Note:
Today the Bible readings are related to the celebration of Bartholemew the Apostle
Through Christ let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,
the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Hebrews 13.15
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
A poem: a Song of God’s Marvellous Acts
I will sing a new hymn to my God:
O Lord you are great and marvellous,
you are marvellous in your strength invincible.
Let the whole creation serve you:
for you spoke and all things came to be;
You sent out your Spirit and it formed them:
no one can resist your voice.
Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths:
rocks melt like wax at your presence;
But to those who revere you:
you still show mercy.
Judith 16.13-15
The opening prayer
By night and by day we worship the Lord; let us pray with one heart and mind.
We remember God’s presence and pause in silence.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen.
The readings
Deuteronomy 18.15-18
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: ‘If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.’ Then the LORD replied to me: ‘They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.
Psalm 145.10-18
All creation praises you, O Lord:
and your faithful servants bless your name.
They speak of the glory of your kingdom:
and tell of your great might,
That the whole earth may know your mighty acts:
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom:
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord upholds all those who stumble:
and raises up those that are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you in hope:
and you give them their food in due season;
You open wide your hand:
and fill all things living with your bounteous gift.
The Lord is just in all his ways:
and faithful in all his dealings.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him:
to all who call upon him in truth.
Revelation 21.9b-14
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
John 1.45-51
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
The Prayers
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 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 forever.
Amen.
This week’s prayer:
Almighty and everlasting God,
who gave to your apostle Bartholomew
grace to believe and to preach your word:
grant that your Church may love that word which he believed
and may faithfully receive and boldly preach it;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
We thank God for what we have and pray for what we need.
Today we pray for ourselves, that God would give us humility and compassion. In our local church, we ask God to strengthen their marriages of the couples who have been married in our church, and give them the gift of faith. In our world, we pray for people looking for work in our local community. We remember before God those who have asked for our prayers, or who are in need of them.
A prayer for the day
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord be with us
now and forever.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Philippians 4.7