St Andrew’s Church, Prayer & Praise, Wednesday, 21 October 2020

 Call to Worship

 All who are thirsty,

Come drink from the waters of life! 
 All who are weary,

Come bathe, be refreshed in God’s river! 
 All who long for peace,

Come rest in the clear, silent pools of God’s love! 

 Hymn 449 Love divine

 Isaiah 55:1-5a; 6-11

Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
 and you that have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
 Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price. 
 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
 Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food. 
 Incline your ear, and come to me;
    listen, so that you may live.
 
 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
    call upon him while he is near; 
 let the wicked forsake their way,
    and the unrighteous their thoughts;
 let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 
 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 
 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
    and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
 making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 
 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
 but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Meditation from Jesus Calling (with music, All who are Thirsty, 1025):  My Thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways My ways.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My Ways and thoughts higher than yours. 

Summing up prayer:  Lord we marvel at the wonder of being able to commune with you any time, any place.  Let us never take this amazing privilege for granted.  

 Colossians 4:2

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Meditation from Jesus Calling:  Though I am vastly higher and greater than you, I am training you to think My thoughts.  As you spend time in My Presence, My thoughts gradually form in your mind.  These communications strengthen you and prepare you for whatever is before you on your journey. Take time to listen to My voice.  Through your sacrifice of precious time, I bless you far more than you dare to ask.

Silence

Hymn Sheet, Bless the Lord my Soul

John 4:10-13

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Hymn 90, Come, Holy Ghost

Prayer  Open up to God In prayer.  A chance to share our concerns.  A chance to thank God.

Collect                                                                 

O God, forasmuch as without you
we are not able to please you;
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
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. Amen.

 The Lord’s Prayer is said

Hymn 51, Be Thou My Vision

Blessing

God’s peace: carry, keep and hold us. 

God’s love: nourish, bless and enfold us.

God’s spirit: inspire, lift and mold us.

Almighty God: Triune, holy and blessed

Be with us now and forever.

Amen! May it be so!

 Go in peace to love and serve the Lord

In the name of Christ, Amen