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“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! ¹⁶Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. ¹⁸ When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. ²⁰ The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.” Exodus 14:15-20 NLT

Lrd God, My Father,

A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In the front to guide and lead and in the rear to protect and separate form approaching evil. The times I would have liked to see physical evidence of your leading or protection of threatening trouble. But then we have You, Holy Spirit to bring us Your presence and comfort. They could not know You personally or even know Your nature as we do in Jesus. Jesus, the visible image of You, God (Colossians 1:15).

You have always sought to lead Your people, even when they did not want to listen! And never gave up on them even when they wandered and sinned. And then You sent the Good Shepherd, Jesus. You showed that You both lead us together as a body of believers (Ephesians 4:4) and as individuals with different callings and gifts (Romans 12:6-8)..

Today as it is Sunday and a day to worship we pray for our church and the church worldwide in all its shapes, colours, traditions and worship. Wherever Jesus is Lord. Lead Your church into the future, come what may, heal it and protect it from falling within and without. And take care of each individual sheep.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Sunday 9th February 2025

The church’s one Foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is His new creation,
by water and the Word;
from heav’n He came and sought her
to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.

Elect from ev’ry nation,
yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation,
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy Name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with ev’ry grace endued.

Tho’ with a scornful wonder,
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

‘Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with Thee.

Lyrics: Samuel John Stone

This hymn was written as a direct response to the schism within the Church of South Africa caused by John William Colenso, first Bishop of Natal. The bishop was deposed for his teachings, and appealed to the ecclesiastical authorities in England where Samuel Stone became involved in the debate. It inspired Samuel to write a set of hymns titled Lyra Fidelium; Twelve Hymns on the Twelve Articles of the Apostle’s Creed (1866).He alluded to the controversy in the third verse, “Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed . . . ” The church survived and grew . . .