INTRODUCTION
Good morning everyone I hope you are all well. Today is the Team service at Canon Slade and we are hoping for a great turn out. We are meeting for breakfast at 9.30 and the service at 10am, so if you feel you would like to join us please come along even if you have not booked in. All age are welcome and there will be activities for the children.
Today’s Gospel reading and theme is about the beatitudes or The Sermon on the Mount as it is also named, it is an important lesson in Jesus’ teachings. The reflection and intercessions are by myself today, so I hope you enjoy them.
We had a lovely youth service last week and the children did the readings and prayers beautifully, there were a few tears when the youngest ones were doing the prayers it was so lovely. Well done to the readers they did really well. TYC also took place last week and we had an excellent session on prayer led by Rev Hannah and Jo and hopefully many of them will be reading prayers this morning at Canon Slade.
If anyone would like Home Communion please let us know.
God bless – Jan B.
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.
PRAYER OF PENITENCE
Almighty God our heavenly Father we have sinned against you and against our neighbour in thought word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.
GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Lord God heavenly King almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ only Son of the Father, Lord God Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world; have mercy upon us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit. In the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT
Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE OLD TEASTAMENT READNG
PSALM 1
Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord
and they meditate on his law day and night.
Like a tree planted by streams of water
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither,
whatever they do, it shall prosper.
As for the wicked, it is not so with them;
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement,
nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall perish.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
THE GOSPEL
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you O Lord
LUKE 6. 17-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you O Christ
REFLECTION
This shows Jesus as a great teacher, the crowds were desperate to learn about God and to be better people in his eyes. It gave them hope for their future and this Saviour is what they had been waiting for. It must have been hard for them to take in all this information, very few could read or write and so could only commit it to memory, maybe this is why Jesus was going over it again to his disciples concentrating on the main points? They had come from far and wide and it mentions all Judea, Jerusalem and the coastal areas. These were a long way and several days journey to where he was, so these people were desperate to see him and many wanted healing physically as they had heard of his miracles. But was that the real reason for so many people or were they there to listen?
The miracles may have got them there but now was a chance for Jesus to get God’s message to them. I wonder if some thought that they could not do all that he asked. Matthew’s version was written for Jews and Luke wrote for non-Jews so perhaps this is why Matthew’s version goes into depth on all the commandments and Luke made it shorter by giving the main points. Whichever way it gives us instructions on how we should conduct ourselves to be assured of God’s kingdom. It is a message of hope and that is what the people were longing for.
It must have been very difficult living in Roman occupation at that time, but the Romans brought law and order and stability, the other politicians and some priests of Judea were not without prejudice, selfishness or corruption so it was quite a stressful environment and a lot of people lived in constant fear.
We have civil rights and protection, we have choice and hopefully others respect our views and religion here in the UK. However all over the world we have countries and areas of conflict and oppression and we could remember those in our prayers.
God bless
Jan B.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
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; 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.
INTERCESSIONS
During the intercessions, we pray for the church, our country, our government, people in difficulty and those who have died. You can use your own prayers or if you prefer here are some on today’s theme.
God, we give you thanks for all who show a radiant faith, for those who show that in your presence is the fullness of joy. Help us also to show the joy and wonder of your love and to find happiness in your service. We pray for all who preach the word and administer the sacraments, especially in our Turton Moorland Team, may they reveal the delight of knowing you.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
We pray for all who are homeless, hungry or unemployed. We remember the deprived and the poor peoples of our world. We ask blessing upon all who suffer from violence or from war. May they know the joy of your love and that you value each of them.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
WE give thanks for our homes and our loved ones. We remember all who enrich our lives by their love or their friendship. We pray for homes where there is little love or joy or where there is neglect or abuse.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
We give thanks for all who work as healers and ask your blessing upon all who are doctors, nurses or part of the caring and healing professions. We remember all who are ill at home or in hospital, all who have been injured or rushed into hospital this week. We pray for loved ones and friends at this time, especially Ann Hall.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
We pray for lost loved ones departed and ask that they share in the joy and peace of your eternal kingdom. May they share in the happiness of your saints in glory.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE 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 this day 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 BLESSING
May the Lord bless us and watch over us, the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us, the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace; and may the blessing of God almighty, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord – In the name of Christ. Amen
