St John 20: 19 – 23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’  When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Reflection

In the chaos and uncertainty of the world, we might turn to these words in the gospel of John for the peace that they bring. It was peace the disciples needed as they hid in fear of the Jewish Authorities. It was peace the disciples needed amid their grief. And it was peace that was found and received when Jesus stood among them and breathed the life of the Spirit into them.

Yet, how at peace do you think the disciples would have felt when they heard, “as the Father has sent me, so I send you,” “… if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”?
With how this discourse with the disciples is committed to the page, one might imagine an uncomfortable scene when Jesus suggested the disciples should go and do what God the Father had sent him to do. Who among them/us would willingly sacrifice oneself as Jesus did? But then when Jesus appeared to offer them the power of judgement, maybe the mood changed!

What?!? That cannot be right? All authority, Jesus teaches us and shows us, belongs to God. Therefore, what on earth is going on? What was Jesus sending the disciples and us to do?

This is one of those occasions when our understanding of these final words is not helped by how the Greek has been translated. In trying to make sense of the words as a verse, the actual meaning has become a little lost. An alternative translation of the final words is “whoever you hold fast, they have been held fast.” There is no power of judgement, only the forging of a community in Jesus. Therefore, in the context of the gospel of John, we are reminded about trusting in Jesus’s way, and what Jesus sent us to do was to show people that way. For that we must hold fast to God, and if we do, God will hold fast to us!

Prayer

 Jesus, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world
and bring us peace.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
you send us enveloped by the Spirit
to show others your way.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
you hold us in community with you
as we hold others in community with us.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
be the centre
and give the world peace. Amen

Writing for the Daily Devotions

Dear Friends,

As you know we send a reading, short reflection, and prayer out to over 4,000 people every morning via email, social media, podcast and (to those who request) booklet format.  We have around 100 writers work hard to produce reflections that are shared so widely and to whom we owe many thanks.

I am currently looking to recruit some more writers.  The commitment is to write at least 4 Devotions a year, produce a reflection of between 270 and 330 words and to craft a prayer of fewer than 76 words.  There’s also a strong need to keep to deadlines.  Writers choose dates from a rota I prepare and then load up their work before the deadline.  I then make any necessary edits, volunteers load them up to this email programme, others record them as podcasts and I format them into booklet format.  This all takes time so deadlines are normally three months before they are due to be sent out.

If you think you’d like to try your hand at this do drop me an email telling me a little bit about yourself and any experience you’ve got in this area.

With every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
 

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston
 

Welcome
 
I’ve never had the courage to respond “everything” when asked how much money someone left after they died; though I was once tempted when some long-lost relatives, who’d ignored the deceased for 40 years, turned up at the funeral and asked!  Our readings today, however deal with the foolishness of valuing wealth and possessions which don’t last and are like evaporating morning mist in the face of death.  My name is Andy Braunston and I am the United Reformed Church’s Minister for Digital Worship.  It’s my pleasure to be leading worship for you this morning.  I live in the beautiful island county of Orkney off mainland Scotland’s far north coast where I am a member of the Peedie Kirk, URC and from where I regularly travel to Thurso to lead worship in our congregation there too.  Let’s worship God together.
 
Call to Worship
 
Come and seek wisdom together, you that are low and high, rich and poor. We come from East and West, North and South,  to encounter the Living God. Come, let our mouths speak wisdom;  may the meditations of our hearts lead to understanding. We come to hear the Wisdom of the Ages,
made known to us in Jesus Christ. Those who trust in their wealth  and boast of the abundance of their riches surround us.  we trust in the Holy Spirit, our guide and goal, who teaches us to share our resources with the poor and needy.
 
 
Hymn       Great God Your Love Has Called Us Here
Brian Wren (born 1936) © 1975, 1995 Stainer & Bell Ltd OneLicence A-734713
Organ: Newcastle URC, Vocals, Mary Ann McVicar
 

Great God, your love has called us here,
as we, by love for love were made.
Your living likeness still we bear,
though marred, dishonoured, disobeyed.
We come, with all our heart and mind
your call to hear, your love to find.
 
2 We come with self-inflicted pains
of broken trust and chosen wrong,
half-free, half-bound by inner chains,
by social forces swept along,
by powers and systems close confined,
yet seeking hope for humankind.
 
3 Great God, in Christ you call our name
and then receive us as your own,
not through some merit, right or claim,
but by your gracious love alone.
We strain to glimpse your mercy seat
and find you kneeling at our feet.
 
4 Then take the towel, and break the bread,
and humble us, and call us friends.
Suffer and serve till all are fed,
and show how grandly love intends
to work till all creation sings,
to fill all worlds, to crown all things.

Sing for God’s glory
which patterns & colours creation,
makes all things new and roots change at the heart of salvation;
both day and night,
sound, silence, symbol and sight,
offering earth’s glad adoration.
 
2 Sing for God’s power
that shatters the chains that would bind us,
searing the darkness of fear and despair that would blind us,
touching our shame
with love that will not lay blame,
reaching out gently to find us.
 
3 Sing for God’s justice
disturbing each easy illusion,
tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion;
lifeblood of right,
resisting evil and slight,
offering freedom’s transfusion.
 
4 Sing for God’s saints
who have travelled faith’s journey before us,
who in our weariness give us their hope to restore us;
in them we see
the new creation to be,
Spirit of love made flesh for us.

Sing to the Lord a joyful song,
lift up your hearts,
your voices raise;
to us his gracious gifts belong,
to him our songs of love and praise.
 
2 For life and love,
for rest and food,
for daily help and nightly care,
sing to the Lord, for he is good,
and praise his name, for it is fair.
 
3 For strength to those
who on him wait
his truth to prove, his will to do,
sing to our God, for he is great,
trust in his name, for it is true.
 
4 For joys untold, that from above
cheer those who
love his sweet employ,
sing to our God, for he is love;
exalt his name, for it is joy.

5 Sing to the Lord of heaven and earth,
whom angels serve and saints adore,
the Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
to whom be praise for evermore.
 
Affirmation of Faith
 
We live in a world where economic growth is prized, wealth accumulated by a few, and security is found in possessions. But Jesus reminds us:  “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.”
 
We live in a world where the rich get richer and insulate themselves  against life’s harshness, leaving the poor to starve in the cold. But Jesus reminds us:  “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
 
We live in a world where the earth itself is pillaged, the poor dispossessed, the air we breathe polluted, the climate warmed, and where many more species will become extinct. But Jesus reminds us to be “rich toward God.”
 
Instead of abiding in pomp and selfishness we are called to live with the values of the Kingdom, where the hungry shall be fed, the poor lifted up, and the earth honoured. And Jesus reminds us to “take care” and “not store up treasures for ourselves.”
 
And so we work for a world where resources are shared wisely and widely, where the earth is valued and cared for,  where the hungry and thirsty are fed and well nourished,       for Jesus tells us  to seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.  Amen.
 
Offertory
 
In our world we are valued for what we have and for what our money can buy we are told to amass an ever-greater number of possessions, and to ignore those with less. In the Kingdom of God, however, we know  we value people for who they are not what they have; we share our resources seeing ourselves as stewards not owners of them; we must work for a just and more equal division of resources. And so we give. 
 
We give to charities and causes,
we give to the work of God in this place and across our nations,
we give as an expression of our faith, and as an act of discipleship;
we give of our time, our talents and our treasure.
         Let us pray.
 
Giving God, bless all the gifts given in this place, that as we share and use them, we do as heralds of Your coming Kingdom.  Amen.       
 
Intercessions
 
In a world ever chasing wealth and possessions we bring our prayers to the One who calls us to share what we have.
O Most High,
we bring to You places of war and terror in our world. (pause)
 
Bless those seeking to be peacemakers,
give strength to those who cling to life despite the odds,
give hope to children that they may grow up in a better world,
and change the hearts of those wedded to war, power, and terror.
 
God, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
 
O Risen Lord,
We bring to You our dangerous cultures and ways of life. (pause)
 
You owned almost nothing yet changed the world,
change our hearts that we may reject love of money,
use our resources more fairly,
that hunger and poverty is banished,
and the earth, itself, is healed.
 
God, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
 
O Holy Spirit,
We bring to You all that is wounded in our world, and in our lives. (pause)
 
You give us the power to change;
to make this world more just;
give us the grace to listen to You and follow where You call,
that we may not be afraid to be heralds of the coming kingdom.
 
God, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Eternal Trinity of love,
we bring to You all those we worry about.  (longer pause)
 
Give grace, peace, hope and love, and make us agents of change.
God, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
As Jesus taught, so we have the courage to pray, Our Father…
 
Holy Communion
 
Long ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to the fledgling church in Corinth advising them about life, faith and worship.   In the first letter we have from him to those early Christians we read:
 
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,  that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed  took a loaf of bread, and when He had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying,  ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,  you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
 
Since then, Christians have shared bread and wine to proclaim Christ’s death, to unite ourselves with Him as we are gathered up into His presence, and to receive sustenance for our souls and bodies.
 
Over the years much ink has been spilled reflecting on what Jesus meant when He said “this is my body” and “this is my blood”. Many images have been used to explain this ritual: meal, sacrifice, sign, sacrament, thanksgiving, communion, mission, and mystery.
 
When we come to Communion we come to meet Jesus our host who serves us and feeds us with his own self.
When we come to Communion we sit at the Lord’s own table where all are welcome.
 
We come to be fed with Peter who denied knowing Jesus, with the disciples who deserted Jesus in his hour of need and with Judas who betrayed Jesus.
We eat and drink with all who have gone before us, – great saints and dreadful sinners –  and are united with them, and with our Risen Lord, through time and space. With them we sing of God’s glory.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy
Reginald Heber (1783-1826) (Public Domain)
The Cathedral Choir of St Andrew, Sydney, Australia and used with their kind permission
 

Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty!
early in the morning
our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy!
merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons,
blessèd Trinity!
 
2 Holy, holy, holy!
all the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim
falling down before thee,
which wert and art and
evermore shalt be.

3  All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore,
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
 
Blessing
 
May the One who loved you since before the ages began,
the One who taught you how to live with honest simplicity,
and the One who calls You to find security in Him not possessions,
give you the power to love, live, and trust
in the values of the coming Kingdom.
And the blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
be with you, now and evermore, Amen.

St John 20: 1 – 10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’  Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb.  The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,  and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.  Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;  for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.  Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Reflection

We can’t begin to imagine the emotions of Mary, Peter, and the unnamed “other disciple” in this early account of the resurrection.  Mary’s plans turned to panic with an empty tomb; did she think the body had been stolen or did she believe He had risen?  Peter and “the other disciple” came running.  Were they disbelieving of what another Gospel calls “idle talk” or did they need to see for themselves?  They didn’t find much but believed.  

With around two millennia of history we know this story as the cornerstone of our faith.  We meet every Sunday for (what is meant to be) a celebration of the resurrection.  The explosion of the resurrection sends ripples through time and space.  The energy it unleashes changes lives; frightened disciples became fearless prophets, a murderous zealot became an effective evangelist, Galilean fishers became nomadic preachers and pastors.  The ripples moved generations of people to become missionaries, to build up the Church, and love those in need.  Eager disciples reformed the Church when things got jaded and sought ever new ways of making the new life of Jesus available to all.  We’ve felt those ripples too and have responded, each in our own way, to the energy, call, and commitment that they bring.  

We may find, like Mary, our panic turns to faith or like Peter we may see and believe.  Like the saints of every generation we find our ancient hungers are satisfied in Jesus our risen Lord. As we are caught up in the wave of energy that ripples, even to us, we dismiss the idle talk in our lives and believe – knowing that we are forever changed by that Easter morning so long ago.

Prayer

Risen Lord Jesus
as we seek you in the garden and deserts of our lives,
meet us, free us, refresh us,
and enable us to follow You. Amen.

St John 19: 38 – 42

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Reflection

After the very public spectacle of the crucifixion we are given a snapshot of the personal and private dimension.  Away from the crowds a couple of folk have the rare privilege of their moment with Jesus.  The Jesus of their attention is, of course, the crucified and dead One.   John describes Joseph as disciple-in-secret; Nicodemus’ first encounter with Jesus had been under the safety of the cover of darkness.  As we reflect on these five short verses it is good to ponder:  to what extent is our own faith in Jesus confined to the secret corners of our living rather than in full and public glare?  Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.”   Concealing our faith in Jesus might ensure others do not make assumptions about us we would want to resist (and many of us know that once we are known to be people of faith their behaviour towards us changes).   But we are called to be salt and light: publicly.

The other thing that strikes me in these verses is that Joseph and Nicodemus were committed to ensuring Jesus had dignity following his death.   They treated his body with reverence and respect – even though he had died a criminal’s death.   Their actions are repeated, on a daily basis, by those whose work is within the sphere of post end of life: funeral directors, crematorium and cemetery staff.  Many of us have cause to be grateful when care and kindness are embodied in those who ‘undertake’ the arrangements associated with the funerals of those we have loved and lost.

We can but speculate what would have happened to Jesus’ body had these two men not approached Pilate.  But thanks to their efforts Jesus was laid in a tomb within the beauty of a garden – a garden that would become the scene for resurrection.

Prayer

God of grace,
we confess that all too often, like Joseph and Nicodemus,
we keep our faith secret and private
to avoid the risk of ridicule and cost of credibility:
we ask for your forgiveness and for new courage to witness more publicly.
Inspired by their example we offer our prayer
for all whose work entails dealing with death and with the bereaved:
that repetition and familiarity may not eclipse sensitivity.
In the name of the Crucified One,
Amen.

St John 19: 31 – 37

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.)  These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones shall be broken.’  And again another passage of scripture says, ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’

Reflection

So this is how it ends? Jesus is hanging there lifelessly. The crowds are slowly dissipating.  What were they thinking? Some maybe wanted to witness just one more miracle. But look at him now, or maybe they can’t even do that? It’s been too brutal, his body looks so crushed and broken, so fragile. The detail of his bones not being broken seems incidental, they’ve already driven the life out of him, what does it matter?

This was the prophet, healer, teacher, we even hoped he was the Messiah, and now? On any other Sabbath Eve a body would be left and some bodies were left for days, partly as a warning. This was a special Sabbath – a more holy day; Passover – when the angel of death passed over and spared the first born sons (no irony intended then, when God’s first born son hadn’t been spared) 

The Romans wouldn’t have cared either way about the body of a dead criminal, but the Jewish authorities looked to the Law of Moses and the needs to bring a body to burial (Deuteronomy 21: 21-22) This Law is more to protect the people and the land, lest they and it be defiled, than out of respect for the body of the dead person or dignity in burial (who in their eyes was outside of God’s favour) It was almost about getting him out of sight, any maybe hopefully soon out of mind of those people who had foolishly put their trust and faith in him.

But did the pierced side and non-broken bones worry those who knew their scriptures? Just like the passover lamb, a sacrifice without its bones broken has now been made, and an echo of Zechariah and Isaiah infused the images of a pierced side, an atonement.

What more could a Messiah do, but to save his people?

Prayer

Suffering and atoning Jesus
Making the prophets and the gospel true
Save us, hear us and help us
Amen

St John 19: 26 – 30 

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’  Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’  A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.  When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Reflection

These four women and one man are known to Jesus and stand by the Cross in His final hours. The Gospel is silent on how much of prior events these five have witnessed.  Previous verses give an account of the crowds who clamoured for Jesus’ death, and there were the soldiers who carried out the triple execution. How must it have felt for those five, while all around them were jeering and mocking? I wonder if any of those bystanders spotted the five’s different behaviour and what they said in this tender exchange.

All the Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus drawing alongside people in times of need: these five are doing for Him what He did for so many. It must have taken amazing courage to remain there in Jesus’ darkest hour. Jesus entrusts His mother and John into each-other’s care. One tradition is that they remained together. If you have visited Ephesus (in Türkiye), you will almost certainly have been shown the little stone house where it is believed Mary lived until her death.

And the sour wine? Some commentators consider it to be nothing more than the cheap, everyday, wine drunk by the soldiers. Remember that water is not always safe to drink. And the hyssop? A common plant in that region, symbolic of cleansing.  

The Greek word for “finished” is τετέλεσται (tetélestai) occurs twice (verses 28 and 30), and a related verb in verse 29 (“fulfil”). Greek scholars describe the verb as perfect tense which is used to describe a completed action which produces results still relevant in the present.  That means that Jesus’ death on the Cross is just as pertinent today as it was 2000 years ago when God’s own Son completed the task for which He came into the world: to reconcile humankind with the Creator.

Prayer

Loving God,
thank you for Jesus,
for His death on the Cross.
Thank you for His sacrifice,
and Your sufficient grace.
Amen.

St John 19: 16 – 25

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.  Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’  Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.  Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews”, but, “This man said, I am King of the Jews.”’  Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written.’  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.  So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.’ This was to fulfil what the scripture says,

‘They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.’

And that is what the soldiers did.

Reflection

Set aside all that we know about how this story ends: at this point in the narrative it must look to all the world as if Jesus is being simply discarded. 

And even as the condemned man is counted worthless, there’s an interest taken in the few things he leaves behind. The four soldiers on duty care nothing for him; but they’ll have his clothes.

Surely the most meagre human life matters more than even the finest garments we weave or wear? The body is more than clothing, as someone once said. Yet I wonder how easy it is to slip into such perversions of value. None of us might take the shirt off a dying man’s back; but society’s present enchantment with “fast fashion” does confront us with questions about what we prioritise – and about what, and whom, we discard.

Research suggests consumers regard low-priced garments as effectively disposable, getting rid of them after fewer than eight wears. Despite growth in the market for pre-worn clothing online and through charity shops, still over half the garments produced will end up in landfill or incineration. On the production side reports of unsafe, low-paid sweat-shop conditions persist; whilst greenhouse gas emissions from textile production stand at 1.2billion tons per year, higher than emissions from all international flights and maritime voyages combined. 

Everyone loves a bargain; but we risk cheapening much more than the clothes on the rack.

Meanwhile John has a particular purpose for telling us about the disposal of Jesus’ garments. The scripture he cites is a verse from Psalm 22, from which also is drawn the cry “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” which we find on Jesus’ lips in Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts. In each case the inference is that this is no random brutality, but a moment of revelation fulfilled in Jesus.

As for us: what scriptures will be fulfilled in the pattern of our choices today? And what will they reveal?

Prayer

Life emptied of all meaning,
drained out in bleak distress,
can share in broken silence
my deepest emptiness:

and love that freely entered
the pit of life’s despair
can name our hidden darkness
and suffer with us there.

Lord, if you now are risen,
help all who long for light
to hold the hand of promise
and walk into the night.

(From Brian Wren’s hymn “Here hangs a man discarded”, Rejoice & Sing 225)

St John 19: 12 – 16 

From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, ‘If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.’ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, ‘Here is your King!’  They cried out, ‘Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but the emperor.’  Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

Reflection

I never know whether to pity or despise Pilate.  

Trapped in a dreadful post; Pilate would have seen Palestine as a challenging appointment with its regular rebellions, difficult population, and location on the edge of the Empire.  The Jewish faith was puzzling to polytheistic Romans and its food and ritual laws made no sense.  Jewish ideas about gentile morality were  challenging to Roman ethics.  Then Pilate had to balance the needs and desires of Jewish religious and secular leaders with whatever was current imperial policy.  The ever present threat of complaint letters to Rome meant that governors had to tread a careful line.  The implied threat in today’s passage to drive a wedge between Pilate and the Emperor certainly concentrated his mind.  His reluctance to execute Jesus has led the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Coptic churches, to believe Pilate became a Christian and venerate him as a saint and martyr with a feast day on 25th June.  

We have very few historical sources about Pilate.  The Gospels tell of his involvement in Jesus’ death.  Other sources show he was insensitive to Jewish customs and the historian Josephus reports he was dismissed and made to report to the Emperor Tiberius after violently suppressing a Samaritan revolt.  Luckily for Pilate, Tiberius died before Pilate made it to Rome.  The historian Eusibus, citing “tradition” held that Pilate committed suicide in shame – but no other source indicates this.  

The Gospels portray Pilate as weak, unable to challenge the religious leaders and crowds baying for Jesus’ blood.  They have Pilate coming off worse in his interactions with Jesus who doesn’t show him much respect.  Washing his hands of the affair, Pilate lets Jesus be tortured and sentences him to an agonising shameful death.  Pilate knew Jesus was innocent of the charges yet did little to intervene; injustice took its course because it was expedient.  

So we are left wondering how to evaluate this man; weak judge or political pawn?  To be pitied or despised?

Prayer

When I’m gone, Lord,
how will they evaluate me?
Will I be pitied or despised?
Mourned and missed?
Or forgotten as I return to the dust from which I came?
And does it matter?
Perhaps, in the end, 
all that matters is that You won’t forget me,
or judge me harshly. Amen.

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Jessica Ashcroft-Townsley

 
Introduction

Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ and welcome to worship on this Seventh Sunday After Pentecost. I am the Revd Jessica Ashcroft-Townsley, minister to Kingsteignton URC and companion minister to the Somerset Group of churches of the South Western Synod of the United Reformed Church. I am delighted to be with you all this morning as we gather to worship God and journey together in our life of faith, knowing that no matter who we are or where we are on life’s journey, the church is the one place we should all be welcome. Let us prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

Call to Worship

Let us gather in peaceful embrace of God’s love. We are free to bring our longing and our love, our words and our silence, our certainty and our wonder, our joy and our questions. For the Spirit meets us in our highs and lows, Christ shows us the way of prayer, and the love of God is always within reach. 
So let us bring open hearts and lifted voices, 
trusting in the presence that welcomes us here. 
Let us worship God!

Hymn     Come Holy Spirit, Descend on Us
John Bell © 1994, WGRG c/o Iona Community admin by GIA Publications, Inc. OneLicence # A-734713  Sung by members of St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Santa Monica

Come Holy Spirit descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come Breath of Heaven descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come Word of Mercy descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come Fire of Judgement descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come Great Creator descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come to unite us descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come to disturb us descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come to inspire us descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.

Come Holy Spirit descend on us, descend on us.
We gather here in Jesus’ name.
 
Prayer of Confession and Transformation

Loving God, You call us to pray – to bring our whole selves before you –
yet we confess that we often hold back.
We are too distracted to pause, too proud to ask, 
too discouraged to hope, too uncertain to trust.
But you are always near, ready to listen and eager to forgive,
Waiting to form us in the shape of your love.
So meet us here in this moment of stillness.
Give us your peace. Breathe new life into weary hearts.
Teach us again to pray with boldness and trust,
as we seek the path of your steadfast love. Amen.

(A moment of silence is kept)

Assurance of New Life

Friends, hear the good news: 
God’s love is unfailing, God’s mercy is unshakable.
When we turn to God, we are met with kindness and grace.
Know that you are forgiven, renewed, and held in love. 
Thanks be to God!

Prayer for Illumination

Holy One, who meets us each where we are:
Open our minds and spirits to the words we are about to hear.
Shape our hearts in the way of your love. Amen.

Reading     Psalm 85 

LORD, you were favourable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin.  
You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him and will make a path for his steps.

Hymn     Pray, Without Ceasing, Pray
Charles Wesley, Public Domain, Sung by Gareth Moore of the Isle of Man Methodist Church
 
Pray, without ceasing, pray, your Captain gives the word;
His summons cheerfully obey, and call upon the Lord.

To God your every want in instant prayer display;
pray always; pray, and never faint; pray, without ceasing pray!

In fellowship, alone, to God with faith draw near,
approach His courts, besiege His throne with all the powers of prayer.

Go to His temple, go, nor from His altar move;
let every house His worship know, and every heart His love. 

Pour out your souls to God, and bow them with your knees,
and spread your hearts and hands abroad, and pray for Zion’s peace.

Your guides and brethren bear for ever on your mind:
extend the arms of mighty prayer, and grasp all humankind. 

Reading     Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come.   Give us each day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.   And do not bring us to the time of trial.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,  for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’  And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’  I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.  “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish?  Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion?  If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Sermon    Lord, Teach Us to Pray

If you are anything like me, you have asked a parent, mentor, or minister at some point in your life, “How do I pray?” Or maybe even, “What is the right way to pray?” I remember asking that question as a child, wanting to get it just right, as if there were a magic formula that could guarantee a response from God. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience – wondering if you’re using the right words, if you’re praying often enough, if you’re doing it correctly.

The disciples had the same question. They saw Jesus praying—regularly, intimately, as though he were speaking to someone he deeply trusted. They must have sensed that his prayer life was different, more alive than the formal prayers they were used to in the synagogue. So, one day, after watching him pray, they asked, “Teach us to pray.”

By this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus and his disciples are on a journey. Luke 9:51 tells us that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” He is heading toward confrontation, toward the cross, and along the way, he has been teaching, healing, and sending his disciples out to proclaim the kingdom of God. In the previous chapter, he sent out seventy followers to share the good news, told the parable of the Good Samaritan, and visited Mary and Martha. Now, he pauses once again to pray.

The disciples have likely seen him withdraw for prayer before—Luke often describes Jesus going off alone to pray. But this time, they don’t just observe. They want to learn. They want to pray like he does, with that same sense of nearness to God. “Teach us to pray,” they ask, “as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus’ response wasn’t a lecture or a theological discourse. Instead, he gave them a simple yet profound prayer—what we now call the Lord’s Prayer. It is a prayer of trust, asking for daily provision, forgiveness, and guidance. It is a prayer that reminds us that God is close, not distant.

But Jesus didn’t stop there. He went on to tell a story about a friend knocking on a neighbour’s door at midnight, asking for bread. It’s an odd little parable—because, let’s be honest, who wants to be woken up at midnight for a loaf of bread? And yet, Jesus says, even a reluctant neighbour will respond if someone keeps knocking. How much more, then, will God respond to those who seek, ask, and knock?

This passage isn’t about badgering God until we get our way. It’s about trusting in God’s generosity. It’s about persistence—not because God is reluctant, but because prayer changes us. It keeps us connected, keeps us engaged, keeps us aware of God’s presence in our lives.

And yet, prayer is not just asking for things. The Lord’s Prayer gives us one model, but scripture is full of many others. Psalm 85, which we read earlier, is a different kind of prayer—a prayer of longing, a plea for restoration. “Show us your steadfast love, O God, and grant us your salvation.” It’s a prayer that arises out of struggle, a reminder that prayer is not always neat and tidy. Sometimes, it is lament. Sometimes, it is gratitude. Sometimes, it is silence.

Often, when we think about prayer, we picture someone sitting quietly with their hands folded and eyes closed. And that is prayer. But it’s not the only way. It’s true that some of us pray with words—spoken or written. 

Some people pray best while moving—walking a labyrinth or taking a prayer walk through their neighbourhood or a local park, using each step as an opportunity to connect with God. Others find that singing or playing an instrument becomes their prayer, offering up melodies as a way of drawing close to the divine.

For some, prayer is visual—a sacred act of colouring, painting, or journaling, letting creativity open a conversation with God. Others find prayer in stillness, in lighting a candle, or in simply breathing deeply and resting in God’s presence.

And then there is a form of prayer we don’t always name as such—prayer through action. St. Teresa of Avila once wrote, “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.” When we serve others—when we offer kindness, work for justice, feed the hungry, or care for the lonely—our lives become a prayer. As theologian Frederick Buechner put it, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” At its best, this is the place where prayer takes us. 

One of my favourite writers, Anne Lamott, famously wrote that at its core, prayer often comes down to one of three simple words: Help, thanks, and wow.

Help—when we cry out in need, when we knock on God’s door at midnight, trusting that we will be heard. Thanks—when we recognize that all we have is a gift, when we offer gratitude for daily “bread” and answered prayers. Wow—when we stand in awe of the beauty of creation, of grace, of love that reaches beyond what we can imagine.

Jesus’ prayer in Luke 11 holds all these elements. It asks for help—”Give us each day our daily bread.” It expresses thanks and trust in God’s care. And it carries that wow—the longing for God’s kingdom to come, for the world to be made whole.

What if our lives became a kind of prayer, shaped by these three words? What if we lived in a way that wasn’t afraid to ask for help, that overflowed with thanks, and that never lost sight of the wow of God’s presence?

I wonder—what does prayer look like in your life? Is it something you turn to daily, or something you struggle with? Have you ever found prayer in unexpected places—perhaps in music, in art, in nature, or in movement?

Perhaps one of the most freeing things we can learn is that prayer is not about getting it right. It is about showing up. It is about making space for God, however we are able, trusting that God meets us there.

However you pray, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, know this: God hears. God responds. And above all, God remains with us, steadfast and faithful.  Amen.

Hymn     The Love of God Comes Close
John L Bell & Graham Maule (c) 1988, 1997 Iona Community, GIA Publications,  OneLicence  A-734713  Sung by the Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir

The love of God comes close, where stands an open door,
to let the stranger in, to mingle rich and poor:
the love of God is here to stay embracing those who 
walk his way.

The peace of God comes close to those caught in the storm;
forgoing lives of ease to ease the lives forlorn:
the peace of God is here to stay embracing those 
who walk his way.

The joy of God comes close where faith encounters fears,
where heights and depths of life are found through smiles and tears:
the joy of God is here to stay embracing those 
who walk his way.

The grace of God comes close to those whose grace is spent,
when hearts are tired or sore and hope is bruised or bent:
the grace of God is here to stay embracing those who 
walk his way.

The Son of God comes close where people praise his name,
where bread and wine are blest and shared, as when he came:
the Son of God is here to stay embracing those who 
walk his way.
 
Affirmation of Faith

We are not alone, we live in God’s world.

We believe in God: who has created and is creating,    
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.

We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not alone.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us bring our prayers before God, who hears us with love and responds with grace.
There will be pauses in this prayer for your own reflections or spoken prayers.

Loving and ever-present God,
You invite us to seek, to ask, and to knock,
trusting that you listen and respond in love.
So we bring before you the needs of the world,
our communities, and our own hearts:

God of peace,
where there is conflict – between nations, within communities,
or even in our own families – bring your healing.
Guide leaders in wisdom, soften hearts,
and show us how to be peacemakers in our daily lives.

(Pause for silent or spoken prayers for peace.)

God of justice,
where there is oppression, inequality, or cruelty,
where people are denied dignity or safety, stir us to action.
Give courage to those who stand for truth
and strength to those who long for justice.

(Pause for silent or spoken prayers for justice.)

God of compassion,
we lift to you those who are struggling today – 
the sick, the grieving, the lonely, the weary.
Bring comfort to those who mourn,
healing to those in pain, and hope to those who feel lost.

(Pause for silent or spoken prayers for those in need.)

God of abundance,
we pray for those who are hungry, 
homeless, lonely, or despairing.
Help us to be part of your answer,
sharing what we have for the good of all.

(Pause for silent or spoken prayers for those in need of provision.)

God of the Church in this place and far beyond it,
as we seek to follow you, renew our faith, deepen our love,
and help us to be a community of grace,
welcoming, serving, and growing together.

(Pause for silent or spoken prayers for the church.)

Holy One,
we humbly ask you to answer these prayers in your mercy,
and guide us in your way of love.

We draw our prayers together in the words Jesus taught us saying…Our Father… 

Offertory Prayer

Loving God who has given so much to us all. We know that even our giving is a kind of prayer – a prayer of gratitude, trust, and love. Bless these gifts, that they may bring hope, justice, and kindness in your name. Amen.

Hymn     Come and Find the Quiet Centre
Shirley Erena Murray © 1992 Hope Publishing Company OneLicence # A-734713. Performed by the 70x&’s Band and B.J. Collins
 
Come and find the quiet centre in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.

Silence is a friend who claims us, cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us, knows our being, touches base,
making space within our thinking, lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we’re shrinking, finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel, open to each other’s pain,
let our loves and fears unravel, celebrate the space we gain:
there’s a place for deepest dreaming, there’s a time for heart to care,
in the Spirit’s lively scheming there is always room to spare!
 
Blessing

Go now in the peace of God, whose love surrounds you,
whose grace sustains you, whose Spirit moves through you.
May your life be a prayer – in word and in silence, 
in action and in rest, in giving and in receiving.
And may you go in the confidence that the One who teaches us to pray
goes with you, always. Amen.