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/
~ Pastor Tony
Scripture Sentence
“'My soul tells out the greatness of the Lord, my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.'”
(Luke 1: 46b - 47)
The Collect
Heavenly Father,
you chose the Virgin Mary,
full of grace,
to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour.
Fill us with your grace,
that in all things
we may embrace your will,
and with her rejoice in your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Call to prayer
Dreams and angels, prophecies,
mystery and magi, choirs and shepherds,
we make our way to the star-blessed stable,
to the light shining miraculously
in human misery and darkness.
We are almost there.
Opening Hymns of Praise
Holy Holy Holy (MP 237)
1 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! – merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shall be.
3 Holy, holy, holy! – though the darkness hide Thee,
though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee,
perfect in power, in love, and purity.
4 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
all Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea:
Holy, holy, holy! – merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
Majesty (MP 1181)
1 Here I am, humbled by Your majesty,
covered by Your grace so free.
Here I am, knowing I’m a sinful man,
covered by the blood of the Lamb.
Now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine,
since You laid down Your life, the greatest sacrifice.
Majesty, majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
empty-handed but alive in Your hands.
Majesty, majesty.
Forever I am changed by Your love,
in the presence of Your majesty.
2 Here I am, humbled by the love that You give,
forgiven so that I can forgive.
Here I stand, knowing that I’m Your desire,
sanctified by glory and fire.
Now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine,
since You laid down Your life, the greatest sacrifice.
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.
Amen
Silence
Jesus died and rose again for us.
In humble penitence let us
accept his pardon and receive his peace.
Amen
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from you alone come everlasting joy and peace.
Fill us with joy in your promises,
and send us out to be bearers of your peace;
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 89:1-4, 19-26
First reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Second reading: Romans 16:25-27
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Song
Here I am to worship (MP 1086)
1 Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness,
opened my eyes, let me see
beauty that made this heart adore You,
hope of a life spent with You.
So here I am to worship,
here I am to bow down,
here I am to say that You’re my God:
You’re altogether lovely,
altogether worthy,
altogether wonderful to me.
2 King of all days, O so highly exalted,
glorious in heaven above,
humbly You came to the earth You created,
all for love’s sake became poor.
So here I am to worship . . .
So here I am to worship . . .
And I’ll never know how much it cost
to see my sin upon that cross.
And I’ll never know how much it cost
to see my sin upon that cross.
So here I am to worship . . .
Leader:
Lord, we pray for those who feel
undervalued and unvalued (who feel that
they are no good at anything); those who feel
sidelined at work; those who feel ignored in
school; those who feel they are invisible.
Congregation:
Father, in your sight each of us has value
and worth. Help us to look for good things
in others.
Leader:
Lord, we pray for those who feel they are
alone (with no one to play with or talk to);
deserted by friends and family; deserted by
you.
Congregation:
Father, you have promised that you are
with us (wherever we go, whatever we’re
doing). We can never escape from your
presence.
Leader:
Lord, we remember those who are afraid
(of people, events or the unknown).
Congregation:
Father, drive away their fears and comfort
them with the assurance of your love.
Leader:
Lord, we pray for the lost; especially those
who see no purpose to their life (who can’t
see what their life is all about); those who are
addicted to something harmful.
Congregation:
Father, help them to know your love. Place
them in the warmth of families and the family of the church.
Leader:
Lord, we remember those who have been
hurt by mean words and unkind treatment
from other people.
Congregation
Father, give us the opportunity to treat
them with kindness, generosity and love.
Leader:
Lord, we sympathise with those who feel
they are powerless and have no influence
(nobody listens to them, or cares about what
they say).
Congregation;
Father, give us all a sense of how great you
are. You are God Almighty.
Leader and Congregation:
We ask these prayers in the name of
Jesus who showed us that God has not left
us lost and alone, but showered his generous
love upon us.
Amen
Sermon
Song
How great Thou art (MP 506)
1 O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works 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,
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 . . .
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
Blessed are you, Lord God,
from the first of time to the last.
Yours, Lord is the greatness and the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
Yours, Lord is the sovereignty,
and you are exalted over all as head.
Wealth and honour come from you;
you rule all.
Of your own we now give you,
for the good of your Church
and the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayers
Thanksgiving and Intercession
Holy God,
we praise You for the magnificence of the cosmos,
the complexities of our evolving universe,
the beauty we find in the far-flung stars,
the wonder in the tiniest creatures, and
the tender transcendence of love, divine and human.
In meditation,
we gaze upon the face of Jesus,
His eyes concealing the Invisible God, and
His soul seeping the still shalom of the Sacred.
We praise You, O God, for Jesus:
His birth, teaching, healing, and selfless death.
In Him, we are born anew:
refreshed, restored and raised to new life.
God of mercy,
whose steadfast love and faithfulness
have accompanied Your people down the generations,
we lift up before You
those in need at this time:
Bless the President, Prime Minister and other leaders of this land of Laos,
and of the countries we come from.
Grant wisdom and discernment to our leaders
in the complex challenges which they face:
balancing the demands of
economics and health and well-being,
physical and emotional.
May Your Spirit overshadow
health workers around the world;
nurses, doctors, chaplains and all who serve
in hospitals, care homes, hospices
and in the community.
May your protection be over them as they seek to serve and show compassion on others.
Son of Mary,
who sees the struggles and sufferings of mothers,
their burdens of love,
uphold those broken by life’s demands
through the support of prayer,
family, friendship,
and caring agencies.
In our meditations, we are mindful
of children without mothers,
of people across the world who each day
live without money, adequate education,
drinking water, nourishing food or the assurance of personal safety.
Son of Mary,
like You,
may we sit with those denied respect and dignity.
Be present, O Christ,
with those who are dying;
hold the hand of those who are bereaved; and
sooth those who are anxious, alone or fearful.
Accompany us on our journey,
Pilgrim God:
sustain us through the sublime solace of nature,
friendship, Scripture and service of others.
We give You thanks,
God of all,
for the apostles, saints, mystics and martyrs,
who lived and died with the name of Jesus
written indelibly on their hearts;
we give thanks for those we love and have lost
but who have entered the cloud,
the mystery of Your nearer Presence,
life beyond this life.
These prayers we offer in the name of Jesus.
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 for ever.
Amen
Closing Song
Joy to the world (MP 393)
1 Joy to the world – the Lord has come:
let earth receive her king,
let every heart prepare him room
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!
2 Joy to the earth – the saviour reigns:
your sweetest songs employ
while fields and streams and hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3 He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness,
the wonders of his love,
the wonders of his love,
the wonders, wonders of his love.
Prayer of Sending and Blessing
Look forward in hope
to the coming of your Saviour,
prepare the way for Christ your Lord;
welcome him with love and faith
when he comes in glory.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen
in the name of Christ.
Amen
