Racial Justice Sunday
Dear Friends,
Racial Justice Sunday has been observed since 1995 and currently takes place on the second Sunday of February, providing a very useful focus for many churches. Our friends at Churches Together in England have created this excellent resource for those looking to mark this day in worship:
https://cte.org.uk/racial-justice-sunday-2026/
I hope you find it useful.
With every good wish
Andy
The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
St Matthew 17: 22 – 27
When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Reflection
There are several passages in the Gospels about taxes, taxation and tax collectors. And we readily pair tax-collectors with sinners. Usually we associate these taxes and tax collectors with the Romans, with an exploitative empire and a resented power. But the tax referred to here is not a Roman tax. It was asked of all adult male Jews for the support of the Temple (building maintenance, salaries for the temple priests etc). We are told it was two drachmas (two day’s wages for a labourer?). The collectors of this tax ask Peter whether Jesus pays it, and Peter says he does. The story betrays some suspicion about whether Jesus supported the Temple or not, and until today there are different views about whether Jesus wanted to reform the Temple or simply to abolish it. But in a later conversation Jesus seems to say that the children of God should not have to pay for their own temple, or at least (perhaps better) that they shouldn’t be ‘taxed’ for it. Taxes are compulsory, obligatory, taken from us. Whereas a house of God should be resourced from the gifts of the faithful. Is this what Jesus is getting at?
Envelopes for our collections at church often describe them as ‘free will’ offerings.. There are no pew rents, no church tax, no levies. Only free will offerings. And I treasure that biblical phrase that we sometimes repeat; “for all things come from you, and of your own do we give you” (from 1 Chronicles 29:14, as David prays in thanksgiving to God).
It is too easy to slip into thinking of financial contributions to the church as a ‘tax’, to resent them or to think we would need a miracle to meet them! Can we reframe them as thank offerings, and remember too that the widow’s small gift was greater than all the others?
Prayer
Gracious God,
help me to worship you
with my words and with my body,
with all I do and all I say.
Let all I own and all I give
bear witness to your love
and your unfailing generosity.
This day,
may my receiving and earning,
my spending and giving
be good news for others,
and give glory to you.
Amen.
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston
Introduction
Hello, and welcome to worship. Our world chases ever after happiness – and promises that happiness can be found through the things we have, through a pill or a bottle, through having the right lifestyle or job or possessions. Yet our readings tell us that joy is found in doing justice, loving kindness and walking in all humility with God. Justice is integral to our readings, Jesus teaching, and our calling as Christians; in justice we find joy. My name is Andy Braunston and I am the United Reformed Church’s Minister for Digital Worship and it is my joy to lead worship for you today; let’s worship God together.
Call To Worship
With what shall we come before God? Burnt offerings? Wealth and riches to lay at God’s feet? With what shall we come before God? Shall we sacrifice even those dearest to us – the fruit of our body to blot out the sin of our souls? With what shall we come before God? Do we need to appease an angry God? With what shall be come before God? God has told us mere mortals what is good;to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.
Hymn Gather Us In / Here In This Place
Marty Haugen (born 1952) © 1982 GIA Publications Inc. OneLicense No. A-734713 Sung by folk from Devana Parish Church, Aberdeen
Here in this place
new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away,
see in this space
our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you
in the light of this day.
Gather us in –
the lost and forsaken,
gather us in –
the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise
at the sound of our name.
2 We are the young –
our lives are a myst’ry,
we are the old –
who yearn for your face,
we have been sung
throughout all of hist’ry,
called to be light to
the whole human race.
Gather us in –
the rich and the haughty,
Gather us in –
the proud and the strong;
give us a heart
so meek and so lowly,
give us the courage to enter the song.
3 Here we will take
the wine and the water,
here we will take
the bread of new birth,
here you shall call
your sons and your daughters,
call us anew to be salt for the earth.
Give us to drink
the wine of compassion,
give us to eat
the bread that is you;
nourish us well,
and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy
and hearts that are true.
4 Not in the dark
of buildings confining,
not in some heaven,
light years away,
but here in this place
the new light is shining,
now is the Kingdom,
now is the day.
Gather us in and hold us for ever,
Gather us in
and make us your own;
Gather us in –
all peoples together,
fire of love
in our flesh and our bone.
Prayers of Approach, Confession, and Grace
O Most High, we come to You in these dark days of winter,
where light is scarce, winds are cold, and we are drenched in rain.
We come to worship and adore. We come to hear and obey.
We come to love and offer You our praise.
O Risen Lord Jesus, we come to You in these dark days of winter,
We come with our faith and our doubts,
our questions and our certainties, our moans and our groans.
Forgive us, good Lord, when we complain about our lot,
when the struggles of life seem to overwhelm us,
and we cry to You in our selfishness and pain,
expecting You to save us from problems of our own making.
Forgive us and remind us of what You expect from us!
O Most Holy Spirit we come to You in these dark days of winter,
trusting in Your loving kindness which gives us time to change.
reminding us of Your presence, even when we doubt,
assuring us of Your love, even when we have our heads in mire,
showering us with mercy, even when we forget to do justice,
live kindness, and walk humbly with You.
Give us grace, Eternal Trinity,
to accept the love and forgiveness You offer us,
and to share love and forgiveness with others, and with ourselves. Amen
Prayer for Illumination
Welcome us into your tent, O Most High,
that we may walk blamelessly, do what is right, and speak the truth.
As we listen to Your word read and proclaimed,
let there be no slander nor evil in our lives,
that we may keep our promises and live lives of integrity. Amen
Reading Micah 6:1-8
Hear what the LORD says: “Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel. O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
“With what shall I come before the LORD and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?
Reading Psalm 15
O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue and do no evil to their friends or heap shame upon their neighbours; in whose eyes the wicked are despised but who honour those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.
Hymn The Kingdom of God Is Justice and Joy
Bryn Rees (1911-1983) © Alexander Scott One Licence # A-734713
sung by Paul Robinson and used with his kind permission
The kingdom of God
is justice and joy,
for Jesus restores
what sin would destroy;
God’s power and glory
in Jesus we know,
and here and hereafter
the kingdom shall grow.
2 The kingdom of God
is mercy and grace,
the prisoners are freed,
the sinners find place,
the outcast are welcomed
God’s banquet to share,
and hope is awakened
in place of despair.
3 The kingdom of God
is challenge and choice,
believe the good news,
repent and rejoice!
His love for us sinners
brought Christ to his cross,
our crisis of judgement
for gain or for loss.
4 God’s kingdom is come,
the gift and the goal,
in Jesus begun,
in heaven made whole;
the heirs of the kingdom
shall answer his call,
and all things cry glory
to God all in all!
Sermon
The United States of America was the first country in the world to have “the pursuit of happiness” as a goal in its founding documents. Around 20 other countries have followed suit and our culture assumes life is all about happiness – and after all what’s not to like about striving to be happy? Happiness can be bought, we’re told, via online shopping companies or by wandering around actual shops. It comes from having the right things – the right job, partner, education, home, and family. Happiness is often cast as being dependent on what we have. If we don’t have much then we wonder if we can be happy. Companies increasingly see it their mission to make us happy, for a price, and there is a whole industry of therapy, and medication, to if not make us happy stop us feeling sad. French sociologist Emile Durkhiem though the hall mark of post-industrial society would be despair and alienation; maybe it’s also unhappiness.
Our first reading from the book of Micah is a dialogue between a representative of the Jewish people, grumbling about their lack of happiness which they believed God should give them and an advocate speaking for God who reminded the people of their, rather than God’s responsibilities.
Micah was a contemporary of Amos, Hosea and Isaiah and ministered in the southern Jewish kingdom of Judah. His messages were directed to the elite in Jerusalem and he prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria by the Assyrians and the destruction, and restoration, of the southern state of Judah. Perhaps the end of today’s passage is the most well-known verse in the book (along with the prophecy in chapter 5 about Bethlehem being the birthplace of the Messiah). The reading sounds a little like a legal argument, with an audience, and is concerned with the breakdown of the people’s relationship with God.
The Lord has a case against His people whom he rescued from Egypt, but who displease him. An advocate asks what God requires and wonders about burnt offerings and sacrifice – even to the point of offering their firstborn – but the prophet reminds us that God has already demanded we “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.”
In an age attuned to the ecological crises which engulf us we are captured by the striking image of God, or God’s advocate, asking mountains and their foundations to bear witness to the divine words. Of course, now creation does more than bear witness to our sinful behaviour but groans with the agony we inflict upon it due to our greed and sin.
The passage is in response to the people moaning about God and, in this passage, Micah turns the tables and reminds the people what God expects of them rather than what they should expect from God. This rhetorical device has captured the imagination of believers for millennia. God does not critique people for complaining but offers a counter narrative – even though life has been difficult God has been there journeying with and freeing the people from their enslavement, asking in return, that we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.
The prophet shows that God is not concerned about the nature of our worship but the quality of our lives. How do we, as believers now, respond to this passage addressed, as it is, to those with, not those without, faith. This is not a question asking how to be saved but asking how believers should behave. Whether we’re in a small congregation gathering in a simple unadorned meeting house or part of a crowd of hundreds in a great cathedral we only truly worship if we do those things which God requires.
Our Psalmist continues the theme of right living that was started in our reading from Micah. It is thought the Psalm was part of the liturgical life of ancient Israel and sung by pilgrims as they approached Jerusalem and the Temple. There’s a left over thought from the days of the Holy of Holies containing the Arc of the Covenant being a tent in the middle of the wandering people of God in the opening line. The demands of ritual purity for worship are ones which give us pause:
no lying in an age devoted to “alternative facts”,
no shaming others in an age delighting in scandal and the unmasking of (other people’s) proclivities,
no bankers in a late capitalist society,
no bribery in a corrupt world.
We might despair. We might think of the Swiss theologian Karl Barth and remind ourselves that Jesus is the one who can enter blamelessly into God’s presence on our behalf. We might, however, ponder how thoughtlessly we modern people come into God’s presence; a wonderful desire to move away from fear and self-loathing has meant we’ve also ditched awe and wonder – especially in Protestant forms of worship. We, rightly, come just as we are without one plea but know that we can’t stay as we are. In worship we are shaped and guided to live lives worthy of our calling, to become the people able to stand firm in God’s presence, to live as God intends.
Perhaps the best way to live as God requires is summed up by Jesus in the start of the Sermon on the Mount in the passage we call the Beatitudes. Each beatitude in our reading starts with the Greek word makarios which is hard to translate into English; most Bibles render it as “blessed” some as “happy”. It can mean fortunate, happy, privileged or spiritually prosperous. Certainly, our modern understandings of happiness don’t include mourning, being poor or meek, yearning for justice, nor being merciful, or poor. Surely peacemakers find their role challenging more than happy and the persecuted aren’t happy nor are those who are reviled.
Jesus’ words only make sense with the perspective of the Kingdom where we’re called to be blessed and find happiness only in the context of blessing. Being blessed is God’s gift and isn’t found in security, success, or status. Life in the Kingdom is about a promise of eternal, abundant life, not about wealth and worldly power. The conditions Jesus offers for a state of blessedness are signs of the inbreaking power of the Kingdom; they are a later rendition of Micah’s words to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. The Kingdom is a reordering of the values of our world – some preachers try and shy away from that language preferring the rather weaker, “kin-dom” which speaks of relationship. Yet the point, I think, of Biblical Kingdom language is to offer a different vision of power, a different type of king.
We’re called to be blessed not fixate on passing notions of happiness which our culture associates with possessions and wealth. We’re called to focus on justice, kindness and humility rather than pristine, or politically correct, worship. We’re called to balance who we are with the reality of God’s holiness. In an age which demands happiness, but can never provide it, it’s more realistic to think about what makes us blessed (and what allows us to be blessings to others), to take a step back from the cultural assumptions that happiness needs to be pursued, grasped, and earned. Instead, we need to remind ourselves that blessings come from God as free gifts and are the source of our meaning, purpose and, indeed, our happiness in life.
Let’s pray:
Praise you, O God, from whom all blessings flow;
help us to join our praise with all of creation here below,
with all the heavenly host, and with all who have gone before us
marked with faith, that we, with them, praise You,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.
Hymn When The Poor Ones Who Have Nothing
Jose A Olivar and Miguel Manzano, a Spanish-language hymn Cuando el Pobre, translated by Mary L Bringle (born 1953) © 1971 Jose Olivar/Miguel Manzano published by OCP Publications
OneLicense No. A-734713. Performed: Vocals: Anna Morris, Eva Lam, Cora Tischaefer Melodica: Sung Lee Piano: Carol Churchill from Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church and used with their kind permission.
When the poor ones
who have nothing still are giving;
when the thirsty pass the cup, water to share;
when the wounded offer others strength and healing:
We see God, here by our side, walking our way;
we see God, here by our side, walking our way.
2 When compassion
gives the suffering consolation;
when expecting brings to birth
hope that was lost;
when we choose love,
not the hatred all around us:
We see God, here by our side, walking our way;
we see God, here by our side, walking our way.
3 When our spirits,
like a chalice, brim with gladness;
when our voices,
full and clear, sing out the truth;
when our longings,
free from envy, seek the humble
We see God, here by our side, walking our way;
we see God, here by our side, walking our way.
4 When true goodness poured from heaven fills our dwellings;
when the nations work to change war into peace;
when the stranger is accepted as our neighbour;
We see God, here by our side, walking our way;
we see God, here by our side, walking our way.
Affirmation of Faith
Our society tells us to be happy; God tells us to be blessed! Our social circles tell us to find happiness in possessions, status and wealth; Jesus tells us to be poor in spirit! Our social media influencers tell us to never be sad; Jesus tells us when we mourn we are blessed and comforted! Our culture admires the strong and mighty; Jesus reminds us that the meek will inherit the earth! Our leaders tell us not to disturb the status quo; Jesus calls us to hunger and thirst for righteousness! The press call for ever more draconian criminal sanctions against those they loathe; Jesus tells us to be merciful in the hope we will receive mercy! Our civilization delves into the mire to find dirt and scandal; Jesus tells us to be pure in heart in order to see God! Our nations are at war, or where not at war busy preparing for it; Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, children of God! We are obsessed by status and influence, and want people to think well of us; Jesus tells us to be happy when we are reviled and persecuted! Our society tells us to be happy; God tells us to be blessed!
Offertory
Throughout human history there has been a desire to sacrifice, to offer what we value to God; often sacrifice has been seen as a way to bribe or appease God; yet God desires not the sacrifice of crop or animal but a sacrifice of lifestyle where we leave behind our selfishness and, instead, joyfully serve God in others. We do this through the giving of our time, our talents and, of course our treasure. We give of our time as we listen to others, as we volunteer for any number of good causes, when we visit the sick or imprisoned. We give of our talents for church and charity, for friend and neighbour. We give of our talents on the plate, in little envelopes, direct to the bank, and for charities near and far. We give as an antidote to our human selfishness and self-centredness. So let us give thanks for all that is given in this church:
Eternal God, we thank you for the gifts you give us,
and for all that is good in our lives;
we thank You for gifts of time, talent and treasure in this congregation,
bless all that is given and help it make a difference in our world, Amen.
Intercessions
We bring our prayers to God who knows our needs,
feels our pain, and comforts our distress.
God of solace, in a world chasing after happiness
we bring to You those in need of deep life changing consolation:
hungry children in Gaza and frightened children in Israel,
girls longing for education in Afghanistan,
woman yearning for safety from male violence,
and parents on the move through Europe searching for sanctuary.
God, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of sanctification, in a world chasing after status,
we bring to You those in need of deep life changing blessing:
the poor and those excluded from our societies,
those who seek to change the world
yet are laughed at by the powerful, and
the prophets who call us to change our ways
but whom we prefer to ignore.
God, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of reconciliation, in a world continually at war,
we bring to You those seeking to make peace:
we pray for those who negotiate between warring countries,
those who seek to lead in troubled places,
those seeking to find community cohesion,
and those engaged in interreligious dialogue;
God, in Your mercy…hear our prayer.
In a moment’s silence we bring to you, O God,
our own need of consolation,
Silence
Accept our prayers, Eternal God, for the sake of Your Son, our Saviour,
who, through the Holy Spirit, hears us when we pray, Our Father…
Hymn Gifts of Bread and Wine
Christine McCann (born 1951)© 1978 Kevin Mayhew Ltd OneLicence No. # A-734713 Sung by Emmaus Music and used with their kind permission.
Gifts of bread and wine,
gifts we’ve offered,
fruits of labour, fruits of love;
taken, offered, sanctified,
blessed and broken;
words of one who died:
‘Take my body,
take my saving blood.’
Gifts of bread and wine:
Christ, our Lord.”
2 Christ our Saviour,
living presence here,
as he promised while on earth:
‘I am with you for all time,
I am with you
in this bread and wine.’
3 Through the Father,
with the Spirit,
one in union with the Son,
for God’s people,
joined in prayer,
faith is strengthened
by the food we share.
Holy Communion
Introduction
All are welcome at this table; those who have been here often,
and those who have not been for a long time.
Those who have followed and those who have failed.
Those who have much faith, and those who have little.
Those who seek consolation in their pain,
and those who seek joy in the gloom.
Come to this table, not because I invite you,
but because the Lord Jesus is both guest and host here,
and invites all who are weary and heavy laden,
to find comfort and joy in this bread and this wine,
where He feeds us with His very self, and gathers us into God’s presence.
Thanksgiving
The Lord Jesus, in His teaching, turns our values upside down;
instead of seeking fleeting happiness,
He tells us to seek God’s blessing where true joy is found.
Instead of seeking wealth he tells us to be poor in spirit.
Instead of chasing endless pleasure,
He tells us to find comfort when we mourn.
To the powerful he says the meek will inherit the earth!
To those who enjoy the way things are
he warns that those who yearn for justice will be fulfilled!
To those who exact revenge he teaches mercy in order to find mercy.
In an age of salacious scandal, Jesus tells us to be pure.
In a society seeking yet more war,
Jesus holds up the peacemakers as children of God.
In a world afraid to speak truth, he promises blessings to the persecuted.
And so, we give thanks for all that Jesus taught,
and all that Jesus does in our own lives and in our own world.
Memory & Institution
For we remember the night, long ago, when Jesus shared in the simplicity of a meal with his friends, and, during the meal, he took some bread, said the ancient blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends saying:
“Take this all of you and eat it, for this is my body broken for you.
Do this in memory of me.”
And, later, after the meal, he took the cup filled with wine,
said the ancient blessing and giving the cup to his friends, said:
“Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.”
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
Epiclesis
Come now, Most Holy Spirit, on these simple things of bread and wine,
that they may be, for us, the communion with the body and blood of Christ, and that we may be, for Him, Christ’s hands and feet, love and action in the world. Transform us as we follow Him in a world ever seeking, but never finding, happiness.
Doxology
We offer all our praise and all our pain, to You, O Most High,
through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever, Amen!
Music for Communion Down to The River to Pray
sung by Southern Raised
Post Communion Prayer
We thank You, O Most High,
for the blessings we receive at Your own hand.
We thank You, O Risen Lord,
for feeding us with Your own self as a mother feeds her children.
We thank You, Most Holy Spirit,
for being our consolation in the gloom.
Send us out to be
signs of lasting joy in a world of passing happiness,
icons of love in a world filled with hate,
and speakers of truth in a world full of lies. Amen
Hymn You Are Salt of the Earth O People
Marty Haugen (born 1952) © 1986 GIA Publications Inc. OneLicense No. A-734713 Sung by the Beyond the Walls Choir
You are the salt of the earth,
O people:
salt for the Kingdom of God!
Share the flavour of life, O people:
life in the kingdom of God!
Bring forth the Kingdom of mercy,
bring forth the Kingdom of peace;
bring forth the Kingdom of justice,
bring forth the City of God!
2 You are a light on the hill,
O people:
light for the City of God!
Shine so holy and bright,
O people:
shine for the Kingdom of God!
3 You are a seed of the Word,
O people:
bring forth the Kingdom of God!
Seeds of mercy
and seeds of justice,
grow in the Kingdom of God!
4 We are a blest
and a pilgrim people:
bound for the Kingdom of God!
Love our journey
and love our homeland:
love is the Kingdom of God!
Blessing
May the One who offers real joy bless you.
May the One who feeds you with Himself allow you to feed others.
May the One who comforts your distress allow you to comfort others.
And the blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be with you, and all whom you love,
and all whom you find hard to love
now and always, Amen
St Matthew 17: 14 – 20
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Reflection
What miracles do you think Jesus would do if he was in your neighbourhood today?
Would he feed lots of hungry people? Would he bring peace to the storms that endanger life and livelihoods? Would he restore dignity to disabled or marginalised people? Would he convince rich people to repay generously those communities they had previously exploited? Perhaps you would witness a miraculous healing.
What miracle does your neighbourhood need today?
In the gospel passage, the need is clear: a devoted father pleads on bended knee. He has tried Jesus’ followers, but their best efforts didn’t help. The seizures keep coming and the father prays for mercy.
Unperturbed by previous failures, Jesus listens. Jesus has compassion. Jesus acts powerfully.
In the Bible, we find healing and faith are deeply entwined. Even today, faith healers of various religions and philosophies perpetuate the idea that a lack of healing is the fault of the person with the affliction or need not having enough faith. In our reading today, however, Jesus never calls the father or the son’s faith into question. Instead, he highlights the lack of faith within his own followers.
What would Jesus say to you and your church today?
Have you and your congregation listened to the pleas of your neighbourhood? Do you have the faith to pray? To speak out and rebuke evil? To act and bring healing?
What miracles do you think Jesus would do if he was in your neighbourhood today?
Today, you bring the living presence of Christ wherever he has placed you. What miracles will you pray, speak out and work for today?
[And, of course, if someone raises a concern such as seizures, as well as listening and praying, please ensure that they are receiving appropriate professional support.]
Prayer
Compassionate God,
thank you that you hear, you care
and you still act powerfully today.
Forgive my lack of faith
when faced with mountainous challenges;
when my prayers, words and actions
seem weak and ineffective
and achieve little.
I ask for a mustard seed of faith,
that the mountains will be moved
and lives changed for the better
in my neighbourhood and the world.
Amen.
St Matthew 17: 1 – 13
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Reflection
Being on top of a mountain has many attractions. Firstly you can get a great view. You are able to see things laid out below you. You can see the plans people have laid. You can see the relationship of one thing to another, you can see the links between them. You can draw back from the detail and see the outline and the organisation of things. Things can be seen much more clearly from on top of a mountain.
Secondly you might see things differently. You may get to see the tops of the clouds instead of just the underneath of them, as we do most days. You can also see further. You get to see what lies beyond our current day to day existence. You get to see the bigger picture. You can see how our daily lives fit into the bigger world around us. Sometimes, dauntingly, you get to see the hills that lie beyond the current ones we are climbing, but at least that allows us to plan ahead.
Every year the Church goes mountain climbing. Along with Peter, James and John, we follow Jesus up the hill. On that mountain top Jesus’ figure changes and the outside of him, which had been ordinary and like us, shines as if he is not like one of us. On the mountain top we see him as he really is. God’s glory is revealed.
Where is your mountain top? Where do you go to withdraw from the bustle of everyday life to see the fullness of God’s glory. It could be a riverside or a cliff top or a beach. Perhaps it is a favourite view you have of the country, or the coast, or even a city or town. Or is your mountain top found in music – a favourite recording, or a live performance that you can experience in a hall or theatre or even simply at home on your tv or radio. Perhaps your mountain top is found in worship in your local church. Wherever it is, take time to meet with Jesus and be dazzled by what he is doing in your life.
Prayer
Holy and loving God – whose nature and ways are far beyond our understanding, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus – who lets us see your face in his, who shows us your love in his actions, your grace in his manner of being. In him too, O God, we see ourselves as you would have us be and as your power is able to make us. Make us more like him we pray. Amen
Written by John Maynard, and posted on https://re-worship.blogspot.com.
St Matthew 16: 21 – 28
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Reflection
“Oh dear Lord, that isn’t how to motivate volunteers! You just called Peter “Satan!” Did You not sleep very well? Were You hangry? Surely Your Mother taught You better manners than that! My volunteers don’t respond well to being called “Satan”; I’ve had some difficult elders in my time but confusing them with the Prince of Darkness was not a sure fire way to ensure good order! Congregationalists can get stroppy about that type of behaviour and vote difficult ministers out of office.
“All that talk about crosses – that’s not going to grow the Church is it? Who wants to follow You whilst risking execution? Can’t You promise the health and wealth that some of Your followers claim is theirs in exchange for discipleship? That wouldn’t cost a lot but would go a long way. Why not promise rewards for following You? Much better than promising a grizzly death.
“It’s different now, Lord, from Your day. The churches are almost empty, we need people to fill the rotas, pay the bills, maintain the buildings, and ensure the institution is here for the next generation. People need to be motivated and offered much in return for their time and energy; pie in the sky isn’t as rewarding as a good life now. Easy motivation is a sure fire winner!
“All that talk of rewarding us for what we’ve done; that doesn’t sound very Reformed. Next you’ll be saying faith isn’t enough and we have to reflect our discipleship in our lives. You won’t win any awards in marketing, Lord. You won’t grow the Church if You carry on like this, will You?
“Your preaching about death and conflict is very difficult to read, Lord. We’ve had our fill of death and disaster, conflict and confusion, anger and anguish, persecution and pain. Couldn’t You have made an accommodation with the religious authorities? Bent a little? Found a middle way?”
Prayer
Help us, Lord Jesus,
to follow Your narrow way,
to remember grace comes at a great cost,
and the road to Hell is wide and easy.
Amen
St Matthew 16: 13 – 20
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Reflection
It’s 325CE, and Emperor Constantine is worried. The Christians are divided about who Jesus is. Divided Christians could mean trouble for the Empire so the Emperor convened a council of bishops to sort this out. So the Nicene Creed, that we celebrated in 2025, was born. Political crisis clarified faith for centuries to come.
Sixteen centuries later, the Nazi-controlled German state proclaimed only one ultimate lord, and was not Jesus. So the Confessing Church was born that made its costly claim that ‘Jesus is Lord.’ No person, political party, nor governing power could be allowed to challenge this commitment. Some years later, in prison for living out this Confession, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that the key question for us is “Who is Jesus Christ for us today?” It’s getting personal! And it would cost Bonhoeffer his life.
In first-century Israel, we’re in the northern city of Caesarea Philippi under Roman occupation. The Empire demands ultimate loyalty. Jesus challenged his disciples in this threatening moment, “Who do you say that I am?” It’s Peter who gets it, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” It was a dangerous confession then too. Ultimately, Peter is martyred for his, sometimes wobbly, but always committed, witness to this truth about Jesus.
Empires, powers and ambitious, self-aggrandizing, leaders still want centre stage in our frightened hearts and in our fragile, threatened global community. After all these centuries, it’s still the question that challenges us, “Who do YOU say that I am?” Our Christian discipleship is still about discovering and rediscovering the transforming and costly truth about Jesus, and staking our life on that discovery in our personal lives and in the global community of nations. This will always be ‘the Rock’ on which God will build the Church of Christ, ‘beset by change but Spirit-led’ and ‘the key’ to God’s kingdom in Jesus, with its ‘challenge and choice’.
Prayer
Jesus, in whose name I trust,
and whose ultimate claim on me I confess,
give me new courage to face the world –
at my feet and in distant places –
so that I can bear witness,
through my life and with my words,to your promise of restoration and hope,
for nations and peoples.
Help me to stand on the Rock of this faith
and be an instrument of your kingdom
of love, justice and peace. Amen.
St Matthew 16: 5 – 12
When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Reflection
As the disciples crossed the lake with Jesus, they realised they had forgotten bread. Their minds were fixed on a small mistake, but Jesus wanted them to realise a greater truth. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
At first, they misunderstand. They thought he was scolding them for their lack of food. Patiently, Jesus reminded them of the miracles of feeding the thousands with only a few loaves. There, bread was never the issue. He had shown the crowds he could provide abundantly. The real concern is spiritual. Like yeast that quietly spreads through dough, false teaching and unhealthy influence can work its way into our hearts and communities, changing us without us noticing.
The disciples were bound by the Pharisees’ rigid legalism and the Sadducees’ skeptical unbelief, both of which distort God’s truth. Jesus urged his disciples, and us today, to be on guard. Our challenge is not the absence of bread but the subtle presence of ideas, attitudes, or voices that pull us away from trust in Christ.
So, ask yourself “where am I overly worried about ‘bread’, the daily needs, small mistakes, the practical concerns when Jesus has already shown he can provide? Am I alert to the ‘yeast’ around me, all the teachings, influences, or habits that quietly shape my faith for the worse?” That is why Jesus tells us to be watchful.
Jesus’ Call is not to remember the bread, but to remember Him, the true Bread from Heaven, the one who satisfies our deepest hunger and keeps us steady in truth. When our minds drift and our hearts are pulled by other voices, Jesus invites us back to trust in him. In Christ we have all we need. Let us go into the day ahead, keeping our eyes on him, feeding on his word and finding our hope in his presence.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding me that you are my provider. Forgive me when I am anxious about things you have already promised to supply. Help me to stay watchful, discerning, and rooted in your truth, so that no false teaching or subtle influence takes me away from you. Keep my heart pure and my faith strong. Amen.
St Matthew 16: 1 – 4
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
Reflection
When I read these verses, I’m struck by how the Pharisees and Sadducees dismissed all that Jesus had already shown them. They came asking for a sign from heaven, as if the healings, the miracles, the authority of His teaching, and the compassion He displayed were not enough. They were set on wanting proof that met their expectations, rather than seeing who stood before them. And I realise, I can be the same. How often do I look for God to prove Himself in ways I think He should, instead of trusting in what He has already revealed?
Jesus’ words cut deep, the men standing before Him could interpret the sky and predict the weather, but they could not interpret the signs of the times. They were skilled at reading the natural world, yet blind to the spiritual reality unfolding right before their eyes. This challenges me because I wonder how many times I’ve missed the work of God because I was waiting for something spectacular, something unmistakable, instead of noticing His quiet faithfulness woven into ordinary moments.
Here the only sign Jesus offers is the sign of Jonah, His death and resurrection. That is the ultimate demonstration of God’s power and love. The cross and the tomb, in that defining moment of history, He gave us the assurance we need. No other sign could be greater, no other proof more far-reaching.
This passage encourages me to pause and think where I’m still waiting for God to “show up” in a certain way. It reminds me that I don’t need to chase more proof, because Jesus has already given me everything. What I need is eyes to recognise His presence in the everyday, and to trust His promises, even when I can’t yet see the full picture.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
forgive me for the times I’ve demanded more
when You’ve already given me everything.
Open my eyes to notice Your presence in the everyday,
to treasure the sign of Your love displayed on the Cross,
and to trust that You are always at work
in the holiness of the ordinary. Amen.
Alleluia
O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!
Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever. (Grail Version)
or
Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.
Praise the Lord! (NRSV)
Reflection
This psalm is the shortest one. It invites the whole world to praise God and it affirms the strength of God’s love and faithfulness. In remarkably few words it embraces the whole world and also assures us of God’s love towards us. It is both universal and intimate.
There is room for two versions of this psalm today, and perhaps there are more that you know. The one from the New Revised Standard Version is the one I happen to know best, and I treasure these familiar words because I can (just about) remember them off by heart. A new translation can bring new insight, but isn’t etched into my soul as these particular words are. And more and more I know I want to commit even small verses to memory so that I need nothing more than to call them to my lips.
I remember learning once of the dangers of ‘vain repetition’ in prayer, of saying words without meaning them, and I understand the point. But I have also learned that writing, and age, are the enemies of memory and that things well remembered, repeated and absorbed can actually feed and sustain my soul. So, with the small amount of memory available to me, I want to fill it with words that matter, that bring good news, that shape me and hold me.
Psalm 117 is a good place to begin. Short, joyful, and an encouragement to praise. So, choose, or make, a translation of this short psalm (or use the Hebrew!). Then repeat it again and again and let its words accompany the rhythm of the day. May it become our shared and remembered prayer.
Prayer
Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love
toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.
(and again…)
