Daily Devotions
(Jump to: Sun am, Sun pm, Mon am, Mon pm, Tues am, Tues pm, Wed am, Wed pm, Thurs am, Thurs pm, Fri am, Fri pm, Sat am, Sat pm)
These daily devotions are for those who wish to base their worship on the New Testament, and whose time for prayer may be limited.
This order may be used by itself or as a brief form of daily worship, with the inclusion of a Scripture reading or readings.
Each week the seven sections of the Lord’s Prayer are covered, with a morning and evening devotion for each day.
The same pattern is followed throughout:
| – | a short opening, followed by a Gospel reflection, based on one or more Gospel sayings; |
| – | after a brief meditation, a reflection on the epistles; |
| – | the daily reading of Scripture may follow; |
| – | the order concludes with prayer. |
Sunday Morning
Theme
The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Nōu te rangatiratanga, te kaha, me te korōria ake ake ake.
Call to Worship
Sleeper awake! Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you. Alleluia.
Gospel Reflection
How blest are those who are poor in spirit:
the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
How blest are the sorrowful:
they shall find consolation.
How blest are those of a gentle spirit:
they shall have the earth for their possession.
How blest are those who hunger and thirst to see right prevail:
they shall be satisfied.
How blest are those who show mercy:
mercy shall be shown to them.
How blest are those whose hearts are pure:
they shall see God.
How blest are the peacemakers:
they shall be called children of God.
How blest are those who have suffered persecution
for the cause of right:
the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
How blest are those who follow Jesus
and the Saviour’s command to love.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
We set our hearts on heaven,
where Christ is at God’s right hand.
Christ is our life, and when he appears,
we too will share his glory.
Christ lives in us.
Though our bodies will die,
yet for us the Spirit is life;
the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from death.
This is our secret.
Christ is in us;
we will share the glory of God.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father in heaven,
the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
E tō mātou Matua i te rangi,
nōu te rangatiratanga, te kaha, me te korōria,
ake ake ake.
God,
you are our beginning and you will be our end;
we are made in your image and likeness.
We praise and thank you for this day.
This is the day on which you created light
and saw that it was good.
This is the day in whose early morning light
we discovered the tomb was empty,
and encountered Christ, the world’s true light.
This is the day you have made;
we shall rejoice and be glad in it.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace;
where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Eternal God,
grant to us this day and every day
such readiness and delight in following Christ,
that whether our lives are short or long
we shall have lived abundantly.
Amen.
Sunday Evening
Theme
The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Nōu te rangatiratanga, te kaha, me te korōria, ake ake ake.
Call to Worship
Great beyond all question is the mystery of our religion;
Christ was manifested in the body,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels.
Christ was proclaimed among the nations,
believed in throughout the world,
glorified in heaven.
Gospel Reflection
A grain of wheat is a solitary grain
till it falls to the ground and dies.
A grain of wheat is a solitary grain,
but dead it bears a mighty harvest.
Praise to Jesus, the resurrection and the life.
All who have faith in Christ,
though they die, they will come to life;
and no one who is alive in faith will ever die.
For the Son of Man was raised up
so that everyone who believes in Jesus
may have eternal life.
Look on Jesus, lifted up,
lifted high to redeem the world.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
All we long for is to know the Christ
and the power of his resurrection,
to share in the sufferings of Christ
and become like him in his death.
For anyone united to Christ
the world is new.
The old order has gone;
the new has already begun.
So we press eagerly towards the goal
in order to win the prize,
the call that comes from God
to life with Christ in glory.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father in heaven,
the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
E tō mātou Matua i te rangi,
nōu te rangatiratanga, te kaha, me te korōria,
ake ake ake.
God,
you are our beginning and you will be our end;
we are made in your image and likeness.
We praise and thank you for this day.
This is the day on which you created light
and saw that it was good.
This is the day in whose early morning light
we discovered the tomb was empty,
and encountered Christ, the world’s true light.
For us your acts are gracious
and your love endures for ever.
O divine Master,
grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled,
as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Jesus our inspiration,
you come in the evening as our doors are shut,
and bring peace.
Grant us sleep tonight,
and courage tomorrow to go wherever you lead.
Amen.
Monday Morning
Theme
Hallowed be your name on earth as in heaven.
Kia tapu tōu ingoa ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Call to Worship
Always be joyful, pray continually;
give thanks, whatever happens.
Gospel Reflection
Hear Jesus’ words:
When you do a kindness,
hide from your left hand what your right is doing.
Your good deed must be secret.
When you pray, pray privately alone,
when you fast, don’t make a show of it,
don’t do it to be seen;
and your Father who sees in secret
will reward you.
Would any of you who are parents
give your child a wētā when asked for a fish?
Bad as you are, you know what to give your children;
how much more will the heavenly Father
give to those who ask.
Believe what Jesus says,
God is generous; God is good.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
E te whānau, let us love one another,
because love is from God.
We love because God loved us first,
and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
If we do not love the people we have seen,
it cannot be that we love God, whom we have not seen.
God is love;
those who dwell in love are dwelling in God,
and God in them.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
hallowed be your name
on earth as in heaven.
E tō mātou Matua,
kia tapu tōu ingoa
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Holy One, holy and eternal,
awesome, exciting and delightful in your holiness;
make us pure in heart to see you;
make us merciful to receive your kindness,
and to share our love with all your human family;
then will your name be hallowed on earth as in heaven.
Lord God,
when you give to us your servants any great matter to do,
grant us also to know that it is not the beginning,
but the continuing of it, until it is thoroughly finished
which yields the true glory.
God of work and rest and pleasure,
grant that what we do this week may be for us an offering
rather than a burden;
and for those we serve, may it be the help they need.
Amen.
Monday Evening
Theme
Hallowed be your name on earth as in heaven.
Kia tapu tōu ingoa ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Call to Worship
There is nothing in death or life,
in the realm of spirits or superhuman powers,
in the world as it is or the world as it shall be,
in the forces of the universe, in heights or depths –
nothing in all creation
which can separate us from the love of God
which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Love never comes to an end.
Gospel Reflection
God of the scriptures, you said,
‘I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob.’
We praise your holy name.
God our life, you are God of the living, not of the dead.
You are the only God,
and we love you with all our heart.
We love our neighbour as ourselves.
God of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel,
in helping the least important,
we help you in your need,
and enter into your joy.
You are the living God;
Jesus is your name,
and the glory is yours.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
We have come to the holy mountain
and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem;
before myriads of angels,
before the full assembly of the first-born citizens of heaven.
We have come to God who is the judge of all,
and the spirits of the good, made perfect;
we have come to Jesus, mediator of the new covenant.
Let us give thanks,
and worship God with reverence and awe,
for our God is a consuming fire.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father, hallowed be your name,
on earth as in heaven.
E tō mātou Matua,
kia tapu tōu ingoa
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Holy One, holy and eternal,
awesome, exciting and delightful in your holiness;
make us pure in heart to see you;
make us merciful to receive your kindness,
and to share our love with all your human family;
then will your name be hallowed on earth as in heaven.
Support us, Lord, all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes,
the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over,
and our work done;
then Lord, in your mercy, give us safe lodging,
a holy rest and peace at the last.
God our judge and our companion,
we thank you for the good we did this day
and for all that has given us joy.
Everything we offer as our humble service.
Bless those with whom we have worked,
and those who are our concern.
Amen.
Tuesday Morning
Theme
Your kingdom come on earth as in heaven.
Kia tae mai tōu rangatiratanga
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Call to Worship
Arise, shine, for your light has come.
The glory of the Lord is risen upon us.
Gospel Reflection
The time has come; the kingdom of God is upon us.
Let us repent and believe the gospel.
The kingdom of God is like yeast:
a woman takes it and mixes it with flour until the dough is risen.
The kingdom of God is like a buyer looking for fine pearls.
When he finds one exceptional pearl,
he sells everything he has, and buys it.
When we set our minds on God’s reign,
our hearts on God’s justice,
everything else will be ours as well.
Listen to Jesus who proclaims good news,
which he alone fulfills.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
Who are we whom God has called?
Few of us are wise, few are powerful.
Yet to shame the wise
God has chosen what the world counts folly;
to shame the strong
God has chosen what the world counts weakness.
In union with Christ Jesus, we are all children of God.
Baptised into union with Christ,
we have put on Christ like a garment.
There is no such thing as Jew or Greek,
slave or free, male or female;
we are all one in Jesus Christ.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father, your kingdom come
on earth as in heaven.
E tō mātou Matua,
kia tae mai tōu rangatiratanga
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Ruler of the everlasting kingdom,
prince of peace, champion of the despised:
you are the king;
you make a cross your throne;
you wear a crown of thorns;
you call your subjects friends.
Help us to take up our cross,
to hunger and thirst for all that is good;
then will your kingdom come on earth as in heaven.
God,
grant us the serenity
to accept the things we cannot change,
the courage to change the things we can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
God our life,
be with us through this day,
whether or not it brings us joy.
Help us when evening comes to recall one benefit,
for which to give you thanks.
Amen.
Tuesday Evening
Theme
Your kingdom come on earth as in heaven.
Kia tae mai tōu rangatiratanga
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Call to Worship
Now that we have been justified through faith,
let us continue at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Christ we have been allowed to enter
the sphere of God’s grace where now we stand.
Gospel Reflection
Kings lord it over their subjects,
but with us the highest must be like the lowest,
the chief like a servant.
Who is greater - the one who sits at table
or the servant who waits?
Surely the one at table.
Yet Jesus is among us like a servant.
He came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
So when we have done all that we have to do,
we shall simply be servants who have done our duty.
Come to Jesus, all those whose work is hard,
whose load is heavy,
and you will be renewed.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have been given new birth into a living hope
by the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a dedicated nation;
we are a people claimed by God
to proclaim the triumphs of Christ.
Christ has called us from darkness into his marvellous light.
We who were not a people at all, are now God’s people.
We were outside God’s mercy once,
but now we are blessed and forgiven.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
your kingdom come
on earth as in heaven.
E tō mātou Matua,
kia tae mai tōu rangatiratanga
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Ruler of the everlasting kingdom,
prince of peace, champion of the despised:
you are the king;
you make a cross your throne;
you wear a crown of thorns;
you call your subjects friends.
Help us to take up our cross,
to hunger and thirst for all that is good;
then will your kingdom come on earth as in heaven.
Look down, Lord, from your heavenly throne.
Illuminate the darkness of this night
with your celestial brightness,
and from us, the children of light,
banish for ever the deeds of darkness.
God our judge and our teacher,
let us not waste time when the day is done in
guilt or self-reproach.
Give us rather the courage
to face whatever has been,
accept forgiveness, and move on to something better.
Amen.
Wednesday Morning
Theme
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Kia meatia tāu e pai ai
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Call to Worship
Make full use of the present opportunity.
Give thanks every day for everything.
Gospel Reflection
We cannot serve God and money;
we cannot be slave to two masters.
So we shall enter by the narrow gate.
The gate is wide that leads to perdition, and many go that way.
But the gate to life is small, the road is narrow,
and those who find it are few.
If we want to be with Jesus,
we must forget ourselves, carry our cross and follow.
If we want to save our life we will lose it
but if we lose our life for Christ and for the gospel,
we will save it.
With us it is impossible, but not for God.
Only God can save us.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
In everything we do,
in our troubles, difficulties and hardships
we show we are God’s servants.
By purity, patience and kindness,
by the Spirit and by our love,
and by our message of truth,
we show ourselves for what we are.
We may seem poor, but we make many rich;
we seem to have nothing,
but we possess all that there is to have.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
E tō mātou Matua,
kia meatia tāu e pai ai
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Creator of the universe, infinite and glorious,
you give us laws to save us from our folly;
give us eyes to see your plan unfolding,
your purpose emerging as the world is made;
give us courage to follow the truth
courage to go wherever you lead;
then we shall know blessings beyond our dreams;
then will your will be done.
Almighty and everlasting God,
we thank you that you have brought us safely
to the beginning of this day;
keep us from falling into sin or running into danger,
and guide us to do always what is right in your eyes.
Holy and enabling Spirit,
give wings to our morning prayers.
May those we support and cherish with our love
receive your grace to help them in their need.
Amen.
Wednesday Evening
Theme
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Kia meatia tāu e pai ai
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Call to Worship
Kneel in prayer to the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth
takes its name;
that out of the treasures of glory
God may grant us strength and power
through the Spirit in our inmost being;
that Christ, through faith,
may dwell in our hearts in love.
Gospel Reflection
Jesus, friend of sinners,
you call us to love our enemies,
to do good to those who hate us,
to bless those who curse us,
and pray for those who treat us badly.
Jesus, reconciler,
when someone slaps us on the cheek,
you call us to offer the other;
when someone takes our coat,
you bid us give our shirt as well;
when someone takes what is ours,
we may not demand it back.
Jesus, Son of God, our friend and brother,
when we love our enemies and do good
we are children of God,
who is kind to the wicked and ungrateful.
Jesus, teacher without peer,
you have turned the world upside down.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whose loving kindness we have been born anew;
born to a living hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;
born to an inheritance which will never perish
or be frittered away,
but is kept for us in heaven.
We rejoice, though now we suffer trials,
so that our faith, tested by fire,
may resound to the praise and glory and honour of God.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
E tō mātou Matua,
kia meatia tāu e pai ai
ki runga ki te whenua,
kia rite anō ki tō te rangi.
Creator of the universe, infinite and glorious,
you give us laws to save us from our folly;
give us eyes to see your plan unfolding,
your purpose emerging as the world is made;
give us courage to follow the truth,
courage to go wherever you lead;
then we shall know blessings beyond our dreams;
then will your will be done.
Thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the cruel pains and insults you have borne for us;
for all the many blessings you have won for us.
Holy Jesus, most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,
may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly, day by day.
God of peace,
be with us through this night which waits for us;
bless us if it brings us sleep;
support us if it brings us pain or anxiety,
till we come once more to the morning light of another day.
Amen.
Thursday Morning
Theme
Give us today our daily bread.
Hōmai ki a mātou āianei
he taro mā mātou mō tēnei rā.
Call to Worship
None of us lives and none of us dies for ourselves alone.
Living or dying we belong to the Lord.
Gospel Reflection
Jesus, you are the bread of life;
those who come to you will never be hungry;
those who believe in you will never thirst.
You are the living bread from heaven;
the bread you give is your own flesh,
and you give it for the life of the world.
All who eat your flesh and drink your blood
live in you and you in them;
for your flesh is the food we need,
your blood is our salvation;
all who eat your flesh and drink your blood have eternal life.
Look to Jesus in the wilderness,
breaking bread and feeding the multitude.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
E te whānau.
Sparse sowing, meagre reaping;
but if we are generous, bountiful will be the harvest.
So let us give what we can,
not with regret, nor from a sense of duty.
God loves a cheerful giver.
And when we help others, we will not just meet their needs,
we will unleash a flood of gratitude to God.
Many will give glory to God
for our loyalty to the gospel and for our generosity.
God loves a cheerful giver.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
give us today our daily bread.
E tō mātou Matua,
hōmai ki a mātou āianei
he taro mā mātou mō tēnei rā.
God of seed and growth and harvest,
creator of need, creator of satisfaction;
give us, we pray, our daily bread,
sufficient and assured for all.
Give us also, we pray, the bread of life,
and we shall have a care to feed the hungry,
and to seek for peace and justice in the world.
Help us, then, to remember and to know
that you are our life today and every day;
you are the food we need, now and for ever.
God,
give us work till our life shall end,
and life till our work is done.
Look kindly on our world, our God,
as we suffer and struggle with one another.
Look kindly on your Church,
driven by the same necessity;
and may the light we have seen in Jesus
illuminate and brighten all the world.
Amen.
Thursday Evening
Theme
Give us today our daily bread.
Hōmai ki a mātou āianei
he taro mā mātou mō tēnei rā.
Call to Worship
Now my friends, all that is true, all that is noble,
all that is just and pure,
all that is lovable and gracious,
whatever is excellent and admirable:
with these let us fill our hearts,
and the God of heaven will be with us.
Gospel Reflection
Jesus,
you are the vine;
your Father is the gardener,
who breaks off every branch that bears no fruit
and prunes each one that does.
We cannot bear fruit, unless we remain in you.
You are the vine, we are the branches.
If we remain in you, and your words remain in us,
whatever we ask, we shall have.
Your commandment is this:
Love one another, just as I love you.
You can have no greater love for your friends
than to give your life for them.
Jesus is the vine: Jesus makes us one.
Jesus is our life.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
We must be like newborn babes,
always thirsty for spiritual milk,
so that we may grow up to be saved.
Our hearts and minds must be made completely new;
we must get rid of that old self, which made us live as we did;
we must put on the new self, created in God’s likeness,
revealed in the true life which is upright and holy.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
give us today our daily bread.
E tō mātou Matua,
hōmai ki a mātou āianei
he taro mā mātou mō tēnei rā.
God of seed and growth and harvest,
creator of need, creator of satisfaction;
give us, we pray, our daily bread,
sufficient and assured for all.
Give us also, we pray, the bread of life,
and we shall have a care to feed the hungry,
and to seek for peace and justice in the world.
Help us, then, to remember and to know
that you are our life today and every day;
you are the food we need, now and for ever.
Look kindly, all-seeing God,
on all who spend this night in anxiety or pain.
Be with those who will die tonight.
Look kindly on those who are without food or shelter,
on those who have no love.
Your will is that we should have life, and share it.
Be present, merciful God,
and protect us through the silent hours of this night,
that we, who are wearied
by the changes and chances of this fleeting world,
may rest upon your eternal changelessness.
Amen.
Friday Morning
Theme
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Murua ō mātou hara,
me mātou hoki e muru nei
i ō te hunga e hara ana ki a mātou.
Call to Worship
Never forget to show kindness,
to share what you have with others.
These are the sacrifices which God approves.
Gospel Reflection
Jesus, you are the good shepherd,
you are willing to die for the sheep.
You are the good shepherd;
as the Father knows you and you know the Father,
in the same way you know your sheep,
and your sheep know you;
you are willing to die for us.
The Father loves you because you are willing to give your life;
no one takes your life from you;
you give it up of your own free will;
you are the good shepherd.
Jesus is the good shepherd who understands our frailty,
and knows each one of us by name.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
When we were still helpless,
Christ died for the wicked at the time God chose.
One of us might dare to die for someone good.
But now we see God’s love;
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son,
by whom we are set free and our sins are forgiven.
So we rejoice in the hope we have of sharing in God’s glory.
By the Holy Spirit
God has poured into our hearts the love of Christ.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
E tō mātou Matua,
murua ō mātou hara,
me mātou hoki e muru nei
i ō te hunga e hara ana ki a mātou.
Saviour, hanging on the cross, declaring God’s love to us,
you are forgiveness.
Beside you hangs a thief,
beneath you waits Mary the forgiven,
and all around watch those many people
to whom you give new life and hope.
To us you give new life and hope.
Forgiven sinners become your body and your Church;
may the reconciliation we share
bring your gospel to all the world.
Eternal God,
by your power we are created
and by your love we are redeemed;
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves to your service
and live this day in love to one another and to you.
Jesus, you knew rejection and disappointment;
help us if our work seems distasteful;
help us to decide what best to do,
what next to do,
or what to do at all.
Give us courage and cheerfulness to go the second mile,
and all the miles ahead.
Amen.
Friday Evening
Theme
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Murua ō mātou hara,
me mātou hoki e muru nei
i ō te hunga e hara ana ki a mātou.
Call to Worship
Well we know that it was no perishable stuff,
like gold or silver, that bought our freedom.
The price was paid in precious blood, the blood of Christ.
Gospel Reflection
Why do we look at the speck in someone else’s eye
but ignore the log in our own?
The measure we use for others, God will use for us.
If we do not judge others, God will not judge us;
if we do not condemn others, God will not condemn us;
if we forgive, God forgives us even more;
so let us give, and God will give to us a full measure,
a generous helping, poured into our hands,
more than we can hold.
The measure we use for others,
God will use for us.
Jesus, you are the giver and the gift.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
Once we were God’s enemies, far away from God;
but now by the Son’s death, God has made us friends.
Through the Son,
God has reconciled and won back the universe;
God made peace through Jesus’ death on the cross.
God has reconciled all things on earth and in heaven;
so we preach Christ to all the world.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
E tō mātou Matua,
murua ō mātou hara,
me mātou hoki e muru nei
i ō te hunga e hara ana ki a mātou.
Saviour, hanging on the cross declaring God’s love to us,
you are forgiveness.
Beside you hangs a thief,
beneath you waits Mary the forgiven,
and all around watch those many people
to whom you give new life and hope.
To us you give new life and hope.
Forgiven sinners become your body and your Church;
may the reconciliation we share
bring your gospel to all the world.
God,
you call us to serve you with all the strength we have:
you are faithful to those you call;
may Jesus’ resurrection raise us if we stumble,
the Christlight beckon us if we lose our way,
and we shall have strength once more
to walk with you to the cross.
Preserve us, O God, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ,
and asleep may rest in your peace.
Amen.
Saturday Morning
Theme
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
Aua hoki mātou e kawea kia whakawaia,
engari whakaorangia mātou i te kino.
Call to Worship
The time has come for the judgment to begin;
it is beginning with God’s own household.
Gospel Reflection
We must be on our guard.
We could be taken to court;
we could be summoned to appear
before the authorities, to testify for Jesus.
The gospel must be proclaimed to everyone.
If we are arrested and taken away,
we should not worry beforehand what to say;
when the time comes, say what is given;
we shall not be the speakers, but the Holy Spirit.
Jesus asked in the garden that the cup might pass from him;
Jesus drank the cup and walked the way of the cross.
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
E te whānau, if Christ’s name is flung in our teeth
we should count ourselves happy,
because that glorious Spirit,
the Spirit of God, is resting upon us.
If we suffer, let it not be for murder, theft or sorcery,
nor for infringing the rights of others;
but if we suffer as Christians
we should feel no disgrace,
but confess that name to the honour of God.
It gives us a share in Christ’s sufferings.
That is cause for joy!
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
E tō mātou Matua,
aua hoki mātou e kawea kia whakawaia,
engari whakaorangia mātou i te kino.
Giver of the present, hope for the future:
save us from the time of trial.
When prophets warn us of doom,
of catastrophe and of suffering beyond belief,
then, God, free us from our helplessness,
and deliver us from evil.
Save us from our arrogance and folly,
for you are God who created the world;
you have redeemed us and you are our salvation.
Almighty God,
you see that we have no power of ourselves
to help ourselves;
keep us both outwardly in our bodies
and inwardly in our souls,
that we may be defended from all adversities
which may happen to the body,
and from all evil thoughts
which may assault and hurt the soul.
God of opportunity and change,
praise to you for giving us life at this critical time.
As our horizons extend, keep us loyal to our past;
as our dangers increase, help us to prepare the future;
keep us trusting and hopeful,
ready to recognise your kingdom as it comes.
Amen.
Saturday Evening
Theme
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
Aua hoki mātou e kawea kia whakawaia,
engari whakaorangia mātou i te kino.
Call to Worship
So far you have faced no trial beyond what you can bear.
God keeps faith, and will not allow you
to be tempted beyond your power.
When the test comes,
God will at the same time provide a way out,
enabling us to endure it.
Gospel Reflection
Stay awake!
Happy those servants who are alert and ready
when their master comes.
When much is given, more will be demanded.
When a great deal is given on trust,
a great deal more is expected.
Stay awake!
Your master is coming.
Stand ready!
The Son of Man comes at the least expected hour.
The kingdom of God is upon us.
‘Why are you sleeping?’ Jesus said.
‘Rise and pray, that you may be spared the test.’
Silence for meditation.
Epistle Reflection
Love is patient, love is kind and envies no one.
Love is not boastful, never conceited,
never rude nor selfish;
love is not quick to take offence.
Love keeps no score of wrongs;
love delights in the truth;
there is no limit to its faith,
its hope and its endurance.
Love never gives up.
Love never comes to an end.
There are three things that last for ever:
faith, hope and love,
but the greatest of them all is love.
The reading or readings may follow here.
Prayers
Our Father,
save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
E tō mātou Matua,
aua hoki mātou e kawea kia whakawaia,
engari whakaorangia mātou i te kino.
Giver of the present, hope for the future:
save us from the time of trial.
When prophets warn us of doom,
of catastrophe and of suffering beyond belief,
then, God, free us from our helplessness,
and deliver us from evil.
Save us from our arrogance and folly,
for you are God who created the world;
you have redeemed us and you are our salvation.
Dear Lord,
watch with those who wake or watch or weep tonight,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep;
tend your sick ones,
rest your afflicted ones, shield your joyous ones,
and all, for your love’s sake.
God, we go into this night
confident that the dawn will break tomorrow;
grant that when we come to die,
we may go gladly and in hope,
confident in the resurrection.
Amen.