April 5: Living in Tents
Welcome to St Mark’s Home Church, wherever you are in the world! As you scroll down you can follow the form of the service at your own pace with space for interaction, Bible readings, song and prayer as you feel led.
If you’re doing this with your family, head over here to access content for kid’s church today. You can work through together! Parents can come back to this page at a later time.
Take a moment to pray…
Pause for a moment to pray by yourself, with your family, or whoever your with as you prepare your heart to meet with Jesus.
Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
Message
Reflection
You can use these questions for personal reflection, or discussion in your household. For those doing personal reflection, you may like to use a journal to write down your responses.
Did you relate to the G.K. Chesterton quote about feeling homesick at home? What feels most amiss for you right now?
How might Paul’s metaphor about living in tents be a useful reminder for our present situation?
What does it mean for us to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling?
Paul says that while we wait for our heavenly home, “God has given us his Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” How might you lean on the help of the Holy Spirit at this time?
Paul says, “we make it our aim to please God whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” What might it look like to live to please God in the midst of our current constraints?
Worship
You can sing along and feel free to include your own songs throughout. Please note this video was recorded at an earlier date prior to current social distancing restrictions.
Prayer
We invite you to take some time to pray with your household, in silence, or journal your own prayers.
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Save us from the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Collection
Thank you so much to those who have switched to online giving to support the ministries of our Church. If you’d like to set up online giving, click the link below.
For those at other churches who are using this as a resource, we encourage you to continue giving to your local church :) We continue to pray for those who are experiencing unemployment and financial strain at this time.
Community
Several weeks ago, before the chaos hit, we had our first church camp at Spring Beach. It was a wonderful weekend of intergenerational fellowship. Here are some photos from our time there!
Thanks for joining us!
We finish with words from Jude 1:
24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
See you online on Good Friday!