25 August 2024
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
This morning we had our 10 am Parish Eucharist, as it is august the choir was not in session so no anthem, but plenty of lovely hymns!
The service was followed by a baptism, so a busy morning!
Lots of activities in September coming up. Next week we have our football tournament, the following week is our Patronal Festival and we shall be working in the Church Yard on Saturday morning. On the 14th It is the Ride and Stride day and this will be followed by a Barbeque at Church, sign up im church for catering purposes!
On the 21st of September Dr Sam Kelly will be conducting a Bat Walk in the evening. St Marys has a large bat population with 12 different species, so this will be very interesting. Sign up required, see details in church.
More details nearer the time!
A reading from the first book of Kings.
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.
Ephesians 6:10-20
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
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.
John 5:56-69
Hear the goapel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to the crowd:
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.’
