MIDDAY PRAYER
WEDNESDAY 27TH May 2020

During the service the leader will invite individuals to read congregational responses (red) and other text.

INVOCATION
E te whānau / My brothers and sisters,
our help is in the name of the eternal God,
who is making the heavens and the earth.

​Eternal Spirit,
flow through our being and open our lips,
that our mouths may proclaim your praise.

Silence

Let us worship the God of love.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PSALM 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
Of Solomon.

1 Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the needy,
    and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live while the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May his foes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
11 May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.
12 For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
    and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live!
    May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
    and blessings invoked for him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure for ever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
    may they pronounce him happy.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Silence

BIBLE READING

Love One Another - 1John 3
11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
​
​REFLECTION
 
Silence

CANTICLE
 A Hymn for Midday

O God, creation’s secret force,
Thyself unmoved, all motion’s source;
Who, from the morn till evening’s ray,
Through all its changes guid’st the day.
Come, Holy Ghost, with God the Son,
And God the Father ever one;
Shed forth thy grace within our breast,
And dwell with us a ready guest.
By every power, by heart and tongue,
By act and deed thy praise be sung;
Inflame with perfect love each sense
That others’ souls may kindle thence.
O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ thine only Son.
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.

PRAYERS

O God of many names,
lover of all peoples;
we pray for peace
in our hearts and homes,
in our nations and our world;
the peace of your will,
the peace of our need.
Dear Christ, our friend and our guide,
pioneer through the shadow of death,
passing through darkness to make it light,
be our companion that we may fear no evil,
and bring us to life and to glory.
O God of peace and justice,
of holiness and love;
knit us together in mind and flesh,
in feeling and in spirit,
and make us one,
ready for that great day;
the fulfilment of all our hopes,
and the glory of Jesus Christ.

Individual thanksgivings & intercessions

Keep us in the spirit of joy and simplicity and mercy.
Bless us and those you have entrusted to us,
in and through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.
​
COLLECT FOR MIDDAY
Blessed Saviour, at this hour you hung upon the cross, stretching out your loving arms;
grant that all the peoples of the earth may be drawn to your uplifted love;
for your kingdom’s sake.
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Jesus, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray
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.
 
BLESSING
May the Creator
bless you and keep you;
may the beloved companion face you
and have mercy upon you;
may the eternal Spirit’s countenance
be turned to you and give you peace;
may the Three in One bless you.
 
Silence

The divine Spirit dwells in us.
Kia noho te Wairua o te Runga Rawa ki a tātou.
 
Thanks be to God.
Whakamoemititia a Ihowā.


At the end of the service this script will be removed and those present may offer concluding reflections or comments before the session ends.