A Message

The Gathering           Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you All    and also with you Hymn Introductory Sentence For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thes 4:14 Silence            Blessed be God  All      Blessed be God’s reign forever. Amen. Call to confession God has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. As we acknowledge our human frailty, we call to mind our sins of word, deed and omission, and confess them before God our Father. Silence Confession            You raise the dead to life in the Spirit:            Lord, have mercy....

This section of Psalm 145:10-21 speaks about God’s character . His faithfulness and God’s care for those who are in difficult situations and the Psalmists calls for a response. For God’s people to praise Him. God is faithful He fulfills his promises He loves all what he has made God is caring He upholds the fallen Lifts those who are bowed down Provides for the hungry Satisfies the desires He is righteous He is beside you He protects Whatever the circumstance is, God is faithful and his character never changes Even if we may face difficulties in life God is faithful and never changes. That is the experience of the Psalmist. Was that your experience of God in the past month? All what God has made, every creature is to experience God’s goodness and in return praise him. May you experience Gods goodness in the coming month.

  Disappointing!!   We heard of ……persons being intimidated for supporting and promoting their favourite ……mudslinging of opposite candidates ........anonymous letters ……vicarage being used as election office ……money / goods being gifted  ……candidates being placed purely to prevent another from winning ........dinners   The questions †         Can a person who does this be God’s choice for Bishop? A man after God's heart?   †     Are these going to be the qualifications of our future leaders?  †         Is this a sign of desperation? For what? †        Does one have to stoop down to such a low level for 10 or less years of an Episcopacy? To gain what? †     Don’t you’ll think, that such actions can break, wound and divide the Diocese, never to be restored to it original status †      Have we lost fai...

Theme: Members one of another” The Gathering Leader              We meet in the name of God Response           God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. God is one. Hymn  - City of God, how broad and far Introductory Sentence In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each  member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5 Silence Blessed be God Blessed be Gods reign forever. Amen. The Opening Prayer Father in Heaven, who gave to Simon Peter the faith to profess Jesus as the Messiah; build up your church on the same faith, and as you desire us to be members one of another, give us strength in the many gifts which bind us as one body in Christ. We ask this in his name, who is our savior and our peace, now and forever. Amen. Call to Confession  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acce...

1. Pray for our Diocese. Thanking God for the diversity, the rich culture and resources of the diocese, the churches spread across the island – in cities, up in the hills, along the coast, in little villagers and in homes. Thank God for the growth God has given the Diocese. We thank God for the different ministries of the diocese, and for responding in different ways to the needs of people. We thank God for all who serve and have served the diocese as priests and bishops, for their contribution towards the growth of the church, acknowledging the role of the laity. 2. As we prepare for the election of a new Bishop, we pray for all the candidates. Pray that they may continue to wait upon God, to hear his small voice and discern his call to this leadership position. That they will be guided by the Holy Spirit to respond to God’s expectation and purposes when they are selected to be Bishop. Pray for all those who would like their favourites to become the Bishop, that they would bring out t...

  Theme: Follow the bible to avoid false satisfaction Greeting Leader                Lord speak to us Response      that we may hear your word Leader      Move among us Response that we may behold your glory Leader           Receive our prayers Response    that we may learn to trust you Hymn -  To God be the glory Introductory Sentence It is written: ‘man does not live on bread alone, but on every  word that comes from the mouth of God. Mathew 4:4 Blessed be God Blessed be Gods reign forever. Amen. Opening prayer  Compassionate God, you know the hunger of this world for bread that feeds the body and the spirit. Let not those needs go unanswered, but give courage to Christ’s disciples to place what little they have into the hands of Christ, at whose blessing it will be m...

National Christian Council of Sri Lanka Sunday  Theme: Treasures of the kingdom  To promote ecumenical witness, seeking the unity that our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for, in realizing the fullness of God’s reign here on earth, the National Christian Council was formed in 1914. The Anglican, Methodist, Church of South India, Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya, Christian Reformed Church, Salvation Army, the presbytery of Lanka are members of the NCC. The Associate members are the Assemblies of God of Ceylon, Four square Gospel in Sri Lanka, Lanka Lutheran Church, Church of the American Ceylon Mission. Through different commissions of the NCC the mission is carried out. The commission for justice and peace, the Youth and women commissions, Commission of evangelism and church renewal. The Gathering Leader: Welcome in the name of Christ. God’s grace, mercy and peace be with you. Response: And also with you! Hymn  - Stand up, and bless the Lord, Introd...

Truth is a human quality. It can be considered a moral. We live in times where there is no space for truth. Our two readings for the day ( Jeremiah 26.11–16, 24 & Matthew 14:1-12)  remind us of the danger one will face when they speak the truth. In the days of the bible, the OT and the NT period it was death, especially if it is against the king. Today too it is the same, one can face death when the truth is spoken. But today apart from physically killing people, people are made to live death . They are made out as liars, trouble makers, as people who hate and oppose and obstruct, people who disturb the peace.   Why do people hate the truth speakers? People who speak the truth disturb the lives of people who live against God’s commandments. So Herod is afraid of John the Baptist who spoke the truth about Herod's  immoral act and about Jesus too. So it was with Jeremiah, he was threatened to be killed for asking the people to amend their ways. However it may b...

Theme: Patience Greeting  Leader: Grace, peace and love of the Father be with you People: And also with you Hymn - O worship the King all-glorious above, Introductory Sentence The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out  of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Mathew 13:41&43a Silence Blessed be God Blessed be Gods reign forever. Amen. Opening prayer  God, who’s care is for all people, you show forbearance to your children, because you give repentance for sins. Let that mercy not leave us complacent, but eager to learn patience and compassion; and as you have made us righteous, teach us also to be kind. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Call to Confession  Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my  anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, ...

Theme: Proclaiming the Gospel Greeting Leader      Lord speak to us All             that we may hear your word Leader      Move among us All             that we may behold your glory Leader      Receive our prayers All             that we may learn to trust you Hymn - Glorious things of thee are spoken, Introductory Sentence But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears  the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:23 Silence Blessed be God Blessed be Gods reign forever. Amen. Opening prayer  God, our freedom, who raised Christ from the dead to be the promise and the first fruits of your Spirit dwelling within us; set our minds on that same spirit, so that your word may take root in...