Prepared by Deacon Nigel Perrott – 1st June 2025
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.
Psalm 97:1-6
Prayer of Adoration
Eternal God
You are the source of all life.
The fount of all wisdom, the wellspring of all grace.
Your days are without end, your loving mercies without number.
I depend on you and remember your goodness to me and to those who have gone before. Your story has been told in every generation. The Lord Jesus Christ lived among us, full of grace and truth, revealing your tender mercy, he healed the sick, comforted the broken and lost. In humility he washed the feet of his disciples, calling me to follow his example of one who serves. You are my God, ahead of me, leading me, guiding me and calling me. You are the Lord God. The all-wise, the all compassionate, I lift my heart in worship
Today and forever
Amen
Hymn STF 152 This is the day
Prayer of Confession
Loving God
We do indeed give thanks for this day, and the blessing you pour out. Yet in our joy we recognise our failings. We ask your forgiveness: For those times when our words have been harsh, our thoughts not been pure, and are actions questionable. we have to acknowledge that we do get things wrong,
there are many things that separate us from worshiping you. Lord forgive us.
Lord, we thank you, that your love, the love that brought us Jesus, allows us to be your children and know that we are forgiven.
Amen.
This week’s reading: Psalm 133
1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
NIV version
Reflection
This may seem like an unusual bible reading to choose for my written service! Though a well-known psalm, it doesn’t appear that often. I love the bible, as it has all types of literature in one book: Poetry, drama, history and wisdom and much more, all in one place. In these very short words, a picture of something wonderful appears. The sight of this wonderful, perfumed oil being generously poured on Aaron’s head says many things.
Historically, oil was used to welcome guests, the better the oil, the more important the guest. Aaron was long gone when David wrote this Psalm, but the use of his name would have conjured the importance of this act. Aaron, the brother of Moses, and the first high priest of Israel was a huge figure and well known.
Mount Hermon was also well known, the water from the melted snow would melt and flow into the sea of galilee, another well-known and important place to the Jewish people.
At Cornerstone house we welcome many guests, but I am not too sure how they would feel if we were to pour oil on their heads as they arrived!
This short psalm starts with the words how “good”. Good in this context is a very big word. It isn’t like saying you had a good meal, or Mr Kipling makes good cakes, no this is very, very good. When God created the world, we read, “It was good”, not just good, but “really” good.
Everything about our God is good: the bible tells us that: “Every GOOD and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17)
God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28)
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you will discern what is the will of God, what is GOOD and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2)
The nature and character of God is naturally good, so when we read: it is good when we live in unity and God says it is good, it is amazing!
The second word that stands out here is “Pleasant”, that feeling you get when you experience something “Good”
When we receive kindness and love we feel blessed, when we offer kindness and love to others, we feel blessed. It must be a winning scenario. As God’s children, he wants us to experience this blessing and as we live together as his family, he gives us many opportunities to join in.
Unity begins at home and as we share life with those around us, the goodness of unity shines through. Here at Cornerstone House, we try to encourage that unity in our community. Just recently, when a man was moving home and needed items to furnish his new flat, the community came together, and all his needs were supplied. It was a joy to watch as they rallied to help. They were so happy to help and he in turn was so happy to receive. The word blessed in our bibles is often translated as “Happy”!
In our little community, we share life together, the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows. What would our world look like if we all had the same idea?
As I have written, unity begins at home and as followers of Jesus, it starts with his example. As a Deacon, I use a daily prayer which contains these words:
“ In humility he washed the feet of his disciples, calling us to follow his example as one who serves”
I wonder how you may join in living in unity, it maybe writing a letter, or making a phone call to someone you haven’t spoken to for a while. There are so many ways we can live in unity. We are all blessed to be a blessing, I wonder, how may you choose to be a blessing?
Amen.
Prayers for our world & Community
We pray for the Church, of which we are members, and thank you for the light it provides for our journeys ahead.
We pray for each other that we may each respond to the challenges that we all face. Help us to be able to look at ourselves, and to recognize our failings, our inadequacies, and the need for your presence in our journey of life.
We pray for the family of the Church, especially for those who have lost loved ones and those caring for the sick.
Lord, we pray for all those who mourn and for those who still miss the companionship and care of loved ones.
We pray for so many places in our world at war. Those caught up in the struggle for power, the innocent casualties whose lives are one of fear. Lord may your voice be heard above the egos of those who wish to rule.
Bind us together in unity, so that we can travel along life’s journey, helping and supporting one another, overcoming together all the trials and temptations which confront us daily.
We pray that as we all journey in this part of our lives, the knowledge of you will bring to us new strength and new purpose.
All these prayers we bring together by saying the prayer Jesus taught 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Closing Hymn – STF 676 Christ, from whom all blessings flow
1 Christ, from whom all blessings flow,
perfecting the saints below,
hear us, who thy nature share,
who thy mystic body are.
2 Join us, in one spirit join,
let us still receive of thine;
still for more on thee we call,
thou who fillest all in all.
3 Closer knit to thee, our Head,
nourished, Lord, by thee, and fed,
let us daily growth receive,
more in Jesus Christ believe,
4 Never from thy service move,
needful to each other prove,
use the grace on each bestowed,
tempered by the art of God.
5 Love, like death, has all destroyed,
rendered all distinctions void;
names, and sects, and parties fall:
thou, O Christ, art all in all.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Blessing
‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
