Worship@Home Sunday 28th June 2020
Welcome to Worship@Home on this, the Third Sunday after Trinity.
Let’s begin with praise, with this hymn celebrating Jesus’ extraordinary love for each one of us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoV4koFy-Is
I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene,
and wonder how he could love me,
a sinner, condemned, unclean.
Refrain:
How marvellous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvellous! How wonderful
is my Saviour's love for me!
He took my sins and my sorrows,
he made them his very own;
he bore the burden to Calvary,
and suffered and died alone.
(Refrain)
When with the ransomed in glory
his face I at last shall see,
'twill be my joy through the ages
to sing of his love for me.
(Refrain) Charles Hutchinson Gabriel
Jesus has taken our sins and sorrows for his very own. That the Lord of all the earth (and beyond!) should love us that much is no less than breathtaking.
Let us come before him in humility and dependence and pray the Collect for the Third Sunday after Trinity:
God our Saviour,
look on this wounded world
in pity and in power;
hold us fast to your promises of peace,
won for us by your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Confession
Take a moment now to reflect on the past week, to bring ourselves before God in our failure and weakness:
Lord God, our maker and our redeemer,
this is your world and we are your people:
come among us and save us.
We have wilfully misused your gifts of creation;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have seen the ill-treatment of others
and have not gone to their aid;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have condoned evil and dishonesty
and failed to strive for justice;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have heard the good news of Christ,
but have failed to share it with others;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have not loved you with all our heart,
nor our neighbours as ourselves;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
May the Father of all mercies
cleanse us from our sins,
and restore us in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
We worship a Lord who loves us and will do anything to bless us – even die for us! It’s a love worth celebrating! If you can, find this version of Dave Bilbrough’s song, How Wonderful, How Glorious (The words are also in Mission Praise 849): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vcRak7BdMg
Celebrating God’s love for us helps draw us close to him. In gratitude for the new life he has given us, at the cost of the cross, what can we ask but to give him our own lives?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf11rReeWIs
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet it's treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal
Our first call is to worship, for the Lord inhabits the praises of his people.
In gratitude, then, for his grace, his gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the breath
of God, to us, let us turn to think of and pray for the world we have been
given to look after:
Lord God, through your grace we are your people:
through your Son you have redeemed us;
in your Spirit you have made us your own.
We pray for our world, broken by sin and evil, but waiting with eager longing
for your touch:
- for peace between China and India;
- thinking of racial tensions in the USA and this country,
- we pray for reconciliation and respect between people of different races and cultures;
- for Syria and Yemen, broken by civil war and broken in their economy, that there will be genuine moves to bring stability:
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of mercy and grace,
we pray for those areas of this country and of Europe still reeling from the effects of coronavirus on people’s livelihoods, health and wellbeing:
- for businesses throughout the country, that they will be able to restart successfully.
- for those who have lost their jobs and may be feeling the loss of their place in society.
- please guide governments as they try to stabilise the economy and social fabric of society.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for all school leaders, staff and governing bodies as they grapple with the issues of returning to full time teaching:
- especially we pray for the heads, for the staff and the governing bodies of St Peters’ School and of Ardingly College
- for wisdom and sound judgement in all their decisions.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for all known to us who are sick in mind body or spirit:
- for all who care them, at home, in hospitals, or in care homes.
- let us take a moment to name in our hearts any known to us in need of God’s healing, encouragement and the security of his love.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Make our hearts open to your Spirit, our wills eager to obey, and our hands ready to strengthen, to heal and to encourage. Make our own lives bear witness to your glory in the world.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
We have a God who hears our every prayer, so let’s close our prayers by saying the prayer that Jesus taught us:
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.
Reading
Today’s gospel reading is taken from Matthew chapter 10, beginning at verse 40:
Matt. 10:40-42
40 ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
Reflection - John Witherington
It’s easy to pass by these verses. But Matthew places them significantly as the important conclusion to Jesus’ teaching of the disciples on mission.
Jesus is sending out the twelve to the ‘lost sheep of Israel’. They are, with his power and authority, to do the same things as they have seen him doing, preaching the kingdom of heaven, raising the dead, exorcising and healing. It is a mission with a divisive message, which will, both for the twelve and afterwards, be met with opposition, hostility and persecution. Yet they must not be afraid or have divided loyalties. Their Father in heaven knows them and cares for them. The concluding verses of Jesus’ mission instructions show the importance of those sent as his representatives, ambassadors of the King and his kingdom.
To be the representative of a king or emperor was to have his power and authority. To receive the envoy as anything less than the ruler he represented was to insult the ruler himself. The disciples were to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus has warned them that they will be as sheep among wolves, but here, in his concluding words, he gives them encouragement. When they go in his name, they take him and the Father with them. The treatment they receive will be as though he and the Father are receiving it.
It’s worth reflecting not only on the encouragement this brings, but also the responsibility of identifying ourselves as Jesus’ representatives. If we carry his title -Christian- we have believed in his sacrifice on the cross for us and have surrendered our own will to Jesus as Lord to live a new life in his name. So, no matter where we are or whom we encounter each day of this new life, we are Jesus’ representatives.
The responsibility this brings can seem daunting. My students on field trips and sporting fixtures used to groan when they heard me remind them that they represented the school; it meant that they had to curb their teenage tendencies! As Christians, a reminder that we are Jesus’ representatives may well prompt us to try to curb our natural tendencies by ourselves but, more importantly, God promises to change us from within. By the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, time spent in the company of Jesus, through Bible reading and prayer, helps us over time to take on an ever greater likeness to Christ. We do indeed represent him in every sense of the word.
After Jesus has warned his disciples of rejection, Jesus encourages them with the prospect also of welcome. To receive his representatives, because they are his representatives, is to receive him. To receive him is also to receive the gospel message they bring. The people who hear in the message God speaking to them (prophecy), will be rewarded. Those who recognise in the messenger the goodness of someone who is put right with God (righteous), will also be rewarded. And those who provide for the messengers even the most basic needs -because they know them to be disciples of Christ- will also not lose their reward.
Once again, we are made conscious that, as Jesus’ representatives, we are to hear what is whispered in our ear and proclaim it from the rooftops (as would a prophet); to remain grafted in a right relationship with Jesus (i.e. be righteous in God and not in ourselves); to make ourselves known as his disciples and be so Christ-like, that those we encounter will receive the good news of Jesus because we are so like the one we represent. Each of us is ‘one of these little ones’, disciples described by Jesus in this way to show that we are, in truth, weak, unknowing and innocent as children, yet loved as precious and deeply valued by the Father.
For all, both representative and receiver, there is a reward. It is not something we earn by our own merits, but a free gift, an inheritance we receive through believing Jesus died on the cross for us. It is the reward of being one of his ‘little ones’, always in his love, care and protection; the reward of knowing his daily presence especially amid the confusion and dangers of the world at the moment. And it is the reward of life, life in all its fullness, both now and for eternity.
So, fellow little ones, don’t pass these verses by on the other side. Treat them with devotion, for even those which appear unlovely are precious. Give time to them and re-visit them for these words of Jesus make a fitting climax to his mission sermon and remind us of the responsibility, reception and reward of being the King’s representatives.
As the Lord’s representatives, we can respond by reading (or, better, singing!) this hymn, a prayer of self-dedication (MP 463):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ghgaqT57lk
May the mind of Christ my Saviour
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow’r controlling
All I do and say.
May the Word of Christ dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His pow’r.
May the peace of Christ my Saviour
Rule my life in every thing,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.
May the love of Jesus fill me,
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.
May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.
May His beauty rest upon me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.
Kate Barclay Wilkinson
Make us channels of Your blessing,
through whom Your love and peace and joy flow out from You to others.
May we be Your hands to bless others.
May You guide our feet to places where we can go and be a blessing.
May our speech be seasoned with salt so that we may speak words of comfort and encouragement, and speak the truth in love.
Give us the grace to be available when others are in need.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all, now and evermore,
Amen.
So let’s go in the strength of the Lord to live for Him this week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOknG-JGeHw
862 I’ll go in the strength of the Lord
1 I'll go in the strength of the Lord,
in paths He has marked for my feet;
I’ll follow the light of His word,
nor shrink from the dangers I meet.
His presence my steps shall attend,
His fulness my wants shall supply;
on Him, till my journey shall end,
My unwavering faith will rely.
I’ll go, (I’ll go) in the strength,
I’ll go in the strength of the Lord (I’ll go),
I’ll go, I’ll go in the strength,
I’ll go in the strength of the Lord.
2 I’ll go in the strength of the Lord
to work He appoints me to do;
in joy which His smile doth afford
my soul shall its vigour renew.
His wisdom shall guard me from harm,
His power my sufficiency prove;
I’ll trust his omnipotent arm,
and prove his unchangeable love.
I’ll go, (I’ll go) in the strength…
3 I’ll go in the strength of the Lord
to conflicts which faith will require;
His grace as my shield and reward,
my courage and zeal shall inspire.
Since He gives the word of command,
to meet and encounter the foe,
with his sword of truth in my hand,
to suffer and triumph I’ll go.
I’ll go, (I’ll go) in the strength…
I’ll go in the strength of the Lord.
Edward Turney
With prayers and best wishes,
Phil
Bible Quotations: Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Prayers and Liturgy: copyright © The Archbishops' Council of the Church or England