Welcome to the CHS Vientiane Worship Resources
Lord God, we gather at this brief moment of time to give You praise for everything and forever.
Your love, like Yourself, has no beginning or end.
Your faithfulness is eternal.
The majesty of the heavens and the myriad wonders of earth bear witness to Your providence.
You have no competitor, no rival, no substitute.
You are right and You are just, Your plans for us are good.
We cannot exhaust Your love, we cannot get our heads around it,
but Your word declares what You are like,
and in Jesus Christ we see enough to satisfy us forever.
our time on earth is short, and Your purpose is long.
Guide us in the business that lies ahead this week.
Help us in the things that challenge us.
Keep us faithful.
Grant us wisdom, and true humility,
as we journey with You before us and behind us,
above us and within us,
through Jesus Christ and in the power of His Spirit.
1 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and corner-stone
chosen of the Lord and precious,
binding all the Church in one;
holy Zion’s help for ever,
and her confidence alone.
2 All within that holy city
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
sing, in perfect harmony;
God the One-in-Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.
3 We as living stones invoke you:
Come among us, Lord, today!
with Your gracious loving-kindness
hear Your children as we pray;
and the fulness of Your blessing
in our fellowship display.
4 Here entrust to all Your servants
what we long from You to gain –
that on earth and in the heavens
we one people shall remain,
till united in Your glory
evermore with You we reign.
5 Praise and honour to the Father,
praise and honour to the Son,
praise and honour to the Spirit,
ever Three and ever One:
one in power and one in glory
while eternal ages run.
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.
We do not see Your will being done on earth.
We admit to times when we ourselves have failed You,
by what we have done or what we have omitted to do.
We have sinned, and we have been sinned against.
Have mercy upon us.
Have mercy on our friends.
Have mercy on our enemies,
for Your name’s sake.
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-14
Second Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34; 53-56
1 My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing that He cannot do.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing that He cannot do.
The rivers are His, the mountains are His,
the stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing that He cannot do.
2 My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing that He cannot do.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
there’s nothing that He cannot do.
He’s called you to live for Him every day
in all that you say and you do.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,
He can do all things through you.
Prayer of Praise
Among the stars,
we praise you;
with sand between our toes,
we celebrate you;
between the trees of the forest,
we hear you;
beside the mountains and valleys,
we witness you;
within the oceans,
we find you;
from polar ice to expanding desert,
we know you.
Wandering God,
may we always have eyes open to you
wherever we look,
knowing you are the God
who moves out into the world
and invites us to follow.
We praise you for the journeys
on which this travelling faith takes us.
May we allow ourselves
to be challenged,
disturbed,
renewed,
by the many meeting places
between heaven and earth
in this world.
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 . . .
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Thanksgiving (using the Ephesians passage)
Good and gracious Father,
We give thanks for blessings
of home and family,
of education and nurture,
of art and science.
For all who make peace, for all who build bridges,
for all who have learned to forgive the past, we give thanks.
For all good people, and for all lovely things,
we bless Your marvellous creation.
For our identity in Christ,
and for those who have explained this and loved it into our lives,
we are truly grateful.
For our place in Christ’s church,
for opportunities to serve and to be served,
we say thank You.
For the wonderful story of our salvation,
for the prophets and apostles who named it,
for the scriptures which carried it into our own history,
we bless Your marvellous purpose.
We thank You that Jesus Christ did not only live for us,
but died and rose again for us.
We give thanks that He lives as the cornerstone of the universe,
that we are built with Him into a holy temple,
unseen yet strong and lasting.
He is our peace: He is peace within our own lives,
He is peace between us all, and His peace is a gift for every situation.
We bless Your marvellous name. Amen.
Intercession (using the Gospel passage)
Let us ask God for rest for the weary ...
We pray for those who are sick and weighed down in body or spirit,
for those who are overworked,
for those who need a break,
for those who near the end of life.
May they know Your peace.
Let us ask God to guide those who are lost or perplexed ...
We pray for all who need shepherding,
and for those who teach and guide others,
in their work, in their home, in their voluntary service.
May they give and receive Your peace.
Let us ask God to provide for the hungry ...
We pray for all who hunger and thirst,
for relief organisations,
for the governments of the world,
for those who rule in our Island state.
May they find peace, create peace, work for peace.
Let us ask God to open places for good news ...
We pray for people who do not know how much You love them,
and for all who share the gospel.
May Your Spirit break down barriers, open hearts,
bring peace.
Let us ask God to hear the prayers of our own minds and hearts ...
These and all our prayers we ask in the name of Jesus
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
1 Blessèd be Your name
in the land that is plentiful,
where Your streams of abundance flow,
blessèd be Your name.
And blessèd be Your name
when I’m found in the desert place,
though I walk through the wilderness,
blessèd be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out I’ll
turn back to praise.
And when the darkness closes in, Lord,
still I will say:
‘Blessèd be the name of the Lord,
Blessèd be Your name.
Blessèd be the name of the Lord,
Blessèd be Your glorious name.’
2 Blessèd be Your name
when the sun’s shining down on me,
when the world’s ‘all as it should be’,
blessèd be Your name.
And blessèd be Your name
on the road marked with suffering,
though there’s pain in the offering,
blessèd be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out . . .
‘Blessèd be the name . . .’
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
‘Lord, blessed be Your name.’
You give and take away . . .
‘Blessèd be the name . . .’
1 We are marching in the light of God,
we are marching in the light of God,
we are marching in the light of God,
we are marching in the light of God (the light of God)!
We are marching (marching,
we are marching, marching,) – Oh,
we are marching in the light of God
(the light of God)!
We are marching (marching,
we are marching, marching,) – Oh,
we are marching in the light of God!
2 We are living in the love of God . . .
3 We are moving in the power of God . . .
Now may the Lord God shepherd you with His Word and Spirit,
and gather you at the last into His fold.
And the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you and those dear to you,
this day and every day.
