Sunday Reflection & Service Notes

Sunday Reflection - 29th March 2020

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Please find Breathe on Me, Breath of God here to listen to at your own leisure as mentioned in Philip's message above.

Readings & Prayers

The Bible readings reflect that this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Notice the role of God's Spirit, heard here as 'breath'. In a moment of breathlessness in our lives, be still and breathe. Go online to listen to Breathe on me Breath of God. At some point today consider reading them through and explore what meaning you hear embodied in them, for you. That is, what do you hear God saying to you in these scriptures?

The Bible readings shared today (Sunday) with Christian congregations throughout the world are from:

The Prophet Ezekiel Chapter 37. verses 1-14. Psalm 130. Paul's Letter to the Romans Chapter 8 verses 6-11. The Gospel of John Chapter 11 verses 1-45. The readings are provided at the end of the prayers.

These two forms of prayer that follow may help you in your own quiet prayer.

Holy God, Before raising Lazarus Jesus gave you thanks.  Following his example we now give you thanks for hearing our prayers even before we pray them.

(Short Silence)

In our world today where people are to be separated from each other and we endeavour to create new ways of being together; We thank you for the presence of Christ here with us today in our homes as we seek comfort and peace a resurrection in this life.

(Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

Creator God Once again the shadow of fear comes close to home with the Covid-19 Virus.  We pray for the many people who have contracted the Coronavirus in our own country and overseas.  Bring comfort to those grieving loved ones who have died and peace to those worried, fearful and uncertain as the virus spreads.  We also pray for those in authority and those with essential skills who are developing strategies to contain and deal with the virus and those in the health services who may be risking their own lives to care for sick patients. Help us all to be responsible in the things that we do in our lives to prevent the spread of the virus by taking heed of the recommended precautions and by avoiding situations which may make things worse. May we responsibly keep ourselves and others safe.

(Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

Father God in his spending time with Mary, Martha and Lazarus Jesus showed his love for those friends who had become like family to him.  We thank you for our friends and for the richness and diversity that they bring to our lives.  Help us to return that gift to them whenever we next meet and create in us the desire to keep in touch with those who we see less frequently.

(Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

Loving God, touch, heal and restore all who are ill.  We lift up those we hold in our hearts, minds and prayers  (add names of those requesting prayer) May your loving peace be with all who seek your healing touch and breath.

(Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

Merciful God, the death of a friend is one of life’s most difficult situations to cope with.  Help us through Jesus’ example to recognise that our tears are natural and bring healing.  We remember those who have died and pray for those who mourn, especially those known to us. We pray too for those who this day will die unprepared, and because of disease, die alone./

(Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

onsider being still for a moment and pray for those who come to mind.

Jesus Christ, you travelled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the Coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.

Heal those who are sick with the virus.

May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.

Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbours from helping one another.

Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders. Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.

Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace.

Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.

Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace.

Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.

Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.

Jesus Christ, heal us.

So, may the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.

So, may the Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Ezekiel 37: 1-14

37The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ 4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath*to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath* in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath:* Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath,* and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

11 Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’

Psalm 130

1  Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. 2  If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who could stand? 3  But there is forgiveness with you,   so that you shall be feared .4  I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;   in his word is my hope. 5  My soul waits for the Lord,      more than the night watch for the morning,   more than the night watch for the morning. 6  O Israel, wait for the Lord,  for with the Lord there is mercy; 7  With him is plenteous redemption   and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Romans 8: 6-11

6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit*is life and peace. 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit,* since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit* is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ* from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through* his Spirit that dwells in you.

John 11: 1-45

11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,* ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus* was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ 8The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ 9Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ 11After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ 12 The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin,* said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus* had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles*away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25 Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.* Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,* the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 35 Jesus began to weep.36 So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37 But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ 40 Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

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