Church Service on Sunday, January 17th, 2021 Second Sunday after the Epiphany

   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

“Arise, shine, for your light has come; and over you the glory of the Lord has dawned. ”   
(Isaiah 60: 1)

 
The Collect
Almighty God,
your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
is the light of the world.
Grant that your people,
may shine with the radiance of his glory,
that he may be known,
worshipped, and obeyed
to the ends of the earth;
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. 
Amen  


Approach to God

God of abiding love,

present in all our beginnings,

acquainted with all of our ways,

intricately woven into the depths of all things –

You understand our thoughts from far off,

and know our ways intimately.

As we gather to worship You,

nothing is hidden from You.

May we recognise Your voice in our midst.

As we gather to give You thanks and praise,

may we relish all of the days You have written for us.

As we sing, pray and tell our stories,

Grant that when we come to the end of ourselves

we would find You.

Amen


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.
Amen

Silence

(*Reaching Down)

"Lord you reach down into our darkness,
into the pits and the traps others make for us,
into the mire and mess we make for ourselves,
into the despair and disappointment of this difficult world.

You reach down and step into our darkness,
making yourself small,
making yourself like us.

Not distant, not holding back
but walking every difficult mile
every foot-wearing journey
of this Emmaus life.

Every Calvary Road, every Valley of Shadow,
you take the stones in our shoes
and place them in yours.
You limp beside us.

Quietly, silently, often in the guise of others,
in the hands and feet, tears and smiles
of friends and strangers,
and in the profound name and caring presence of
the Man of Sorrows,
the Prince of Peace,
the Son of Man:
Jesus." 


Gracious God. 
Hear our confessions, forgive, and have mercy on us in Jesus' name.

Amen

(*© the Dave Hopwood/engageworship.org)



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

First Reading:  1 Samuel 3:1-10
Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Gospel:  John 1:43-51


Song

Here I am, Lord (MP857)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zr9SMm1glI

1  I, the Lord of sea and sky,

I have heard My people cry.

All who dwell in dark and sin

My hand will save.

I who made the stars of night,

I will make their darkness bright.

Who will bear My light to them?

Whom shall I send?

        Here I am, Lord.

Is it I, Lord?

I have heard You calling in the night.

I will go, Lord,

if You lead me.

I will hold Your people in my heart.


2  I, the Lord of snow and rain,

I have borne My people’s pain.

I have wept for love of them.

They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,

give them hearts for love alone.

I will speak My word to them.

Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord . . .


3  I, the Lord of wind and flame,

I will tend the poor and lame.

I will set a feast for them.

My hand will save.

Finest bread I will provide

till their hearts are satisfied.

I will give My life to them.

Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord . . .


Prayer for / with the Children

Prayer activity
To respond to God’s call, we need to listen
out for God’s voice. Ask everyone to close
their eyes as though asleep (but you want
them to listen and not sleep!). 
Read Psalm
139:1−6,18 twice, asking everyone to listen
out for one thing that the psalmist says
about what God does. 
Allow for a short
time of silence, as long a time as people are
comfortable. Then invite people to call out
the one thing that has struck them. 

Conclude with the following...
 
Thank you, God,
for always being with us, always near us and
always willing to communicate with us. Help
us to listen!
Amen

Sermon 
 


Song

Speak, O Lord as we come to You (MP1350)

1 Speak, O Lord, as we come to You

to receive the food of Your holy word.

Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;

shape and fashion us in Your likeness,

that the light of Christ might be seen today

in our acts of love and our deeds of faith.

Speak, O Lord, and fulfil in us

all Your purposes, for Your glory.


2 Teach us, Lord, full obedience,

holy reverence, true humility.

Test our thoughts and our attitudes

in the radiance of Your purity.

Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see

Your majestic love and authority.

Words of power that can never fail;

let their truth prevail over unbelief.

 

3 Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;

help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us.

Truths unchanged from the dawn of time

that will echo down through eternity.

And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises,

and by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.

Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built

and the earth is filled with Your glory.

 





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

Father, Son, and Spirit Holy,
we give you thanks and praise,
and dedicate to you
our thoughts, our words,
our gifts, our deeds,
the working of our hands,
the thinking of our minds,
the loving of our hearts.
Shield us this day
for the sake of Christ of the wounds.
Keep us from offence,
and compass us with your love
for ever and for evermore.  
Amen

    

Prayers

Thanksgiving 

Generous God 

From our hearts we thank You 

We say thank You for friends and for family  

Generous God 

From our hearts we thank You

We say thank You for our church and our community

Generous God

From our hearts we thank You

We say thank You for Your Church in the world

Generous God

From our hearts we thank You

We say thank You for the people in our community

Generous God

From our hearts we thank You

We say thank You for Your creation, the world in which we live

Generous God

From our hearts we thank You


We say thank You for the many ways You touch our lives.

For laughter, for conversation,

for bird song and cool mornings,

for the people and places in our communities that are important to us.


We say thank You

for times of silence and space to just be,

for company and chance encounters,

for simple things and special moments.


Thank You that You are with us in the highs and lows of life,

when we are busy and when we are still,

When we believe with all our hearts,

and when we are barely hanging on by our fingertips to our faith.

You create and recreate and knit us together again.

And we say thank You

for the gift of Your love,

Given to us in Christ Jesus.

Generous God

From our hearts we thank You

Amen


Intercessions

Reconciling God,

We pray for Your World.

May all that is divided

by doctrine or politics,

class or nationality,

be united in Your praise.


We pray for a peaceful world,

where children grow up without fear,

where security rests on trust rather than threats,

and where nations fight against poverty

rather than against each other.


We pray for all in authority,

that those who lead us,

may establish right priorities,

and that by Your wisdom and their vision

the world may reflect Your kingdom.


Healing God,

We pray for those who are ill and suffering,

for all who are worried

for those who are grieving

or experiencing trauma

and for a world gripped by the repercussions of pandemic.


May we all know
the power of Christ to sustain us
and the love of friends near and distanced to support us.
You know our greatest fears, our longings and our hopes,
sometimes these are expressed in so many different ways,
so Lord, in Your mercy,
hear those prayers.

Eternal God,
Present among us.
You are with us in our gathering,
You are with us in our distancing.
Hear our prayers,
and blend our voices together,
unite us by Your Spirit
as we join together in the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray,
in the language of our heart... 


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
 

Take my life, and let it be (MP624)




1  Take my life, and let it be
    consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
    take my moments and my days,
    let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2  Take my hands, and let them move
    at the impulse of Thy love;
    take my feet, and let them be
    swift and beautiful for Thee.

3  Take my voice, and let me sing
    always, only, for my King;
    take my lips, and let them be
    filled with messages from Thee.

4  Take my silver and my gold,
    not a mite would I withhold;
    take my intellect, and use
    every power as Thou shalt choose.

5  Take my will, and make it Thine;
    it shall be no longer mine:
    take my heart, it is Thine own;
    it shall be Thy royal throne.

6  Take my love; my Lord, I pour
    at Thy feet its treasure store:
    take myself, and I will be
    ever, only, all, for Thee.



 
Prayer of Sending and Blessing

Leader: God bless us today that we may be a blessing
All: in our seeing,
In our hearing,
In our speaking.

Leader: God bless to us today that we may be a blessing
All: In our reaching
In our holding
In our letting go

Leader: God bless to us today
All: in our thinking,
In our feeling
In our loving,
Amen


Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in the name of Christ.
Amen 
 

 

  

Labels: , , ,