray for all who are afraid in this difficult time, asking for their comfort, and the relief of the many strains upon their nerves. We pray too for all those who are in peril and far from being vaccinated, Lord speak to them that they may keep themselves as safe as possible. Risen Lord Hear us Risen Lord Graciously Hear us Those in Sickness We pray for those who are ill. We pray for those whose sickness is but seasonal or of short duration. We pray for those whose ailments are long lasting or slow to heal. God grant them healing if it be possible, and comfort in all cases. We pray too for all those who work in healthcare and social care to the aid of others, give them strength and keep them from tiredness and error. We pray too for those who labour to find new cures and treatments, please God, bless their hands and their efforts, that they may know much success and never want for ideas. We pray especially for the roll out of the vaccines, Lord, help the supplies to flow in abundance and for competence to guide the distribution throughout the world. Risen Lord Hear us Risen Lord Graciously Hear us Those in mourning and despair We bring before You those who mourn, Lord, we ask that they may know the comforts of Your Gospel and its truth, that they may be shielded from despair, sure in the knowledge of Heaven and of places prepared for Christian folk the world over there, praying for those who lose those they care for in this time of pandemic, however they may have been taken from us by. Risen Lord Hear us Risen Lord Graciously Hear us Those who labour unto God We pray Lord God for all those who work for the Church. We pray for our own Churches and Circuits, tending the flame of the Spirit amongst us in different ways in these times. We pray for the Church throughout Britain, that it may...
