Jesus asks, "who do you say that I am?" and Peter blurts out "the Messiah."  But who is Jesus to us, inthe here and now and how do we build a kingdom on the small loose stones of our faith? 

 

Reading:Matthew 16:13-20

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

 

Prayers:

Through the power of God, Peter saw Jesus in spirit and truth.  For the power of God to be felt in our own times, let us offer pray…

For all peoples of the earth and powers of the world who do not yet recognize Jesus as the Christ,

For the unity of the churches, and for their common witness to the possibility of faith

For those who struggle to believe, for those who have been hurt by the church, and for those who are oppressed in the name of God,

For an end to armed conflict, for peace and reconciliation between peoples, and for Christians to claim their voices as peacemakers,

For ourselves, our families, and our communities, who are daily faced with questions of faith,

For all who suffer and who are in need of healing and wholeness,

For those we have loved and lost, and all your faithful saints in generations past who have been the lights of the world in their time

Living God, you are among us in your Son and in his church.  Hear the prayers we place before you.  Increase our faith that we may see your works more clearly and guide our actions that we may reveal your love more surely.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen

 

Music

Come, thou long expected Jesus

Nathan Drake

 

Be Thou My Vision

Norton Hall Band

 

Come my way

Blackfriar music

Video