Worship at Home – Sunday 12 September 2021
This short act of worship has been prepared for you to use at home. We invite you to spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people across the Methodist Connexion are sharing this act of worship with you.
Opening Prayer
Wherever we are, you are with us, Lord. Make us aware of your loving presence with us now. Grant us your peace, and fill us with wonder and joy. AMEN
Hymn: StF 357 Jesus – the name high over all
Sing/ Read /pray /proclaim the words or listen to it here
Jesus -- the name high over all,
in hell, or earth, or sky!
Angels revere, and nations fall,
and devils fear and fly.
Jesus -- the name to sinners dear,
the name to sinners given!
It scatters all their guilty fear,
it turns their hell to heaven.
Jesus -- the prisoner's fetters breaks,
and bruises Satan's head;
power into strengthless souls it speaks,
and life into the dead.
O that the world might taste and see
the riches of his grace!
The arms of love that compass me
would all the earth embrace.
His only righteousness I show,
his saving grace proclaim;
'tis all my business here below
to cry:'Behold the Lamb!'
Happy if with my latest breath
I might but gasp his name;
preach him to all, and cry in death:
'Behold, behold the Lamb!'
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Let us pray together
Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all your people on earth, with all the company of heaven and with all creation, we praise and adore you.
You are the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and yet you come to us and invite us to approach you as our loving Father.
We acknowledge our failure to love you as we should, the weakness of our faith and the half-heartedness of our service, but we recognise that, through Christ, we are forgiven and made welcome.
So we come in his name to worship you, and pray your Holy Spirit will guide us and empower us to become the people you created us to be. AMEN
Today’s Gospel Reading: Mark 8: 27-38
Time to Reflect
According to the Gospel writers, Jesus asked many questions; many more, in fact, than he answered! This was one of the things that made him an effective teacher. Rather than giving people simple answers that required no further thought, he asked questions that made them think for themselves. Not only did this help them find the answers to their own questions, it made them reflect more deeply about their relationship with God.
In our reading today, Jesus asked his disciples two questions. The first one was easy to answer: “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples must have had many conversations with folk they met who had their own ideas about Jesus. They were able to report that people thought perhaps he was John the Baptist reincarnated, or Elijah, or one of the prophets.
The second question was much more challenging: “But who do you say that I am?” The answer to this question required faith and commitment. Peter was the first to answer: “You are the Messiah”, that is, the anointed one sent by God to save his people. Peter had perceived the truth about Jesus, but still had much to learn about its implications, as we see in the following verses.
“Who do you say that I am?” is a question all of us need to consider. The answer we give will have an impact on everything else in our lives.
Take a time to sit quietly
A time of prayer
Think of people and situations, near or far, that particularly need our prayers today, as we use this intercession from the Methodist Worship Book Covenant Service:
Loving God, hear us as we pray for your holy catholic Church: make us all one, that the world may believe.
Inspire and lead all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world: establish justice and peace among all people.
Have compassion on all who suffer from any sickness, grief or trouble: deliver them from their distress.
We praise you for all your saints who have entered your eternal glory: bring us all to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Lord our God, you have helped us by your grace to make these prayers, and you have promised through Christ our Lord that when two or three agree in his name you will grant what they ask.
Answer now your servants’ prayers according to their needs; in this world grant that we may truly know you, and in the world to come graciously give us eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father ……
Hymn: Listen to StF 348 He is Lord
or sing a verse of a hymn that comes to mind
He is Lord, he is Lord (StF 348) (methodist.org.uk)
He is Lord, he is Lord;
he is risen from the dead, and he is Lord;
every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
He is King, he is King;
he will draw all nations to him, he is King;
and the time shall be when the world shall sing
that Jesus Christ is King.
He is love, he is love;
he has shown us by his life that he is love;
all his people sing with one voice of joy
that Jesus Christ is love.
He is life, he is life;
he has died to set us free and he is life;
and he calls us all to live evermore,
for Jesus Christ is life.
Anonymous
A prayer of blessing
May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself; may the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service; may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls; and may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, be with you and abide with you always. AMEN
(Words by William Temple, 1881 – 1944)
Original Materials by John Barnett
All Hymns reproduced under CCLi 1144191. Local Churches please insert CCCLi No here 3382 / 761
We are grateful to all the Ministers and Local Preachers from around the Connexion who have contributed to Worship at Home. This resource is administrated by Ministries: Vocations and Worship in the Connexional Team.