Golden Thread: July 2020

Holy Holy Lord Steve Bell

A Service for

Wholeness and Healing

July 19, 2020

With resources from the Church of England

Are any among you sick?

They should call for the elders of the church

and have them pray over them,

anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:14

Mine Eyes Have See the Glory

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

he hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword;

his truth is marching on.

Refrain:

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

he is sifting out the hearts of all before his judgment seat.

O be swift, my soul, to answer him; be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;

as he died to make us holy, let us die to make all free,

while God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning of the wave;

He is wisdom to the mighty, he is succour to the brave:

So the world shall be his footstool, and the soul of time his slave;

Our God is marching on.

Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

be with you all.

And also with you.

Collect for Purity

Almighty God,

to you all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from you no secrets are hidden.

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you,

and worthily magnify your holy name;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession

Dear friends in Christ,

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy,

healing the sick and forgiving the sinful.

May God, who enlightens every heart,

help you confess your sins

and trust in his mercy.

Most merciful God,

Have mercy on us,

in your compassion forgive our sins,

both known and unknown,

things done and left undone,

Silence

O God,

uphold us by your Spirit

that we may live and serve you in newness of life,

to the honour and glory of your name;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Do you turn to Christ?

We turn to Christ.

Almighty God,

who forgives all who truly repent,

have mercy upon you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in life eternal;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Collect of the Day

O God, patient and forbearing,

strengthen our spirit when we are slow

and temper our zeal when we are rash,

so that in your own good time

you may produce in us a rich harvest

from the seed you have sown and tended;

through Jesus Christ, the promise of a new creation. Amen

Opening Prayers (1997) alt.

Genesis 28:10-19a

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’

So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks be to God

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 Domine, probasti

Lord, you have searched me out

and known me.

You know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You trace my journeys and my resting-places

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Indeed, there is not a word on my lips,

but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

You press upon me behind and before

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is so high that I cannot attain to it.

Where can I go then from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I climb up to heaven, you are there;

if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand will lead me

and your mighty hand hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,

and the light around me turn to night.”

Darkness is not dark to you;

the night is as bright as the day;

darkness and light to you are both alike.

Search me out, O God, and know my heart;

try me and know my restless thoughts.

Look well whether there be any wickedness in me

and lead me in the way that is everlasting.

Romans 8:12-25

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks be to God

Jesus, Where’er Your People Meet

Jesus, where'er your people meet,

there they behold your mercy seat;

where'er they seek you, you are found,

and ev'ry place is hallowed ground.

For you, within no walls confined,

are dwelling in the humble mind;

such ever bring you where they come,

and going, take you to their home.

Dear Shepherd of your chosen few,

your former mercies here renew;

here to our waiting hearts proclaim

the sweetness of your saving name.

Here may we prove the pow'r of pray'r

to strengthen faith and sweeten care,

to teach our faint desires to rise,

and bring all heav'n before our eyes.

Lord, we are few, but you are near;

nor short your arm, nor deaf your ear;

O rend the heav'ns, come quickly down,

and make a thousand hearts your own.

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

according to Matthew.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

Let us confess the faith of our baptism as we say,

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again

to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Nearer, My God, To Thee

Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,

still all my song shall be,

nearer, my God, to thee;