​Let us bring ourselves to God, whatever our age and gifts. Let us prepare to share in worship, giving thanks for all that God shares with us. Let us open our hearts and minds to know more of God’s unconditional love and care, and be ready to share it with others.

Prayers​Your love, Lord, is greater than all knowledge, greater than all words in any language, greater than any picture a person can paint. We praise you that you so freely share your bountiful love with us. Your power is at work in us and we want more of you in our lives. We praise you, Lord. We give you thanks, Lord, that although, like the first disciples, we feel confused and inadequate, you equip us with the resources to share your abundance with all in need. Help us to trust your promise to uphold and stay close to us, and grant us the courage and the confidence to proclaim the gospel of your truth and your love, in all places and to all people. Amen.
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Gracious God, forgive us when we take for granted all that we have been entrusted and blessed with. When we fail to acknowledge that we have more left over than others have to begin with, forgive us and change our hearts, that we may become people who give generously, share abundantly and live simply to your glory. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen ​

The Lord's PrayerOur Father in heaven, hallowed by 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
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever
Amen

1st New Testament Reading: Ephesians Chapter 3 verses 14-2114 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,[a] 15 from whom every family[b] in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bible version - New Revised Standard Version copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

​Sermon

​Song StF 611 Brother sister let me serve you.

Prayers for othersLord,
We come to pray for your world. A world of hurt and pain.
(Pause and think and pray for those parts of the world that you are concerned about.)

We pray for all those who are in need of our prayers at this time thinking of those in hospital, those struggling for lots of different reasons .
(Pause and think and pray for those you know of.)

We place into your hands those who have died knowing that you welcome them home into your waiting arms.
(Pause and think and pray for those that were close to you.)

We pray for ourselves. You know the challenges that each of us face. We ask that you will give each one of us what we need to face them.
(Pause and think and pray for your personal needs.)

We ask these and all our prayers in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

​Come into the presence of the Lord with thanksgiving!
Serve the Lord with great gladness!
Know that God is truly with you!
Rejoice!
Come, let us worship the ever-present God!
Let us celebrate with song and prayer God’s love for us. AMEN.

Hymn/Song : StF 548 Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine ​

​STF 331 King of Kings, majesty

​Blessing

​Welcome – we come as we are to recognize the presence of God, who is always with us, not just this hour but all our days and nights. Our God is full of compassion – God sees where people and all creation are hurting and God does something about it. God speaks out, God doesn’t ignore the pain and hurt of creation – but how does God do that?

God speaks out, God acts, through those who are open to God’s prompting – anyone who feels a passion for some cause or other is experiencing the passion of God – the Bible records the words of God spoken through those who have been called prophets – we will hear some of those words from Amos today. God continued to speak through prophets like John the Baptist, Jesus was called a prophet – and even today anyone who speaks or acts out of the compassion that is stirred in their hearts is playing their part in communicating the will and love of God to God’s creation. I can’t ask you if you’d like to be a prophet for in a way it’s not your choice – every one of you will know times when something unjust or destructive makes you so angry or makes you so sad or becomes so important to you that you feel something must be done! But what I can do is to encourage you to ‘speak’ it out! So today we will think more about how we can let that passion turn into compassion as we work with God for the good of all; God is all-powerful and can accomplish this – but God is also all-inclusive and so every person can be a part of that accomplishing!

​Phoebe Parkin youth president interviewing Jamie – one of the Green agents of change – a Methodist young people’s group
Some of you will have been moved by the ‘passion put into action’ shown by Jamie in that video and other young people speaking out about climate change – but some will be thoroughly irritated by them – we know Greta Thunberg has received hate mail for speaking out. One test of a true prophet is that the words they speak do materialise but another is that those in power often find them annoying! The book of Amos in the Old Testament of the Bible tells of a shepherd called Amos who spoke out in a time when the Israelites had become self-satisfying, worship had become just ritual and injustice was being ignored.

​Blessing
As we go into the week may Jesus be our guide in all we say, write or do, to God’s glory.
Amen

Jesus faced a lot of prejudice in his life but never showed prejudice to others. Glenda explores the theme 'Prejudice' through the Bible readings from Mark and the Old Testament prophet Ezekeil. ​