St Catherine & St James’ Church Service of the Word for Climate Sunday Sunday 25 August 2024

Hymn 52 Ratisbon

Penitence

Let us ask our good Lord for his mercy.

Lord, who created the whole world and constantly fill it with your presence, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, who, through the Cross and your saving work, have united heaven with the earth, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, who have prepared a new heaven and a new earth for us, have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy.

Almighty God,

who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy on you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect

Almighty God, Creator and Lord of the world,

you have blessed the whole creation

and made humanity its guardian.

Let all your children in spirit and truth rejoice with you.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

A reading from the first book of Kings.

The Dedication of the Temple

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, (the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites), before King Solomon in Jerusalem; to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to Heaven. He said, ‘O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant (my father) David, as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand.

Therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.

‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Have regard to your servant’s prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day towards this house, the place of which you said, “My name shall be there”, that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays towards this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray towards this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling-place; heed and forgive!

‘Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name, (for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm); when a foreigner comes and prays towards this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel; and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.’

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. 1 Kings 8: 1,6,10-11,22-30,41-43

Psalm, Quam dilecta! (84)

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! •

My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2 The sparrow has found her a house

and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: •

at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

3 Blessed are they who dwell in your house: •

they will always be praising you.

4 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, •

in whose heart are the highways to Zion,

5 Who going through the barren valley find there a spring, •

and the early rains will clothe it with blessing.

6 They will go from strength to strength •

and appear before God in Zion.

7 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; •

listen, O God of Jacob.

8 Behold our defender, O God, •

and look upon the face of your anointed.

9 For one day in your courts •

is better than a thousand.

10 I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God •

than dwell in the tents of ungodliness.

11 For the Lord God is both sun and shield;

he will give grace and glory; •

no good thing shall the Lord withhold

from those who walk with integrity.

12 O Lord God of hosts, •

blessed are those who put their trust in you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

A reading from the Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians.

The whole armour of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ephesians 6.10-20

Hymn 630 Franconia

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St John.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The words of eternal life

Jesus said ‘Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6: 56-69

Affirmation of Faith

We are not alone; we live in God’s world.

We believe in God: who has created and is creating,

who works in others and us through the Spirit.

We trust in the Creator.

We are called to be,

to celebrate God’s presence,

to live with respect in creation,

to love and serve others,

to seek justice and to resist injustice,

to seek out models for hope and peace

We are not alone.

(Source, United Church of Canada)

Hymn 333 Harington

We say our prayers

With Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecologists, let us bring before the Lord our requests for all of us gathered here, for the Church and for the whole world.

We pray for the Church: to be a beacon of hope throughout the world, reminding us all of our responsibility to care for and protect God’s precious gift of creation.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

We pray for the world, our common home: that through God’s grace we may hear its cry for the damage done and be moved to protect it for future generations to enjoy.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for those people who are already facing droughts, floods and storms: that God may grant them strength and hope for the future as they work to adapt to the changing climate.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for our parish and our local community: that through the grace of God we may hear the urgent cry of the earth and of the poor and be inspired to respond at this crucial time.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer

God, source of all goodness, we call you Creator;

you have made our wonderful world and you keep it alive.

Help us to be full of care and grateful for our home

received from you as a gift.

May we work to make this, our common home,

a place of peace and justice, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Source, CAFOD)

Our Father, who art in heaven:

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory

for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of commitment

Let us pray together, and say