Welcome to ROOTS at home for adults
Worship-at-home resources to help you read and reflect on this week's Bible passages
ROOTS is a partnership of denominations and other Christian organisations and has been publishing lectionary-based worship resources online and in print since 2002.
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You are welcome to copy this material for use in your own resources e.g. printed sheets or web pages including audio/video recordings. If you do so, please include this acknowledgement to ROOTS:
© ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020.
Reproduced with permission.
Opening prayer
O God,
you are the seed planter, fish netter, bread baker and pearl hunter.
Make us into living parables,
that we may become creative and life-giving stewards
of the world you have entrusted to our care.
Amen.
Introduction: Wisdom or folly?
A young African delegate to a European Christian conference was taken by his host to visit a medieval cathedral. Overawed by the size and complexity of the building, he declared that the man who built it must have loved God very much.
Today many European Christians would probably consider spending such a proportion of a community’s income in this way misguided. We might even reckon that such an enterprise would be tied up with other considerations such as power and influence. Was the young African simply naive or are we mean, cautious or cynical?
This week's Live your faith sheet
(Bible notes, prayers, a picture and questions for reflection, a live your faith action)
A family activity
Listen to the song ‘Treasure in Heaven’ from the album Keeping Sheep by Lynne Perry Christofferson. Pray the Personal prayer below together.
A personal prayer
Thank you, Lord,
for giving me so many wonderful gifts
and for calling me to share in your kingdom.
Make me a faithful steward of what I have,
giving to others a share in what you have given to me.
Amen.
More prayers
A prayer of approach
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we worship you, whose being is beyond all knowing.
We open our lives to your light and our understanding,
to your wisdom and word.
Make yourself known to us.
Reveal your glory in us and through us that we might be set free.
Fill us from your fullness and renew us by your recreative power.
Refresh us as your people to serve you in the church and the world.
For Jesus Christ's sake,
Amen.
A reflective prayer
Lord, forgive us our half-hearted attempts to follow you.
We confess the cosiness of our religion:
we like our faith to be nice and gentle;
often we keep it in its place in a corner of our lives.
Our commitment is lukewarm.
Lord, comfort us when we are disturbed,
but please disturb us when we are comfortable.
Let us love you with passion,
seek you single-mindedly,
and follow you as if our lives depended on it –
for indeed they do.
May we hunger and thirst for your kingdom
above all else.
Amen.
A prayer of intercession
God of love and wisdom,
in our prayers today we bring to you
the nations of the world and their leaders
amid growing tensions, accusations and mistrust.
We give thanks
for those pooling their resources to find a vaccine for the corona virus;
for those offering sanctuary to refugees.
We remember and pray for those countries where we have family and friends,
and all those places whose suffering touches our hearts.
Lord, may the truths of your kingdom be our strength.
We pray for those industries hardest hit economically;
for all who are struggling with self-worth after losing their jobs;
for young people applying for university;
for those applying for benefits;
for charities struggling to cope with increased demand and reduced income.
Lord, may the truths of your kingdom be our strength.
We pray for churches and places of worship
as they welcome congregations back;
for courage as they encounter new challenges
and joy as they embrace new opportunities.
We pray for one another as we reflect on the parables and live out our faith.
Lord, may the truths of your kingdom be our strength.
We pray for those heading to the coast this summer for days out and holidays;
for safety on the roads, on the beaches and in the sea;
for those who work in the emergency services;
for lifeguards and lifeboat crews.
We pray that everyone would respect the environment
and we pray for those who collect litter.
We pray too for those unable to get away or take a break.
Lord, may the truths of your kingdom be our strength.
And we pray for those who are ill,
those in hospital and those at home;
those awaiting operations and treatment;
and those receiving palliative care.
We remember those who have died,
and pray for those who are grieving –
especially those who were unable to gather to comfort one another.
Lord, may the truths of your kingdom be our strength.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
Listen and sing
Greatness of our God, Newsboys on United
Waymaker, Michael W. Smith on Awaken: the surrounded experience
Cannons, Phil Wickham on Cannons
Traditional hymn(s): Here is love, vast as the ocean
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