Sunday Worship 26th September

 Sunday Worship

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Sunday Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Chris Steel will be preaching and presiding on the seventeenth Sunday after Trinity at both churches. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place to keep everybody safe, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You"

Today's Gospel

Mark 9:38-50              Whoever is not against Us is for Us

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Reflection

As I sit at my computer and prepare to get into a mindset to write a reflection, the starting point is always to look at the prescribed readings and Gospel in the lectionary. Sometimes, there is a sense of writer’s block where it hard to identify that thread from which to build an interesting message, (well hopefully a little bit engaging at least!). On other occasions, like today, there is so much in such a short passage that my mind is bombarded with ideas and it’s hard to think where to start. I have learned that the best way to handle this is to try and focus on one or two aspects rather encapsulate everything – after all there is always another time to bore you with the other thoughts and who wants to read a ten page reflection?

So today, I have made a conscious decision to avoid the hard bit about sin, cutting off limbs and burning in hell. Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on the beginning and end of the Gospel reading.

Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” I am sure all you have at some time in your life been part of a club or team of some sort. The scouts or brownies, a football team, swimming team or even a musical group, choir or band. Hopefully, we encourage our children and grandchildren to get involved in groups as well. 

There are of course many benefits of belonging to a group, there is that sense of belonging and people look out for each other and encourage members of the group to improve at their chosen activity. I am sure psychiatrists will also tell you that being part of a group is important for developing our social skills, interpersonal skills and emotional awareness. We feel a need to look after one another – it’s a ‘win-win’ scenario.  If we are in a competitive team or a league there is of course the drive to be best and win the trophy, to be part of the elite squad. 

To some extent we could say that the disciples were in a club – an elite club of twelve people devoted to following Jesus. They must have felt very special being in Jesus’s team; going around the country teaching people about the Kingdom of God, healing people along the way and casting out demons. 

However, when they come across other people doing similar things they were affronted, perhaps even offended. Their reaction is to tell them to stop what they doing because the others are not part of their elite group. To make matters worse they were also proud of their actions and thought Jesus would be pleased.  Imagine their reaction when Jesus admonishes them saying, “Don't stop people who are doing good things in my name" Jesus said. "No one who is doing good things in my name will then turn around and say bad things about me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.”

The disciples had missed the point, they were so involved in the importance of what their team were doing that they missed the wider significance. 

It is great to be part of a group but we should not discourage others from also doing similar things so they too can enjoy the same benefits as we do. 

Many of us think about a church as physical building where we come to worship but back in Jesus’s time that wasn’t the case. The teachings and story of Jesus were passed down and spread by people who met together in groups called ‘ekklesia’. They were congregations who were called by God from all nations to do the redeeming work of Christ and to participate in the Kingdom of God. It was not just telling the good news of the Gospel but following in Jesus’s footsteps and humbling themselves to serve others and live his values. It was their actions that made the faith live and spread. 

The family of God is huge and there are many groups who make up that family. We have our own particular group of Christianity as part of the Church of England but that does not mean we shouldn’t respect or encourage other groups that follow our Lord, be that Methodist, Roman Catholic, Congregational, Lutheran, Baptist or any of the many other flavours of Christianity.

Being part of any group that follows Jesus is to part of a special group - a wider group that is part of the family of God. We should rejoice and cheer for everyone who is doing good in Jesus’s name.

One final thought - if we are active members of a club and give it our all we will always get more out of it and so will those around us. If we are passive members of the club then we could reasonably ask ourselves why are we still going? Jesus said, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another”

The salt Jesus refers to is his Love. Jesus said: “Get to know your neighbours and those in your community who are different than you. Get involved, using your talents and resources to help those who have need. Be passionate about your faith, learning and loving with all your heart, mind and strength”.  If, as part of his club, we do not actively share His love we are just passive members and like salt without taste we add nothing.

Paul

Our Prayers

Almighty and inclusive Father,

You call us all to members of your family.

Help us to openly share Your Love

To be a good neighbour to all we meet 

And especially those in need.

Heavenly Father, 

we are all different in our own way,

but we ask you to help to be that "pinch of salt" 

that will flavour people’s lives with your love

and make your world a better place

Amen

Our final hymn this morning is "Father, Hear The Prayer We Offer"

Leesfield news 25th September

 Leesfield News

Here are a few details of  what's going on across Leesfield Parish over the coming week or so. We hope you can join us in person, or follow our activities here on our blogspot or on our facebook pages.

The PCC is to meet at St Thomas’ on Monday 27th September at 7 pm, and we’ll be planning how we can safely hold as many of the services and events which happen at this time of year as possible. Please pray for us as we work through all the risk assessments to determine ways of growing our mission in the community whilst continuing to keep everyone safe.    

Our Sunday services this week are at 9.15 am at St Agnes’, and 11 am at St Thomas’. The following Sunday (3rd Oct.) is the Parish Harvest Festival, and we will have a joint service at St Thomas’ Church at 10 am. Donations of non-perishable food will be greatly appreciated, to be passed on to Impact Community Church, Hollinwood, which supports homeless people and those most in need in the local community.  To find out more about how you might help Impact Community Church just click on this link - Impact Community Church.co.uk/donate

The Tuesday Holy Communion service is at 10 am at St Thomas’, and Worship for all Generations will continue at St Agnes’ on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6.30 pm. If you’re not able to be with us in person yet, a reading, reflection and prayers are published on this page each Sunday, and there will even be a couple of hymns that you can sing along to at home.

Our friends from Churches Together in Lees and District are also planning a return to many of the services and events which we have enjoyed together for several years. Although the ministers have been meeting regularly on Zoom, we haven’t been able to hold an open meeting since October 2019! Please do come along and join us at the Salvation Army hall, Roundthorn at 7 pm on the 5th October as we plan for events such as Remembrance Sunday, the Week of Christian Unity and the Lent Lunches – all are welcome.

We're thrilled to say that the Food Co-operative at our near neighbours St Barnabas has been adopted as a community charity by Tesco Oldham. If you’re shopping at Tesco you can pick up a little blue token at the checkout (including the self-serve checkouts) and pop it into the section of the collection box to “vote” for St Barnabas – they could receive up to £1500 from Tesco for their project. The voting starts on the 1st October and will run until the 31st December, so please do support this tremendous effort as you shop.

Sunday Worship 19th September

 Sunday Worship

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Sunday Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Mother Amy-Elizabeth will be preaching and presiding on the sixteenth Sunday after Trinity at both churches. This morning we are really pleased to have a Baptism at St Thomas', and another one in the afternoon. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'.  

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "We Come as Guests Invited"

Today's Gospel

Mark 9  v 30 - 37                                       “Who is the greatest?”

Jesus and his disciples passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Reflection

In last week's Gospel, Jesus told his disciples about what lay in store for him as they journeyed towards Jerusalem and also towards the passion and resurrection. In today’s passage, Jesus realises that he needs to re-iterate the same message.

It is clear that his disciples don’t understand what he is telling them or perhaps more likely they don’t want to hear the message. In the past months, they have seen numerous miracles and heard Jesus confound those who would contradict him. He has made lame people walk, given sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He has raised people from the dead and fed the multitudes, so the last thing they want to hear about is the impending suffering and death of their all-powerful Messiah. It just does not make sense. 

It appears that Jesus is almost frustrated at their unwillingness to understand. Last week we heard of Jesus rebuking Peter with the well-known words; “Get thee behind me Satan”, and today we see that when Jesus challenges his disciples, they were silent. Despite Jesus trying repeatedly to prepare them for what is to come, the disciples have allowed themselves to get deflected and instead have been discussing who was more superior amongst them and what this might mean for their own personal ambitions and futures.

I recall many meetings at work where someone leading the session would start by saying, “I want everyone to contribute - There’s no such thing as daft question or a silly idea.” It was supposed to give people the courage to open up and feel they were in a safe environment - to overcome the fears of challenging someone because you didn’t quite understand what someone was talking about. In some cases, to give an opportunity to politely confront people who have that knack of blinding others with science - sometimes because they actually didn’t know what they were talking about themselves. 

We do not know why the disciples struggled so much to grasp what Jesus was telling them. Is it because they just felt that he was so powerful that they thought Jesus would not possibly let anything bad happen? After all, he is the Messiah. Or was it because of fear of the unknown, if this could happen to Jesus, what does that mean for his followers?  Or maybe, like many of us might feel at times, we just don’t want to show ourselves up or look like we are clueless. Maybe I missed something in the previous discussions, nobody else has asked Jesus anything so it must just be me. I'm sure someone will let me know after. 

So, there was silence, partly because they weren’t comfortable talking about what Jesus had said and partly because they had instead been talking about their own destinies rather than Jesus’ demise. 

It is perhaps interesting to contemplate what reaction Jesus might have got if, when he asked, “What were you arguing about on the way?” he has prefaced his query with “There’s no such thing as daft question”. 

Would they have asked; “How can this happen to someone like you? If you know this is going to happen, why can’t you just avoid it? Can’t you just annihilate your enemies and carry on? Maybe one of them may have been brave enough to ask, “Please can you help me understand why this will happen?  Maybe I’m a bit dense but am I missing something here?  I just don’t get it!”

With hindsight it is perhaps easier for us looking back on events and the whole context of the Gospel story. For we know now that Jesus had a divine knowledge that this was his destiny. It was pre-ordained. Despite all they had seen and done with Jesus, the disciples were clearly focussed on their own experience, the limitations of human understanding and their fear. They were going to lose their Messiah and that just didn’t add up at all. What they were failing to grasp at the time was the whole point about the resurrection. For without Jesus’ death there could be no glorious resurrection. Whilst they were focussing on their own status and ambitions, they hadn’t yet grasped that Jesus would prevail not through power and might of the destruction of his enemies but through love and humility. The ultimate act of love that would see him give his life for the forgiveness of our sins. 

There of course many difficult questions: Why is there war and violence? Why do we lose loved ones, especially those who die young? Why is there evil and suffering in the world? Or even why don’t Latics win the FA Cup?  Unfortunately, unlike God, we too as humans do not have the capacity to understand the whole of existence and we are as immature as the little child that Jesus held in arms in the Gospel reading. Happily, Jesus welcomes us even when struggle to understand and accepts our confusion with love and humility.         

Paul

Our Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Lord

You come among us and show your love

You show us how we should love one another

We give you thanks for the acts of love and kindness we have received.

Caring Lord

You gave us an example of a trusting child

And asked that we might welcome that child

Help us to put our trust in you daily

And let us welcome and love all our neighbours

as we would an infant child

Forgiving Lord

We regret, we sometimes ignore or neglect your word

We put our own ambitions before others around us.

Help us to follow your example of humility and love

And remember that greatness is found in the service of others

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen

Our final hymn this moning is "You Shall Go Out With Joy"

Sunday Worship 12th September

 Sunday Worship

Today is the first time for quite a while that we have had both churches open for our Sunday Eucharist. You're most welcome to join us at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Lyn Woodall will be preaching and presiding on the fifteenth Sunday after Trinity at both churches. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. . 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "Morning has Broken"

Today's Gospel

Mark  8  v 27-38                                                           “Who do people say that I am?”  

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Reflection

Richard Powers, in his novel “The Overstory” depicts the incredible being that each tree is.  Set in America, campaigners are trying to protect the last of the Redwood trees.  Powers describes the deep interrelationships between the trees, the immensity of their majesty – and the speed at which they are cut down.  A campaigner sets this challenge: “Never cut anything down which is not going to be used for something at least as valuable.

Over the other side of the world, in Indonesia, tribal people are weeping.  Whether tricked, threatened or exploited, they sold their rain forest land to a palm oil company.  The money is gone, promised jobs pay very little, and the rainforest no longer exists to provide for their needs.  A tribal leader is reported to have said that it was their supermarket, but one where we did not have to pay.  “The selling of their beautiful, rich and diverse land for money hangs heavily on their consciences.  They have managed to get a halt on further forest clearance whilst investigations continue.

Just before today’s Gospel reading, Mark describes how Jesus performs miracles, demonstrating who he is.   He fed crowds with a few loaves; he restored sight to a blind man.  Now he asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  For Mark this is a highly significant moment of Jesus’ ministry.  Everything has been leading to Peter’s declaration: “You are the Messiah”.  However, to Peter’s shock, Jesus’ messiahship will not bring glory and power.  Instead, Jesus turns towards Jerusalem, where he will suffer, be rejected and be killed.  Only then will he rise again.

Today’s readings make it clear that following the Messiah is not about going the way of the world.  In one of today’s choices of Old Testament reading, the writer of Proverbs teaches that wisdom is rooted in “the fear of the Lord”.  People are warned against killing innocent people and taking their belongings to fill their own homes with nice things.  Abandoning the way of God will bring only short-term gain.  When we need God in a calamity, we in turn, will find ourselves abandoned.  

In today’s alternative Old Testament reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of how God’s servant will not be glorified but will suffer.  When we turn to our second reading, James, writing to an early church community, describes the damage we can do by what we say.   Our tongues are so small yet, like the rudder of a ship, can direct our course for good or ill.  James describes vividly the contradiction of speaking blessings while cursing others, which is like the impossibility of a spring pouring from its mouth both fresh and salty water.  We have to choose.

Jesus’ teaching that the Messiah has to suffer turns the idea of messiahship upside down.  So too, Jesus turns upside down what it means to follow him.  It is not an easy option.  We have to give up our own lives, and even go as far as to take up our cross.  

“Who do you say that I am?” If we answer “You are the Messiah,” it changes our lives.  Whether we are tribal leaders being offered quick money in return for our land or palm oil company directors, what we do has to be seen through this filter.

Is what we do in each decision, every action, acceptable to our God?  If we are cutting something down, are we using it to make something that is at least as valuable?  Or are we, as the writer of Proverbs puts it, filling our houses with booty stolen from those who are innocent?

When we open our mouths, do we speak as Christ would, words of forgiveness, of acceptance, of openness to sinners, or do we divide people and encourage discord?  Answering “You are the Messiah” involves a commitment, a possible turning upside down of our priorities.  But if we choose this path, we have the promise of the steadfast love of God.  Having lost our life, we will save it.  Jesus teaches that he will suffer and die, but on the third day he will rise!

David H.

Our Prayers

Holy Lord and Messiah

We pray that we can open our hearts 

to accept and trust in you.

Help us to accept the limitations of our human understanding

And to appreciate the greatness and wisdom of your Word.

Forgiving Lord

Have hope in us,

when we fail to grasp your ways and your message for us.

May we follow your example

And enable us to cope with the suffering and hardships in our lives

Knowing that you will always be there to save us.

Amen

Our final hymn this morning is "Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"

Mid-week News 8th September

 Mid-week News

There's some really great news from both our churches this week! Our services are returning to their usual times - please see the posters below.

We're really looking forward to welcoming everyone of all ages back to worship with us, as well as all the new people who have joined us recently. Over the past couple of weeks it's been an absolute joy to hold Baptism services, and here are photos of Blake Eddison and Chester Michael Boris with their families on this special day.

Worship for all Generation this week is at St Agnes' Church at 6.30 pm on Wednesday, and it's looking like we'll be able to worship outdoors again. If you can't be there in person we'll be sharing the service on our facebook page on Thursday evening - you'll find it here - Leesfield Parish

And finally, some important information about the YCCN relay to Glasgow. On the long relay journey from Cornwall to Glasgow, young Christians will be stopping off in Manchester for a few days this weekend. There will be several events, and we'll be sharing the details on our facebook page as they become available. Just click here - Leesfield Parish . Please support them with your prayers.

 

Sunday Worship 5th September

 Sunday Worship

You're most welcome to join us at St Thomas' Church for our Parish Eucharist at 10 am. Reverend David Halford will be preaching and presiding on the fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service. 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn this morning is "Such Love"

Today's Gospel

MARK 7 v 24 – end                       “He took him aside in private, away from the crowd.”

Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Reflection

It became fashionable amongst some Christians, some years ago, to wear a plastic bracelet with the initials “WWJD” on it.  The letters stood for “What would Jesus do?” and they offered the wearers an opportunity, in any circumstance, to consider their own actions in the light of the question.  At the time, this was a popular and well-meaning question – prompting Christians to think of Jesus when engaging with any sort of ethical dilemma; but it had some fairly obvious limitations.  The most honest answer to the question “What would Jesus do?” is “Well, we really don’t know.”  Jesus had a capacity for shocking his followers and onlookers, and for doing and saying what was unexpected.  In addition, the situations in which we find ourselves in our own time in the twenty-first century bears little resemblance to those in which we see Jesus in the scriptures – so we have little to guide us.  The basic idea behind asking “WWJD” is good one, but putting it into practice now in our time and generation is perhaps a bit trickier!

A better approach night be to look at how Jesus engaged with people and situations in his own time and try to apply some general principals to our situation today.  Today’s Gospel reading provides two excellent examples; two startling encounters that Jesus has with people who are not part of his group of followers.  The first of these is a Gentile; a Syrophoenician woman, whose daughter is sick.  She asks Jesus for help and he, initially, refuses, suggesting that she is unworthy as a foreigner.  She argues back, and, seeing her faith, he relents and tells her that the girl is healed.  Jesus appears to change his mind – allowing himself to be persuaded by a Gentile, a foreigner, into action.  He responds with humility.

The second encounter is with a man in the region of Decapolis – an area where Gentiles were in the majority and looked upon with disdain by the more orthodox religious authorities in places like Jerusalem.  People bring to Jesus a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment, and Jesus deliberately takes him away from the crowd and noise to a quiet and private place.  His physical actions communicate his intention in a way that the deaf man can understand.  Jesus, in other words, deals with the man in a way that makes sense to him – even if it seems strange to us. He acts with sensitivity.

The letter of James [James 2:1-10, 11-13, 14-17], set as today’s second reading, makes clear that how we act is as significant as what we believe.  Faith is demonstrated in action, and in particular, in how we treat our brothers and sisters. What we do, how and why we do it – this is how our faith is communicated to the wider world.  When we look to the Gospels for our pattern and model, we see Jesus acting with humility and sensitivity when he encounters his brothers and sisters.

Although we might be troubled at his initial response to the Syrophoenician woman, Jesus offers a patter to his followers.  He listens and engages with someone he might wish to dismiss, changes his thinking and them commits himself to healing her daughter.  We might question whether the initial response genuine, or whether he was teaching his disciples a lesson by uttering commonly held beliefs, but the result is the same:  he humbled himself, listened and changed his mind.  He demonstrated that we may, after listening and engaging humbly, change our minds and act accordingly.

When Jesus takes the deaf man away from the crowd, he is sensitive to the man’s need for his full attention.  His actions seem crude to us (spitting, touching the man’s tongue and sighing), but they are for the man’s benefit, not ours, so that he understands what is happening.  Jesus shows us that, however we might normally deal with others, we should consider their needs and act with sensitivity.

What would Jesus do?  A better question is perhaps, “What did Jesus do?”  He acted with humility and sensitivity with everyone – even those who needed a different approach from usual.  In doing so, he gave us a perfect pattern for any occasion.                 David H

Our Prayers

Generous and embracing Lord

By your example you showed us that all people are worthy

Let us show compassion and love

to everyone, irrespective of their background

Make us part of a truly inclusive church.

Caring Lord, you showed humility and sensitivity

You humbled yourself and served others.

You were willing to listen and change your mind.

We pray that we may follow your example.

The Syrophoenician woman showed patience and resilience

Deepen our faith and trust in you

That we can be sure 

that you will always do what is best for us.

Amen

This morning's final hymn is "For the Healing of the Nations"