Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
What follows is a worship service which, I pray, you can participate in at a time(s) that are convenient to you. This 'service' will take about forty five (45) minutes.
I pray that you will feel called to ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE in this service.
The text that is in regular typeface (that is what you are reading at the moment) is to be read quietly, while the text that is in bold face (like you are reading right now) is meant to be read aloud.
Opening Hymn:
Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics, as we commence our praise and thanksgiving.
When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:
A Call To Worship:
We meet in the name of God,
Creator of the universe,
source of true humanity,
mother and father of all. Amen.
An Assurance of Forgiveness:
(click the 'play' button below to listen)
The Sentence For Today (let us say aloud):
Show us your mercy, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
The Special Prayer For Today (let us pray aloud):
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Our first reading for today:
(click the 'play' button below to listen)
Our second reading for today:
(click the 'play' button below to listen)
Gradual Hymn:
Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics, as we raise out voices in praise and thanksgiving.
When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:
Listen to David speak to this gospel
or, if you prefer, you can read the sermon, below:
Sermon for Ordinary 17, 27th July 2025
Welcome friends and peace be with you. May the words of my mouth and the meditations in our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. <Amen>During my last visit to the dentist, he asked me how I was doing with my flossing? I replied, “Well, I feel about flossing much the same way I feel about prayer. I know it is good for me, and that I should do more of it.” <PAUSE>
Why do so many people think of prayer as a chore or a religious work required by our faith? Or feel intimidated that they don’t have the proper words or know the proper forms? <PAUSE>
I was raised in the Anglican (Episcopal) Church in England and all the prayers I heard as a child in church were from the Book of Common Prayer, one of the finest flowers of the English language. I can still recite some of them. For example, The Collect for Purity goes like this:
“Almighty God, to whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, so that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
It is a beautiful prayer, and it is typical of the prayers I heard in public worship. Along with the King James Bible and the works of Shakespeare, from about the same period, the Prayer Book represents the English language as a thing of great beauty, and …
that is one of the problems we can have about our own prayers; because if we hold up the finest examples of prayer from public worship, with its soaring language, as the model for our personal prayers we can get intimidated. These prayers were written by learned pious men who spoke several languages and were poets and preachers. My prayers, our prayers, can’t compete with theirs in beauty and art … BUT THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO!
Jesus’s lesson on prayer is the antidote for any of this intimidation. Jesus’ advice is simple and straightforward. This is the first thing to remember about prayer: keep it simple. It doesn’t have to sound like The Book of Common Prayer !! So, when I pray I try to remember the “KISS” principle - (K)eep (I)t (S)imple, (S)tupid. <PAUSE>
Our gospel today tells us that, seemingly for the first time, one of the disciples realises there's something even more unique about Jesus. In addition to His message, in addition to His miracles, there is the way Jesus relates to the Father in prayer. It truly sets him apart and so it prompts the request, “Jesus teach US how to pray.” <PAUSE>
The disciple wanted Jesus to teach them to pray. They wanted the manual? They wanted the directions?
Jesus answers the question on how to pray by saying, “Ask, Search, Knock and Repeat.” and he gives them, and us, a simple template as the example, which is “The Lord’s Prayer”. It is a beautiful, powerful simple model for our prayers which holds several kinds of prayer - (A)doration of God, (C)onfession to God, (T)hanksgiving to God, (S)upplication asking something of God … and using the first letters of these four types of prayer I have the acronym “ACTS” to help me remember.<PAUSE>
Pretty neat and simple. But Rabbi Marc Gellman makes it even simpler when he says the four basic prayers we should use are Gimme! Oops! Thanks! and Wow!” Now that is simple. “Gimme” is Supplication (Gimme for me is Petition, Gimme for others is Intercession); “Thanks” is Thanksgiving, obviously; “Oops” is Confession; and “Wow” is Adoration. Brilliant. I wish I’d thought of that myself !!! <PAUSE>
Anyway, there are, quite literally, thousands of commentaries, essays, books, podcasts, and videos (including one of my own booklets and some copies are available at the door) that will take you - line by line - through The Lord’s Prayer and I would encourage you to read or listen to some of them … BUT … that’s not what I want to do today. <PAUSE>
Returning to the disciple’s request to be taught, Jesus gives us His guide book in terms of what it looks like to pray to the Father and He says two things that are immensely significant:
BE BRIEF
BE PERSISTENT
Firstly, “be brief”. This is in contrast to the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day who try to pray for “show” and have these long and elaborate breast-beating, holier-than-thou sorts of prayers.
Jesus says pray to your “Father” and the word used in the Scriptures is taken from the Semitic languages (like Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac), it is “Abba”. It is a word that signifies a deep, loving, close, personal, affectionate relationship with your heavenly Father.
Here, in Luke, Jesus teaches us to pray briefly to “our Abba” connecting with Him;
asking for His kingdom to come;
asking for Him to provide for our needs;
asking Him to forgive our sins;
asking Him to change us so that you can have the ability to love and forgive others;
asking Him to give us strength so that we are able to overcome weakness.
Praying like this is simply coming before our heavenly Father, our Abba, and asking Him for the things we need and connecting with Him personally so that, in prayer, we can ask for our needs to be met.
Jesus teaches us that when we pray, it connects us to the very heart of our heavenly Father and we commune and connect with Him through prayer - - - so it becomes deeply personal.
We ask for God to bring His kingdom to breakthrough in our lives and the lives of others and give us eyes to see what that looks like. It's not lengthy. It’s not complicated! <PAUSE>
Secondly, “be persistent”. Jesus gives us two illustrations : one is of a neighbour who's tired and who refuses to get up late at night to give bread to meet a need but He says if you continue to ask and knock that neighbour will come down even if he doesn't want to. Jesus also then talks about how a father will give good gifts to his son if they just ask.
Basically, God tunes His heart to His children as they are persistent in prayer. <PAUSE>
When we pray persistently it's a way of us beseeching and connecting with our Abba and sometimes He changes circumstances through prayer but other times he changes us through prayer and he gives us eyes to see that He may be up to something new or greater or different than we could have ever expected <PAUSE> … THY WILL BE DONE !!
So as we try to grow closer to Jesus, as we pray, that cultivates our relationship with our Heavenly Father, our Abba, so be encouraged when you pray just connect with God in whatever way you see fit!
Here are two of my personal prayers that I pray follows the example of Jesus and may also be of use to you:
“Thank you thank you thank you. AMEN”
“Help me help me help me. AMEN”
They are not lengthy. They are not complicated! <PAUSE>
Maybe just start there or maybe as you have thoughts throughout the day of things that you're struggling with or things you're excited about, say to God will you help me with this or God thank you for this!
Just connect your heart to God as you pray for the things that you need for yourself and for others and then be encouraged that even though sometimes an answer seems to be delayed your heavenly Father, your Abba, hears.
This doesn’t have to take you a long time. Remember … BE BRIEF.
Also remember, keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking … BE PERSISTENT … and our Heavenly Father who loves us so much will tune His ear, will reach out to those who seek, and will open the door to those who pray.
In other words just “ASK” :
(A)SK - and it shall be given to you.
(S)EEK - and you shall find.
(K)NOCK - and the door shall be opened.
I pray that these humble words will be an encouragement and a challenge to both you and I today.
…. and now let us pray … “Abba, Father, thank you for teaching us to be brief and persistent in our prayer. AMEN”
I runga e te Ingoa o te Atua, te Matua, te Tama me te Wairua Tapu. <AMINE>
Pause and Reflect
Just take a moment now to pause. Bow your head, close your eyes.
Allow these words of Holy Scripture and this interpretation of them today to speak to you.
An Affirmation of Our Faith
Let us affirm our faith by saying aloud, and together, "The Apostles Creed":
... and now let us pray for the Church, the World, and Ourselves, giving thanks for God's goodness.
Let us pray aloud, and together:
Jesus taught His disciples and us to pray saying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name …”.
Abba, Father, may Your Son’s prayer direct all our living; all that we think, say, and do.
May Your name never be a curse or a blasphemy on human lips but always a name that is loved, honoured and praised; and may the way that we speak of You move our world closer to a heavenly kingdom on earth.
<longer silence for personal reflection>
Your kingdom come;
Mighty God, we pray that You will strengthen our faith communities as we seek to draw others into worship and faith. Keep us strong and growing and help us to encourage others to take up the Christian faith through our worship, our words and our actions.
<short silence> Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
Gracious God, sometimes we find this very difficult to accept, especially when some are seriously ill or dying, but we pray for those we know who are ill or have died asking that Your will not ours be done.
We especially raise before You now all those who have asked for our prayers from around the world … those we know in New Zealand, in Singapore, in Argentina, in France, in Australia, in the US, in Canada, in Austria, in Ukraine, in China, in Germany, in the Czech Republic, in Syria and any others we now name aloud, or in the silence of our hearts, and those who are known only by You.
We especially raise before you at this time our recently departed sister Claudia (Spain).
May she, and all the faithful departed, now rest in eternal peace as they most surely have risen in glory.
<Short silence> Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
Give us today our daily bread;
Creator God, in a world of greed and selfish desires may we see that we are sustained only by Your wonderful provision. May our eagerness to acquire material possessions pale in comparison to our joy in the wonderful gift of Your Son to be our Saviour.
<Short silence> Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us;
Merciful God, how easy it sometimes is for us to ask for forgiveness and yet at the same time refuse forgiveness for those who perpetrate acts of terrorism and war. Give us the courage and strength to forgive.
<Short silence> Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
Almighty God, protect us from the constant dangers and enticing temptations we face each day.
Abba, Father, deliver us from the oppressive, destructive evils of apathy, addiction, and abuse.
<Short silence> Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours forever and ever.
Everlasting God, we make all these requests because You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Alpha and Omega, from the beginning of time to the end.
<Short silence> Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
In a moment of silence we pray for ourselves, our families, friends, for all whom we love and for our personal ministries.
Fill our hearts with the love and peace of Your Son.
(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer
Almighty God, may Your presence be seen clearly in what we do each day throughout the coming week. We pray that Your joy and Your love will flow freely in us and through us as we take up Your yoke and follow where you lead us.
(Short Silence) Lord, in Your mercy: hear our prayer
Forth in the peace of Christ we go; Christ to the world with joy we bring; Christ in our minds, Christ on our lips, Christ in our hearts, the world’s true King.
Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of Your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Remembering that we are confident to pray this day, and every day, because Jesus Christ continues to teach us:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Let us conclude our prayers by praying together and aloud:
God of mercy,
you have given us grace to pray with one heart and one voice,
and have promised to hear the prayers
of two or three who agree in your name,
fulfil now, we pray,
the prayers and longings of your people
as may be best for us and for your kingdom.
Grant us in this world to know your truth,
and in the world to come to see your glory. Amen.
The Blessing
May The Risen Lord Christ turn His face towards each and every one of you.
May He cause His light to shine upon you, and
may He grant you His peace, and
The blessing of Almighty God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you and all of those whom you love,
on this day and forever more.
A Closing Hymn:
Let us conclude our worship today by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics, as we unite in another hymn our praise and thanksgiving.
When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:
The Dismissal
Go now, go out into the world
to love and serve The Lord.
Go in peace.
AMEN, we go in the name of Christ.
