Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.‘The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.’ (Psalm 119:64,130)Hymn: O Thou who camest from above...Proverbs 3:13-18; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6Jesus said to his apostles, ‘You are my friends if you obey my commands.’Let us confess our sins: 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.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: O Almighty God, whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax collector to be an apostle and evangelist: give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain and the possessive love of riches that we may follow in the way of your Son Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.Matthew 9: 9-13Please see the Message from the Minister.Let us pray:We pray for St Peter’s Church and the Church throughout the world: for the strength and courage to share God’s love;We pray for the world: for reconciliation where there is conflict, for justice and peace;We pray for our communities, families and friends: for relationships to flourish;We pray for all who are sick or suffering: for healing in mind, body and spirit;We pray for people who have been bereaved: for comfort in their grief.Let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: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 for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: Immortal, invisible, God only wise...May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service, the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our hearts, and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and and be with us always. Amen.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
This Sunday 22nd September we mark the International Day of Peace with some of our fellow town churches.Please join us in prayers for peace, whoever and wherever you are.There are interactive prayer stations for peace in our side chapel which you may engage with if you visit. You may light a votive candle if you wish.https://internationaldayofpeace.org
Christina last week spoke from the Epistle of James, as I am today. We had both chosen to speak on that book so God wants us to hear in a practical way in St Peter`s what he expects of his people. Christina spoke on what James had written on what we believe should be seen in how we behave. She asked a question at the end of her sermon: `If you were arrested today for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?` I want us to look at James` thoughts on what we believe is seen in how we speak, how we use our tongues. The James mentioned is likely to have been the brother of Jesus, and the Epistle of James is generally commended as a practical one, tackling problems of everyday life. James speaks of what it means to be a Christian and meets us where we are. He writes `We all stumble in many ways`. That phrase should perhaps be inscribed over every church door. We fail time and again but we celebrate God`s forgiveness.In our Epistle reading, James speaks of the importance of being aware of a small part of our bodies – our tongue – and the ways in which the tongue affects our life as Christians – and the life of our church.He urges us to keep control of our tongue and speaks of different ways in which the tongue is the key to our work and witness. He uses different pictures to help us to understand. He likens the work of the tongue to the mouth of a horse which has tremendous power but can be guided by the smallest piece of metal – the bit. He points also to the tiny rudder within a boat which is able to move many tons of metal. He thinks of a candle flame and the way that small flame can unleash terrible forest fires. He urges us to be masters of our tongues. James speaks in very negative terms of what the tongue can do:` it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one`s life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell.` Such strong words remind us of the harm the tongue can do. Something we have said has hurt someone and changed their lives. Maybe we have stretched the truth and reflected lies. Sometimes we have been quick to join in gossip, ruining people`s good names.. Sometimes we have helped others to believe the lies in innuendo. When we have used our tongues in the wrong way, we need to bring our lives to God in repentance and begin again. We live in a broken world. News headlines reflect a world and a nation so often at war. We see broken relationships in our community and in our world. Communication in that world is hostile to God and the work of the tongue leaves its bitter taste everywhere. It is easy to join in with the world`s values.But we live in the light of the Resurrection and new beginnings at Pentecost. We are here to reflect a new order. We are here to show what God is like in our relationships, our friendships, our marriages, our life and death. We begin with the respect God and his church should have for each person made in the image of God, part of his family. So often the people in our headlines deny that we are made in the image of God, temptation comes, and they go astray. We are to show what God`s love is like not just in our deeds but in our thoughts and words also. That means making a clear effort to uphold truth and to stand against evil. Is our tongue rightly used or does it apply to us that `we all stumble in many ways`? Maybe today is a day to begin again. We remember also that the tongue brings to us words of condemnation in our own lives. When we feel accused and deceived by the voices within, we hear the voice of evil who would seek to spoil our walk with God. We need to take hold afresh of the name of Jesus and use it in the spiritual battle we face daily, to use as our prayer the words of one of our hymns: Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands that holy things have taken; let ears that now have heard thy songs to clamour never waken.Lord, may the tongues which `Holy` sang keep free from all deceiving; the eyes which saw thy love be bright, thy blessed hope perceiving.The feet that tread thy holy courts from light do thou not banish; the bodies by thy Body fed with thy new life replenish. The Revd Pat Hopkins
Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.‘Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.’ (Psalm 116:5-7)Hymn: Take my life, and let it be...Isaiah 50: 4-9a; James 3: 1-12‘God is love, and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them.’ 1 John 4:16 Let us 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.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Lord of creation, whose glory is around and within us: open our eyes to your wonders, that we may serve you with reverence and know your peace at our lives’ end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Mark 8: 27-38Please see the message from the minister.Let us join in prayer and ask for God’s empowering love to impact: the Church, that all may know and serve the Lord, to give our all in his good service; the world, that peace will reign and that all people will care and share; our neighbours, families and friends, that relationships will thrive; people who are sick or suffering, for the healing power of the Holy Spirit to be known; those who have been bereaved, that all who mourn will be comforted.Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught us: 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 for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: I, the Lord of sea and sky...May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all for evermore. Amen.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
