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Sunday 20th August 2023

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. 14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. 15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.” Proverbs 15:13-15

Lord of all creation,

We look at your creation and we wonder. Puffins make us smile, spiders make some of us cringe and when we see a woodlice we wonder why? Looking at any new born in creation almost (except perhaps flies and such things) always makes us happy and our faces look cheerful.

A happy heart does make the face look cheerful. But some of us do not have the kind of faces which naturally look cheerful. Perhaps we do not smile enough? Nature or nurture? Some were raised with little to smile about but do. Some were raised happy and look sad. Some people just do not seem to be able to show how they feel. But the writer of Proverbs says the happy heart makes the face cheerful. We can’t make ourselves happy or else all the comfort eating would lead to outbreaks of happiness! We cannot decide to be happy and force a smile. Real happiness and cheerfulness reaches the eyes!

Today help us to give all our heartache and worry and concern over to You. Show us what we have in Jesus to be happy about. Holy Spirit come with joy of the Lord to our hearts. All encompassing joy. Help us to have happy hearts and make our face cheerful and if it is too hard today – give us the certain hope that one day it will be so.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Beloved Saviour,

We pray for those of our family and friends and neighbours who are having it hard and need Your comfort and help and a new touch of joy. We thank You for those who keep us cheerful and we pray You will prepare for each one of us a good week.

Give us good cheer and hope that war will end in Ukraine and soon. Bring it to pass as only You can.

We pray for our nation, our King. That Parliament would return after the summer break with renewed honesty, drive to do the right thing and integrity. Speak to the leadership and Government and Royalty around the world that they might see the best for their country and this beautiful world You have given us.

Thank You for Jesus, for Your Holy Spirit and Your promises.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Sunday 2oth August 2023
A full orchestra, a full house, a full celebration of worship. 10,000 reasons to be cheerful too.

https://youtu.be/w4jEZo8q6ok

Bless the Lord O my soul, O my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up
It’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass
And whatever lies before me
Let me be singing
When the evening comes

Chorus

You’re rich in love
And You’re slow to anger
Your name is great
And Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness
I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons
For my heart to find

Chorus

And on that day
When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will
Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore

Chorus

Lyrics: Matt Redman

Saturday 19th August 2023

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. 14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. 15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.” Proverbs 15:13-15

Father God,

We worship You because we are not a people oppressed by an angry God. We are not a people oppressed by a demanding God and we are not a people slavishly trying to be good and please our God. Yes, you are angry at sin, yes you are worthy of worship and yes you demand holiness. But in our weakness Your strength provided all we need in love through Jesus. We stand in Him in His sinlessness and holiness and give You are worship. After all everything else is Yours. And everything we have is Yours to use, we merely have it on loan.

We do like to give as the first church gave. To provide for the fellowship and those in need. So help us have a cheerful heart in Your presence as we continually feast on Your faith, hope and love. And all the other things we need as they arise and You provide. We feast on Your love as surely as we feast on our favourite food! Surely that must make our hearts cheerful.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Father God,

It is not always right to be cheerful especially when others are sad or coping with responsibilities. Help us to be sympathetic and empathetic when and where we can be. But help us to spread good cheer where we can. We pray for those members of our family who are worriers that You would give them relief. We pray you will give those who have been disappointed and always see the worst a glimpse of cheerful hope.

We pray for our church that it would be a cheerful place for new people to enter and welcoming and will take care of those who can no longer make it to services and those in homes and hospital.

We pray for Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Hawaii, Greece. Today we add Argentina as they go to the vote for a new President. Lord raise someone up who would stand against poverty, inflation and corruption.

Thank you for all we have today.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 19th August 2023

 ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace.

Lyrics: Louisa M R Stead



Friday 18th August 2023

“And he (Jesus) entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Matthew 9:1-3 KJV

God of good cheer,

Jesus had just been asked to leave the country of Gergesenes where he had healed a man possessed but it had caused the loss of a herd of swine. He never forces his company on anyone and leaves with good grace. But You also promised to never leave us – those who love Your presence.

Friends made the effort needed to carry a man paralysed to Jesus. Well there were no electric wheel chairs. The writer notes that Jesus saw their faith and hope. I wonder if it was the paralysed mans idea or those that brought him? Or both?

Jesus gave all his attention to the one in need. He addressed Him personally, intimately to put him at ease and then He asked him to be of good cheer. Not to be afraid but cheerful. When ever we bring someone to You through Jesus or we come ourselves we can be of Good cheer. Because You are a good God. We need not be afraid of You even though You are beyond our comprehension, more powerful that anything we can imagine and Holy and all seeing. Because Jesus is our mediator our righteousness and ready to help.

So we can cheer up. Our sins are forgiven and we can walk in holiness again and again and again. If we follow Jesus and allow Him to lead. Miserable Christians? Maybe sometimes. Underneath it all cheerfully forgiven? Always?

In Jesus name, Amen.

God of good cheer,

Help our family, friends, and those we know in our church congregations and fellowships be cheerful about our faith. We ask too that You would meet their needs so they can find reason to be cheerful too. And for those who do not yet know the joy of Your forgiveness – lead them to a place where they can meet You and hear You.

Ukraine, Lord bring an end to the paralysing, deadly war and speak peace into the hearts of those who are driving it. We pray for Canada experiencing a record number of wildfires causing many thousands to be evacuated. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain there Lord, and stop the fires before they can reach the city of Yellowknife at the weekend.

Thank You for today and all the blessings it holds.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 19th August 2023
Cheer up. The gospel is good news and God is a good good Father.

Oh, I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think You’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And You tell me that You’re pleased
And that I’m never alone

You’re a good, good Father
It’s who You are, It’s who You are
It’s who You are
And I’m loved by You
It’s who I am, It’s who I am
It’s who I am

Oh, I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only You provide
Cause You know just what we need
Before we say a word

[Chorus]

Cause You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us, aah
You are perfect in all of Your ways
Oh, you’re perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Oh, it’s love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
Into love, love, love

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
You are perfect in all of Your ways
It’s who You are
It’s who You are
It’s who You are
And I’m loved by You
You are perfect in all of Your ways
It’s who I am
It’s who I am
It’s who I am

Lyrics: Chris Tomlin