Shipley Church Self-Service

Sunday 13th September 2020

Thought for the Week – Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Forgiveness is the central theme of this Sunday’s readings, and is a fundamental thread running through Christ’s teachings: And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. The forgiveness of sins allows us to receive divine forgiveness for our own shortcomings. As a consequence, we are to practice forgiveness of one another. Forgiveness is a concept that is often painful and difficult, and always poignant. Perhaps the best known parable about forgiveness is the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which refers to God’s forgiveness of those who truly repent. (Matthew 18: 21-35)

On Remembrance Day 8th November 1987 the IRA planted a bomb in Enniskillen that injured Gordon Wilson and killed his daughter Marie, a nurse. Only hours later Wilson gave an emotional interview to the BBC saying he bore no ill will for his daughter’s killers, and publicly forgave them. He called for reconciliation, and said that he would pray for them. His act of forgiveness brought him national and international prominence. No words in more than 25 years of violence in Northern Ireland had such a powerful and moving impact.

Hymn - Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,

Forgive our foolish ways.

Re-clothe us in our rightful mind,

In purer lives thy service find,

In deeper reverence praise.

Prayers

We pray that we might cultivate a calm and restful spirit in our daily lives, and at the last, be delivered from the struggles and sorrows of this life, trusting in God’s loving mercy and readiness to forgive.

Note: The Readings and Gospel set for today can be downloaded from the top right of this page.