St. Paul’s Simple Saturday Service

June 20, 2020

From the New Zealand Prayer Book

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Romans5:5 Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise. Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom,

thanksgiving and honor, power and might, be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.

Great and Wonderful

Great and wonderful are your deeds O Lord God the almighty: just and true are your ways O Sovereign of the nations.

Who shall not revere and praise your name O Lord?: for you alone are holy.

All nations shall come and worship in your presence: for your just dealings have been revealed.

To the One who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb: be blessing and honor, glory and might for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 15:3b-4; 5:13

E te whānau a te Karaiti / Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us praise and worship God who has called us together. Let us celebrate God’s majesty, and delight in the wonder of God’s love. Together we shall confess our sins and receive assurance that we are forgiven. As the scriptures are read, we can allow God’s word to speak to us, and ponder its meaning for our lives. In our prayers, we give thanks for God’s goodness, we pray for others as well as for ourselves, and we offer our lives anew in Christ’s service. All this we do, because we believe in the presence among us of our Savior Jesus Christ, and in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

Hear these words of scripture.

If we claim to be sinless, we are self-deceived and strangers to the truth. If we confess our sins, God is just and may be trusted to forgive our sins and cleanse us from every kind of wrong. Spirit of God, search our hearts.

Almighty and merciful God, we have sinned against you, in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with all our heart. We have not loved others as our Savior Christ loves us. We are truly sorry. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Almighty God, who pardons all who truly repent, forgive your sins, strengthen you by the Holy Spirit, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

The Ministry of the Word

O come, let us sing to the Lord, let us rejoice in the rock of our salvation.

We sing to you, O God, and bless your name; and tell of your salvation from day to day.

We proclaim your glory to the nations, your praise to the ends of the earth. Psalm 137:1-6

1 By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, * when we remembered you, O Zion.

2 As for our harps, we hung them up * on the trees in the midst of that land.

3 For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth: * “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song * upon an alien soil?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, * let my right hand forget its skill.

6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, * if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.

Psalm 144

1 Blessed be the LORD my rock! * who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;

2 My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, * my shield in whom I trust, who subdues the peoples under me.

3 O LORD, what are we that you should care for us? * mere mortals that you should think of us?

4 We are like a puff of wind; * our days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down; * touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Hurl the lightning and scatter them; * shoot out your arrows and rout them.

7 Stretch out your hand from on high; * rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples,

8 Whose mouths speak deceitfully * and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.

9 O God, I will sing to you a new song; * I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.

10 You give victory to kings * and have rescued David your servant.

11 Rescue me from the hurtful sword * and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,

12 Whose mouths speak deceitfully * and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.

13 May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, * and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.

14 May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; * may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands; may our cattle be fat and sleek.

15 May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, * no wailing in the public squares.

16 Happy are the people of whom this is so! * happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever. Amen.

A Reading from the First Book of Samuel (14:16-30)

Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude was surging back and forth. Then Saul said to the troops that were with him, “Call the roll and see who has gone from us.” When they had called the roll, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For at that time the ark of God went with the Israelites. While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle; and every sword was against the other, so that there was very great confusion. Now the Hebrews who previously had been with the Philistines and had gone up with them into the camp turned and joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise, when all the Israelites who had gone into hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed closely after them in the battle. So the LORD gave Israel the victory that day.

The battle passed beyond Beth-aven, and the troops with Saul numbered altogether about ten thousand men. The battle spread out over the hill country of Ephraim.

Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day. He had laid an oath on the troops, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is evening and I have been avenged on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted food. All the troops came upon a honeycomb; and there was honey on the ground. When the troops came upon the honeycomb, the honey was dripping out; but they did not put their hands to their mouths, for they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the troops with the oath; so he extended the staff that was in his hand, and dipped the tip of it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers said, “Your father strictly charged the troops with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food this day.’ And so the troops are faint.” Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if today the troops had eaten freely of the spoil taken from their enemies; for now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God. God is My Salvation

Behold God is my salvation: I will trust and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my song: and has become my salvation.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation: and in that day all of you will say,

Give thanks and call upon the name of the Lord: make known among the nations what the Lord has done, proclaim that the name of the Lord is exalted.

‘Sing praises for the Lord has triumphed gloriously: let this be known in all the earth.

Shout and sing for joy you people of God: for great in your midst is the Holy One.’ Isaiah 12:2-6

Glory to the Father and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now: and shall be for ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Gospel of Luke (23:32-43)

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God. The Song of Simeon

Lord now you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled.

My own eyes have seen the salvation: which you have prepared in the sight of every people,

a light to reveal you to the nations: and the glory of your people Israel. Luke 2:29-32

Glory to the Father and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now: and shall be for ever. Amen.

The Interactive Sermon When have you seen, with your own eyes, the salvation God has prepared “in the sight of every people”? What did it look like?

Make your ways known upon earth, O God, your saving power among all peoples.

Renew your Church in holiness, and help us to serve you with joy.

Guide the leaders of this and every nation, that justice may prevail throughout the world.

Let not the needy, O God, be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Make us instruments of your peace, and let your glory be over all the earth. Holy God, grant us the beginning of wisdom and love to cast out every fear: that we may grow more brave, more ready to hear, more ready to obey; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever.

Amen. Gracious God, you have given us much today; grant us also a thankful spirit. Into your hands we commend ourselves and those we love. Be with us still, and when we take our rest renew us for the service of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

In darkness and in light, in trouble and in joy, help us, heavenly Father, to trust your love, to serve your purpose, and to praise your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Go now to love and serve the Lord. Go in peace. Amen. We go in the name of Christ.