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Worship, Prayer and Bible Resources

23 Sunday in Ordinary Year B Green

First Reading: Isaiah Chapter 35:4-7

Second Reading: James 2:1-10, 14-17
Third Reading Mark 7:24-37
Commentary: James
Meditation: Meditation
Hymns Hymns
Prayers: Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
Intercessions Prayers used in our Sunday service

help the poorIntroduction

We are surrounded by images of the successful and encouraged to try and become like famous people by using their shampoo or cologne. They are presented as aspirational characters and young people especially are given role models of these people, who are usually stars of film or sport.

Yet the rich and famous are poor examples for us or our children. With their failed relationships and dysfunctional lifestyles they are usually more to be pitied than copied. We need to lay before ourselves better examples of authentic living, types of behaviour which are more constructive and contribute to the happiness of ourselves and others. In our reading today we read that people said of Jesus 'He has done everything well,' now that really is a lifestyle worth looking at.
 

Opening Verse of Scripture— James 1:22

O Give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his loving memory is forever……… he satisfies the thirsty: and fills the hungry with good things. Ps 107 (v. 1 & 19)
 

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence: give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; 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. CW

Merciful God, your Son came to save us and bore our sins on the cross: may we trust in your mercy and know your love, rejoicing in the righteousness that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord. CW

Proverbs 22.1-2,8-9,22-23

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favour is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD is the maker of them all. Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail. Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor. Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; 3for the LORD pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them. NRSV

Alternate Reading (Related) Isaiah 35.4-7a

Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. NRSV

 

share_bread Second Reading James 2.1-10(11-13)14-17

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please,’ while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there,’ or, ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgement will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgement.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. NRSV

Gospel Reading Mark 7:24-37

Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go – the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Canannite woman

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

Post Communion Prayer

Lord God, the source of truth and love, keep us faithful to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, united in prayer and the breaking of bread, and one in joy and simplicity of heart, in Jesus Christ our Lord. CW

Commentary

Those of you who struggle with hearing problems will know that it is not pleasant being deaf. At the time of Jesus it was much worse because there were no hearing aids, no sources of help for disability. The poor man in the Gospel story who was deaf and dumb would have lived an isolated life and he would have been used to people pointing at him and making him feel humiliated.

In the Old Testament, seven hundred years before this incident was recorded in Mark’s Gospel, the prophet Isaiah was describing the age of the Messiah, the time when God would act in the world. He said that when the Christ came, (Isa. 35:5-6).

“the ears of the deaf would be unstopped . . . and the tongue of the dumb would shout for joy”

In healing this man Jesus was taking upon himself the hopes and dreams of those who were waiting for God to appear on earth and do a new a wonderful thing.

Deaf mutes were protected under Jewish law but they were classed with other groups such as women, slaves, and minors, not considered educated enough to keep the law. Jesus acts towards the man in a way which is compassionate in every sense

Jesus takes the man aside away from everybody else.

First of all Jesus takes the man aside, away from the crowd. Jesus gives him ‘one to one’ time. The man has been used to people looking at him and pointing and Jesus will not use him a spectacle, Jesus understand that the man does not want to be embarrassed. By taking him aside Jesus shows that the man is important and he deserves his complete attention.

Jesus communicates with the man

The man is deaf and dumb and so Jesus cannot speak to him. Jesus knows how important it is to communicate and because he cannot use words to speak to the man he uses actions.

Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears.

The man could not hear and so Jesus touches his ears. He makes it clear that he knows what the problem is with the hearing.

Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.

We are told that the man can hardly talk and so Jesus spits and touches the man’s tongue. It was thought that spit had healing properties. The Roman Emperor Vespasian restored the sight of a blind man by spitting into his eyes. (Suetonious Vespasian 7 Tacitus Hist 4.81) Jesus touches his tongue to show that Jesus understand his difficulty with talking.

Jesus Looks Up

Then we are told Jesus does another action. Jesus looked up to heaven. Jesus is making it clear that the healing which is about to take place is not an earthly cure. The man is being told in visual terms that the place from where we can find help from the things which trouble us is by turning to God. There is no earthly answer to human need, we have to look to God. Charles Royden

Meditation

In August, when I was pondering my contribution to this week's readings, I was struck by the heading of a series in the Bible study notes I use, ‘Closer to God’. The heading was ‘Vive la Difference’! The notes went on to say that ‘this expression celebrates an experience of diversity’. The readings that week encouraged us to ‘celebrate the joys of diversity and help us face some of its challenges’. Neither of the NT Bible readings set for today were included, instead we reflected on Numbers 12; 1 Corinthians 12: 11 – 26; Acts 6: 1- 7; Ephesians: 11 -22 and Revelation 7: 9-17. No doubt we could find many more that stress the same message as that of James who urges us to act without prejudice and Jesus who showed us how. On the day we read 1 Corinthians 12: 11 – 26 a set of questions were posed in relation to our church; neighbourhood and community, which I think are worth us all pondering on: Who are the most respected and valued? Who are the neglected and dishonoured? Who feels left out? Who is made a fuss of? Who might feel inferior? Wendy Waters

 

Hymns and Psalms

  1. Be still for the Presence of the Lord
  2. Crown Him with many crowns
  3. Give thanks with a grateful hear
  4. Healing God, Almighty Father
  5. Lord, the light of your love is shining

 

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian,
if it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die

Prayer encouragement in the Christian life

 

Church Intercessions

Lord Jesus on this day we remember when you opened the ears of the man who was deaf, open our ears to your voice and may we spread abroad the story of your love and compassion which reaches out and makes us well.

Open our ears O Lord to those who are lonely, the sick, those who are troubled in their hearts and minds and those who are spiritually hungry. May we be used by you to reach out with your healing touch to those who are in need.

Open the ears dear Lord we pray of the Nations, so that they might hear those who cry for justice. We remember those who are displaced from their own country by war and disaster. We pray for refugees asylum seekers and migrants who seek a place of peace and safety in which to live and care for their families. We pray for all of those who live in constant fear of war, those who have no peace because they are threatened for their race, colour or creed.

Open our ears Lord to the necessity for equality. Release all of those who are captive to prejudice and discrimination. Give perseverance to all who work for mutual respect and strive to remove intolerance.

Open our ears to those who cry out in suffering. To those who are trapped in broken bodies. To those who suffer from fragile minds, those have been broken through painful experiences or debilitating disease. Give hope to all who put their trust in you.

Open our ears to those whose lives have been crushed by the death of loved ones and who live in grief and loss. Give to all who mourn the knowledge of your compassion and of your everlasting love for all that you have created.

We remember those who have died and commend them to God.

 

0pen my eyes that they may see The deepest needs of people. Move my hands that they may feed the hungry; Touch my heart that it may bring warmth to the despairing; Teach me generosity that welcomes strangers; Let me share my possessions to clothe the naked; Give me the care that strengthens the sick; Make me the share in the quest to set the prisoner free. In sharing our anxieties and our love, Our poverty and our prosperity, We partake of your divine presence. Amen Canaan Banana, Zimbabwe

Lord Jesus, you made a deaf man hear. When we refuse to hear your voice, Open our ears to your words of love. Lord Jesus, you made a dumb man speak. When we do not know what to say, Open our mouths to praise you and speak your words of love. Lord Jesus, you made a blind man see. When we cannot see the signs of your presence in the world around us, Open our eyes and show us your works of love. Amen Judy Bainbridge

O Lord my God, I adore you as my first beginning and I long for you as my last end. Conduct me, therefore, O gracious Lord, by your wisdom. Restrain me with your justice, comfort me with your mercy, and defend me with your power; and of your love, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will and purify my soul; for Jesu's sake. Amen Richard Challoner, 1691-1781


Additional Material

Verse of scripture

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of 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.

Commentary

There is a really beautiful phrase in the reading from Mark today, it says simply ‘He has done everything well.’
We live in an age of pop stars and notoriety, everybody want to be famous. Young people especially face incredible challenges in our society, because they are led to focus their aspirations on the rich and famous and encouraged to believe that they can be the next pop idol or football star. The old values of working hard and earning a living have been shifted towards personal gratification and the aspirations and fashions of a consumer society.

It is easy to be critical of this, but in a sense every single one of us wants to leave this world with some achievements to our name. We might not find the cure for a terrible disease, but we feel that we should leave behind us an impression. If our lives are to be significant and remembered then we must do something significant with them. However the truth is that whilst the prevailing culture tells us that our achievements should be to earn lots of money and have a glamorous lifestyle, we know that this is not something which causes happiness or provides lasting significance. Few people draw admiration when they die and are fondly remembered because of the size of their yacht.

We should cast our attention upon Jesus and the type of life which he lived and the example which he gives to us. He was a carpenter, a workman who probably built houses and extensions and mended things. Anybody who knows the pains of being a builder will know how difficult it would have been for him to build the reputation ’He has done everything well.’ ! Jesus did not belong to the rich and famous, he was just an ordinary man who lived his life with the same issues which we deal with, paying bills, caring for relatives and getting on with the ups and downs which life throws at us.
This is what life is really all about, not jet setting or appearing in Hello magazine.

As Christian people we must try to provide examples of authentic living by setting examples which are wholesome and yet attractive. We must seek to lay before our children and grandchildren alternatives to the models which society presents. This is not in any way to discredit the ideals, dreams and vision of young people who want to achieve great things. However somebody needs to reaffirm the value of living ordinary lives in which we care for our families, our children and grandchildren. It is to stress that really gifted people do not have to appear on the television, they get up in the morning and do their jobs to the best of their ability, offer a helping hand to those in need and take time to spread a little happiness. The role models in society today seem to go change their marital partners like motor cars. As Christians we have to affirm that successful people are strong people who have the courage to work at their marriages and give time to their loved ones. Each one of us can make a real contribution to our families and wider society if we control our temper, show our appreciation to others, spread peace as we go about our business and pray to become more joyful. This is real achievement and the way to lasting success. Perhaps then people will say about us ‘he has done everything well.’ Charles Royden

Commentary

Jesus heals a deaf man who cannot speak

Jesus wanted people to be less public about some of the things which he did, the secret of who he was needed to be kept until the right moment. Unfortunately, as we see almost daily in our newspapers, news has a way of leaking out. Jesus could not stop excitement spreading about him and what he did. In our story today the man is deaf and can hardly speak. When Jesus heals him, Mark records the use of a graphic phrase "Ephphatha!" which suggests that his tongue had been tied up in knots and was suddenly untied. From silence to speech, just like that! Jesus takes him away privately, but it cannot be kept secret. Perhaps Jesus wanted more time to travel and speak with people, but when he performed miracles like this, there was no way of stopping the news spreading or the crowds seeking him out. He would soon have such notoriety that the authorities would have to act against him. With a miracle such as this, it was not surprising that onlookers had in mind the prophecy of Isaiah 35:5-6,
‘Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.’
This is for us a foretaste of what God’s healing is really all about, it is more than just the ageing body being patched up, it is a sign of God’s love breaking in to our painful and death—laden world. It was and still is, a signpost to the great Healing that will occur when the secret is out and Jesus is finally revealed to the whole world. Then all of the world will praise. Charles Royden

Meditation

James 2: 1 -10, 14 – 17, Mark 7:24 – 37

The letter of James to ‘the twelve tribes scattered among the nations’ (Chapter 1 v1) is, in my mind, a short sound ‘pocket guide’ to living the Christian life. If we keep what it says in the ‘pocket’ of our minds wherever we go and whatever situation we find ourselves in and act upon its advice then we may not go far wrong in our Christian journeys. Topics covered in its five short chapters include how to respond to and act in: ‘Trials and Tribulations’; Listening and Doing; Favouritism Forbidden; Faith and Deeds and ‘Taming the Tongue.

Today we consider ‘Favouritism Forbidden’ and move on to the beginning of ‘Faith and Deeds’. It was probably written about AD 50, at that time Christians were not yet being martyred but were suffering economic persecution and oppression. As is still the case in parts of the world today. The letter attributed to James, who may have been Jesus’ half-brother and who took over the leadership in Jerusalem after Peter left, was addressing the whole people of God ‘scattered among the nations’. It is presented to us in the Bible as one letter but it may be a compilation of his sayings and sermons put together by someone who could write good Greek, it is unlikely James could have done so.

The message is at first reading simple and straightforward ‘don’t show favouritism’ (2:1) and ‘faith by itself, it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ (2:17), but as we all know reading something and living it may he harder than it first appears. To explain his advice James presented his readers with a scene that they were familiar with, that of a Jewish court of law. Jewish law demanded that those in court, both the accuser and the accused, should dress the same either as a rich or poor person and that they would sit at the same level or stand. So there would be little distinction between them which would put them on an equal footing in front of the decision makers.

This seems a good practice to me. In the scene set by James there was obvious distinction in the physical differences which immediately displayed favouritism. James reminds his readers what Jesus told his disciples in Luke 6 v20, that God chose the poor to be rich in faith and that they would inherit his kingdom. If they failed to do this they were ‘slandering the name of him to who you belong’ (2:7), that is God. He pushes his point home by quoting the command found in Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 5:43 ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.

Showing favouritism is in part because we make judgements about people without getting to know them first. We ‘prejudge them’, hence the term prejudice, which can lead to discrimination on a relatively minor scale. Perhaps excluding them from our group or not talking to a visitor in church, or to a much more serious level which now forms part of our anti discrimination laws which make it illegal to: discriminate for reasons of age; disability; religion or belief; colour or race or ethnic background; gender; marital status or sexual orientation.

I am not pretending it is easy. I am fully aware that I have a strong tendency to judge by appearances; to put people in a certain category; what is often called stereotyping. Perhaps when I see a group of youths hanging around outside shops or in children’s playgrounds, I suspect they may be up to no good. Not from any personal experience but perhaps from what I have read or seen in the media. In my job I visit many elderly people in their homes and I have to be very careful not to prejudge, from the outside their homes and once inside, their financial status. It would all too easy for me to think they have a certain financial standing, rich or poor, according to their surroundings. A judgement which I have learnt from experience can be quite incorrect! The potential to prejudge, to discriminate, is something for us each as Christians and as a Church community to be constantly alert to. Unless we are we may exclude people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures from hearing of the love of God. The letter attributed to James puts it in a nutshell ‘Don’t show favouritism’!!’ Wendy Waters

Meditation

The Gospel for the Poor
Paul was a latecomer to the Gospel who converted on the road to Damascus around the year 35 AD. Fourteen years after his conversion, he travelled to Jerusalem to seek the favour of the original group of twelve apostles. He knew that he needed their imprimatur, and indeed he received what he calls “the right hand of fellowship” from the movement’s leaders. Later, when he recalled this trip in his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote something revealing about the first followers of Jesus. What did the leaders of the Jesus movement in Jerusalem require of Paul? “All they asked was that we should remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (Galatians 2:10).
Saint Neilos the Ascetic (d. 430): “We monks come fawning to the rich, like puppies wagging their tails in the hope of being tossed a bare bone or some crumbs. To get what we want, we call them benefactors and protectors of Christians, attributing every virtue to them, even though they may be utterly wicked.”
Evagrios (died c. 400) considered it a trick of the devil to befriend the rich on the pretense of helping the poor: "The devil suggests that we should attach ourselves to wealthy women, and advises us to be obsequious to others who have a full purse. And so, after deceiving the soul, little by little he engulfs it in avaricious thoughts and then hands it over to the demon of self-esteem. The latter calls up in our imagination crowds of admirers who praise the Lord for the works of mercy we have performed."

 

Meditation

Telemachus was a monk who lived in Asia Minor about the year 400 AD. During his life the gladiatorial games were very popular. The gladiators were usually slaves or political prisoners who were condemned to fight each other unto death for the amusement of the spectators. People were fascinated by the sight of blood and gore upon the arena floor. Telemachus was very much disturbed that the Emperor Honorius, who was a Christian, sponsored the games and that so many people who called themselves Christian went to see them. What, he wondered, could be further from the Spirit of Christ than the horrible cruelty of the gladiatorial games? The bishops and priests spoke against them, but most people were deaf to their message. Telemachus realized that talking about this evil was not enough. It was time to do something. But what could he actually accomplish - one lone monk against the whole Roman Empire? He had no power. And the games had been part of Roman life for centuries. Nothing that he could possibly do would ever make a difference.

For a long time Telemachus agonized about the problem. Finally he could not live with himself any longer. For the sake of his own soul he decided he had to obey the voice of Christ within him - regardless of the consequences. He set out for Rome. When Telemachus entered the city, the people he met had gone mad with excitement. "To the Coliseum!", they cried out. "The games are about to start.!" Telemachus followed the crowd. Soon he was seated among all the other people. Far away in a special place he saw the emperor.

The gladiators came out into the centre of the arena. Everybody was tense. Everybody was silent as the two men faced each other. The men drew their swords. The fight was about to be on! One of them would probably die within a few minutes. Who would it be? At that moment Telemachus rose from his seat and ran down onto the arena floor. He held high the cross of Christ that he carried and threw himself into a position between the two gladiators. "In the name of our Master,", he cried, "Stop fighting!" The two men hesitated. Nothing like this had ever happened before. They did not know what to do. They put up their swords for a moment. The spectators were furious. Telemachus had robbed them of their entertainment. They yelled wildly and stampeded toward the centre of the arena. They became a mob. With sticks and stones they beat Telemachus to death.

Far down in the arena lay the battered body of the monk. Suddenly the mob and the spectators who had remained in their seats grew quiet. A feeling of revulsion at what had been done swept over them. Emperor Honorius rose and left the Coliseum. The people followed him. Abruptly the games were over. Emperor Honorius sensed the mood of the crowd that day. His ears were opened by the death of Telemachus. His tongue was loosened as well. He issued an edict forbidding all future gladiatorial games. And so it was, that in about the year 404 AD, because one individual, filled with the love of Christ, dared to say, "No!", all gladiatorial games ceased.

How many of us have the words of God's love fall upon our ears but have not heard them? How many of us have had the images of God's presence fall upon our eyes but have not seen them? How many of us have all the words of faith in our brains and have become familiar with heavenly mysteries and spiritual visions, yet do not live by faith or work the works of God? Even as Jesus opened the ears of the man born deaf, we must ask him to give us the ability to hear. To open our ears and our eyes and make the sensory signals that come to us from every direction get through to our spiritual centre, to that place where they can be translated from meaningless words and visions to the words and deeds of a living faith. We must not discriminate against some and show favour to others, we must seek to love all people as he loves all people - equally as brothers and sisters, without judgement or bias or reserve. We must seek healing, both inwardly and outwardly, to be whole, to be able to hear, and see, and speak, and do both in the body, and in the spirit. This is a cause for prayer.

Prayers for Sunday

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom.

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Dear Lord Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us, and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus. Stay with us - and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None if it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best - by shining on those around us.

Lord our God, in you mercy and justice meet. With unparalleled love You have saved us from death and drawn us into the circle of Your life. Open our eyes to the wonders this life sets before us, that we may serve You, free from fear, and love one another as you love us - without regard to riches or poverty, class or place in life. God, the source of all health: So fill my heart with faith in your love, that with calm expectancy I may make room for your power to possess me, and gracefully accept your healing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord, we pray know for those who are known to us - and for those who are not - we pray for the dying and for those who mourn the dead, for the sick and for those who faithfully care for them, for the oppressed and for those who despair, for those who have hunger and thirst in body and in soul.

Hymn for this Sunday

  1. The Kingdom of God (Tune Hanover)
  2. When I needed a neighbour
  3. For the healing of the nations (Tune Rhuddland )
  4. The Church of Christ, in every age (Tune: Heronsgate)
  5. I want to walk with Jesus Christ
  6. Praise to the holiest in the height
  7. I have decided to follow Jesus
  8. Who would true valour see
  9. Through all the changing scenes of life
  10. Thy hand O God