Welcome & Announcements
Welcome to our ‘Church at Home’ service for Sunday 28th February 2021. On this page you will find prayers, readings, hymns, and a short video message to help you to worship God this morning wherever you are. Today we continue our sermon series looking at the Parables of Jesus.
This Week
On Thursday we will have our monthly Zoom Prayer Time. This is an important time to gather to pray for our church and our world, so I encourage you join us at at 7:30pm on Thursday 4th March (Zoom details will be included in the weekly email sign up here). If there is anything you would like prayer for, please fill in our prayer request form.
Next Week
Our AGM will be held on Zoom on Monday, 8th March, at 7.30 p.m. It will be a short meeting for essential business only. Reports will be sent out to members before the meeting.
Call to Worship – Psalm 22:23-31
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honour him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfil my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him –
may your hearts live for ever!
All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him –
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Hymn 257 – What a Friend we Have in Jesus
Opening Prayer
O Lord our God,
You alone are God.
There is no one else is like you,
no other that can do the things that you have done.
You hear all our prayers for help
and you answer our needs with comfort and mercy.
You are the source of our joy,
and the giver of all our blessings.
You are good, always ready to forgive;
and full of unfailing love towards us.
You teach us your ways
and your word leads us to live in your truth.
You purify our hearts
so that we are free to honour you.
With all of our hearts we will praise you,
we give glory to your name forever;
for your love for us is great,
and because you have rescued us from the depths of death.
You are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
God of Life,
Look down and have mercy on us.
Give your strength to your servants;
save us and send us a sign of your favour.
Let your face shine on us this morning
and save us in your unfailing love.
Almighty God,
your Son was revealed in majesty
Before he suffered death upon the cross.
Give us faith to perceive his glory,
that being strengthened by his grace
we may be changed into his likeness,
from glory to glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Children’s Story – The Widow and the Judge
Children’s Praise – The Lord’s Prayer
Reading Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.”
‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”’
And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’
Sermon – The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Hymn 486 – Amazing Grace
Final Prayer
May the God of love, who shared his love,
strengthen us in our love.
May the Son who shared his life
grant us grace, that we might share his light.
And may the Holy Spirit dwelling in us
empower us to serve the Lord.
Amen
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