Introduction. Everything will be in English. You are welcome to say the creed and pray the Lord’s Prayer in your own mothertunge.
OPENING / Music
INTRODUCTORY PRAYER
Let us pray. Lord, I have come into Your house to hear what you will speak to me, You, Lord, Jesus Christ, my Saviour, and Holy Spirit, my Comforter in life and death. Lord, through Your Holy Spirit, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, open my heart that I may learn from your word to grieve over my sins, to believe in Jesus in life and death, and daily increase in righteousness and holiness of life. Grant this, O Lord, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
OPENING HYMN Now all the pretty flowers to one another peep
INTRODUCTORY COLLECT
Let us pray: Lord, our God, heavenly Father! We pray to you that you will lead us by your Holy Spirit so that we don’t forget our sins and become selfconfident, but still live in remorse and day by day improve and finally comforting us by this one thing, that you will have mercy on us for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, forgive all our sins and bless us forever through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
READING
All stand for the reading of the text from Genesis.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Amen.
THE APOSTLES' CREED
Let us profess our Christian faith.
We renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways.
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
HYMN: Praise to the Lord
GOSPEL READING
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
From the Holy Gospel according to Mark we hear: And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Amen.
THE SERMON
I am happy to stand here before you today and I will be talking about the power of Christ through prayer. We live in times with much worry and fear, and sometimes it makes us dumb and mute as if an evil spirit has corrupted our hearts and minds.
As you know, English is not my first language but I would like to hold a service in English for all of you living in the Danish society for one reason or another and yet has not learned the language. Danish is a tough language, and I believe that the church should be a place for all humans and should whether they speak Danish or not. The miracle of the many tongues at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the gift of speaking many languages shows me, that the joyful faith in Christ should be preached in many languages throughout all times and places. Today it happens here in Vilslev.
As we heard, God created woman and man in his own image in order so show, that they are equal in human value and civil rights. God does not favour man before woman or the other way around. It was paradise, it was harmony and happy days where man and woman lived together naked and with no bad intentions. However, alas, there was temptation and fall, and now we know we sadly are no longer in paradise. Today it is International Woman’s Day because women all over the world are fighting for a life in equality as it was intended. This world, our home, is full of dark fear, terror and evil. Every day we are brought to fear diseases, wars and sufferings and the media is spreading these fears so that our happiness suffers. Around the world, the Corona-virus is turning people’s homes into prisons, churches and congregations are afraid to show affection and faith because there is a risk of getting the disease.
I wonder what it would have been like if Jesus was wearing a mask when he visited the ill, the outcast, the homeless or the dead? Can you imagine God sending his Son to war on the evil spirit with a bottle of disinfectant spray? No, of course not. There is more to life than our physical health. There is faith and a spiritual connection between God and us, and between us (makes the sign of a cross). Jesus never promised us a live without disease, suffering and death, but he promised, that whoever gave his life in a service of love for another should enter eternal life in the heavens. I think we sometimes get too scared of actually stepping up against evil, that we allow evil to happen because we fear for our lives and our self.
Jesus did feel the fear and he sometimes cried from what was happening to others and himself. But he was passionate about people’s lives and he did what he had to do, because his love was stronger than his fear. We know dogs defy fear when they feel the instinct for food, and thus Jesus defies fear because of his instinct for love. Today that is a strong message for us: Our Lord and Saviour knows our human feelings and our weaknesses and therefore he forgives, when we fail to be his true and faithful companions. I his heaven he prays for us, and here on Earth in our lives we should pray for each other.
Praying is not the lazy way of Christianity. On the contrary, praying is the first step before doing anything. Pray for the success of your plans for helping and loving your fellow woman and man. Pray for the sick, the refugees, the dying and those in need of better lives and societies. Praying is like talking to our Father, God in heaven. It is like breathing or taking a deep breath – and as we need to breath in order to live, so we need to pray in order for our faith to live and prosper. I believe that there is wisdom and power in praying and that our faith is strengthened by contemplating on our relationship with God, our Father. Faith is trust in the promises of the Lord. Promises of love and life everlasting. Let us make that promise known to all people in all colours and with all languages by living and praying for the better of everyone. Let us spend our time here at least trying to make life better for our neighbour. In the love of Christ. Amen.
The sermon concludes with a doxology: Praise and thanks and eternal glory be to You, our God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, who was and is and shall be one, triune God, most praised from the beginning, now and for evermore. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Let us pray: God, bring comfort and strength to all who are ill and full of sorrow, be they near or far. With your abiding grace help those burdened by doubts and give us your guidance in the time of trial. Bless and keep your Holy Church and bless us who are in it. Bless and keep your Holy Sacraments and let your Word have free reign among us so that your Kingdom may unfold and grow, in justice and peace and joy through The Holy Spirit, and let the light of your grace shine forth upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. May your Hand protect our people and our country and all those in authority, bless and keep our queen Margrethe the Second and our royal family. Grant them and us your grace, peace and blessing and, after a Christian life, eternal bliss. Amen.
Let us with the Apostles wish one another: (All stand)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
HYMN Built on the Rock the Church doth stand
THE PRAYER OF HOLY COMMUNION
Dear friends in Christ! Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” In His holy supper our crucified and resurrected Saviour gives Himself to us, so that whoever hungers and thirsts for righteousness may find the food and drink of eternal life here. Come to Him in faithful obedience and receive His invitation when He says: “Take and eat; drink from it, all of you; do this in remembrance of me!” He will then unite himself to you, that you may always remember Him on your journey on this earth and one day be welcomed at His feast in heaven. With all our heart we pray:
The pastor says (facing the altar):
Our Lord and Saviour who rose from the dead to be lovingly and richly present in our midst. Grant us that may we receive Your body and blood in remembrance of You and as the affirmation of our belief in the forgiveness of sins. Cleanse us from our sins and let the hope of eternal life shine forth in our lives. Make our heart ever more loving and let us with all believers be united with You as You are one with the Father.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Let us pray together. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen .
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
On the night in which He was betrayed, Our Lord Jesus Christ took bread and gave thanks; broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
Likewise, after supper, He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sin. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
COMMUNION
After the Words of Institution communicants go to the altar and kneel. To each communicant the pastor delivers the bread, saying:
The Body of Christ.
And then the chalice, saying: The Blood of Christ.
Before each group of communicants leaves the altar, the pastor says (whilst making the sign of the cross with the chalice):
The crucified and risen Saviour, Our Lord, Jesus Christ who has now given you/us His holy body and blood for your/our redemption may He strengthen and uphold you/us in true faith unto eternal life. Amen.
HYMN: Millenium Prayer
CLOSING COLLECT
Let us pray! We thank You, Lord, our God, Father Almighty, that You have so mercifully showered these gifts of life upon us. We beseech You that You will let Your wondrous gifts come to life within us so that our faith may be strengthened and our hope be deeply rooted and the love of our neighbour may be vibrant in our hearts for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
THE BENEDICTION
Receive the blessing of the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
All: Amen, amen, amen
After the service you are all welcome to join us in a get together where we will chat and eat chili con carne.
HYMN Amazing Grace
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray. Lord, I thank You with all my heart that You have taught me what You want me to do. Help me, God, through Your Holy Spirit and for the sake of Jesus Christ to preserve Your word in a pure heart and so be strengthened in my faith to live a better, holy life and in Your word find comfort in life as in death. Amen.
ORGAN POSTLUDE
Hymns
1) Now all the pretty flowers to one another peep,
In morning chorus cheerful birds are calling;
The children of the earth are awaking from sleep,
With home on its back the snail is crawling
2) Our God and our Creator cares for the smallest worms,
the birds and lilies rest in His safekeeping;
but most for human children His love He affirms,
God breathes on their eyes when they are weeping.
3) God's Son was once a child, in a cradle lay the boy-
a manger in a stable would suffice!
He promised all His children God's heavenly joy
and sweet flowers from His fields in Paradise.
4) God's Son holds us so dear, He is friend to us from birth,
to God He bears all children for salvation.
He mastered stormy seas when He lived here on earth,
gave children his playful affirmation.
5) And You who bless us all and the little ones embrace,
in Paradise one morning we shall see You
You taught us how to lift up our eyes to God's face,
to You, Lord, all praises are for ever due!
The Apostle’s Creed
We renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways.
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Praise to the Lord
1) Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the king of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; brothers and sisters draw near,
praise him in glad adoration!
2) Praise to the Lord, above all things so mightily reigning;
keeping us safe at his side and so gently sustaining.
Have you not seen all you have needed has been
met by his gracious ordaining?
3) Praise to the Lord, who when darkness and sin are abounding,
who when the godless are rampant, all goodness confounding,
shines with his light, scatters the terror of night,
safely his people surrounding.
4) Praise to the Lord, who shall prosper our work and defend us;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend us.
Ponder anew what the almighty can do,
who with his love will befriend us.
5) Praise to the Lord - O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the "Amen!" sound from his people again;
gladly with praise we adore him!
Built on the Rock the Church doth stand,
1) Built on the Rock the Church doth stand,
Even when steeples are falling;
Crumbled have spires in every land,
Bells still are chiming and calling,
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the soul distrest,
Longing for rest everlasting.
2) Surely in temples made with hands,
God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
All earthly temples excelling.
Yet He whom heavens cannot contain
Chose to abide on earth with men,
Built in our bodies His temple.
3) We are God's house of living stones,
Builded for His habitation;
He through baptismal grace us owns
Heirs of His wondrous salvation.
Were we but two His name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell,
With all His grace and His favor.
4) Still we our earthly temples rear
That we may herald His praises;
They are the homes where He draws near
And little children embraces.
Beautiful things in them are said;
God there with us His covenant made,
Making us heirs of His kingdom.
5) Here stands the font before our eyes
Telling how God did receive us;
The altar recalls Christ's sacrifice
And what His table doth give us;
Here sounds the Word that doth proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
Yea, and for aye our Redeemer.
6) Grant then, O God, where'er men roam,
That, when the church-bells are ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
Where Christ His message is bringing:
"I know Mine own, Mine own know Me;
Ye, not the world, My face shall see.
My peace I leave with you." Amen.
Millenium Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
And forgive our sins
As we forgive each one of those who sin against us
And lead us not to the time of trial
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory
Let all the people say Amen
In every tribe and tongue
Let every heart’s desire be joined
To see the kingdom come
Let every hope and every dream
Be born in love again
Let all the world sing with one voice
Let the people say Amen
Amazing Grace
1) Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
2) 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
3) Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The world shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun refuse to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.