Sunday 23rd August 2020 (11th Sunday after Trinity)
During August the words of the liturgy (confession, creed etc) will be the same each week. Words should appear on the videos but if you wish to print them off you can download the file by clicking on this text.
Before you begin, take a moment to pray. Ask your heavenly Father to show you the grace of Jesus, and to fill you afresh with his Holy Spirit. Think of a few other members of the church (if you are from St George’s) and pray also for them.
Start of Service
We love you, O Lord our strength.
The Lord is our rock, our fortress and our deliverer;
our God is our rock, in whom we take refuge, our shield, our salvation, our stronghold.
You reached down from on high and took hold of us,
you drew us out of deep waters, you rescued us because you delight in us.
The Lord lives!
Praise be to our Rock! Exalted be God our Saviour!
Therefore we will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
We will sing the praises of your name. [Based on Psalm 18]
God’s Word is good, true and pure. Our words often reveal a heart in which sin still dwells. So we confess our sin to God.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence,
and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. [Based on Psalm 51]
The almighty and merciful Lord
grant you pardon and forgiveness of all your sins,
time for amendment of life,
and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
What can wash away our sin? “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
The Law of God makes us aware of our need for God’s grace. Praise the Lord- he is gracious!
bible reading and sermon
The sermon is based on Psalm 54, the fourth of five sermons on Psalms 51-55. You can read the text at Bible Gateway and watch the video as Colin reads the Psalm - on a rather windy day!
After the sermon, take time to respond to God’s Word to you. Whenever we hear from God a good practice is to think of TSP (“teaspoon”):
T for Thank You - what do you need to praise God for?
S for Sorry - what do you need to confess?
P for Please - what do you need to ask of God, for yourself and others?
“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” Our next song tells that that Jesus really is strong and kind to help us.
creed and prayers
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
he became incarnate from the Holy Spirit
and the Virgin Mary and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy
catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Angela Keates now leads us in prayer.
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 forever.
Amen.
Psalm 54 ends with praise. “I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.”
blessing
commissioning
Father God, you have adopted us as your daughters and sons:
help us to live as children of light
bringing glory to your holy name.
Jesus Christ, you suffered and rose again for us:
teach us to seek first your kingdom
as we deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, you stir us to love and good works:
strengthen us to fight against sin, the world, and the devil
so that your will, not ours, may be done.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you have saved us:
send us into the world to proclaim your gospel. Amen.
BLESSING
The peace of God, which passes all understanding,
guard and keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be among you,
and remain with you always. Amen.
Live in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
This week we have “The Blessing” from India, one of several you can find from that country.
If you are not a regular member of St George’s but want to connect with us, please please contact us via this page. We have Evening Prayer using Zoom every day (except Saturdays) at 5pm and you are welcome to join us. Contact us for details. Our Prayer page gives you Bible readings and reflections for each day and many of us are finding these such an encouragement.
Find out more about hope during the coronavirus pandemic.
hymns and song to learn for the future
A modern hymn, doing what good hymns always do: directing us to Christ and telling the story of salvation.
This is a lovely song to express faith in God when life is very hard.
“My Hope is Built On Nothing Less” - what a great hymn. Do you know it? Click the ‘Settings’ icon (gear-wheel) at the bottom of the video and turn on the English Subtitles if you want to see the words.