Sitting in different chairs, joining in at different times throughout the day, God’s people still gather for worship on this, the Lord’s day. Welcome, to Sunday worship.
Call to Worship with parts in bold to say aloud:
We, who are members of the one body,
join together to praise God.
We, who are blessed with the gift of grace,
join together to sing of God’s glory.
We, who are part of the family of God,
join together to affirm Jesus as Lord.
Let us worship God together.
HYMN – Real Love…. “the Gospel of Real love, can you feel it, help me preach it”
All-Age Prayer
Loving God,
we do not always see you,
we may not always hear you,
We might not always know it,
but you are always there.
You send your message to us,
you speak to us in so many ways,
through Jesus,
through our friends and family,
through our senses,
and our dreams.
We might not always know it,
but you are always there.
You have called each of us by name,
you have shown your love for us in so many ways,
through Jesus,
through our friends and family,
through our world,
and our emotions.
We might not always know it,
but you are always there.
Help us to be like Peter,
to go and tell the world who you are,
and when we forget, or cannot see you,
help others to show us that:
We might not always know it,
but you are always there.
Amen.
Reading – Matthew 16 v 13 – 20 read by Marlene Johnson
Dramatised reading:
Reflection:
HYMN – Make Way, Make Way
Sunday School for all ages:
My Name
You will need: a book or website listing the meaning of names.
Talk about people’s names. Ask if they know the meaning of their name. Share time looking up
the their names in the book or online and talking about the meaning of their name. Discuss if they think the meaning is an appropriate one for them, in other words whether their character matches the meaning of their name. Discuss if they are ever called by another name at home, a special family name or a nickname. Use these discussions as a way into today’s story about Peter “the rock”. What names do you know for Jesus? Our next song tells us two names that people often call him.
HYMN – King of Kings
Prayers for Others and Ourselves
God of the sea, land, air, and space,
we pray for your continuing blessing
on our troubled planet.
Just as Peter saw Jesus for who he is,
we can see our world for what it is,
your glorious creation, the gift of life,
through knowing you,
we ask for the boldness to do everything
we possibly can to renew and rebuild our planet,
to protect it for all who come after us.
As one body in Christ
the eternal community of your church,
we pray for guidance and support
as we continue
to bear witness to you,
in a world where indifference
far outweighs passion,
we ask for ingenuity, confidence, and hopefulness,
in order to bring your message to
our communities and our world.
Living God,
we pray for ourselves,
for this community of your beloved children,
that we may continue to be the lamp stand that
allows your light to shine into the world.
That we will use all the gifts you have given us
to proclaim your message of love,
to live the way you have told us,
and never shy away from the difficulties that
come with being a Christian in a time of
individualism, fear, and persecution,
help this community of the faithful
to remain true to your teaching and bring the light of
Christ to each person we meet.
As the summer ends,
we pray for all your children, young and old.
For those returning to school after the longest break,
for those preparing for the return to church buildings for worship,
for those without work,
for those with too much,
for those who make sure we have food on our tables,
and for those who labour tirelessly
to keep us safe and healthy,
we ask for your love and support,
that whatever this new season will bring,
they will find peace and surety in you.
God of all,
We pray for your blessing
on all that we are,
and all that we do,
that we may help build your kingdom
today and every day.
Amen.
Prayer of Dedication
As you have bound us to your life-giving self,
we come today in praise,
to declare that Jesus is the Christ,
the Messiah, our Saviour.
We offer these tokens
of money, time and talent,
as a sign of our continued commitment to your church,
its mission and its work,
that it might continue to be built through us
as a solid foundation bearing witness to you,
sharing your love throughout the world.
Amen.
HYMN – The Church’s One Foundation
Sending
Jesus, you ask us—
‘who do you say I am?’
Help us know you.
Grow our understanding of who you are,
what you stand for,
and what you require of us.
Let the door to such knowledge
and relationship be unlocked.
Let your Kingdom be born in us;
and through us be born into our world. Amen