Sunday Worship 12 November 2023

We seek refuge in the Most High, 
who is always pleased to deliver us!
We shelter in Christ, our rock and redeemer, 
who makes haste to help us!
We find strength in the Abiding Spirit, 
who rejoices in our salvation!

Hymn    Christ is Coming! Let Creation
John R Macduff (1853) Public Domain. Sung by Matt Scott from his album Poets and Saints.
 

Christ is coming! Let creation
from her groans and travail cease;
let the glorious proclamation
hope restore and faith increase:

Earth can now but tell the story
of Thy bitter cross and pain;
she shall yet behold Thy glory,
when Thou comest back to reign:

So come back home,
come back home, come back home;
haste that joyous jubilee.
 

Long Thy people have been pining

for Thy peace and rest in Thee.
Soon, in heav’nly glory shining,
their Restorer shall they see:

With that blessed hope before us,
let no harp remain unstrung;
let the mighty advent chorus 
onward roll from tongue to tongue:

Prayers of Approach, Confession & Forgiveness
 
Eternal Majesty, source of life and love,
help us to rest in Your presence and be ready to hear.
 
Lord Jesus, radiant wisdom of the Most High,
help us to discern Your call and be ready to serve.
 
Life-giving Spirit, gracious guide in our paths,
help us to understand Your will and be ready to obey.
 
Most Holy Trinity, we come to rest, discern, and understand,
but realise our own frailties 
as Your wisdom casts our foolishness into stark relief. 
We prefer our own ideas to Yours, we forget to prepare for the future,
failing to replenish the oil of love and service that You require,
ignoring Your warnings and hoping we’ll be let into the feast anyway.
 
Teach us, O God, to love wisdom,
and to show our discipleship through loving service of others, 
that, at the end we may be ready to follow You to the banquet of life. Amen. 
 
My sisters and brothers, God is like 
a father who runs to welcome home the estranged,
       a mother hen who shelters her chicks, and 
       a rock behind which we shelter in the storm,
God is gracious, loving, and faithful 
and forgives all who truly turn their lives around.
So have the courage to turn back to God, 
and the bravery to forgive yourself. Amen.
       
Prayer for Illumination
 
As a lamp in the dark, Your word, O God, gives direction and hope.
Bless us now as we listen for Your truth
expressed in sermon and reading, in song and silence,
that we may hear Wisdom and become wise. Amen.
 
Readings
 
Wisdom 6:12-20
 
Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought. The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction, and concern for instruction is love of her,and love of her is the keeping of her laws, and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality, and immortality brings one near to God; so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.
 

St Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus said: “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
 
Hymn    Alleluia! Hurry the Lord is Near
© 1982, Patrick Lee. Text and music published by OCP. All rights reserved. Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.
 
Alleluia! Hurry the Lord is near.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Hurry the Lord is near.
 

Sound the trumpet, 
the Lord is near;
hurry the Lord is near.
See, He comes to save us all;
hurry the Lord is near.
 
Earth has longed 
for his approach;
hurry the Lord is near.
Straighten the road 
smooth the path;
hurry the Lord is near.

 

Go out to meet shout his name; hurry the Lord is near.
His mighty Kingdom shall never end; hurry the Lord is near.
 
Sermon 
 
They say that wisdom is different from knowledge and depends on context. Whilst it’s true there’s no law in America stopping a convict becoming president it might not be entirely wise. Knowledge may tell an opposition party what voters want, wisdom might be about saying what’s possible. Whilst it’s true that a tomato is a fruit, it’s wise not to pop it in the fruit salad! We know more and more things and search engines can quickly direct us to an online encyclopaedia where we can learn even more at the swipe of a finger. Our thirst for wisdom is as old as the ages; our failures at working out how to use it is even older. Both our readings today dealt with wisdom; personified as a young woman in our Old Testament reading and used in a parable about young women, a late groom, and the perils of waiting. 
 
The Book of Wisdom is part of a group of books that Protestants usually refer to as the Apocrypha but which most Christians accept as being part of Scripture. Around the time of Jesus, they were found in Greek translations of the Old Testament but not in Hebrew. This led to debates throughout Church history about whether they should be recognised as Scripture. They were rejected at the Reformation giving a propaganda gift to Catholics who would point out that the newfound Protestant commitment to the Bible wasn’t as deep as had been asserted! Luther put these books in a section between the two testaments and this pattern was followed for some time, but many twentieth century Protestant Bibles left them out. More recently they’ve been restored, often to where Luther had them, and passages from some of these books are included, as today, in the Lectionary. 
 
Wisdom, despite its full title as The Wisdom of Solomon, is accepted by scholars to be written in either the first century BCE or the first century CE by a Jew who took on the persona of King Solomon as he was reputed to be wise. The author’s style is reminiscent of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs – all books associated with Solomon. These books make profound observations of the natural world and human behaviour and highly value wisdom, which is often personified – as in today’s passage as a young woman. Wisdom itself is seen as a desirable quality and one which leads to obedience of God’s laws leading, again, to immortality. 
 
This personification of Wisdom as a young woman works well with Jesus’ parable of wise and foolish bridesmaids. This passage is part of a longer sequence teaching about the end of the age – the Lectionary compilers are getting us ready for Advent! We’ve been told there will be war and persecution, sacrilege and false teachers, and a shaken heaven and earth before Jesus returns at some unspecified time in the future. It is part of a sequence of three other stories (including the Faithful and Unfaithful Slaves, the Talents, and the Sheep and the Goats) about the End. It is a story about waiting. The earliest Christians assumed Jesus would return quickly but had to learn how to wait. As the apostles and eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life died the Church had to rethink its theology. Instead of hurrying as the Lord was near, now the Church had to settle in for a long wait. This parable was one used to encourage us as we wait.
 
Clearly Jesus intends us to live as wise, not foolish, bridesmaids but is short on detail as to what that might mean. It’s a brave preacher these days who will ask the congregation if they are wise or foolish virgins! 
 

  • Some people think it’s about staying awake – a common Advent theme. However, both wise and foolish became drowsy and slept and neither are criticised for that, so it’s not about staying awake.
  • Some think it’s about bringing all we need or want if we seek to be wise. But the feast is provided for all the guests (who got in). The only difference is the wise bridesmaids thought to bring lamp oil; that’s the only thing the foolish ones didn’t have.
  • Some people think it’s about waiting without grumbling – but that’s not part of the story. Wise and unwise waited and there’s no comment on the quality of their waiting, just on their preparations, or lack thereof.
  • Some think it’s about hope that the groom will come; but they all doze off, all rejoice when he comes, and no one was doubting that he’d turn up eventually.

 
So, if the passage isn’t about staying awake, bringing all we need to the feast, waiting without grumbling or being hope filled, what is the story about? The only difference between the bridesmaids seems to be that the wise were prepared for the wait, whilst the foolish weren’t – they hoped for a shop open at night that stocked oil. So, it’s a story about being prepared for the wait. The wise guessed they’d be in for a long wait and came prepared, the foolish didn’t and so were, eventually, left out of the party. The story is about being prepared for a long wait and not relying on what’s already in our lamps. So what might that mean for us in our contexts?
 
First, we’re in this together. The bridesmaids all waited together, foolish and wise, and stuck with each other; we wait together in church, foolish and wise – faithful and muddled – bearing with each other and seeking to model a new type of community where every time we break bread and share wine, we replenish our oil and anticipate the wedding feast of the Lamb. And remember, being in it together means we don’t get to decide who’s wise and who’s foolish!
 
Second, we keep some spare oil. I think that might mean engaging in works of mercy, forgiving those who’ve wounded us, and working for justice. All the things that Jesus tells us – as we’ll see when we read the parable of the sheep and the goats in two weeks’ time. 
 
Third, the text also reminds us that this isn’t as good as it gets. There’s a party coming; the groom will return, and things will get better. Evil and injustice won’t have the last word, death won’t be the final victor, the pain we experience will lessen, at last all things will be reconciled with God. Many contemporary Christians don’t talk much about the end of the age – save the acclamation at Communion about Christ coming again – for fear of being associated with the type of Christians who salivate at the idea of God punishing the lost. Yet a central part of the Christian faith is the idea that Christ will come again. It’s a paradoxical idea as we believe he’ll come but, at the same time he’s a long time coming and so we’ve always had to work out how to live in joyful expectation but with realistic wisdom. 
 
As Christians we live in hope – the hope that God hasn’t finished with us, that the project started at creation will come to fruition despite our best attempts to frustrate it, the hope that we may be found amongst the wise. Living in hope does not deny the evils of the world. We cannot deny the world’s evil with
 

  • democracy under threat in the much of the West, 
  • torturers enjoying peaceful retirements instead of prison cells, 
  • wars of aggression going unpunished, and 
  • creation groaning not so much with eager longing but tired exhaustion at our rape of the planet. 

 
Our task to keep enough oil on hand and roll up our sleeves and work for the coming of the kingdom. Jesus reminds us that it’s not enough to cry with the foolish, “Lord, Lord.” Instead, with the wise, we have to quietly prepare. The banquet is reserved for those who’ve done God’s will and attended to the oil of mercy and love. Being a Christian in name only isn’t enough to secure a seat at the banquet as hands need to be dirty, sleeves need to be rolled up, and spare oil is needed in abundance! Will you pray with me?
 
Lord Jesus,
inspiration to the wise and stumbling block to the foolish,
help us to know how to wait,
to spread the oil of kindness and mercy around us,
that, at the end, we may enjoy the banquet of life. Amen.
 
Hymn    I Cannot Tell
The Revd W Y Fullerton (1857-1932). Public Domain, sung by Joy and Ruth Everingham and used with their kind permission.
 

I cannot tell why He, whom angels worship,
should set His love upon us now or then,
or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers,
to bring them back they know not how or when.
But this I know, that He was born of Mary,
when Bethlehem’s manger was His only home, and that He lived 
at Nazareth and laboured, and so the Saviour, 
Saviour of the world, is come.
 
I cannot tell how silently He suffered,
as with His peace He graced this place of tears,
or how His heart upon the Cross was broken,
the crown of pain to three and thirty years.
But this I know, He heals the broken-hearted,
and stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,
and lifts the burden from the heavy laden,
for yet the Saviour, 
Saviour of the world, is here.
 
I cannot tell how He will win the nations,
how He will claim His earthly heritage,
how satisfy the needs & aspirations
of east and west, of sinner and of sage.
But this know, all flesh shall see His glory,
and He shall reap the harvest He has sown,
and some glad day His sun shall shine in splendour
when He the Saviour, 
Saviour of the world, is known.
 
I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,
when, at His bidding, every storm is stilled,
or who can say how great the jubilation
when every human heart with love is filled.
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,
and myriad, myriad human voices sing,
and earth to heaven, and heaven to earth, will answer:
at last the Saviour, 
Saviour of the world, is King.

 
Affirmation of Faith
 
Since the earliest days God’s people have waited.
In Egypt we waited for deliverance.
In the Wilderness we waited for settlement.
In the Kingdom we waited for godly rulers.
In the bitterness of exile, we yearned for a return home.
We waited and trusted in the Most High.
 
In the fullness of time God became one of us.
To a people suffering occupation Jesus promised freedom.
To the poor He promised release. To the sick He gave healing.
Yet the powers of the age were happy with waiting,
struck Jesus down, nailed him to the Cross, and killed him,
hoping that his light would be extinguished.
After three days of waiting in the tomb Jesus was resurrected;
the first fruits of all who wait.
He waited and trusted in the Most High.
 
Jesus commissioned his friends to preach, teach and baptise, 
and to wait for his return. Since then we’ve waited;
empires have risen and fallen, 
peoples and species have come and gone,
and now creation still waits with eager longing for deliverance,
Yet still we wait and trust in the Most High.
 
We wait with hope for Jesus to return,
to reconcile all things with the Most High,
to enable us to live in harmony with each other and creation,
that justice and righteousness might flow like a river,
and for all things to be made new.
For this we wait and trust in the Most High. Amen.
 
Intercessions
 
Eternal Majesty,
Your light shines in the gloom of our world 
where we wait for things to change.
Bless those who, this day, wait for justice:
those imprisoned without trial,
those tortured by the state,
those who wait in pain for medical treatment,
and those who wait for their poverty to end.
Bring into the light, Most High,
       those who operate justice for their own ends,
       those who torture,
       those who ration health care 
       and those who exploit the poor,
that, Your Kingdom shall come.
pause
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
 
Risen Lord Jesus,
You came to the gloom of our world 
and experienced human life in all its complexity.
Bless those who, this day, wait for change:
       those who work in and research renewable energy 
weaning us off polluting fuels,
       those who secure the rights of the poor and oppressed,
       those who welcome the refugee, the torture survivor, 
and the stranger seeing You in them all,
those who seek to learn how to live with creation 
and adapt to climate change.
Bring into the light, Lord Jesus,
       those who greenwash their pollution,
       those who wish to keep the poor in their place,
       those who seek to divide and conquer, 
blaming refugees for their own greed and incompetence,
       and those who deny what we are doing to the earth,
that, Your Kingdom shall come.
pause
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
 
Most Holy Spirit,
Your radiant unfading wisdom enlightens the gloom of our world.
Bless those, this day, who wait in hope:
       those worshipping in secret for fear of the authorities,
       those aching to love but face legal and social persecution,
       those waiting for the birth of a child
       and those waiting for life to come to its end.
Bring into the Light, Most Holy Spirit,
       those who hate freedom,
       those who hate love,
       those who harm children,
       and those who devalue life,
that, Your Kingdom shall come.
pause
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
 
O Trinity of Love, 
hear our prayers as we join together 
with those who love you throughout space and time 
and pray as Jesus taught: Our Father…
 
Holy Communion
 
The Lord be with you!                       
And also with you!
Lift up your hearts!                            
We lift them up to the Lord!
Let us give God our thanks and praise!   
It is always right to do so!
 
Longing for your light, O God, we wait in darkness.
Before the ages Your Spirit breathed on the waters and brought forth life,
She danced at Creation’s start and sanctified the earth, our mother.
Long ago you called a people to be Your own,
You gave them freedom and law, land and responsibility, 
waiting always for them to care for the poor and the stranger.
Time and again You sustained Your prophets, 
who taught Your people to wait for salvation.
In due course Your Spirit overshadowed Mary,
and, obedient to Your will, she became the God Bearer.
Through nine long months of waiting,
You grew within Her and, in the fullness of time 
she was delivered of a vulnerable, fragile, baby, 
wrapped in her blood, born poor and exiled.
 
Jesus grew, gathered friends around Him 
and told us to work and wait for the Kingdom to come.
Proclaiming good news to the poor, liberation to the oppressed,
sight for the blind, and healing for the sick,
Jesus showed through word and deed how to live.
Yet those opposed to him waited in the dark,
had him betrayed, handed over, and tried at night,
then tortured and crucified by day.
For three long days He waited in the tomb,
until You raised Him up revealing Your costly love, 
Your extravagant yet expensive grace.
Jesus promised he would return at the end of the age,
to separate the sheep from the goats, to put all things right, 
and make all things new, and so, 
with the wise of every age we sing of Your praise and glory:
 
Holy, Holy, Holy
Text © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music © 2012, Joshua Blakesley and Leland G. “Grae” McCullough, IV. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved
 
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts,
heaven and earth are full of Your glory,
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,
Hosanna in the Highest.
 
On the night he was betrayed 
Jesus shared in the simplicity of a meal with his friends.
There, with Judas who had betrayed him, 
with Peter who would deny him, 
with the young man who would run off naked in fear from him 
and with all the disciples who’d melt into the night, 
Jesus shared his very self with them. 
 
Using the ancient prayers of blessing, 
Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread 
and gave it to his friends saying:
 
“Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body which is broken for you.”
 
In the same way, after Supper, 
again using the ancient Jewish prayers of blessing, 
Jesus took the cup of wine, gave it to his friends and said:
 
“Take this all of you and drink from it, 
this is the cup of my blood, 
the blood of the new and everlasting promise of God
for you and for many that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.”
 
Let us remember Jesus as we wait for him to return:
 
Memorial Acclamation
Text © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music © 2012, Joshua Blakesley and Leland G. “Grae” McCullough, IV. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved
 
We proclaim your death O Lord
and confess your resurrection
‘til you come again again.
       
Come now Spirit of our God,
as You danced at creation’s start, dance with us now,
overcoming us with Your gentle power,
transforming these simple things of bread and wine,
into the body and blood of Christ.
Lift us to dance with You in the heavenly places,
that we may be given strength as we wait,
passion as we proclaim the coming kingdom,
and patience to see You at work in our world,
until that day comes when we will share 
in the great wedding feast of the Lamb.
       
All praise is Yours O Most High,
through Jesus Your Word made flesh,
in the power and love of the Abiding Spirit,
until the end of the age, Amen. 
 
To prepare ourselves to meet the Lord in Holy Communion we sing the Lamb of God.
 
Lamb of God
Text © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music © 2012, Joshua Blakesley and Leland G. “Grae” McCullough, IV. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved
 
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; grant us peace.
Post Communion Prayer
 
Eternal God, for whom we wait,
You have fed us with the bread of eternal life:
keep us ever watchful,
that we may be ready to stand before the bridge groom,
Jesus Christ our Lord, when he returns. Amen.
 
Hymn    Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord
Julia Ward Howe (1862) Public Domain. Conductor – Nathaniel Oswald Maben, Pipe Organ – Avinash Mario Grubb, String Orchestra and choristers from various St Andrews Church, Bangalore Conservatory Choir, Bangalore Mens Ensemble, Bangalore East Marthoma Church, CSI East Parade Malayalam Church , CSI Kannada Church Electronic City, Healing Service Choir, Indira Nagar Methodist Church, St Johns Church, Koramangala Methodist Church, Kothanur CSI Church, Pavanasar Lutheran Church Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church and used with their kind permission.  
 

 

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage
where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
 
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
 
I have seen him in the watch-fires 
of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar 
in the evening dews and damps;
I can read the righteous sentence 
by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on. 
 
He has sounded forth the trumpet 
that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of all 
before his judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer him; 
be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on. 
 
In the beauty of the lilies 
Christ was born across the sea,
with a glory in his bosom 
that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make us holy, 
let us die that all be free!
While God is marching on. 



Blessing
 
May the One who waited 
until the time was right to shine light into the world, 
enlighten you as you wait.
 
May the One who gives patience to those who work for change, 
grant you perseverance as you wait.
 
May the One who hastens to make Herself known 
to those who desire Her,
enfold you in love and light as you wait,
 
and may the blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son and Holy 
be with you and all whom you love,
until the end of the age, Amen.
 
 
 
Sources
 
The Sung Mass Setting was: Mass of Restoration by Josh Blakesley and Leland G. “Grae” McCullough, IV. published by OCP. The Post Communion prayer was adapted by Andy Braunston, with permission © The Archbishops’ Council 2000. All other liturgical work by Andy Braunston.
 
Opening Music: In the Day of the Lord
© 1992, M.D. Ridge, 1938-2017. Published by OCP sung by choristers from Orchard Enterprises. Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved.
 
Closing Music: The King Shall Come when Morning Comes
Greek source translated by John Brownlie (1859-1925) Public Domain. 
Tune: © 2018 Lorenz Corporation (admin. by Music Services) All Rights Reserved. Performed by Orchard Enterprises. Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved
 
Thanks to Sarah Wilmott, Liane Todd, Anne Hewling, Graham Handscomb, Lorraine Webb, Kathleen Haynes, and Sharon Lloyd for recording the spoken parts of the service.
 
Copyright: Where copyright, material has been reprinted & podcast under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights Reserved

This material is only for use in local churches not for posting to websites or any other use.  Local churches must have copyright licences to allow the printing and projection of words for hymns.

URC Daily Devotion 11 November 2023

11 November 2023
 

Matthew 9:36

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them…”

Reflection

Early in September 2022, more than three thousand people from all continents and Christian traditions gathered in Germany for the assembly that the World Council of Churches (WCC) holds every 8 years. They came together to celebrate unity in Christ, to recommit themselves to strengthening their fellowship and promoting reconciliation, justice and peace in the world for the glory of the triune God. The URC was properly represented. One of its ministers, Susan Durber, was elected WCC President for Europe.
 
The assembly theme gives a direction to the common life and mission of the churches gathered in a WCC assembly. The theme of last year’s assembly was “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”. Every morning, participants were invited to meditate on a passage from the gospels where Jesus felt and practised compassion for those “on the margins”. The first gospel text was Matthew 9:35-36, which says that Jesus saw the crowds and “had compassion for them”. In the Greek of the New Testament, this means that when he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved by their situation.
 
The struggle for the unity of the churches and for reconciliation and peace in the world may look sometimes an unrealistic, if not old fashioned, enterprise. However, what is at stake lies at the core of Jesus’ preaching of the age to come; gives sense to what we call “ecumenical movement”, and points to new, sustainable ways of living.
 
As we face global trends such as climate emergency, systemic economic injustice and the civilisational ambivalences engendered by the digital revolution of recent decades, we realise that our times and the world of future generations need friends of Jesus’ compassion, be them Christians, people of other spiritual traditions, or non-believers. This is what has been called an “ecumenism of the heart”.
 
Prayer

God of Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Mary,
grant us that by the power of your Holy Spirit, 
the giver of life, 
we may live for your glory counter-cultural lives of radical compassion 
as hopeful witnesses of your promise of a renewed creation. 
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, 
whom we confess as fully divine 
because he was first experienced as fully human. 
Amen.  

 

URC Daily Devotion 10 November 2023

10 November 2023
 

Philippians 4:2

“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” 

Reflection 

We cannot be entirely sure who Euodia and Syntyche were. They clearly were in dispute, but we don’t know why. These two women must have been influential in the nascent Philippian church; the fact that Paul felt it necessary to single them out shows the damage caused by their disagreement. The tone of Paul’s entire letter aims towards reducing disunity, disagreement and the resulting personal animosities which would be fatal to the cause of evangelism. To overcome disagreement, there is an exhortation to emulate Christ’s humility.

There has been much talk in the global West of an ecumenical winter, whilst cooperation and goodwill between individual church leaders and denominations has never been greater– albeit more at the informal level. Are these the tentative signs of an ecumenical spring – or no more than huddling around the embers of a dying fire for mutual warmth? There are little in the way of public disagreements in the manner of Euodia and Syntyche, yet institutional divisions continue to be a barrier to belief for many. Any reason for continuing decline in Church membership and attendance should be a matter of concern for Christians.

Returning to Scotland after working for five years in Geneva with the World Council of Churches has given time for reflection on global ecumenical relations. The contrast between the level of Church growth in Africa and the decline in the global West could not be starker. Yet there is a danger that divisions in the Church in Africa could, in time, contribute to a decline as seen in Europe.

It is easy to confuse unity with uniformity. A monolithic Church, insensitive to diversity, would inevitably exclude and deter many. Instead, there is an urgent need to overcome disagreements through actively building peace, justice and reconciliation.

Prayer

Gracious and loving God, help us through your Spirit to overcome our worldly disagreements and animosities. Following Christ’s example of humble service, help us to love and to serve as agents of your peace, justice and reconciliation. May your Church be truly united in you, not through human standards of mediocre uniformity. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

URC Daily Devotion 9 November 2023

St John 17: 20 – 21

Jesus said “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (NKJV)

Reflection

That they be One

In the Gospel of Saint John Chapter 17 our Lord Jesus Christ prays to the Father for His disciples, and all those who would believe in Him through their ministry, that “they may be one” as He is One with the Father. 
 
This extraordinary prayer of unity is one that can inspire every effort we as individuals, families, communities, Churches and even Nations, make to create unity in our interactions and relationships, and indeed within ourselves. God has designed humanity to be dependent on relationships and on the knowledge of who we are as His Image and Likeness. “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…’” (Genesis 1:26). Without a true understanding of our identity in Him, we cannot see one another clearly as the image and likeness of God, and that is often where disunity is born. 

In Chapter 17, we find our Lord being very clear that His intention is not to take us out of the world, but that we be sanctified, protected, and united to Him at all times. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:15-17). We often ensure that various avenues of our lives remain harmonious, whether in terms of our health, finances, social interaction and more, but it is always important to realise that as children of God we are spiritual beings that must remain connected to the source of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We are as Job in Chapter 10:8 describes us to be, an “intricate unity” and “fashioned” by the hand of God, and so it is through that unity with our Creator, His Word, that we begin to achieve unity within ourselves, that lays the foundation for true unity with one another. 

 
Prayer

Heavenly Father, 
as we remember Your desire that we may be one in You, 
we pray that we may be one with one another. 
We pray that this unity may not only touch the world 
but influence others to live in harmony and glorify You 
in times of joy while seeking You in times of hardship. 
We ask You this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 
Amen. 

 

URC Daily Devotion 8 November 2023

Reading 1 Kings 10.1-10 

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, (fame due to the name of the Lord), she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba had observed all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his valets, and his burnt-offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

So she said to the king, ‘The report was true that I heard in my own land of your accomplishments and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. Not even half had been told me; your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard. Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually attend you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.’ Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Reflection

There can be much giving and receiving of gifts in international ecumenism.  Some cultures have a very high regard for the showing of respect through both the gift offered and the process, the ‘soft ritual’, through which an item is given and received, and consider it a loss of face if their conventions around giving are not honoured.  The nature of the gifts varies but can be all sorts of small items, practical and fun as well as books about varying aspects of Church life and unity.  My standard gifts to offer is usually either a themed tea towel or calendar which often feels paltry in comparison.  

‘Receptive ecumenism’ is a popular idea in these times.  Essentially it describes the possibility that we look to what might be the spiritual or other treasures of other Christian traditions that we might receive to deepen our own experience of God, strengthen our discipleship, or enable us to serve our communities more faithfully and fully.  The queen of Sheba – it is unfortunate perhaps that her enduring name is as a brand of cat food – had heard of Solomon due to the name of the Lord.  Sheba was intrigued so she travelled to Jerusalem to meet Solomon for herself.  As was customary she came bearing gifts.  Bowled over by Solomon’s wisdom and the prosperity of his kingdom she was left with nothing else to say.  

The World Council of Churches enables its 350+ member churches to speak into global affairs together, as one voice.  It also facilitates conversation with the aim of finding consensus on matters of faith and Church order.  Most rewarding are the opportunities at WCC gatherings to learn something of the richness of other traditions although the temptation to retreat into a lowest common denominator blandness can be present even on the world stage.  I wonder where we, in the United Reformed Church, have some  Solomon-like wisdom that can be shared with our siblings in other traditions?  I ponder what too are we being invited to receive as a gift from the discipleship journeys of others to enrich and deepen our own?  

Prayer

Pilgrim One, 
you have offered creation riches beyond measure 
you invite us and invite through us 
the world to deepen its faith.  
Enable us to notice 
the places your invitation comes, 
both expected and unexpected.  
Help us to be good hosts, 
to be able to share 
that you have given us 
that is good 
and may strengthen others. 

Amen

 

URC Daily Devotion 7 November 2023

 
St Matthew 12:1-8 

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.”  He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?  He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests.  Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?  I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.  But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” 

Reflection 

As a Catholic I believe that the Church is a divine institution, not only in its original foundation, but the everyday experience of divine life inspiring its members. 

However, the Church is also a human institution, and thus is susceptible to that disease called institutionalism, whereby it becomes inward-looking, self-regarding and self-serving, forgetting its original mission. The members of such an institution, whether it is a school, hospital, police-force, or government department, feel depersonalised and apathetic, reduced to being cogs in a machine. 

In the Gospel passage, Jesus confronts the institutionalised and inquisitorial attitude of some Pharisees by reminding them that the Sabbath is not an end in itself, but is ordered to a greater good: the Son of Man.  Similarly, the Church is not an end in itself, it exists for the benefit of its non-members. The Spirit is saying to the churches that they have lost their first love, they have become lukewarm, apathetic, and locked into a maintenance-only, machine-minding attitude that fails to bring divine life and flourishing into the world. 

The Pharisees were good people, but that is not enough for God to change the world. If the Church does not move with the Spirit, then God will circumvent it. The Spirit blows where it will. Jesus’ disciples broke the Law, in the Pharisees’ view, by doing work on the Sabbath. Jesus points out that David’s men ate the priests’ bread on the Sabbath, and the priests themselves were allowed to work in the Temple on the Sabbath. His clear implication is that his disciples are as good as priests, because he himself is the new Temple. In this Temple we are all priests who share in the bread of the Presence, so long as we continue to be faithful disciples. To be faithful to Jesus is to bring his divine life to others, rather than sacrifice them to a cynical puritanism. 

Prayer 

Lord, help us not to forget our mission as disciples, 
bringing life, health and salvation to the hurting world. 
Teach us to be sensitive to your Spirit blowing throughout the universe. 
Lead us to share the bread of your Presence whoever we go, 
and prevent us being cynical, judgemental and self-righteous. 
May all who profess the name Christian be united in love and service. Amen. 

Worship Notes and Resources for Sunday and Beyond…

Worship Matters 

Dear Friends,

the Church often wonders about its mission.  For years we’ve said the Church doesn’t have a mission but is God’s mission in the world – and then we struggle to articulate what that might mean for our life together!  Many churches try and discern their work using the Five Marks of Mission (but forget what they are!) and these, oddly, don’t mention worship.  Whatever else the Church does, worship is key to our life together.  Worship gives us the energy to serve our communities,  the strength to witness to our faith,  the passion we need to evangelise – or at least it should! 

The biggest changes Christians saw in the Reformation era were about worship – most Christians probably didn’t follow the theological arguments but saw the pattern of worship change; the move to the language of the people instead of Latin, congregational instead of choral singing, along with the exposition of Scripture (which itself had been read to them in their own language) in (longer) sermons and more frequent reception of Communion were startling changes – along with the physical changes to church buildings.  In the Catholic reaction to the Reformation, changes to worship were key. 

Worship matters.  Not for nothing to we name our clergy “ministers of the Word and Sacraments” and expend a large part of our resources in training and sustaining them.  Similarly we give a lot of resources to train lay preachers so that the people of God are themselves nurtured and sustained in worship.  My role was created to give tangible expression to our commitment to worship and to focus, in particular in helping resource ministers, lay preachers, elders and local churches as the new digital technology gives us opportunities not seen since the invention of the printing press in the 16th Century.  

We now provide Worship Notes which assist in the careful preparation of worship. They offer all the prayers needed (and some that might not be!), notes on the readings that could be built into a sermon, and suggestions for hymns (which might be used or might stimulate the thinking of those who lead worship).   They are used by hard pressed Elders who haven’t been trained to lead worship as well as busy Lay Preachers and ministers.  Sometimes they spark thoughts, other times they can be used in their entirety, most often selections from them are used to enhance the worship leader’s own ideas.   The notes can be found here https://urc.org.uk/your-faith/prayer-and-worship/worship-notes/  They are always produced at least a month in advance, often longer.

This week I have created our notes looking at the story of the wise and foolish maidens invited to a wedding feast.  It is also Remembrance Sunday and I’ve adapted the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland service to make it a 10 minute piece which could be used at the start, in the middle, or at the end of a service depending on your worship time and when you may wish to do this.  This material is also in the Worship Notes section of the website.  It has also been created as a video for those congregations who use the PowerPoint downloads.  I send this link out yesterday but it wasn’t entirely successful.  This one here should work!  There’s also a link in the Worship Notes.  

The Worship Notes for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany have now been loaded up and I hope, next week, to refresh the prayer resource on the website with Advent and Christmas material.  You can click here to see current material.  This resource is being expanded all the time and is another way in which the church is hoping to equip leaders of worship.  

Given the Remembrance material we’ve not provided any further intercessions this week – you can find intercessions in both my service for next Sunday and the Remembrance material.

I hope you find them useful – do let us know your thoughts on these resources as you use them.

with every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
 

Sunday Worship 5 November 2023

Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 5 November

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Walt Johnson 

 
Call to Worship
 

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
From the East and West, from the North and the South, we come.
And the Lord has saved us.
In our times of need, we have cried to the Lord.
And God has led us out of our distress.
Wonderful are the Lord’s works to humankind.
Let us tell of God’s deeds with songs of joy.
Let us call on the name of the Lord, our God:
Who was, who is, and who is to come.
 
This lively song, written by Sidney Carter in 1963 and sung to The Shaker Melody, retells Jesus’ time on Earth. It was not an easy life. He was questioned, criticised, persecuted and eventually executed at the hands of the religious leaders of His own people. In today’s Gospel reading, we read Jesus’ words against hypocritical religious leaders.
 
Hymn    I Danced In The Morning (Lord of the Dance)
Sydney Carter, 1963 © 1989, Stainer and Bell All rights reserved. Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights reserved. Performed by the singers and musicians of St Michael’s Church, Solihull and used with their kind permission.
 

I danced in the morning 
when the world was begun,
and I danced in the moon 
and the stars and the sun;
and I came down from heaven 
and I danced on the earth,
at Bethlehem I had my birth.
 
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all, 
wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all
in the Dance, said he.
 
I danced for the scribe 
and the pharisee,
but they would not dance 
and they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, 
for James and John –
they came with me 
and the Dance went on.

I danced on the Sabbath 
and I cured the lame;
the holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
and they left me there 
on a cross to die.
 
I danced on a Friday 
when the sky turned black –
it’s hard to dance 
with the devil on your back.
They buried my body 
and they thought I’d gone,
but I am the Dance, 
and I still go on.
 
They cut me down 
and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me –
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. 

Prayer of Approach
 
Creator God, we come to come You today as we are.
We give You thanks for the freedom we enjoy to worship You. 
We remember our brothers and sisters in Christ 
who must worship You in secret.
We come with the joy and the sadness in our hearts. 
We come with our strength and our weakness. 
We come with our health and our illness.
We offer this time to you today: 
to bring to You the burdens of our hearts and minds; 
to raise our voices and our souls in worship to You; 
to hear Your word – 
that we might be strengthened and renewed in the days ahead.
You lead us in Your truth in the perfect example of Your love 
in our Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Help us by your Spirit to worship You. 
Thanks be to God. Amen.
 
Prayer of Confession 
 
There are times when we have all failed to love others, failed to love God, and we have even failed to love ourselves. We bring these now to God. Listen for the Words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
 
Short period of silence
 
Lord God, most merciful, we confess that we have sinned,
through our own fault, in thought, word and deed,
and through what we have left undone.
We ask to be forgiven.
By the power of your Spirit, change us to do good,
help us to forgive others, and keep us in Your ways
of righteousness and love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Assurance of Pardon
 
Listen for the assurance of pardon as found in the Word of God, Psalm 103
 “The Lord is tender and kind. God is gracious. The Lord is slow to get angry. God is full of love. The Lord loves those who have respect for God’s ways. The Lord’s love is as high as the heavens are above the earth.
God has removed our sins from us. The Lord has removed them as far as the east is from the west.” Thanks be to God. Amen.
 
Our second song was written by Isaac Watts over 300 years ago. Its message is just as relevant today. How can we respond to God’s mercy and forgiveness, that we do not receive what we do deserve? How can we respond to God’s grace, that we receive that which God freely gives.
 
Hymn    When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Isaac Watts, 1707, Public Domain. Courtesy of St Andrew’s Cathedral & Choir, Sydney, Australia.
 

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
 
Forbid it, Lord, 
that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ my God!
all the vain things 
that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, 
His hands, His feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
 
His dying crimson, like a robe,
spreads o’er his body on the tree;
then I am dead to all the Globe,
and all the Globe is dead to me.

 

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
 
Prayer of Illumination
 
Lord Jesus, You who are the Word made flesh: You say to us: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes the mouth of God.”

Lord Jesus, You say to us: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Lord Jesus, our prayer is in the words of Your disciples at Emmaus: “Were our hearts not burning within us while… he was opening the scriptures to us?” Amen.
 
Shortly, we will hear the Scriptures read us to. We put into song our prayer for illumination.
 
Hymn    In My Life, Lord, Be Glorified
Words & Music: Bob Kilpatrick, 1978; © Triune Music All rights reserved. Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights reserved. Sung by Emmaus Music and used with their kind permission.
 
In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.
In my life Lord, be glorified today.
 
In Your Church, Lord…
 
In our hearts, Lord…
 
In my life, Lord….
 
Sermon Introduction
 
Leaders. We find them in every expression of human community. The dictionary defines a ‘leader’ as “a person who rules, guides or inspires others”. In many ways, parents lead their children. At school, the class teacher leads the children; in turn, the headteacher leads the school.
Many young people have their first experiences of leadership in roles such as form-captain, team-captain in sport, even specific roles in uniformed organisations such as the Scout-movement or cadet forces.
 
In our democracy, individuals are selected by their peers as having the necessary skills to lead – their suitability and on-going service is determined in elections. 
 
In business and public service, individuals are promoted to lead others based on their merits and achievements.
 
What about the church? That depends on the denomination. In the United Reformed Church, the authority rests with the church meeting to elect elders, who alongside the minister, lead the congregation. These elders and ministers comprise the other councils of the church – Synod and General Assembly.
 
If we take a moment to reflect… who are the leaders whom you have experienced in your life who have been good, and those who have inspired you? 
 
And what about poor leaders – ones who have been ineffective or absent? Or worse, those who may have abused their positions and power? 
 
In the UK today, 5 November, some will be remembering Guy Fawkes and the plot which sought to overthrow the incumbent leaders of his day.
Do you remember the 1980s political comedy “Yes, Minister”? Jim Hacker once said: “It’s the people’s will. I am their leader. I must follow them.”
 
And what happens when leadership changes? When there is a new headteacher of a school? A new boss at work? A new political party in power? A new minister in our church pastorate? Uncertainty and expectation are just two emotions which may ensue.
 
When we start reading the Old Testament with Exodus, we read about Moses, the leader of Israel. With God’s help, he led them out of slavery in Egypt, through the wilderness and receiving God’s law at Sinai, and as far as the Promised Land.
 
The book of Deuteronomy ends with Moses’ death: he only gets to see the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo, where he died. The leadership passes to Joshua. The reading we are about to hear concerns the start of Joshua’s leadership.
 
Reading       Joshua 3: 3 – 17 
 
The Lord said to Joshua, ‘This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, “When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.”’ Joshua then said to the Israelites, ‘Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.’ Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.’
 
When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing towards the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
 
Sermon Part 2
 
Moses is revered as a great leader of the people; and he led them under God’s guidance. But he was far from perfect. After all, he had killed an Egyptian and fled to Midian which led to his first encounter with God at the burning-bush. Moses was often annoyed by the stubborn people he led. His own impatience at Meribah was the reason cited in Numbers why Moses was not allowed by God to enter the Promised Land.
 
Joshua is the new leader. In this passage, we see God’s action to confirm Joshua in this role – “in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that [the Lord] will be with you, as He was with Moses.”
 
This reading is a retelling of the crossing of the Red Sea (sometimes called the Sea of Reeds). We see the familiar dividing of the water. The flow of the River Jordan is held back, and the people cross over on dry land. (The Jordan river flows South through the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea.)
There are three things which confirm Joshua as leader over Israel and Moses’ successor. Firstly, we have the Divine action damming the river and allowing the people to cross dry-shod, fulfilling God’s promise to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. 
 
Secondly, we have the Ark, the symbol of God’s covenant – the Law – which directs all aspects of the lives of God’s people.
 
Thirdly, we have the Lord commanding Joshua to select one person from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, symbolic of the whole people. The Twelve have a further role if you keep reading into Joshua chapter 4.
 
If you watched the Coronation of HM King Charles III back in May, you will have seen similar symbolic actions and words spoken by individuals who represent the people of the UK and the Commonwealth, thus recognising the new King’s authority and position.
 
While ceremonies are important, the words and deeds of a new leader are more important. That is how they will be respected (or not) by those whom they lead; and how history will judge them.
 
Reading on, in Joshua 4:14 we find: “On that day, the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.” 
 
If we are a leader, or if we have been a leader – what will be, what is our legacy?
 
For Israel, the quality of leadership went downhill from there: if you read further in the Old Testament through the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, there are plenty of bad leaders – just as we would find in any history textbook about any country or empire. 
 
This week’s Lectionary readings also offer us responses to poor leadership. In Psalm 43, we read of the cry to God in the face of oppression and injustice. In Micah 3, we find God’s word through the prophet condemning corrupt and unjust leaders. In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul describes good and Godly leadership in the church.
 
But the harshest words against bad leaders were spoken by Jesus. While Jesus could have spoken out against the Imperial Roman rule, He didn’t. While Jesus could have spoken out against the corrupt and decadent rule of Herod, He didn’t. 
 
Jesus’ harshest words were against the Jewish religious leaders, which we find in this week’s set Gospel reading, but I’ve deliberately extended the reading by two verses to include the harshest of Jesus’ harsh words.
 
Reading       St Matthew 23: 1 – 14
 
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
 
‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them.’
 
Sermon Part 3
 
When I read the Gospels, I always find it useful to consider the passage in the wider context of the book. 
 
This passage is in the final block of teaching which begins in Matthew 21, after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and continues to the end of Matthew 25. In these chapters, there are occasional references to Jesus’ teaching taking place in the Temple. 
 
The preceding chapter (22) ends with Gospel writer telling us that no-one (meaning the Pharisees and other religious leaders) dared ask Jesus any more questions!
So even though today’s passage does not explicitly mention the Pharisees and other religious leaders being present, it is very likely that they were there, or not too far out of earshot.
 
But the passage is silent as to the crowd’s reactions. Were there murmured noises of agreement? Depending on the tone of Jesus’ delivery, He may have reduced the crowd to laughing in His parody of the Pharisees’ misuse of power? Imagine perhaps the tone used by modern-day political satirists…
 
Jesus begins His criticism of the religious leaders with reference to Moses’ seat. This is the seat mentioned in Exodus 18:13, where Moses acted as judge for the people and their day-to-day issues which required adjudication. For Jews, Moses is the example of a good and Godly leader. Jesus, however, sees the Pharisees and others as anything but: they are usurpers, unfit to lead.
 
That, too, was Guy Fawkes’ assertion when he conspired with Thomas and Robert Wintour to destroy the building where the most powerful in the land ruled.
 
Jesus goes on to explain, summarised in these words: “they do not practise what they teach”. He then gives examples, particularly the things they do for show. At the end of the passage, Jesus bluntly calls such people “hypocrites”.
 
Rarely does a week go by without some new revelation in some organisation where the leadership has been woefully lacking. For over two years now, UK politics has been dealing with the aftermath of Party-Gate: hypocritical politicians who made rules for the many, but they chose to act as if those rules did not apply to them. What are the consequences? Respect for elected lawmakers is eroded. Leadership has failed.
 
Hypocrisy is often a criticism also levelled at churches and Christians, often cited as a reason why some people do not attend church. There are too many occasions when those frequent scandals in the news have involved church organisations. Again, leadership, and leadership by example has failed.
 
For me, Jesus’ harshest words to the Pharisees are in verse 13: “you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven”. Elsewhere in Matthew, Jesus’ likens His death and resurrection to the miracle of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was grumpy prophet – instead of rejoicing over Nineveh’s repentance, he was angry at God for saving them!
 
Who did Jonah think he was? Who did these Pharisees think they were? Who do some churches think they are? It is not up to humans to choose whom God loves.
 
In my time, I have met so many people who have felt that the church has rejected them. Many of them have even been told so to their face by church leaders. How dare they! God loves every person – everyone in the amazingly diverse creation!
 
Going back to my introduction, when I invited us to consider examples of good leaders we have met in our lives. They were almost certainly people who drew others in, welcomed and encouraged them. They were the people who spent quality time with us and got to know us. They were not just leaders: they were servants, too.
 
Moses and Joshua were such leaders. Jesus Himself is such a leader. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he humbled himself, and as a servant, He washed His Disciples’ feet. Finally, Jesus teaches us that to be a good leader: “The greatest among you will be your servant”. 
 
Our next hymn is called “Let Us Build A House”, but more commonly known by the first line of the refrain “All are welcome”. It may seem like a straightforward intention, but to be honestly welcoming to all is a genuinely difficult calling.
 
Hymn    Let Us Build a House
Marty Haugen © 1994 by GIA Publications, Inc Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights reserved. Performed by Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir, accompanied by Andrew Ellams, and used with their kind permission.
 

Let us build a house 
where love can dwell 
and all can safely live, 
a place where 
saints and children tell 
how hearts learn to forgive. 
Built of hopes and dreams 
and visions, 
rock of faith and vault of grace; 
here the love of Christ 
shall end divisions: 
 
All are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place. 
 
Let us build a house 
where prophets speak, 
and words are strong and true, 
where all God’s children 
dare to seek 
to dream God’s reign anew. 
Here the Cross shall stand 
as witness 
and as symbol of God’s grace; 
here as one we claim 
the faith of Jesus: 
 
Let us build a house 
where love is found
in water, wine and wheat:
a banquet hall on holy ground
where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, 
through Jesus,
is revealed in time and space;
as we share in Christ 
the feast that frees us:
 
Let us build a house 
where hands will reach 
beyond the wood and stone 
to heal and strengthen, 
serve and teach, 
and live the Word they’ve known. 
Here the outcast and the stranger 
bear the image of God’s face; 
let us bring an end to 
fear and danger: 

 

Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
 
Affirmation of Faith
 
We believe in God – the Shorthand:
Shorthand for justice and love,
Shorthand for dignity and compassion,
Shorthand for humanity’s deep spiritual yearning,
Shorthand for courage, beauty, and extra miles.
The Shorthand of parent-language, of creator-language:
speaking of the divine permeating all life.
The Shorthand of son-language:
speaking of the intimacy of this God,
the human-being-Jesus expressing love and grace,
beyond imagining.
The Shorthand of spirit-language:
speaking of the on-going desire to reach for tomorrow’s day,
to be the doers of beauty and the tellers of good.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
 
Prayers of Concern
 
At the bidding, “Lord of hope, lead us out of darkness…”, please respond with, “…and lead us into light”.
 
Loving God, our Prince of peace: we pray for those in the dark brutality of war and conflict. We cry out to You for the people whose lives are broken and torn apart by violence. We pray for those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others. Lord of hope, lead us of out of darkness… …and lead us into light.
 
Son of God, your Word says to us, You have nowhere to lay Your head. We pray for those who no longer have a safe place to live. We pray for refugees and asylum seekers: for those fleeing war, for those escaping injustice and persecution. We pray for those who stand alongside others.Lord of hope, lead us of out of darkness… …and lead us into light.
Lord Jesus, You who are the Cornerstone of the Church, we pray to you. We pray for ever-greater unity in Your church. We weep when we hear how some who claim to speak in Your name deny Your love to others. We pray for our United Reformed Church. We give thanks for and ask your blessing on those taking the first steps in faith… Lord of hope, lead us of out of darkness… …and lead us into light.
 
Compassionate God, we despair when we see those whom we love are in pain – in body, mind or spirit. We pray for wholeness. We rejoice when they again know peace. In a moment of silence, we pray for those known to us….
pause
 
Lord of hope, lead us of out of darkness… …and lead us into light.
 
Blessed Saviour, we pray for ourselves…
pause

Lord of hope, lead us of out of darkness… …and lead us into light.
 
We bring all our prayers together, as we say the prayer Jesus taught to us say… 
 
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 and deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and forever, Amen.
 
This lively, quirky song reminds us that our God is the best leader, and that on our journey through our lives individually and together, God will always be with us.
 
Hymn    Moses, I Know You’re The Man
Estelle White, 1925-2011; © McCrimmond Publishing Co. Ltd., Stainer & Bell Reprinted & Podcast permission under ONE LICENSE # A-734713. All Rights reserved.
 

“Moses, I know you’re the man” 
the Lord said.
“You’re going to work out my plan,” the Lord said.
“Lead all the Israelites 
out of slavery,
and I will make them 
a wandering race
called the people of God.”
 
“Don’t get too set in your ways” the Lord said.
“Each step is only a phase” 
the Lord said.
“I’ll go before you 
and I shall be a sign
to guide my travelling 
wandering race.
You’re the people of God.” 
 
So ev’ry day hey we’re on our way,
for we’re a travelling, 
wandering race
called the people of God.
 
“No matter what you may do,” the Lord said.
“I shall be faithful and true,” 
the Lord said.
“My love will strengthen you 
as you go along,
for you’re my travelling 
wandering race,
You’re the people of God.” 
 
“Look at the birds in the air,” 
the Lord said.
“They fly unhampered by care,” 
the Lord said.
“You will move easier 
if you’re travelling light
for you’re a wandering 
vagabond race.
You’re the people of God.” 
 
“Foxes have places to go,” 
the Lord said.
“But I’ve no home here below”, 
the Lord said.
“So if you want to be with me 
all your days,
keep up the moving 
and travelling on 
You’re the people of God.” 



Blessing
 
Thank you for joining in with our worship today. 
We close with some verses from Scripture (John 14:27; Numbers 6:24-26)
 
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord turn His smile towards you and give you peace. Amen.
 
Sources
 
Prayer of Confession from the URC Worship Book, 4th Order for Communion with an introduction by Walt Johnson. Affirmation of Faith from the URC Worship Book(Encircled By Prayer) by John Humphreys. All other material by Walt Johnson.
 
Opening Music: Adagio by Bennett (1735-1784), Jenny Gill Crawley URC

Closing Music: Trio du premier ton by Jacques Boyvin (1650 – 1706), Man IV, Jenny Gill Crawley URC – 2021

 
 
Thanks to Sharon Lloyd, Lorraine Webb, Graham Handscomb, Sarah Wilmott, Kath Haynes, Sue Cresswell, and Diana Cullum-Hall for recording the spoken parts of the service.
 
Copyright: Where copyright material has been reproduced in terms of OneLicence # A-734713. All Rights reserved.

 
 

This material is only for use in local churches not for posting to websites or any other use.  Local churches must have copyright licences to allow the printing and projection of words for hymns.

 

 

Remembrance Sunday Resource

Remembrance Sunday Resource

Dear Friends,

Many churches will observe Remembrance Sunday next week.  Some may devote the whole of the service to this theme, others will use part of their time together to have an Act of Remembrance.  There are two resources which may help you. 
 

An Order of Service here is based on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland order but shortened for use when Remembrance is but one part of the service.  It could be used at the start of worship (assuming an 11pm start) at the end (assuming a 10am start) or in the middle.  Of course it could be used at other times of day too.
 
I have also created this Act of Remembrance as a video file that can be played on a church’s AV system.  It uses images to accompany the silence and the prayer and finishes with Fred Kaan’s For the Healing of the Nations.  It can be downloaded here from the Remembrance folder.  If using this video to coincide with the 11am silence it should be started at 10.58.

I hope these resources are useful.

With every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship

image Alyssa Stevenson/unsplash.com
 

URC Daily Devotion Friday, 3 November 2023

1 Corinthians 12: 20-26

As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.
 
Reflection

It might be predictable to choose St. Paul’s hymn of the one body of Christ to describe ecumenical realities and dreams. But during my life and work in ecumenism in Germany and beyond, this biblical reading has become more and more important to my understanding of working together between Christians and different churches. 

The picture of the one body and its members, which are all related to and in need for each other, which honestly suffer and rejoice with the other, is for me one of the strongest dreams of ecumenism today. Between these members there is no envy, no harm, no malice, no spitefulness, no suspicion, but true compassion and – yet – love. This love, founded in Jesus Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection, is unconditionally honest and true. 

Receiving and passing on the love of Jesus Christ are conditions for living the ecumenical dream where there are prayers, discussions and daily life based on mutual understanding and love.  For the ecumenical situation in Germany I can say (gladly!), that this dream has become a reality in ecumenical work, but mostly churches themselves are too self-centred with their own affairs. Although living in the same context often leads to common challenges, churches tend to find their solution alone, assuming not to be in need of others. With two main churches (the Protestant and the Roman Catholic) nearly equal in size, alongside a remarkable number of rather small churches, the ecumenical landscape in Germany is a unique one. 

It is, therefore, sometimes all the more difficult to include all traditions and to communicate with one another on an equal footing.  BUT we need each other.  Only together do we form the body of Christ.  My dream is that this picture of love, which the Apostle Paul draws in his letter to the Corinthians, will become more and more self-evident and so give visible signs of Christ’s love on our common pilgrimage.
 
Prayer

Almighty God,
too often as churches we revolve only around ourselves.
We feel we are the only members of your Body and
have become indifferent to the sin of division.
Let us see more clearly that we need each other to be your Body.
May we share joy and pain together, bound in and through the love of your Son.
Guide us on our common pilgrimage to unity in the Holy Spirit.
Amen.