DIY Sunday Service Kit 22/01/2023 - Has God got a sense of humour? Esther 6:1-14

 

Hi guys

Well, the wind turbine that feeds the internet set-up here is not mended yet, but we've had sunshine today so the solar panels have fed the batteries and are currently taking the load!

Our worship songs today are led from Scotland by '20 Schemes', which exists to plant Biblical, faithful churches across Scotland's deprived inner-urban housing schemes.

Today we're tackling a question that sometimes comes up about God and humour, but there's a lot more there that's of use to us to learn from Esther 6 ... here's the quickest of sound-bite snap-shots ...

Let's pray

Father we thank you that you know us through and through, that you love and care for us and that you provide for us the things we need for our well-being.

Help us to appreciate your provision for us in the every-day things of life, and teach us afresh from your Word the things that we will profit from in our 'every days', and enable us to better walk with you from day to da we pray.

In Jesus' Name.

AMEN.

Let's pray

Sin's definition and the Synod

On Friday the Church of England's General Synod decided to maintain its history stance off opposing gay marriage, introduced blessing gay partnerships and apologised for the rejection and hostility gay people have faced.

Anglican evangelical friends have expressed a range of emotions from deep concern to despair at the consequences of the abandonment of submission to Scripture in some of their church leaders' comment on the matter ... and homosexually orientated evangelical Anglicans who remain celibate out of faithfulness to God's Word have been explaining how very undermined they feel by all these comments.

Can we please pray for those who hold faithfully to Scripture on these issues and on many others that the Lord would encourage their hearts and direct their feet in the way they should go?

Let's pray for our non-Christian friends who are confused or misinformed by all this public discussion, and also pray for ourselves that and all God's people we will grow in discernment, compassion and grace to faithfully reflect God's truth into His world.

Crime and the constabulary

This week a high-profile case against a Metropolitan police officer who was a prolific sex offender has given rise to widespread criticism of the Police.

Let us pray that corruption and criminality will be rigorously rooted out of our country's police forces.

Let us pray that those officers who take pride in their integrity will not feel sullied by the conduct of a minority of their colleagues.

Let us pray that the extensive recruiting campaign going on at the moment in our Dyfed-Powys Police Force will lead to honest and professional police officers being recruited who will serve our area well for many years to come.

Wealth and our Health Service

This week industrial action has left us without nurses and without ambulance staff and junior doctors in England have voted for strike action.

News channels have carried reports of a lot of excess deaths outside these strike days as the NHS in Wales struggles to meet demand, and doctors, nurses and other staff are leaving the service - and sometimes the country - in large numbers.

Many of us would find it easier to protest than to pray about the current situation in our health service.

So could we please take a moment to correct that and pray for our hospital consultants, junior doctors, hospital staff of all sorts, paramedics and ambulance crews and GPs at the front end of health service delivery ... and that we will have effective and efficient health care provision, equitably provided, regardless of personal wealth, supplied according to need and free at the point of delivery?

Abrams, Challenger's and Leopards

There is no doubt that with the coming of Spring there is likely to be a step-change in the severity of the fighting in Ukraine.

Many lives are being lost in fierce battles across a very long front and Ukraine is calling for better armaments for the next stage in the conflict ... specifically British Challenger 2, German Leopard 2 and the American M1 Abrams.

There are fears, particularly in Germany, that this will lead to a significant escalation in the conflict.

Let's pray that those who have to make the decisions involved will be given both wisdom and courage to decide what is best, and that this terrible conflict at the boundaries of Europe will both be prevented from spreading, and be rapidly and justly concluded

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayers for our deeply divided and broken world. Hear from your home in Heaven and bring peace with justice and security to our world, we pray for Jesus' sake.

AMEN.

Here's a deep and moving song born from the Scottish inner city outreach of 20 Schemes

'In this world we still have trouble, but we take heart 

... there is a joyful ending to this story, so we take heart'

Click the Bible below to go to today's reading

(There's a transcript on the podcast page in this link)

Here's the sermon video

We sing again with 20 Schemes

If you'd like to join us in worshipping the Lord by giving to His work please click on the offering bag to go to our giving link.

Let's close in prayer

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give us the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 

    so that with one mind 

        and one voice 

we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN.

Thanks for being with us today.

If we can be of help practically or by praying, or if the ministry has prompted thoughts ... or a testimony to God's goodness ... that you'd like to share for our mutual help and encouragement, please get in touch using HoWChaplain@gmail.com

God bless you in the every-day experiences of the coming week!