Posted by am - 140706

JOIN IN THESE PRAYERS AT HOME AND IN THE GROUPS

Week beginning 16th July 2006

A Prayer for Life: Lord, you do not call us to a destination but a journey, a journey of continual new discoveries and new experiences of your love. Save us from ever thinking we have arrived, from imagining we know all there is to know or that we have exhausted the riches of everything you would reveal to us. Open our eyes to the great adventure of life and to the unfathomable mysteries of your purpose, and so help us to be a pilgrim people, travelling in faith as so many before us, until we reach at last the kingdom you hold in store for all your people.

Give Thanks for all the good things in our lives, for family and friends for those who care in our society at all levels and in all places, both locally and nationally. Thanks especially for the safe arrival of Jerry Kale and his family from St.James in Galeshewe. Jerry as Churchwarden brings greetings from all at St. James and we all hope his visit will regenerate our link and lead to new ways forward in Sharing Life together.

Pray for All Our Congregations especially for Encounter today.

Pray for Lighthouse Marlow 2006 as the planning and publicity moves into the last two weeks. Pray for those working to make the week a success and for the children and the adult helpers who will come to share in fellowship and to learn more about the joy of Christian life and discipleship. Pray for all the other Lighthouses in Wycombe, Burnham, Great Missenden, Hazlemere and Princes Risborough, happening in just one week’s time.

Pray for our Team and all those involved with the continuing task of selecting a new team vicar. May they all be guided by the Holy Spirit in the search to find the right person for the team at this time. May God’s will be done.

Special Request Prayers

Pray for the peoples of Palestine and Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and Indonesia.

Pray for those continuing to raise the profile of Make Poverty History as promises made by politicians last year are still not fulfilled and millions are still starving.

Fellowship Group; Tuesday 8:00pm (Tony Threlfall’s home. tel. 471610)

Community Groups; Held on various evenings. Contact Sue Morton 475686

16 July 2006 Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Collect Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Churchis governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Reading Ephesians 1.3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. God destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of God’s will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of God who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people to the praise of his glory.

Gospel Mark 6.14-29 King Herod heard of the healings and other miracles, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife." And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptizer on a platter." The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Post Communion Prayer Grant, O Lord, we beseech you, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by your governance, that your Church may joyfully serve you in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

23 July 2006 Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Collect Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Reading Ephesians 2.11-22 Remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision" – a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands – remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

Gospel Mark 6.30-34, 53-56 The apostles returned from their mission. They gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Post Communion Prayer God of our pilgrimage, you have led us to the living water: refresh and sustain us as we go forward on our journey, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Texts from NRSV in Visual Liturgy