Lord you have freed us from the slavery of
sin and called us to be sons and daughters
of God.
Help us to work for the bringing in of your
kingdom, Jesus Christ our Lord, who
reigns with Father and the Holy Spirit.
For ever and ever. Amen
We pray for your church, that it may be a holy and serving church.
May we reveal your love through our care and acceptance of others.
We pray for the work of the church among the poor and the oppressed, that
in you we may all come to the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Amen, Lord make it so.
Guide the leaders of our nation into the way of peace and good will.
We pray for those who strive to bring peace in difficult situations and
for all who bring unity and harmony to this world.
May they be guided by your spirit.
Amen, Lord make it so.
Lord, make our homes places of holiness and hospitality.
In our dealings fill us with grace and goodness,
make us welcoming and friendly.
Amen, Lord make it so.
Lord, we pray for all who have lost their freedom through sickness and
immobility.
We pray for the world-weary, the heavily burdened, the worn out and the
broken,
that all may know in their hearts the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Amen, Lord make it so.
Our Bible readings for this week:
Genesis 22: 1-14
The Command to Sacrifice Isaac
After these things God tested Abraham.
He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said,
“Here I am.” He said, “Take your son,
your only son Isaac, whom you love, and
go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of
the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning,
saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son
Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the
place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham
looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men,
“Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship,
and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt
offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the
knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father
Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and
the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham
said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the
two of them walked on together.
When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an
altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him
on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and
took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from
heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said,
“Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that
you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns.
Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead
of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said
to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Matthew 10: 40-42
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and
whoever welcomes me welcomes the one
who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet
in the name of a prophet will receive a
prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a
righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of
the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these
little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose
their reward.”
Collect
God our Saviour,
look on this wounded world
in pity and in power;
hold us fast to your promises of peace
won for us by your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen
Blessing
May the God of peace
bring peace to this house.
May the Son of peace
bring peace to this house.
May the Spirit of peace
bring peace to this house,
this day and forever.
Amen
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