Abstract
24th November: Christ the King Sunday
Call to Prayer:
I will exalt You, my God the King
I will praise Your name for ever and ever
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
His greatness no-one can fathom
Lord of Lords and King of kings it is good to give You thanks and praise. Images of Your glory, majesty and power are all around us: the infinite wonder of Your created world, the intimate wonder of Your knowing each one. Judge of all the earth You are a God of powerful dignity and tender compassion as now we have gathered to worship reveal once more the searching love You have for us as our Father in heaven hold us once more in the gracious love You have for us in Jesus our Lord inspire us once more with that burning love You have for us as Holy Spirit. And with the angels in heaven let the song we raise and the prayer we offer be the true adoration of our hearts in Jesus Christ our Lord. God of justice and compassion who in their right mind would dare resist Your royal will? Which one of us has the right to murmur at Your wise decrees? Who among us has the wisdom to doubt Your royal promises? Yet all these things we confess to have done for we are not worthy of the love You grace us with nor the new life Your Son’s sacrifice won for us. We grasp to ourselves the little powers and vanities of this world using them to justify our words, thoughts and deeds. Redeemer of our souls have mercy on our foolish pride; set us free from the burden of trying to be more than we are and of wanting more than we need and recreate in us the life You would have us live. May the God of love and mercy forgive you and set you free from all your sin. Jesus said, arise, go in peace, your faith has made you whole. God our Father help us to hear the call of Christ the King and to follow in his service whose kingdom has no end for he reigns with You and the Holy Spirit one God, one glory. Amen
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Blessing and honour and glory and power are Yours, O God and to You we offer our heartfelt thanks and praise for in Your imagination You created the heavens and the earth and by Your love You sustain it from day to day. We thank You for the gift of this new day and with it the care and protection of home and family work that is challenging and fulfilling hobbies and activities that entertain and delight good friends when days are bright and filled with laughter and special friends when tears flow and all is dark. But above all we praise You for Christ our Lord whose presence brought healing to those who were sick who forgave sin and renewed hope whose love transformed lives then and transforms them now, once put on trial and crowned with thorns but now risen in glory. God of goodness and grace Your Son is king and head of the church we pray for the church in this and every land; help her be faithful to Christ in prophetic word and sacrament. Through the courage and faith of Your people let Your truth and passion for justice be preached and lived transforming the lives of all Your people. Christ came not as a mighty king in battle but as the Prince of peace sent to heal and restore our broken world. We pray for the troubled areas of our world where wars are fought and people suffer towns and villages where disease is rampant and poverty unremitting. We pray for the world’s leaders and all who have the power to make a difference that they will use that power and influence to feed people hungry, shelter people homeless provide medical care and education for those who need it and seek a just and lasting peace for all. We pray for the Queen giving thanks for her life of loyalty, service and love and praying that You will continue to bless her with wisdom and good health in the fulfillment of all her duties. We pray for our country for neighbourhoods where neglect and deprivation makes life hard for homes where women are beaten and children abused for people who are out of work or homeless all for whom each day is a struggle to survive and make ends meet. We pray too for colleagues, neighbours, friends known to us whose home and family life is overshadowed by accident or illness and all who walk through the dark valley of the shadow of death. God of time and eternity as we pray that Your kingdom will come and that Your will be done on earth as in heaven assure us that in You we place a trust well founded. Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change courage to change the things we can and wisdom to know the difference in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, be all glory and praise, now and for evermore. Amen.