(Congregation may be invited to be seated for prayer.)

With the prayer “God in your great compassion” you are invited to respond…

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

  1. Confident in God’s enduring love; let us lift up the needs of the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief moment of silence and reflection

  1. Almighty Father, send the fire of your Word to cleanse and invigorate your church so that the light of the gospel would shine to all the ends of the earth. We pray for our partner Anglican Church of Canada and for all communities of faith. In particular at this time we pray for the congregations of our BC Synod: for Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Surrey and their pastor Henry Guo; for Hope Lutheran church in Nanaimo and their pastor, Terry Richardson. And we pray at this time for the confirmation camp, for the pastors, the leaders and those who have chosen to attend and serve. May all your people--young and old alike--continue to know the joy of serving your church.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

  1. Faithful God, sustain your church and all communities of faith experiencing strife and disagreements. Help us to be living examples of hope and love.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

  1. Compassionate God, bring your cooling and refreshing breath into the world’s parchedplaces; protect the very young and the very old, the earth’s fragile habitats, and all that is vulnerable to the heat of the sun.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

  1. Merciful God, keep safe all those who are in the paths of destructive wind or water. May those--in particular Calgary and High River--who have had theirhomes and habitations ravaged by wind and water receive help and encouragement from all our communities.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

  1. Righteous God, all the nations belong to you; give justice to the weak,the orphan, and homeless. Rescue those who are suffering from pain, or worry or with the heavy responsibility of caring for loved ones. We pray especially for those we name aloud or quietly in our heart at this time…

Help all to experience your reassuring presence through life’s varied seasons.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

7. God, you are the giver of those good things we experience in our daily living;

- we thank you for those we have known as examples of faith and faithful living;

- and we thank you for those who have known the gift of another birthday, another anniversary, or the

gift of new life …

- Finally, we thank you for those special blessings we name at this time….

God, in your great compassion: HEAR OUR PRAYER.

  1. Eternal God, fulfill your promise to those who have run with perseverance life’s race, and at the last join us with that great cloud of witnessesbefore youreverlasting throne.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

  1. God of mercy, hear the cries of your people, and answer us according to your steadfast love; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Psalm82

A Plea for Justice

1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgement:
2 ‘How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?
Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

The Faith of Other Israelite Heroes

The Example of Jesus

12Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,* and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of* the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Top of Form
Bottom of Form / Top of Form
Bottom of Form

Luke 12:49-56

Jesus the Cause of Division

49‘I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be divided:
father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’

Interpreting the Time

Some Women Accompany Jesus