St Luke 9: 46 – 48

An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

Reflection

The URC Children’s and Youth Work theme for 2025 is “All Are Welcome”, so it was inevitable when I saw this reading in the Daily Devotions that I’d opt to write the reflection. I visited a church whilst on holiday some years ago and, when I casually mentioned my role in the URC, I was told “We don’t have any children and we’re not interested in having any children here”. I wonder whether that church is still open. If this reading is to be believed, we should remember that children are not only the Church of the future but are already the Church of today. And to extend Jesus’ meaning still further, to make children and those on the margins unwelcome in Jesus’ name is perhaps to make Jesus himself unwelcome. Scary thought! 

Because it’s not always easy to recognise where we are truly welcome and where people may instead be left feeling like second-class citizens in God’s kingdom. We sometimes carry on oblivious, thinking ourselves to be open but actually vying to get our own voices heard and neglecting to see those around us who are equally valued by God. It’s a challenge to stop, look around us, and see who needs that welcome, that opportunity to have their voice heard, to teach and to learn together as an equal part of God’s family. The thing is, we might have to change the way we do things. Change? Never! But yes, we might have to change – to listen more patiently, to use more approachable vocabulary and more lively songs, even to play and be creative alongside, to be intentional about being intergenerational. But how exciting to know that, in so doing, we are welcoming Jesus in our midst. 

Prayer

Jesus, are you sure I’m not the greatest? 
I do the flowers, I’m on the coffee rota.
I’ve been coming here for years, even have my own pew. 
I’ve put plenty in the offertory.. 
I do my best. 
Forgive me, Lord.
My best is not good enough when I don’t welcome all;
When I put them down or undervalue them;
When I fail to seek you in each individual, no matter who they are, 
Renew me, O God, and help me change.  Amen 

St Luke 9: 43 – 45

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples,  ‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.’  But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Reflection

I feel sorry for the disciples. There’d been healings, crowds and the odd miracle; now the long promised Messiah was here let’s get on with the revolution!  Instead of joining in with it, Jesus doused their zeal.  Glory, it seems, is not found at the palace but on the Cross.  Power is seen not in armies or strength but in weakness and vulnerability.  The popular leader will be betrayed and not ascend to the throne. No wonder the disciples couldn’t understand and go on to argue about who was the greatest amongst them.  They’d just not understood.

There again in our world our leaders don’t understand it any better.  We’ve had a resignation from an archbishop whose apology for past failures seems mealy mouthed.  His Catholic counterpart endured far harsher safeguarding criticism but remained in office.  We’ve seen other bishops scramble to say how they haven’t done anything wrong.   Any sense of ministry as service, as a call to protect the vulnerable, speak the truth, or share the pain seems to be alien.  Instead we see Church leaders act as politicians adept at handling power, dealing with pesky complaints, joking about their privileges, and generally seeking to avoid pain.  

The leadership Jesus offers is different.  Clearly there are good days with healings, adoring crowds, and the occasional miracle but there’s the hard work too.  All his (and our) ministry is undertaken in the shadow of the Cross.  It’s too easy for us to see the Cross as a sign of victory – first it’s a place of pain, disgrace, torture, and vulnerable weakness.  Our redemption comes through that vulnerable weakness.  More – the world’s healing is found there too.  What, I wonder, would leadership look and feel like if those of us called to lead modelled this type of weakness?  What I wonder would it look like if our leaders shared our pain?  What, I wonder, would glory look like if it was seen in the dirt?

Prayer

God of weakness and tragedy,
God whose glory is found in the dirt of human life,
whose power is seen in vulnerability,
teach us to lead with integrity,
to reject power for its own sake,
and to seek only Your Kingdom
where the last are first, the hungry filled
and the rich sent empty away.  Amen

St Luke 9: 28 – 36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.  And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.  Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.  They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.  Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’  When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflection

One question among many that this passage asks of us, is, are we trying to remain? The disciples wanted to remain on the mountaintop. It was a place of wonder, of safety, and of joy, but Jesus made them come down off the mountain. His glory was hidden again, though its memory was in their hearts. The event and the occasion was good, but they all had to move on.
 
Do we try to hang on to past glories? Are we more comfortable remaining where we are, when what we should consider doing is moving on to a new place?
 
God reveals himself to us, just as he revealed himself to his disciples and we may be blessed with wondrous moments, but they are just that – moments. Not timeless, but fleeting. They inspire and excite,
but they are also meant to encourage us to move on.
 
Samuel Greg wrote these words in a hymn:
 
            Stay, Master, stay upon this heavenly hill;
            A little longer, let us linger still;
 
            No, saith the Lord, the hour is past, we go;
            Our home, our life, our duties lie below.
            While here we kneel upon the mount of prayer,
            The plough lies waiting in the furrow there.
            Here we sought God that we might know his will;
            There we must do it, serve him, seek him still.
 
The retired American Presbyterian pastor, Joseph Harvard III, describes it like this,
 
God gives us mountaintop experiences that are transformative. They change the way we see the world and ourselves. Business as usual is no longer possible after you have seen the vision of God’s good future revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
 
This teaches us a truth that while it is good to be on the mount, we must remember that we cannot remain there, that we have a duty to do, and that this duty is to carry out God’s work in the world. But we should remember that we do not do this work alone. For we are empowered and accompanied by the very same God whose glory is revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

Prayer

We pray using words of a hymn written by Joseph Robinson,

            How good, Lord, to be here!
            Your glory fills the night;
            Your face and garments, like the sun,
            Shine with unborrowed light.
 
            How good, Lord, to be here!
            Yet we may not remain;
            But since you bid us leave the mount
            Come with us to the plain.
 
            Amen.

St Luke 9: 18 – 27
Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’  They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’

He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?  Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’

Reflection
With the exception of the adherents of Messianic Judaism, most orthodox Jews today continue to await a human messiah who will usher in a messianic kingdom.  Many Reformed Jews pray for a Messianic age of peace and prosperity accomplished by human good works.

Our reading today focuses on the truth of who Jesus claimed to be. Our Christian faith is based upon Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and the idea that the natural order can be overthrown by the miraculous.

There were some Jews who believed in the resurrection but this was assumed to be at the end of time when God would intervene on behalf of all his people – not in the middle of time. We also know that the many Messianic movements of the time – save the Christian movement –  died out completely with the eclipse of the leader.  The Church was different – even James, the brother of Jesus became leader of the church in Jerusalem with no thought of replacing Jesus.  James was not hailed as the Messiah, nor as a replacement for Jesus because the tomb was empty!

Whilst in John’s Gospel in the “I am” sayings does Jesus specifically claim that he is God, the earlier Synoptic Gospels give many examples, in our Lord’s critique of the scribes’ allegation against him, of blasphemy – “only God can forgive sins”. Jesus claimed that “The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins.” (Mark 2.10; Matthew 18.20;  Luke 12.10.) Jesus claimed lordship over the demons, sickness, the Sabbath, world judgement.  He prophesied accurately.  However in order to fulfil his ministry, in the prophecies in Daniel 7 and Psalm 110, and to die on the Cross, Jesus hid his true identity.

C.S. Lewis’ in “Mere Christianity”  suggests just three options for Jesus’ claims – liar, lunatic, or God.  This impels us to make the decision to follow the path of our Lord or not.

Prayer 
“For I tell you this; 
one loving blind desire for God alone is more valuable in itself, 
more pleasing to God and to the saints, 
more beneficial to your own growth, 
and more helpful to your friends, 
both living and dead, 
than anything else you could do.” 

(Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing)

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston

 
Welcome

Hello and welcome to worship.  Today we mark Jesus’ baptism at the start of his ministry.  We’ve very little material about Jesus’ childhood and so we jump, in our Sunday readings, from the visit of the Magi straight into his baptism and public ministry.  We like to think of baptism as something the Church does yet, as we read today, it was a rite first offered by Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist.  John was a fiery preacher who didn’t seem to get nuance.  He told people what’s what; his condemnation of Herod for marrying his sister-in-law led to his death.  He divided the wheat from the chaff so it’s surprising Jesus went to be baptised.  We’ll think about why that might be the case, and we’ll ponder Isaiah’s beautiful words of assurance.  So, let’s join together in worship.

Call to Worship

With all of creation we come to worship and raise God a song on high! We glorify God’s unmeasured strength and unbounded love and raise God a song on high! At God’s voice the clouds come, the thunder roars and torrents fall, and we raise God a song on high! As creation quakes in God’s presence we know that the voice which sets the planets spinning also speaks, in gentle breath, with the peace which sustains us and so we raise God a song on high!

Hymn     Summoned by the God Who Made Us
Delores Duffner OSB  GIA Publications OneLicence # A-734713 Performed by Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir accompanied by Andrew Ellams. Used with their kind permission.
 
Summoned by the God who made us rich in our diversity, 
gathered in the name of Jesus, richer still in unity: 
Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, 
sing a new church into being one in faith and love and praise. 

Radiant risen from the water, robed in holiness and light, 
male and female in God’s image, male and female, God’s delight: 
Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, 
sing a new church into being one in faith and love and praise. 

Trust the goodness of creation; trust the Spirit strong within. 
Dare to dream the vision promised sprung from seed of what has been. 
Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, 
sing a new church into being one in faith and love and praise. 

Bring the hopes of ev’ry nation; bring the art of ev’ry race. 
Weave a song of peace and justice; let it sound through time and space. 
Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, 
sing a new church into being one in faith and love and praise. 

Draw together at one table all the human family; 
shape a circle ever wider and a people ever free.
Let us bring the gifts that differ and, in splendid, varied ways, 
sing a new church into being one in faith and love and praise. 

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Grace

You tell us, O Most High, not to be afraid, to trust in Your redemption, to hear You call us by name, and to know we’ll not be overwhelmed by flood nor consumed by flame. For these promises we thank you. You tell us, Eternal One, that we are precious in Your sight, that we are loved, that You formed and made us. For this gracious love we thank You.

Yet there are times, Lord Jesus, when we forget Your promises, when we ignore You standing at our side, and prefer to go our own way rather than trust in Yours.   Forgive us, good Lord, and give us time to turn back, time not only to know Your love but to spread it, time not just to experience Your grace but to share it, time not just to rest in Your assurance but to help others to be safe.

Remind us, Most Holy Spirit, that we are created for glory, even as we are mix of saint and sinner, wheat and chaff, give us the grace to accept our forgiveness, to forgive others, and to forgive ourselves.  Amen.

Prayer for Illumination

You speak to us, O God,  in ancient words and contemporary interpretation, in the majesty of creation, and in the minutia of our lives,
shine in our hearts and lives, that as we hear we may follow.  Amen.

Reading     Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight and honoured and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.  Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Hymn     All on Earth and All in Heaven (Psalm 29)
Michael Morgan © 2011 Faith Alive Christian Resources OneLicence # A-734713  sung by the choir of the Mt Cross Lutheran Church Camarillo, California & used with their kind permission.

All on earth and all in heaven raise to God a song on high;
strength unmeasured love unbounded, God alone we glorify.
At God’s voice the clouds assemble thunder roars and torrents fall;
Earth shall quake before God’s presence, mountains tremble at God’s call

Trees shall bow in awe & wonder, bend their branches to the ground;
from God’s lips one word in anger wreaks destruction all around.
But the Word which sets in motion such travails can make them cease;
that same voice which tumult beckons in a gentler breath speaks peace.

Reading     St Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Hymn     Christ Is Our Light!  The Bright and Morning Star
© Leith Fisher performed by Mr Gooch, Mr Muirhead and Ellie N from Strathallan School and used with their kind permission.

Christ is our light! The bright and morning star  
covering with radiance all from near and far.  
Christ be our light, shine on, shine on we pray  
into our hearts, into our world today.  

Christ is our love! Baptised that we may know  
the love of God among us, swooping low.  
Christ be our love, bring us to turn our face  
and see in you the light of heaven’s embrace.  
 
Christ is our joy! Transforming wedding guest!
Through water turned to wine the feast was blessed.
Christ be our joy; your glory let us see,
as your disciples did in Galilee.

Sermon

Our contemporary world is concerned with many things but, perhaps most deeply, with questions around identity and purpose.  Who are we?  What are we here for?  How do we find meaning in life?  These are questions that folk wrestle with seeking answers in social movements, politics and, sometimes, in faith.  We may find meaning in identities based on how we love, where we were born or live, how we vote or how we live.  And, in finding those identities we strive to find meaning.  We’re tempted to think of all this as a modern phenomenon but,  as our readings show, these concerns were ones which preoccupied the ancients too.

In our Isaiah passage the prophet addresses a bruised and battered, dislocated and despondent people.  The Jews were living in exile with little hope of return.  The people are reminded, after harsh words in the previous chapter, that they are precious in God’s sight – they may feel insignificant at the margins of a mighty empire but they are held in God’s own hand.  The prophet reminds them that they belong to God and, despite their sins, cannot be separated out from God.  Their identity is as God’s people, their purpose to glorify God and be a light to the nations; despite their sins and the prophet’s view that the exile was a divine punishment, they were loved and redeemed.  

Psalm 29, which we sang in paraphrase form, is one that benefits from looking at various translations.  The Psalm’s opening line might be addressed to “heavenly beings” to “sons of the mighty” or to “mighty ones”.  The paraphraser in our sung version hedged his bets and rendered the line “all on earth and all in heaven” which covers bases nicely.  Calvin thought the Psalm was addressed to haughty humans rather than the heavenly beings some versions have.  Calvin thought the Psalm was a reminder to see beyond the forces and powers that control the world and to turn to God the world’s true sovereign.  The Psalm, for Calvin, is addressed to those who see their identity as being based in wealth and power, who derive meaning from amassing riches; he saw it as a wakeup call to consider their true identity and purpose – in glorying and following God not amassing wealth and oppressing the poor.  

Calvin’s reading is a good counter point to the powers and principalities that exist today – where haughty (normally men) accumulate wealth and power and behind systems used to keep them in power.  The rise of Christian nationalism drove Mr Trump back to the White House (along with a Democratic Party that allowed itself to be portrayed as elitist whilst, multi-millionaire, Mr Trump was seen as ordinary!).  Maybe Mr Trump and his followers need reminding that glorifying God is rather more than voting for a particular party.  The powers of racism that swirl around us and infest politicians ever more eager to pander to the press barons also need reminding that God alone do we glorify.  Those who follow God are always tempted to put other things before God – whether that was the temptation to worship idols and pagan Gods in the ancient near east or the temptation to compromise with the Nazi state in 1930s Germany.  It might be the temptation to see right wing populists as divinely ordained or it might be the temptation to see Christianity as having nothing to do with secular concerns and only focused on the spiritual.  Maybe the political thunderstorms and tempests of our own age are signs that God is at work just as the Psalmist saw God at work in nature’s unleashed power.  The Psalm reminds us to speak truth to the mighty – the truth that only God is to be worshipped, only Jesus is Lord.  

Which brings us to Jesus and his baptism.  It’s a puzzling episode in some ways.  John’s baptismal practice was about repentance, separating out the good from the evil, the wheat from the chaff.  With John you’d know if you were good or evil – he made it very clear.  So, we have to wonder why Jesus submitted to baptism from his cousin – a baptism that was about, according to John, turning away from evil and towards God.   

In Luke’s gospel the baptism narrative comes after the genealogy but before the temptations.  We skip over the genealogies as they are rather boring and repetitive.  Unlike Matthew, Luke doesn’t include the women in the Messianic line.  We’ve no idea of some of the men he names whilst some of the others were nasty characters.  Abraham who pimped his wife and tried to murder his son is there.  So is Judah, who tried to get out of his responsibilities to a woman he made pregnant.  David the murdering rapist is there too.  We can assume, therefore, that Jesus’ ancestors were a motley crew; a mixture of good and bad and, like us, something in-between. Jesus was born into a world of personal and systemic sin.  He’d know this with those ancestors, with the occupation of Rome, with heartless taxation and injustice.  His identity, therefore, included this list of ancestors as well as being a Jew living under cruel occupation.  

His baptism shows he understood this; in submitting to baptism he identified with the world in all its fallenness and in all its glory – a world in need of redemption just like the Jews in Isaiah’s day.   

Later, Jesus is driven to the wilderness to face temptation – something we come back to in Lent.  In a world where sin is baked in, where oppression is part of our systems and structures, Jesus rejects the temptation to just make the best of things.  Jesus cannot escape the tragic structure of the world – he’s Son of Adam, Son of God, after all.  But he ensures he bends his will to God’s.   By accepting John’s baptism, Jesus rejects John’s dualism of good versus evil, wheat or chat, saint or sinner and shows, as his genealogy shows, that life is complex.  No wonder he was accused of being a glutton, a drunk, a friend of sinners, outcasts and collaborators.  Jesus was part of an interconnected web – ancestors and friends, systems and structures, that he identified with, worked in, and redeemed.  

In our own day we might ponder who we are and whose we are.  We might wonder what makes us worthy.  Like the Jewish exiles we may feel estranged in our culture which, at best, ignores us and, at worst, sees us (with good reason) as dangerous.  We might be tempted to find our identity, and safety, in what our money can buy.  The need to be secure is as important as it ever was.  Employers transfer pension risks to the workers rather than bear it themselves, rent costs more than mortgages – yet one needs to earn a lot of get a mortgage. A move way from a unionised workforce means it’s easier than ever to lose one’s job.  Mr Putin’s invasion of Ukraine shows how precarious things are not in faraway places but in countries very near us.  Yet, we’ll only find true security in God; the Psalmist reminds us to ascribe God glory (and by implication that means not ascribing it elsewhere!).  Over the floods and thunders, the waves and flames, God is there providing our identity and security, our place under the sun.

As Christians our prime identity is secured in our baptism.  Jesus’ baptism served to identify with his mixed ancestry, his humanity in that time and place, and with God’s will.  Ours serves to identify us as God’s and God’s alone.  Despite our sins God loves us; our identity is assured in God’s promises. At baptism we were marked by and claimed for God; great promises were made – God keeps His!  Let’s pray:

Eternal God, help us to ascribe You the glory that is Yours, not to pander to divine capriciousness –  You have no need of our praise after all –  but to remind us of our place, our need for security, and our duty to trust in, and serve, You. Remind us of our baptism, of promises made and forgiveness given, and remind us, O God, that we are no longer our own, but Yours.  Amen.

Hymn     When Jesus Came to Jordan
Fred Pratt Green © 1980 Hope Publishing Company OneLicence # A-734713. Sung by the choir of North Stoneham and Bassett Parish Church & used with their kind permission

When Jesus came to Jordan to be baptized by John,
He did not come for pardon, but as his Father’s Son.
He came to share repentance with all who mourn their sins,
to speak the vital sentence with which good news begins.

He came to share temptation, our utmost woe and loss,
for us and our salvation to die upon the Cross.
So when the Dove descended on him, the Son of Man,
the hidden years had ended, the age of grace began.
 
Come, Holy Spirit, aid us to keep the vows we make,
this very day invade us, and every bondage break.
Come, give our lives direction, the gift we covet most:
to share the resurrection that leads to Pentecost.

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in the one and only God, Eternal Trinity,  from whom, through whom and for whom all created things exist.  God alone we worship; in God we put our trust. 

We worship God, source and sustainer of creation,  whom Jesus called Father, whose sons and daughters we are.

We worship God revealed in Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God made flesh; who lived our human life, died for sinners on the cross; who was raised from the dead, and proclaimed by the apostles, Son of God;  who lives eternally, as saviour and sovereign,  coming in judgement and mercy, to bring us to eternal life. 

We worship God, ever present in the Holy Spirit;  who brings this Gospel to fruition, assures us of forgiveness, strengthens us to do God’s will, and makes us sisters and brothers of Jesus, sons and daughters of God. 

We believe in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,  united in heaven and on earth: on earth, the Body of Christ,  empowered by the Spirit to glorify God and to serve humanity;  in heaven, eternally one with the power, the wisdom  and the love of God in Trinity. 

We believe that, in the fullness of time, God will renew and gather in one 
all things in heaven and on earth through Christ,  and be perfectly honoured and adored.  We rejoice in God who has given us being,  who shares our humanity to bring us to glory,  our source of prayer and power of praise;  to whom be glory, praise and adoration, now and evermore. Amen.

Intercessions

We bring our prayers to God, the Eternal Trinity.

Eternal One, we pray for those who feel insecure;  for refugees fleeing war, oppression and poverty, for those waiting for the next bomb to drop and cling to life, for those whose loves and lives attract anger and hate, for those meeting in secret to worship this day for fear of the powers. May we, through our gifts, faith, and life change the world.

Lord Jesus, we pray for those baptised this day, those making promises for themselves – often at great risk –  and those parents making promises on their child’s behalf, remind them of Your faithfulness and love, prepare them for lives of discipleship that they, with us, through our gifts, faith, and life, we may change the world.

Most Holy Spirit, remind us to look beyond our own identities, our own searches for safety, our own riches and wealth, to see that it is God alone that we worship, God alone in whom we must trust, that through our gifts, faith, and life, we may, change the world.

Eternal Trinity of Love, we hold before you now,  in the silence of our hearts, all who are in need….
May we, through our gifts, faith, and life change the world. As Jesus taught, so we pray…Our Father…

Offertory

Part of our identity as Christians involves giving.  St Paul reminds us that God loves cheerful givers – though I’m sure grumpy ones are welcome too!  Giving changes us, it reinforces our identity as being part of God’s people, and it changes the world.  We give with love of our time, talents and treasurer; we give in many ways to many different people and causes.  We may give in the plate in church or by standing order, we may give by remembering the Church in our wills.  However we give, let’s give thanks for the ways in which such giving brings change:

Loving God, thank you for the gifts you shower up on us, and for the ways in which you provide for us to give; help us to remember that giving changes us –  helping us control our selfish desires. Help us to remember that giving reminds us that we are Yours. Help us to remember the difference that our giving makes  to the lives of others. Bless these gifts and all that is given in this placethat we may continue as Your people and, as we are changed,  change the world.  Amen.

Hymn    The Silent Stars Shine Down On Us
Herman G Stuempfle (1923-2007) GIA Publications OneLicence # A-734713 Sung by Paul Coleman

The silent stars shine down on us with bright but sightless eye,
unmindful of our little earth, of us who live and die.
Are we but grains of stranded sand beside a cosmic sea
that lie unvalued and unseen in such immensity?

Creator of all stars you came to grace our transient race.
In Christ you spoke a word that broke the silences of space.
Still through that word you call our hearts to know that we are known, 
to trust we do not walk through time  unvalued and alone.

We see the star the wise men saw and hope again is stirred.
We track the footprints left in time by your incarnate Word.
We see them climb a lonely hill where Love is left to die –
the Love that formed the farthest star and hears the faintest cry.

O Christ, the bright & morning Star whose radiance does not fade,
whose glory filled the universe before the planets played:
come, heal our hearts of blinding doubt till faith shall end in sight.
Shine down upon our darkened earth and conquer sin’s long night.
 
Blessing

May the One who made the silent stars shine,
the One who understood his past, present, and future,
and the One who calls our hearts to follow,
shine upon you, allow you to understand your contexts,
and give you the grace to follow,
and the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be with you evermore.  Amen.

St Luke 9: 1 – 9

Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.  He said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic.  Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there.  Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’  They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere. Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,  by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen.  Herod said, ‘John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he tried to see him.

Reflection

I’m not a great one for horror films. I love a police procedural or an action film but scary films? No thanks, I’m too much of a wimp. But one thing I know, in almost all genres of film, when the hero dispatches the baddy, it’s always worth making doubly sure that they’re really, really dead. Otherwise they’ll somehow come back to mess up your plans again.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Herod was a hero and John the Baptist the villain. But Herod must’ve been scared silly! He absolutely knew that John the Baptist was dead. He’d ordered it, seen the head on the plate and everything. There was nothing more that could’ve been done to ensure that John would not trouble him and his reign any further. Yet others were saying that John had come back to life.

In churches, we often try and deal with thorny and difficult issues. The role of young people (or, more often, where are the young people?), hearing, and responding to, the voices of children,  Legacies of Slavery, safeguarding, lack of volunteers, an organist who is no longer able to keep up with the congregation… we have to meet these issues head on. We must deal with these issues with grace, humility – and finality. Making a half-hearted attempt to resolve them and breathing a sigh of relief that “it’s done” risks them coming back to haunt us and causing more hurt and disruption further down the line.

When responding to difficult situations we need to grasp the nettle and pull it up to make sure we get the roots, too (Jesus used a LOT of gardening metaphors so I feel I’m on safe ground here). Let us not be half-hearted in what we do. Let us be honest, forthright and seek God’s help.

Of course, I’m not suggesting we serve up the organist’s head on a platter. Or, at least, only as a last resort.

Prayer

God grant me the courage to change the things I can
The serenity to accept the things I can’t
And the wisdom to know the difference. Amen

St Luke 8: 40 – 56

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her haemorrhage stopped.  Then Jesus asked, ‘Who touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.’  But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.’  When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.  He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’ While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.’ When Jesus heard this, he replied, ‘Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.’  When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother.  They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, ‘Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.’  And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.  But he took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’  Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat.  Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

Reflection

The woman with a haemorrhage has suffered for twelve years. She comes in desperation, daring to enter the crowd in order to reach out to Jesus.  When Jesus notes the healing, she comes to him and confesses.  Jairus comes in desperation seeking healing for his twelve year old daughter.  

What is remarkable about both events is that Jesus touched/ was touched by them.  The Law stated that touching a bleeding woman and a corpse were prohibited.  (By the time Jesus’ reached Jairus’ daughter she was dead – a corpse.)  Jesus was willing to circumvent religious law to care for the woman and the girl.    Jesus did not hesitate to take the hand of the child, commanding her to get up. Jesus did not reprimand the woman for touching his garment. 

Both woman and girl were restored to the family of faith. Jesus called the woman, ‘daughter.’  Calling her ‘daughter ‘was bringing her back into the circle from which she had been excluded for twelve years.  Having been raised from death the twelve year old girl/daughter was able to resume her life within her family and community.  By his actions Jesus recognised the worth of both.  

Reflecting on Jesus’ actions causes me to wonder how our callings ask us to cross thresholds we might not have crossed before?  How are we asked to honour the spirit of the religious expectations?  Where are we called beyond those expectations to  act in ways that people can be restored to wholeness and embraced within God’s community?  

As we reflect, perhaps we can ask ourselves these questions:  Who is quietly edging toward us, pulling at our garments, seeking care, asking for healing and peace?  Who is pushing through the crowd in desperation, seeking our help because in us they see God?  Whose whole life has been shaped by pain and is now asking for help?  Where can our offerings of support be the path to healing?

Prayer

Listening God, open our eyes and our ears to those who are seeking restoration to community and wholeness.  Give us courage to act for their healing.  Give us courage to love unconditionally.
  
Listening God, when we are the one who is in pain, bring us the person who stops, listens, and offers hope.

God, help us remember we are named as ‘beloved’ within the family of faith.  Give us courage to voice that love within and outside of our churches.  Amen.