Welcome to the CHS Vientiane Worship 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
"If Christ is in you, the Spirit is your life."
(Romans 8: 10)
The Collect
Almighty God,
without you we are not able to please you.
Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Call to Worship
The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. (Psalm 20: 1,2)
Opening Hymn of Praise
Give thanks with a grateful heart (MP 170)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2vICKfeS9Y
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One;
give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son.
Give thanks . . .
And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say, ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us;
and now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say, ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks . . .
And now . . .
give thanks to the Holy One;
give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son.
Give thanks . . .
And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say, ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us;
and now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’,
let the poor say, ‘I am rich’,
because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks . . .
And now . . .
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
Living God, in our desire for meaning and purpose in life,
You remind us that You are available to us in our hour of need.
As we reach out in our times of searching,
You promise us that You will listen and answer beyond our imaginings.
When we place our trust in our human enterprises,
You call us back to Your holy place, to meet with You, and to rest in Your presence.
Forgive us for putting our trust in the things of the world.
When others look for success in their chariot and horses in times of battle,
let us put our trust in Your ways.
When the world builds success on power and control,
let us believe in Your ways of building a kingdom of righteousness and love.
When we fall short of all You expect of us,
let us hold to Your promise that You will pick us up again,
and set our feet on Your path once more.
So we turn from human enterprise to the Kingdom of God,
from human failure to the forgiveness of God,
from human weakness to the strength of God,
from human focus to the purpose of God our Lord.
We praise Your name,
and rejoice in the love and strength,
the purpose and the success, the triumphs and growth that come,
not from our hands, but from Yours alone.
And when our time of prayers is over,
let us lift up our heads and look ahead with courage.
When our time of devotion is complete,
let us rise with confidence to service and commitment.
For You are our answer in our time of need.
You are our answer in the hour of our calling.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
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
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
Song
Psalm 23 (MP 1008)
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want.
He makes me lie in pastures green.
He leads me by the still, still waters,
His goodness restores my soul.
And I will trust in You alone,
and I will trust in You alone,
for Your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me home.
DESCANT
I will trust, I will trust in You.
I will trust, I will trust in You.
Endless mercy follows me,
goodness will lead me home.
2 He guides my ways in righteousness,
and He anoints my head with oil,
and my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delights.
And I will trust . . .
3 And though I walk the darkest path,
I will not fear the evil one,
for You are with me, and Your rod and staff
are the comfort I need to know.
And I will trust . . .
He makes me lie in pastures green.
He leads me by the still, still waters,
His goodness restores my soul.
And I will trust in You alone,
and I will trust in You alone,
for Your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me home.
DESCANT
I will trust, I will trust in You.
I will trust, I will trust in You.
Endless mercy follows me,
goodness will lead me home.
2 He guides my ways in righteousness,
and He anoints my head with oil,
and my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delights.
And I will trust . . .
3 And though I walk the darkest path,
I will not fear the evil one,
for You are with me, and Your rod and staff
are the comfort I need to know.
And I will trust . . .
Prayer with and for the children
Dear God,
do you know about what I did last week that I haven’t told anyone?
Do you know how I feel inside when someone hurts me or praises me?
Do you know what I worry about and what makes me happy?
Do you really see into my heart and feel my soul?
May we judge others the way you judge us.
May we look beyond the skin, the colour, the language, the religion,
and see the whole person and celebrate who they are.
do you know about what I did last week that I haven’t told anyone?
Do you know how I feel inside when someone hurts me or praises me?
Do you know what I worry about and what makes me happy?
Do you really see into my heart and feel my soul?
May we judge others the way you judge us.
May we look beyond the skin, the colour, the language, the religion,
and see the whole person and celebrate who they are.
That in seeing the world and its people and all of your creation as you see it, we may also love with your love.
This prayer we make in Jesus' name.
Amen
Sermon
Song
Be Thou my vision (MP 51)
1 Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that Thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
naught be all else to me, save that Thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
2 Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
3 Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for the fight,
be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower:
raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
5 High King of heaven, after victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Prayer of Dedication
Gracious God,
when your kindness and generosity
dawned upon the world,
and you lavished your love upon us
in Jesus Christ our Saviour,
you called us to believe in you
and to devote ourselves to loving and serving you
and those whose lives you reach out to through us.
Now we bring our gifts to you,
and offer them, and our whole life,
with joy for your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Prayers of Intercession
Loving God,
faith, You tell us, as small as a grain of mustard seed is always enough.
faith, You tell us, as small as a grain of mustard seed is always enough.
Remind us, now, that prayers, small and feeble though we may believe them to be,
will always be enough, if they are offered in a spirit of devotion
and a willingness to be close to Your will and Your ways.
Remind us that Your will unscrambles our stumbling words,
our wayward thoughts, our random ideas, our scattered images,
and sees in them growth and purpose, and creates from them something beautiful for You.
We pray, now, for those closest to us –
those around us in the community of faith, on-line, electronically, in spirit and in fellowship, those we see face to face, those whose images appear on our screens, those you are fixed in our mind’s eye.
For family and friends, for church and community,
for all who matter to us in the bonds of love, we pray today.
We pray for those who are our guides for life and faith,
who point us to the ways of the Kingdom –
for the teachers of our children and students, on-line or in class,
for their diligence and commitment;
for those who teach us our faith, by what they say and do, through what they know and are;
for all who are heroes and role models for us and those we love …
that they might all be strengthened in the ways of righteousness.
who point us to the ways of the Kingdom –
for the teachers of our children and students, on-line or in class,
for their diligence and commitment;
for those who teach us our faith, by what they say and do, through what they know and are;
for all who are heroes and role models for us and those we love …
that they might all be strengthened in the ways of righteousness.
We pray for people who serve in community and nation,
who walk in the corridors of responsibility and sit in the chambers of decision-making;
for those who stand tall for what is right;
for those who give of themselves for the benefit of others …
that they may always place the greater good above the love of self.
who walk in the corridors of responsibility and sit in the chambers of decision-making;
for those who stand tall for what is right;
for those who give of themselves for the benefit of others …
that they may always place the greater good above the love of self.
We pray for all in need, broken or ill at ease in body, mind or spirit …
We continue to remember in our prayers Terry Muir, who is gravely ill and for his wife Phouang and young son, James. We also remember his sons and daughter back in the UK. We pray for Patrick, Andrew and Caireen. May your blessing and protection be upon them all and may they recognise and trust in the hope of glory made known in Jesus.
And, in the silence, we name other people and situations before you … (Silence)
And what of us, small as a mustard seed, frail as a green shoot, fearful as an uncertain plant?
Strengthen us in our growth;
take us and use us for your purposes;
let us believe in Your ways and not in our own success and failures.
For we are Yours, and Yours alone.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen
Now, let us join in the prayer our Lord himself taught us:
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
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
By faith we see the hand of God (MP 1262)
1 By faith we see the hand of God
in the light of creation’s grand design;
in the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
who walk by faith and not by sight.
2 By faith our fathers roamed the earth
with the power of His promise in their hearts:
of a holy city built by God’s own hand –
a place where peace and justice reigns.
We will stand as children of the promise,
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
we’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
3 By faith the prophets saw a day
when the longed-for Messiah would appear
with the power to break the chains of sin and death,
and rise triumphant from the grave.
4 By faith the church was called to go
in the power of the Spirit to the lost,
to deliver captives and to preach good news
in every corner of the earth.
We will stand . . .
5 By faith this mountain shall be moved
and the power of the gospel shall prevail,
for we know in Christ all things are possible
for those who call upon His name.
We will stand . . .
We will stand . . .
. . .we’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Prayer of Sending and Blessing
God is good.
God’s purposes are just.
God’s way is right.
God’s road is ours to follow.
Christ’s truth is our guide.
His message is for our salvation.
The Spirit gives us life.
Our fullness and hopefulness are secured.
So go now, in the goodness of God,
to walk God’s Way,
to follow God’s Truth,
to live God’s Life,
and to be embraced,
now and always,
by God’s blessings.
And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all,
evermore.
Amen
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in the name of Christ.
Amen
