Welcome
On Friday evening our government announced that Dublin would be moving into Level 3 of their ‘Living with COVID-19’ plan, which means that the Blackrock congregation will not be able to gather together for worship this Sunday.
This is disappointing, but we understand the need to protect the people of our city and county. We are aware too that these additional restrictions will have other implications on many in our community, and we encourage you to be praying for our church and to keep in contact with each other.
So welcome back to our ‘Church at Home’ services! 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 are continuing our sermon series looking at the New Testament Letter to the Philippians.
Call to Worship – Psalm 145:1-8 (NLT)
I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever.
I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness.
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power.
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendour
and your wonderful miracles.
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Hymn 512 – May the Mind of Christ my Saviour
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father,
The earth belongs to you and everything in it,
the world and all its inhabitants were made by you.
All our lives we have been surrounded
by the blessings of your goodness.
Today we praise and worship you,
and join with whole fellowship of believers
in heaven and on earth
in exalting you as God and King.
Merciful God,
you are the fount of every blessing,
and you know the thoughts of our heart.
Lord God, we confess that
we have sinned against you,
and done evil in your sight.
Wash us from the stains of our past sins,
and give us grace and power
to put away all hurtful things;
so that, being delivered form the bondage of sin,
we may bring forth worthy fruits of repentance.
Almighty God,
you created the heavens and the earth,
and made us in your image.
Teach us to discern your hand
in all your works
and to serve you
with reverence and thanksgiving;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
Reading – Philippians 1:27-2:4 (NRSV)
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
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 Talk – The Prisoner, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song
Children’s Praise – I’m gonna Jump Up and Down
Alpha Online Invite
I want to invite you an Alpha Online course that I am hosting over the next few weeks, starting this Wednesday 23rd at 7:30pm via Zoom.
Alpha is opportunity to explore the questions of life, faith, and meaning. Last year, approximately 30,000 churches and organisations all over the world ran Alpha with over 1.3 million participants.
Alpha Online begins with everyone logging on to Zoom at 7:30pm each Wednesday for a quick chat and catch up. Then I will stream a video that we all watch at the same time, and then have a discussion about what we think after it. The course covers topics like; Who is Jesus?, How can I have faith?, How does God guide us?, and Does God heal today? We will aim to finish each evening by 8:45pm.
If you would like to try Alpha Online you can sign up here
Sermon – living as Citizen of Heaven (Philippians 1:27-2:4)
Hymn 150 – The Church’s one foundation
Final Prayer
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all, evermore,
Amen
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Blackrock 