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God Of Love, It's Tough Being A Christian...

Intercession
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

God of love, it's tough being a Christian. You don't make life easy for me, you don't even stop awful things happening to me. But you do give me some fabulous and wonderful and thrilling times, even if they're sometimes followed by dark clouds and isolation and pain. God of love, help me to accept the principle that whatever happens, you love me passionately. And dear God, enable me to learn and to grow strong through my wilderness experiences, that I may be ready for whatever work you wish me to undertake.

God of love, it's tough being a Christian. Help me to accept the principle that whatever happens, you love me passionately, and enable me to learn and to grow strong through my wilderness experiences.

Let us pray for the Church and for the world, and let us thank God for his goodness.

Almighty God our heavenly father, you promised through your Son Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray in faith.

God of Creation, your church isn't always very good at recognising patterns. Some of us want to be on a high all the time, and others of us are constantly in the depths of despair. Help your church to realise that church life follows the pattern you set through your son Jesus Christ. With the episcopal church throughout the world we pray for the church of Rwanda, asking that as it continues to dramatically increase in size, it may follow your pattern for its future.

God of Creation, help your church to realise that church life follows the pattern you set through your son Jesus Christ. With the episcopal church throughout the world we pray for the church of Rwanda, asking that as it continues to dramatically increase in size, it may follow your pattern for its future.

Strengthen N our bishop and all your Church in the service of Christ; that those who confess your name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.

God of justice, when we look at the terrible conditions in the poorest countries in the world, life doesn't seem very fair. Help us all to identify with your children in their present pattern of suffering, that we may all learn through it and seek to relieve that sort of suffering by working together to follow your will.

God of justice, when we look at the poorest countries in the world, life doesn't seem very fair. Help us all to identify with suffering, that we may all learn through it and seek to relieve it.

Bless and guide Elizabeth our queen; give wisdom to all in authority; and direct this and every nation in the ways of justice and of peace; that we may honour one another, and seek the common good.

God of compassion, we hover on the brink of yet another world war, and the whole world is reeling from shock. Somehow our patterns of family life and society become distorted, and we don't know how it happens. As you value and care for us even in the wilderness, so teach us to value and care for each other that we make all grow to love what is good and detest what is bad.

God of compassion, as you value and care for us even in the wilderness, so teach us to value and care for each other that we make all grow to love what is good and detest what is bad.

Give grace to us, our families and friends, and to all our neighbours; that we may serve Christ in one another, and love as he loves us.

God of the future, we bring into your presence those of our friends and families who are sick. Lay your healing hands upon them that their wilderness times may emerge into strength and health. We name them in our own hearts...

God of the future, we bring into your presence those of our friends and families who are sick. Lay your healing hands upon them that their wilderness times may emerge into strength and health. We name them in our own hearts...

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind or spirit...; give them courage and hope in their troubles; and bring them the joy of your salvation.

God of love, some of our friends feel hurt and bereft because someone they love has died, either recently, or in previous years at this time. May they feel your arms around them, giving them the strength and support and love they need. Especially we remember the family of ...., and those for whom this time of year brings a sad anniversary....

God of love, some of our friends feel hurt and bereft because someone they love has died, either recently, or in previous years at this time. Especially we remember the family of ...., and those for whom this time of year brings a sad anniversary....

Hear us as we remember those who have died in the faith of Christ....; according to your promises grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of (N and of) all your saints, we commend ourselves and all people to your unfailing love and we ask these prayers through him who set the pattern, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Merciful Father,

Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?
  • Second Thoughts: The Helpers by Katy Stenta based on Amos 7:7-17.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

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