Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.

Jeremiah 17.7 (NIV)

Today’s Proverb

Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? (NIV)

The Lord has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking? (GNB)

Proverbs 20.24

This is a curious Proverb – curious because it will seem like a real relief to some and a controlling curse to others.

It’s probably one of the biggest sins we can commit in today’s world: to deprive someone else of their ‘self-determination’, i.e. tell someone they can’t do something they want to or – even worse – stop them doing it. Hence the confusion and challenges of issues around sexuality and gender identity. The underlying assumption is that ‘freedom’ means ‘being able to do whatever you want’.

In fact, that definition of freedom is so much part of our culture that most of you reading this probably thought, ‘Well yes, of course it is, what else could it be?!’ when you read that. But friends, that isn’t freedom, it’s greed and selfishness. It is in fact the total opposite of freedom: the Bible calls it slavery, slavery to desire and sin.

St Augustine wrote this prayer: Eternal God, the light of the minds that know you, the joy of the hearts that love you, and the strength of the wills that serve you: grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may truly serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notice how he describes ‘perfect freedom’: serving God out of love. It goes like this: know God, love God, serve God – find perfect freedom. In lovingly serving the God who loves us, we are finally free to be who we really are – not selfish, instinctive, and beholden to our desires, but humble and holy, gentle and strong, wholehearted and faithful.

Friends, let us see the world’s fake freedom for what it is – greed – and instead find perfect freedom in lovingly serving the God who loves us.

Prayers

Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.

Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:

Janet Wilson, Catriona Paton, Joyce Moore

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

We also pray for: Baptism Candidates & Families

Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.

Church Family Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.

Amen.

The Lord’s 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 for ever.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.

Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6

May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.