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:

By his power God raised Jesus from the dead,
and he will raise us also.

1 Corinthians 6.14 (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.

Proverbs 22.11

For a few days now I have been struck by the contrast between the decades of dedication to service shown by Prince Philip, and the greasy underbelly of political lobbyists being exposed – even implicating ex-PM David Cameron. It seems that leaders (the people Solomon is referring to using the shorthand ‘the king’) don’t always seek out purity and grace, but personal gain.

But which is more attractive? I know not everyone reading this will be pro-monarchy, but to me his example makes the world of politics look even worse. Despite making mistakes, he and the Queen have shown for more than 70 years what it means to serve God and country in the place he has called you to.

Sometimes Christians can fret about what God is ‘calling’ them to do. It’s an important question to ask, but in fretting over specifics we can lose sight of the – much more important – general calling of all God’s people to be people of purity and integrity (the Bible calls this ‘holiness’), to speak with grace, to learn from the wisdom of God and stand up for his truth.

Can you imagine the effect we might have on those around us if we really lived like that?

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:

Mary Wilson, Cynthia Taylor, Doug & Irene Dean

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: Pre-Schools in Amington

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.