Morning Prayer, St. Andrew’s Church, Coniston

Wednesday, 2 September 2020
Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, 1901, 1942

https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/martyrs-remembered-in-papua-11630773.html

The church in Papua New Guinea has been enriched by martyrdom twice in the twentieth century. James Chalmers, Oliver Tomkins and some companions were sent to New Guinea by the London Missionary Society. They met their death by martyrdom in 1901. Forty years later, during the Second World War, New Guinea was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and Christians were severely persecuted. Among those who died for the faith were two English priests, Vivian Redlich and John Barge, who remained with their people after the invasion of 1942 but were betrayed and beheaded, together with seven Australians and two Papuan evangelists, Leslie Gariadi and Lucian Tapiedi.

Preparation

O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Psalm 145

¹ I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will bless you,
    and praise your name for ever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
    his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵ On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶ The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
⁷ They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

¹⁰ All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
¹² to make known to all people your^[a] mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendour of your^[b] kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.^[c]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling,
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶ You open your hand,
satisfying the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷ The Lord is just in all his ways,
    and kind in all his doings.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
    he also hears their cry, and saves them.
²⁰ The Lord watches over all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹ My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Hymn: 10000 Reasons

https://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E

1 Peter 4:12-end

Suffering for Being a Christian

¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶ However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”^[a]

¹⁹ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Matthew 28: 18b to the end

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Hymn: What a beautiful name

https://youtu.be/6Yc3exCsHCw

Prayers

The heavens are roaring the praise of your glory

You have no rival

You have no equal

Yours is the kingdom

Yours is the glory

Yours is the name above all names

What a powerful name it is

The name of Jesus Christ my king

Watchful at all times, let us pray for strength to stand with confidence before our Maker and Redeemer.

That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy, let us pray to the Lord

Prayer

silence

Let us commend the world, which Christ will judge,
to the mercy and protection of God.

The Collect of the day

Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray
and to give more than either we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid
and giving us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask
but through the merits and mediation
of 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

Hymn: We rest on thee

Alleluia.The Conclusion

Blessing

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me.

Christ beside me, Christ to win me

Christ to comfort and restore me

Christ beneath me, Christ above me

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord

In the name of Christ, Amen.