Welcome to the CHS Vientiane Worship Service Resources
We invite you to take time this Sunday, in families or very small groups of friends, to responsibly share space to worship God together. If you are on your own, please be assured we are together in the Spirit and if you have needs, or just want to share concerns, please don't be afraid to reach out and share these with the CHS community. Contact details can be found on our church website at: http://www.thechs.org/
Ideas for parents to use with their children at home can be found on this page (click this link).
~ Pastor Tony
1 God of justice, Saviour to all,
Scripture Sentence
“I shall run the course
made known in your
commandments,
for you have set free my
heart.”
(Psalm 119:32)
Collect
Almighty God,
your Son Jesus Christ
is the way, the truth, and
the life.
Amen.
Call
to worship
At times it can be
difficult
to look forward in hope,
to face the future,
to trust that God is
working for us.
But in this space,
God is with us.
Offering us a glimpse of
heaven,
a foretaste of what is to
come.
So, however difficult,
however challenging,
however uncomfortable,
put your trust in God
and worship him.
God
is good,
let
us worship him.
Opening
Hymn of Praise
How Great Thou Art (MP506)
1 O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
When I in awesome wonder
consider all the works,
Thy hand hath made,
Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the
mighty thunder,
the power throughout the
universe displayed;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to
Thee,
how great Thou art, how great
Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
how great Thou art, how
great Thou art!
2 When through the woods and forest glades I
wander
and hear the birds sing
sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty
mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and
feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul . . .
3 And when I think that God His Son not
sparing,
sent Him to die – I scarce
can take it in,
that on the cross my burden
gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take
away my sin:
Then sings my soul . . .
4 When Christ shall come with shout of
acclamation
and take me home – what joy
shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble
adoration
and there proclaim, my God,
how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul . . .
Confession
Our heavenly Father
thank you that you love us
and care for us all the time.
We know that this week we
have not always lived the way you tell us.
We have done wrong things
and not done all the good things we should have done.
Only you can save us,
so please forgive us
and help us to live as your
friends.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Silence
“If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our
sins
and purify us from all
unrighteousness.”
(1 John
1: 9)
Amen.
Creed
We believe in God the
Father,
Maker of all things.
We believe in his Son Jesus
Christ,
Lord and Saviour of the
world.
We believe in the Holy
Spirit,
giver of life and
light.
We belong to the Church,
God’s family everywhere.
Amen.
Bible
Readings
Children’s Song
I
am the way, the truth and the life (JP89)
‘I
am the way, the truth and the life,’
that’s
what Jesus said.
‘I
am the way, the truth and the life,’
that’s
what Jesus said.
Without
the way there is no going,
without
the truth there is no knowing,
without
the life there is no living.
‘I
am the way, the truth and the life,’
that’s
what Jesus said.
(X2)
(X2)
Prayer for / with the
Children
In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
You
do not let me be put to shame;
You
come quickly to rescue me.
You,
Lord, are my rock, my refuge, my
strong
fortress;
You
protect me,
You
guide me and lead me,
You
help me to steer clear of traps and
dangers.
I
trust in you, Lord.
My
times are in your hands.
You
deliver me from my enemies.
Your
love for me is never ending;
How
great is your goodness, O Lord.
It is
stored up for those who fear you;
You
give it to all who trust in you.
Praise
be to the Lord!
Love
the Lord, all his people!
Be
strong and take heart all you who
hope
in the Lord!
Amen.
(from
Psalm 31)
Sermon
A transcript of the CHS Sunday sermon for 10.5.20 can be found here
A video of the CHS Sunday sermon for 10.5.20 can be found here
A video of the CHS Sunday sermon for 10.5.20 can be found here
*Bonus feature: here is the midweek sermon from Bishop Rennis Ponniah of the Anglican Diocese
of Singapore: https://youtu.be/gWofuwRygMI
Song
Everything (MP1175)
1 God in
my living,
there
in my breathing,
God in
my waking,
God in
my sleeping.
God in
my resting,
there
in my working,
God in
my thinking,
God in
my speaking.
Be my
everything,
be my
everything,
be my
everything,
be my
everything.
2 God in
my hoping,
there
in my dreaming,
God in
my watching,
God in
my waiting.
God in
my laughing,
there
in my weeping,
God in
my hurting,
God in
my healing.
Be my
everything,
be my
everything,
be my
everything,
be my
everything.
Christ
in me,
Christ
in me,
Christ
in me,
the
hope of glory.
You
are everything.
Christ
in me,
Christ
in me,
Christ
in me,
the
hope of glory.
Be
my everything . . .
Offering
(Please do bear in mind that as long as we are still able to, CHS
is continuing to support various projects and people in need and needs will
likely increase during this time. You may want to set aside some
money in an envelope every Sunday and bring these to church when we next meet
back at ARDA.)
Dedication of our Offering
In
glad thanksgiving for your goodness,
we
offer you our gifts;
and
pray for the power
to
offer and present
our
very selves to you,
a
living sacrifice,
dedicated
and fit for your acceptance;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
(Prayers this Sunday are largely based on resources for Christian
Aid week whose emphasis this year focusses on the impact of climate change on
the most vulnerable: often poor subsistence farmers, who depend on good weather
for their livelihoods and lives...)
God of all the earth,
as climate chaos
wreaks havoc on homes
livelihoods and hopes
we raise our voices
and call for justice
for those who suffer the
most
but are least responsible,
who have had enough
of empty promises,
perpetual relief packages
and failed carbon reduction
commitments.
We pray for wise and
courageous action
for all of creation at this
critical hour.
In the name of Jesus and
for Your Glory, we pray,
Amen
A prayer based on the Hymn,
How Great Thou Art
Our souls sing out a joyful
song,
Our souls sing out how
great Thou art.
We consider the works You
have made
The stars of the night, the
leaves of the trees
The birds of the air the
oceans and streams.
Our souls sing out a
mournful song,
Our souls grieve before our
God.
We consider the works our
hands have made;
The warming of the planet,
the rising of seas
The wilting of the harvest,
devastating communities.
Our souls sing out a
contrite song
Our souls bow down low.
We regret the works our
hands have made
The impact on the poorest,
the livelihoods lost
The deepening of poverty,
the environmental and human cost.
Our souls sing out a
penitent song,
Our souls turn back to what
is right.
We consider the good works
our hands can make;
The words of justice we can
speak, the acts of love we can give
The hand of solidarity we
can extend, for others to fully live.
Our souls sing out a
hopeful song
Our souls look to the Lord,
where our hope comes from
We consider the works you
call us to;
The love of our neighbour,
the stewardship of the earth
The flourishing of all
creation, the wonder of its worth.
Creator God who has made
the earth
The oceans and the rivers
teeming with life
The heartbeats of creatures
large and small
We thank you for giving us
this wondrous home
Creator God who calls us as
stewards
We confess that we have
neglected our duty
That human choices are
robbing the planet of its life
That climate breakdown has
been at our hands
Lord of justice who longs
for equality on the earth
We stand with earth
defenders and climate protesters
Around the world we join
their call for climate justice
May our actions and our
words speak life in all its fullness
Amen
Climate emergency prayer
God of justice and love,
help us listen to our
sisters and brothers
who are living with the
reality of the climate emergency.
We pray for people who are
hungry
because of failed harvests
and dry river beds.
For people who are homeless
because of unpredictable
and extreme weather,
for people who are
struggling to make a living
in ever more challenging
circumstances.
We pray for the people of
Sanamxay District in Attapeu Province.
We give thanks for last
week's recovery of 140 Hectares of land for rice planting
after flooding devastated
rice fields in 2018.
We pray for Pastor Khamsouk
and others
as they work to bring
long-term help to those affected;
that they will be granted
favour in their negotiations with local government officials, villagers and
donors.
We pray that all the
necessary official paperwork will be completed to allow people to receive the
help they need.
Lord, hear our cry for
justice and mercy
for the many people
affected by the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam collapse,
who two years on from the
disaster have still received no compensation
from those companies held
responsible for their loss of life and property.
Prayers relating to the
Covid19 pandemic
As we have prayed about the
needs of those threatened by climate change,
so we continue to pray for
the world in the continuing Covid19 pandemic.
We pray for world leaders
to stop blaming others
and concentrate their
efforts on helping their people,
especially those most
vulnerable, the old, the sick and the poor.
We pray for global
joined-up thinking
that will halt the spread
of the virus and minimise its effects.
We pray for scientists
working to find more effective treatments
and advising governments on
public health policies.
Help them to find the
answers that are needed,
even if they are not easy
may they be the right ones.
We pray for healthcare
workers treating and caring for the sick,
especially for those who
this week
will have to break the bad
news to family members.
Strengthen and protect them
physically, mentally and spiritually.
We pray for those who are
recovering from the virus,
that you will help them,
particularly those for whom the road to recovery
will be long and
challenging.
Comfort those grieving over
the loss of loved ones
who haven't been able to
comfort their dying loved ones
or to mourn supported by
the comfort of friends
because restrictions
haven't permitted it.
We pray for your Church and
for Christians everywhere
to show the compassion of
Jesus
for all who are struggling
to cope at this time,
to be lights shining in the
darkness.
In this global crisis, may
people turn and cry out to you God
and in doing so receive the
comfort and strength they need,
that only you can provide;
for you are wise, loving
and mighty to save.
You alone are the way, the
truth and the life.
We pray alongside people
everywhere
who show that another world
is possible
through their words and
actions.
We stand in solidarity with
all those who are suffering
Give us the strength we
need
to play our part in
restoring Your world
to act justly and to walk
humbly.
May our love for our
neighbours,
even for those far from us,
make known our love for
You.
In the name of Christ,
Amen
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.
Lead us not into
temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen.
Closing
Song
We must go (MP1174)
1 God of justice, Saviour to all,
came to rescue the weak and
the poor,
chose to serve and not be
served.
Jesus, You have called us.
Freely we’ve received,
now freely we will give.
We must go,
live to feed the hungry,
stand beside the broken.
We must go,
stepping forward,
keep us from just singing,
move us into action,
we must go.
2 To act justly every day,
loving mercy in every way,
walking humbly before You,
God.
You have shown us what You
require.
Freely we’ve received,
now freely we will give.
We must go . . .
We must go . . .
Fill us up and send us out,
fill us up and send us out,
fill us up and send us out,
Lord.
Fill us up . . .
We must go . . .
Prayer
of Sending and Blessing
As
we leave this place,
as
we step outside the door
and
choose which direction to head in,
whichever
way we go
we
go there with the blessing of God,
Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, guiding, loving and inspiring us.
May God bless us with
wonder at creation’s glory.
May God bless us with fury
at creation’s spoiling.
May God bless us with
courage at this critical hour.
And may the blessing of God
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
rest upon us and on all
creation,
this
day and for the future to come.
Go in peace to love and
serve the Lord,
in
the name of Christ.
Amen.
All song lyrics taken from Mission Praise: