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
Scripture Sentence
“If you, bad as you are,
know how to
give good things to your
children, how
much more will your
heavenly Father
give good things to those
who ask him!”
(Matthew 7:11)
Collect
Merciful
God,
you
have prepared for those who love you
such
good things as pass all understanding.
Pour
into our hearts such love toward you,
that
we, loving you above all things,
may
obtain your promises,
which
exceed all that we can desire;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who
is alive and reigns
with
you and the Holy Spirit,
one
God, now and forever.
Amen.
Call
to Worship
Leader:
“If you love me” Jesus says.
All:
We show that we do by loving.
Leader:
“If you love me” Jesus says.
All:
We show that we do by sharing.
Leader:
“If you love me” Jesus says.
All:
We show that we do by serving.
Leader:
“If you love me” Jesus says.
All:
We show that we do by worshipping.
Leader:
So let us worship God.
Opening
Hymn of Praise
Be still, for the presence of the Lord (MP50)
1 Be still,
for
the presence of the Lord,
the
Holy One, is here;
come
bow before Him now
with
reverence and fear:
in
Him no sin is found –
we
stand on holy ground.
Be
still,
for
the presence of the Lord,
the
Holy One, is here.
2 Be still,
for
the glory of the Lord
is
shining all around;
He
burns with holy fire,
with
splendour He is crowned:
how
awesome is the sight –
our
radiant King of light!
Be
still,
for
the glory of the Lord
is
shining all around.
3 Be still,
for
the power of the Lord
is
moving in this place:
He
comes to cleanse and heal,
to
minister His grace –
no
work too hard for Him.
In
faith receive from Him.
Be
still,
for
the power of the Lord
is
moving in this place.
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
Thank
You for those with whom we worship together,
for
those with whom we pray together,
for
those in whose company
we
have listened to Your voice
and
sought to see You face to face.
Forgive
us for everything that has interrupted
the
companionship we should enjoy:
for
selfishness that made us want nothing
but
our own way,
for
intolerance which made us see nothing
but
our own point of view,
for
self-assertiveness that made us seek to impose
our
own will upon others.
Have
mercy, good Lord.
Forgive
us for arguments in which we lost our temper,
for
discussions in which bitter words
and
sarcastic comments were thrown about,
for
things we said in the heat of the moment
and
now bitterly regret.
Have
mercy, good Lord.
So
cleanse and purify us, that in the days to come
we
will work to live in unity with one another
because
we are one in Christ.
Hear
this our prayer
through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
“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
Psalm: Psalm 66:8-20
First reading: Acts 17:22-31
Second reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Children’s
Song
Who
put the colours in the rainbow? (JP288)
1 Who put the colours in the rainbow?
Who put the salt into the sea?
Who put the cold into the snowflake?
Who made you and me?
Who put the hump upon the camel?
Who put the neck on the giraffe?
Who put the tail upon the monkey?
Who made hyenas laugh?
Who made whales and snails and quails?
Who made hogs and dogs and frogs?
Who made bats and rats and cats?
Who made everything?
2 Who put the gold into the sunshine?
Who put the sparkle in the stars?
Who put the silver in the moonlight?
Who made Earth and Mars?
Who put the scent into the roses?
Who taught the honey bee to dance?
Who put the tree inside the acorn?
It surely can’t be chance!
Who made seas and leaves and trees?
Who made snow and winds that blow?
Who
made streams and rivers flow?
God made all of these!
Prayer
for / with the Children
– My
Invisible Friend
I
have a friend you cannot see
A
friend that only I know,
A
friend who’s with me every day
No
matter where I go.
I
have a friend who understands
The
way I am today,
A
friend who always speaks the truth,
No
matter what I say.
I
have a friend who’s always there
Who
stays with me each day,
A
friend who never runs away
With
someone else to play!
I
have a friend who is sent from God
Who
never lets me down,
He
teaches me of Jesus here
And
God of heaven above.
I
have a friend that loves me
Wherever
I might be
He
is the Holy Spirit of God
Who
came and set me free.
“Day
by day, dear Lord,
Of
you, three things I pray:
To
see you more clearly,
Love
you more dearly,
Follow
you more nearly,
Day
by day.”*
Amen.
(*Richard
of Chichester, 1197–1253)
Bonus feature: Here is the midweek sermon from Bishop Rennis Ponniah of the Anglican Diocese
of Singapore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPID-G07AF4
Song
There is a Redeemer (MP673)
1 There
is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.
Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.
Thank You, O my Father,
for giving us Your Son,
and leaving Your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.
2 Jesus, my Redeemer,
name above all names,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
O for sinners slain:
name above all names,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
O for sinners slain:
Thank You . . .
3 When I stand in glory
I will see His face,
and there I’ll serve my King for ever
in that holy place.
Thank You . . .
I will see His face,
and there I’ll serve my King for ever
in that holy place.
Thank You . . .
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
Living
God,
You
have given us life and breath and all that we have.
We
have nothing to give to You
except
what we have received from You.
So,
with these offerings,
given
in this and other ways,
help
us to dedicate to You
all
that we have and are,
so
that You may have what is indeed Your own,
through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Intercessions:
Let us
start our prayers by using this intercession written by the Jesuit Order in the
United States for use during the coronavirus crisis:
Jesus
Christ, you travelled through towns and villages “curing every disease and
illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the
midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your
healing love.
Heal
those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health
through quality medical care.
Heal
us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbours
from helping one another.
Heal
us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that
knows no borders.
Jesus
Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.
Be
with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your
eternal peace.
Be
with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve,
defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.
Be
with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all health professionals who seek to
heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May
they know your protection and peace.
Be
with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity
and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give
them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or
prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to
achieve it on earth.
Whether
we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or
only a few, Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and
prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.
Jesus
Christ, heal us.
Now let us pray for Christ’s church here on earth:
Lord God, we
thank and praise you for all those who have faithfully served you over the
centuries and brought your Gospel to us. We give you thanks for the Church of
the Holy Spirit and all who have worked to keep it active over the years.
Please help each of us to be faithful witnesses to your goodness and love, and
help spread the knowledge of all you have done for us to those with whom we
interact.
We thank you
for our Pastor, Tony and for Katherine and their children, and for all they do
to promote your kingdom in their lives here. Please bless, support and
encourage them, Lord.
We thank you
for the support we receive, in prayer and in kind, from the Diocese of
Singapore. Please bless Ian Hadfield, our Dean, and Narelle, his wife, and
their daughter, Beth. Help Ian and the ministry and administrative teams at St
George’s Church as they strive to continue an effective ministry during the
lockdown. Please bless and support all who participate in the activities of St
George’s Church.
Please also
bless and support Bishop Rennis and Bishop Designate Titus as they lead the
Diocese in this difficult time.
At this time we particularly pray for the Deanery of Nepal and the congregation of the St. Petra Church, as it mourns the death on Wednesday of their young pastor, Reverend Sanjeev Sunawar. We ask that you may comfort the congregation and the Sunawar family in their loss, for Sanjeev's wife, Mani Devi and their children, three year old Samarpan and one year old Samprada.
We give thanks for Sanjeev's ministry among labourers in the Kathmandu Valley and pray that the work he began will continue to prosper and bear much fruit.
At this time we particularly pray for the Deanery of Nepal and the congregation of the St. Petra Church, as it mourns the death on Wednesday of their young pastor, Reverend Sanjeev Sunawar. We ask that you may comfort the congregation and the Sunawar family in their loss, for Sanjeev's wife, Mani Devi and their children, three year old Samarpan and one year old Samprada.
We give thanks for Sanjeev's ministry among labourers in the Kathmandu Valley and pray that the work he began will continue to prosper and bear much fruit.
We thank you
for the progress that is being made toward official acceptance of Christians in
this country and pray that soon all Christians here may be free to practice
their faith without fear of persecution. Please help us all to work to promote
tolerance and goodwill between peoples of all faiths.
Lord, please
bless all Christians in Laos and help us to come closer in this time of crisis,
and never cease to glorify your name..
Lord, in
your mercy
Hear our prayer
Let us
pray for the world:
Lord, we give
you thanks for the beauty of the world you created. Please help us to never
lose the sense of awe at all the wonders that surround us.
We thank you
especially for this country of Laos and its people. We thank you for the
opportunity to live here and experience all it has to offer. Help us to
appreciate the beauty of this country and the kindness and generosity of its
people. Please also help us to seek to understand Lao thought and customs and through
our reflection on them to see you more clearly.
Lord, during
this crisis we have had the opportunity to see more clearly the damage our
societies are doing to your world. Please help us and the governments of Laos
and every country to seek to reduce our destruction of the environment.
Lord, in
your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Now let us
pray for the government and people of Laos and of our home countries:
Almighty God,
we thank you for the peace and stability of Laos.
We pray for
all those in positions of authority that they may exercise their power in ways
that promote the wellbeing of all Lao people. Please support all those who are
seeking to reduce corruption within government here.
We think of
all those in prison here. We pray for prison officers that they may have a
genuine concern for the wellbeing of those in their charge. Please bless and
protect all prisoners. Help them amend their lives, and please protect them
from coronavirus. And please Lord, help the families of prisoners.
Lord, we pray
for Tony and those involved in the prison ministry, that you will help and support
them. We thank you for the recent contribution of financial aid for the prison
ministry from the diocese of Singapore.
Father, we
are far away from our home countries and can only look on as they face the
current pandemic and all it means for them, and for our friends and relatives.
Please hear our prayers and help to mitigate the effects of this crisis on both
the countries and on those near and dear to us.
Lord, in
your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Let us
pray for the sick and suffering and those who care for them.
Lord God, we
have already prayed for those suffering from coronavirus, but we also pray for
those suffering from any other illness of body or mind at this time. We pray
especially for those who are suffering delays in diagnosis or treatment because
of the social restrictions necessary to control the coronavirus.
We pray for
the health professionals who are striving to provide good care for all who seek
their help, despite the difficulties.
We remember
especially people who cannot access highly specialized services in neighboring
countries due to travel restrictions.
Lord, please
help all pregnant women to be able to obtain the care they need to have the
best possible outcome for their pregnancies.
In a few moments
of silence we bring before you those we know who are sick or suffering, asking
you to comfort and heal them.
Lord, in
your mercy,
Hear our prayers.
Let us
pray for those we love and who love us, and also for those who are, or feel
they are, unloved.
Lord God,
thank you for the love and concern people show for us. Help us to see you in
and through them. Please help us to be loving and supportive of all those
around us.
Jesus, we
think about our families and friends, both here and in our home countries, and
pray that you will help and support them. We pray especially for those who are
lonely and those who are afraid for their well-being or ours. Please send them
your Spirit of comfort and reassurance.
We also pray
for all people who are alone and who feel abandoned or unloved. Please visit
them and bring them solace Lord.
Lord, in
your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Let us
think for a short time before we pray for those things that are deep in our
hearts:
Dear Father,
you know us better than we know ourselves. Please enter our hearts and bring
healing to us, healing that only you can give.
Open our hearts to your power
moving around us and
between us and within us,
until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken.
until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken.
Now,
remembering that we are always surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses serving
God, let us join in a prayer of St John Chrysostom, Archbishop of
Constantinople in the late 4th Century:
Lord,
you have given us grace to agree in these our prayers, and you have promised
that when two or three ask together in your name you will grant their requests.
Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us.
Grant us, in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.
that when two or three ask together in your name you will grant their requests.
Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us.
Grant us, in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.
Finally,
let us say conclude our intercessions by saying The Lord’s Prayer together:
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 for ever. Amen.
Closing
Song
Brother,
sister, let me serve you (MP1261)
1 Brother,
sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
2 We are pilgrims on a journey,
fellow travellers on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
fellow travellers on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
3 I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
4 I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.
5 When we sing to God in heaven
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.
6 Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
Prayer
of Sending and Blessing
Go
out into the world,
the
community you know well
and
those you could know better,
with
hearts open and
ready
to love those you meet.
Go
and reflect the welcome of God,
Father,
Son and Holy Spirit
whose
heart closes no-one out
but
whose love is for all, always.
Go
in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in
the name of Christ.
Amen
