worship to comfort & inspire, excite & energise

Order of Service Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today’s service.   You can either simply read this or you can   to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns.  This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol.  Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service.

Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church for Sunday 5 October 2025   Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston   Welcome Hello and welcome to worship.  Today we hear of faith in hard times; poems of lament in the face of disaster and eager disciples asking for more faith – only to be told by Jesus they have enough to move mountains.  We too live in hard times with life’s complexity worrying and confusing us; climate change, rising prices, the emergence of new political parties, and new incarnations of older ones, people offering easy answers to complex questions, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the ever present danger of war might make us lament and cry for more faith; yet Jesus tells us, too, that we have enough to move mountains.  My name is Andy Braunston and I serve as the URC’s Minister for Digital Worship; I’m leading worship today from my study in the beautiful island county of Orkney where I live and work.  So, with our faith, and our doubts, our certainties and our complexities, we come to worship. Call To Worship We meet in the presence of the Most High,  who knows us better than we know ourselves, who satisfies our ancient hungers in the silent music of praise, and who calls us to action. So we cry: increase our faith! We meet in the presence of the Risen Lord, who knows from first-hand experience what human life is like, who feeds us with His very self, and who calls us to follow Him. So we cry: increase our faith! We meet in the presence of the Most Holy Spirit, who knows our strengths and weaknesses, and fills us with eagerness and energy, and who inspires us to draw close as we worship. So we cry: increase our faith! Hymn     Let All the World in Every Corner Sing George Herbert (1593–1633) Public Domain BBC Songs of Praise   Let all the world in every corner sing: my God and King! The heavens are not too high, His praise may thither fly; the earth is not too low, His praises there may grow. Let all the world in every corner sing: my God and King! Let all the world in every corner sing: my God and King! The Church with Psalms must shout, no door can keep them out; but above all, the heart must bear the longest part. Let all the world in every corner sing: my God and King!   Prayers of Approach, Confession, & Grace We draw close to you, Eternal Trinity, and praise You for Your great love. You give us all we need, You allow us to puzzle over Your word and deeds, You inspire us to work out faith in action. For this we praise You. For this we thank You.   Yet there are times when we have doubted Your love, trusted in other things, journeyed other ways, and followed other gods, believing You punish, not love, us. We have demanded faith yet not used the seeds You gave us. We have doubted what You can achieve through us. We have behaved as if we are living in exile;  despising the world as it is and dreaming it could be remade in our image. Forgive us, O God, and give us time to come to our senses. Reclothe us in a rightful mind and let us return to You, that we may sing Your songs in strange and familiar lands, find the faith You have given sufficient for the work You call us to, that we may not forget You are our highest joy; our life itself.  Amen Prayer for Illumination You, O Maker, call us to sing Your praises       in lands both strange and familiar. You, O Christ, call us to embody Your love       to both friend and stranger. You, O Spirit, work in our hearts and minds       inspiring and challenging us. Bless us now, O Trinity of Love,       as we listen to Your word read and proclaimed,      strange and familiar, friendly and difficult,        that we may hear, understand, and respond.  Amen. Reading     Lamentations 1: 1-6  How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become subject to forced labour.  She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers, she has no one to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.  Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude; she lives now among the nations; she finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress. The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her young girls grieve, and her lot is bitter. Her foes have become the masters; her enemies prosper because the LORD has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe. From daughter Zion has departed all her majesty. Her princes have become like stags that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer. Reading     Psalm 137  By the rivers of Babylon – there we sat down, and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps. For there our captors asked us for songs,  and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you,  if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall,  how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations!” O daughter Babylon, you devastator!  Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock! Hymn     By the Babylonian Rivers Ewald Bash (1964) © 1964 American Lutheran Church OneLicence # A-734713. The Beyond the Walls Choir.   By the Babylonian rivers we sat down in grief and wept; hung our harps upon a willow, mourned for Zion while we slept. There our captors, in derision, did require of us a song; so we sat with staring vision and the days were hard and long. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange and bitter land; can our voices veil the sorrow? Lord God, hear your lonely band. Let your Cross be benediction  for those found in tyranny. By the pow’r of resurrection  loose them from captivity.   Reading     St Luke 17:5-10 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.  Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me; put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'” Sermon  We live in difficult times.  Wars seem nearer than ever before.  Political extremists seem to be doing very well winning elected office leaving their opponent disorganised and unsure.  Wages and pensions don’t keep up with rising prices; for many the dream of home ownership is a cruel illusion.  Despite knowing the damage they cause, we’ve not weaned ourselves off fossil fuels.  We still fight a war on drugs instead of working out how best to help those addicted.  We might watch the news and cry “increase our faith!”  There again the good Lord calls us to be Church in difficult times.  We’re called to believe despite a secular indifferent society; Lord, increase our faith!  We must adapt to a changing climate which will bring huge difficulties; Lord, increase our faith!  Artificial intelligence engines do increasingly more allowing greater ingenuity puzzling so many of us (and infuriating university teachers); Lord, increase our faith!  Despite ever more cruel strategies, people fleeing war, poverty, and climate change still wish to come and make new lives in an ever more fortress-like Europe; Lord, increase our faith!  Despite great wealth in our society, more and more use foodbanks; Lord, increase our faith!  Despite the most amazing technology allowing us to be in contact with so many people, there’s an epidemic of loneliness, Lord, increase our faith! The disciples’ cry “increase our faith” is explained by the four verses before today’s reading.  Jesus had warned against causing marginalised people to stumble, stressed the need to rebuke those who falter on the journey of discipleship whilst, at the same time, told his followers to offer radical forgiveness to those who offended them.  No wonder they cried “increase our faith!”  Jesus had already noted the difficult, counter cultural, demands of discipleship when he challenged family norms, called people to carry their crosses, and commanded the giving away of possessions.  No wonder the disciples were bemused.  Again, we want to agree with them and their cry “increase our faith!”   The powerful words in our first reading use the image of a woman weeping bitterly, her people in exile, nowhere left to rest, grieving and groaning filled the air and her foes became her masters.  This was the plight of Jerusalem after the Babylonians invaded and carted off the religious and political elite into the bitter years of exile in 586 BC.  We can’t begin to imagine the pain of that invasion and exile.  We can’t imagine the pain, the bereavement, nor the theological problems caused by this bitter defeat.  The people may have cried “increase our faith” in order to make sense of the world they found themselves in.   Like Jeremiah, the unknown prophet of Lamentation has the answer to why this happened – the people’s sins.  The kings and people trusted that God would not let bad things happen, the prophets warned that a covenant needs, at least, two parties and the promises of one are conditional on the behaviour of another.  The prophets warned, again and again, that rulers were ignoring God and the poor.  For them, the disaster that befell the Jewish people was God’s punishment on a sinful people, or at least a sinful elite.  Whilst this theology tried to make sense of that disaster that we should take care in applying it elsewhere.  It is all too easy for smug Christians to see causes which are not there when people suffer.  Billy Graham’s son, Franklin, for example, suggested Hurricane Katrina targeted New Orleans due to that city’s supposed iniquities. Such a simplistic view takes no account of how policies of successive governments ignored the damage done by climate change nor the spectacular damage the rich do to our world through the consumption of excessive resources.  It is, of course, clear there’s cause and effect between the damage climate change is causing and the damage humanity does to the earth but there’s no direct correlation between people causing damage and those who are directly harmed.  Often it’s the poorest and least polluting who suffer the most.  O Lord, increase our faith! The writer of Lamentations had a high view of sin, not just the faults and failings of people but the character of nations – what we might call structural sin.  We don’t have, however, the voices of the theologians who would have argued with the writer of Lamentations.  Might they have said it was too harsh to say God punished the people through defeat, invasion, and exile?  Might they have had other theologies which offered different interpretations to what went on?  Might the meaning be found in the imperial ambitions of the Babylonians rather than the moral failings of the Jewish leadership?  Jeremiah, after all, was clear the Babylonian regime was also wicked.  It is clear the Jewish kings of Judah failed but might it be too harsh to believe that God willed the destruction of the state and its leadership because of those failings?  Earthly rulers often seek vengeance but the divine ruler?   Perhaps we are best seeing this text as something which shows that sin and failure have consequences, that dreadful things do befall peoples and that it’s natural to find meaning and purpose in those events; but that our discernment might not always be right.  Disaster beckons for our world; species are going extinct, sea levels rise, populations are on the move due to sinful human structures and systems but those who suffer the most are the ones who’ve polluted the least.  How might our faith help us respond to disaster? Our Psalmist had to find faith to respond to the disaster of exile.  This Psalm, probably composed back in Jerusalem after the exile (it seems to look back), dwells on the bitterness of the dislocation.  The tears echo the rivers of Babylon.  Captors, knowing the musician was skilled wanted music composed and songs sung.  Yet, the poet asked, “how can the Lord’s praises be sung in such a situation?”  How might faith respond to such a disaster?    Of course, the Lord’s praises could, and would, be sung in foreign lands.  The fate of the Jewish people was to be dispersed amongst the nations – the earliest Christians preached first, after all, to the Synagogues around the Empire.  Judaism learned to become a faith centred around Synagogue not Temple (after the Temple was destroyed it had no choice) and the Lord’s praises were sung throughout the known world.  Faith did respond and founded something new within the Jewish tradition. The Church has not had the same sense of connection with places and, whilst Christians go on pilgrimage to holy sites, our faith isn’t grounded in place in the same way as it was, and perhaps is, for the Jewish people.  The Psalm, however, dwells on the human response to despair and dislocation.  The vicious desire at the end to harm babies – lines which don’t make it into our sung versions – are an all too human response to debilitating disaster.  Faith, here, was struggling to adapt to a new reality. Bearing in mind the devastation of Lamentations, the anger and pain in the Psalm and the disciples’ confusion we have a little more context for Jesus correcting the disciples in saying that if they had faith the size of the tiny mustard seed that would be enough.  Perhaps he was suggesting they were asking for the wrong thing.  Faith does not increase like magic, you can’t do a course to end up with more, it isn’t given as a prize for doing well.  Instead, Jesus suggests we don’t need more faith, just the right kind of faith; the faith that can move mountains!   Faith that can move mountains is the faith that helps with desperate asylum claims, and wins.   Faith that can move mountains is the faith that takes our few loaves and fishes and feeds hungry people.   Faith that can move mountains is the faith that raises hundreds of pounds for charity from tiny congregations which are often written off by the “successful” ones.   Faith that can move mountains is the faith that writes to supermarket bosses telling them to improve their environmental credentials, or shares with the local MP issues of concern.  Faith that moves mountains is practice; a faith that does things.   Faith isn’t about the sum of what we believe or give intellectual consent to.  Instead, faith is about what we do.  That troubling allusion to slaves having to expect to be treated as slaves in our Gospel reading is a reminder that in doing these things we’re not to seek our own glory but simply to respond “well, this is what we do.”  Mother Theresa offended a Catholic group I knew of who had raised money for a minibus for one of her centres in India.  She thanked them and asked for another one!  Those self-satisfied middle-class folk were very cross; they’d expected the living saint to thank and praise them; instead, she disturbed them, reminding them that this was, indeed, what their faith demanded, what they were to do, to move another mountain! We find ourselves, as part of the Church in the West, continuing to struggle with new realities.  Some try to deny those realities and find refuge in ancient traditions, others try to offer certainty in an uncertain world, others still think the game’s up and live as functional atheists thinking nothing can be done.  There are always choices in how we respond to the times we live in.  The writer of Lamentations used faith to try and understand the disaster which befell the nation of Judah seeing disaster and defeat as divine displeasure.  The Psalmist saw faith challenged in exile.  Jesus, however, seems to suggest faith is about action – in this case moving mountains.   The faith we have achieves amazing things.  When we pray “increase our faith” we are not praying for more knowledge, an inner strength, or more determination to believe impossible things but, instead, we’re asking for more ways to show God’s loving kindness in action.  Faith in the time of Lamentations meant dreaming of rebuilding from the ruins, faith for the Psalmist, ironically, meant learning to sing the Lord’s song in a new place, and faith for the disciples meant changing the world.  What might that kind of faith mean for you?  Which huge plants will come from the mustard seed of faith found in your life and your church?   As thoughtful Christians we need to acknowledge the state the Church finds itself in, find ways to creatively respond to the world as it is, and strongly believe God isn’t finished with us yet!  The Lord’s songs must be sung, even in landscapes which feel strange to us; landscapes we inhabit and know. Landscapes where mountains can move!  Let’s pray. Faithful God,   You give us faith that can move mountains, if only we trust and act. Help us to sing Your songs in a land familiar yet strange, to remember Your blessings, and serve Your people. Amen. Hymn     Heaven Shall Not Wait John L Bell (born 1949) and Graham Maule (1958-2019)  1987 WGRG OneLicence # A-734713. Performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission. Heaven shall not wait   for the poor to lose their patience, the scorned to smile, the despised to find a friend: Jesus is Lord;  he has championed the unwanted; in him injustice confronts its timely end. Heaven shall not wait for the rich to share their fortunes,   the proud to fall, the elite to tend the least: Jesus is Lord; he has shown the master’s privilege  to kneel and wash servants’ feet before they feast.   Heaven shall not wait for the dawn of great ideas,   thoughts of compassion divorced from cries of pain:   Jesus is Lord; he has married word and action;   his Cross and company make his purpose plain.     Heaven shall not wait  for triumphant hallelujahs, when earth has passed and we reach another shore: Jesus is Lord;  in our present imperfection: his power and love are for now and then for evermore. Affirmation of Faith As followers of Jesus Christ, living in this world – which some seek to control, and others view with despair – we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! From the beginning, through all the crises of our times, until the Kingdom fully comes, God keeps covenant forever: and we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! God formed sky, land, and sea; stars above, moon and sun, making a world of colour, beauty, and variety – a fitting home for plants and animals, and us – a place to work and play, worship and wonder, love and laugh. God rested and gave us rest and we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! When humans deface God’s image, the whole world suffers: we abuse the creation or idolize it;  we are estranged from our Creator,  from our neighbour, from our true selves, and from all that God has made. Yet we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! Standing in our place, Jesus suffered during his years on earth, especially in the tortures of the Cross. He carried God’s judgment on our sin – his sacrifice removed our guilt. God raised him from the dead: he walked out of the grave, conqueror of sin and death – Lord of Life! We are set right with God, given new life, and called to walk with him in freedom from sin’s dominion. And we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! The Holy Spirit renews our hearts and moves us to faith, leads us into truth, and helps us to pray, stands by us in our need, and makes our obedience fresh and vibrant. God the Spirit lavishes gifts on the Church in astonishing variety – prophecy, encouragement, healing, teaching, service, tongues, discernment – equipping each member to build up the body of Christ and to serve our neighbours. And we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! We long for that day when our bodies are raised, the Lord wipes away our tears, and we dwell forever in the presence of God. We will take our place in the new creation,  where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, and the Lord will be our light. And so we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! Intercessions As we sit weeping by the rivers of our world, we bring our petitions to God, knowing, through prayer, we are heard, loved, held, and inspired to change. Eternal Majesty,  You call us to be the Church in dangerous and difficult times, facing wars, famine, extremism, and intolerance all around us,  and as we weep, we long for peace. We live in expensive times  with prices rising faster than benefits, wages, and pensions, and as we weep, we long for stability. We live in changing times, with our climate producing more storms,  rising sea levels, and crazy temperatures, and as we weep, we long for security. We yearn for more faith, yet know, deep down,  You have given us all we need; help us, Eternal One, to use the faith we’ve found. Enfleshed Word, You call us to be the Church in difficult and dangerous times, asking us to believe despite a secular age, and as we weep we long for Your presence. We live in confusing times with the rise of artificial intelligence  and cannot see if it is a help or hinderance to abundant life and as we weep, we long for clarity. We live in frightening times with our borders  becoming more like fortress gates, and hearts hardening against those fleeing  war, poverty, persecution and climate change, and, as we weep, we long for compassion. We yearn for more faith, yet know, deep down,   You have given us all we need;  help us, Lord Jesus, to use the faith we’ve found. Energising Spirit, You call us to be the Church in dangerous and difficult times, calling us to feed the hungry, befriend the lonely, and love the unlovely, and as we weep, we long for inspiration. We live in desperate times and see need in our world,  and in the community around us, and puzzle about how best to respond, and as we weep, we long for vision. Yet we also live in exciting times,  with change, hope, and visions of a better world abounding, so, dry our tears, as we long for the Kingdom to come.      We yearn for more faith, yet know, deep down,  You have given us all we need; help us, Lord Jesus, to use the faith we’ve found. And so, with dry eyes, we pray, as Jesus taught saying, Our Father… Offertory The disciples wanted their faith to increase; Jesus implied they had enough but just had to use it!  Often in our church life we worry about money, anxious we don’t have enough to pay our bills and save some for that rainy day.  But God has given the Church all it needs for its mission.  We have been given a vast array of gifts – time, talent, and treasure to fulfil the mission God gives us.  So, we give thanks for all those gifts present here in this congregation.  Let us pray: Gracious God, we thank You for all You have given us, for the joys and challenges of life, for this community and the mission you give us. Bless all that is given in this place, that we may use Your gifts wisely in Your service, through Christ our Lord, Amen.   Holy Communion Invitation Jesus invites us, his saints, to gather at this table where he is both host and stranger, food and drink, majesty and mystery.  Jesus invites all to receive him as we eat bread and drink wine putting up no restrictions or barriers.  Jesus welcomes us just as he accepted Peter who denied him, Judas who betrayed him, and frightened disciples who deserted him.  We are all are invited to come, but also to examine ourselves, and only then to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement against themselves.  So come, apprehend the mystery of life,  meet the Risen and Ascended Lord here  as we show forth his sacrifice on the Cross  through bread broken and wine poured.   Come and feast on the Lord who gives himself  for our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.   Eat, drink, and be united with the Church through time and space  and offer here your sacrifice of thanksgiving  as you await his coming in glory.      Let us pray. We thank You, Everlasting One for Your nurturing, sustaining, love by which You held and guided Your people throughout the ages. You led them from slavery to freedom, from nomadic to settled existence, from lose confederation to unified kingdom, through expansion, contraction, civil war, and division. You sustained Your people through the bitter years of defeat and exile, and reformed them as they again found freedom.      We thank You, Lord Jesus,  that in the years of imperial oppression, You came to us and lived as one of us,  bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, embodying the nurturing sustaining love of the Most High, teaching through story and scripture, healing the sick, releasing the captive, and challenging the powerful. On the Cross You stretched Your hands between heaven and earth, breaking down all barriers, yet dying a shameful death engineered by evil. But death could not hold You and You were raised again, revealing the power of the Everlasting One! We thank you, Most Holy Spirit, that, as on the day of Pentecost, You come to us now, setting aside this bread and wine from all common use, that it may be, for us, the body and blood of Christ, and that we may be for You, Christ’s body and blood in the world. As we eat and drink these gifts unite us with Christ  and with all who have gone before us and who are still to come, that we may sing Your praises for ever and ever: The Sanctus Traditional liturgical text, unknown composer Holy, holy, holy,                                      Santo, santo, santo, my heart, my heart adores you!             mi corazón te adora! My heart is glad to say the words:         Mi corazón te sabe decir: You are holy, Lord!                                 santo eres Señor! Institution We hear again the words of the Apostle Paul in the earliest account of the Lord’s Supper.  Paul wrote: 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. Sharing And so, we share this bread and wine, knowing that our lives are forever changed as we feed on Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven.  The body and blood of Christ, given for us!  Amen. Music for Communion     Come, Let Us Eat, For Now the Feast Is Spread Billema Kwilla, Gilbert E Doan, Marjorie Jillson Text: Sts. 1-3 © Lutheran World Federation St. 4 © 1978, Augsburg Fortress OneLicence # A-734713 Sung by members of Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church Post Communion Prayer Living Lord, we thank You for meeting and feeding us here. Bless us as we journey on. Lift our spirits when in exile, gladden our hearts when at home. Increase our compassion to the poor  and our outspokenness to the oppressor. Enlarge our vision that we may use the faith you have given us to change the world.  Amen. Hymn     O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Public Domain 250 Voice Mass Choir from various Church of South India Choirs and used with their kind permission. O for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and king, the triumphs of his grace! My gracious master and my God, assist me to proclaim, to spread through all  the earth abroad the honours of thy name. Jesus – the name that charms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease; ‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears, ‘Tis life, and health, and peace. He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.   Blessing May the One who inspired songs in strange lands, the One who taught us to love enemies, and the One who leads us in faith, inspire, teach, and lead You, that Your faith will change the world! And the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit     be with you all, evermore, Amen.

Where words are copyright reproduced and streamed under the terms of  ONE LICENSE A-734713 PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762

1 Timothy 5: 23 – 25

No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The sins of some people are conspicuous and precede them to judgement, while the sins of others follow them there. So also good works are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden.

Reflection

Paul is offering Timothy both practical and spiritual wisdom.  “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake”, as the Authorised Version memorably put it, reminds us that God cares not only about our spiritual lives but also about our physical well-being.  Faith is not disconnected from everyday life.  God invites us to be good stewards of our health and to seek balance between body and spirit.

Paul then addresses the nature of sin and good works, which is not a topic that we discuss a lot in the United Reformed Church.  Paul notes that some sins are obvious and precede people to judgment, while others follow behind.  The point here is not to rush to conclusions about others, nor to judge other people because only God can judge.  People may carry hidden struggles, indeed each person may be fighting a battle that no-one else knows anything about.  On the other hand, Paul reminds us that good works, whether obvious or hidden, will eventually be revealed.  What’s done in secret for God’s glory will not remain hidden forever.

This is a powerful encouragement for those who feel unnoticed or unappreciated.  Whether you’re serving quietly in your family, giving generously in private, working hard in the church and the community, or obeying God in small ways when no one is watching, know this: God sees it all.  And in God’s time, God brings everything into the light.  We shouldn’t be looking for applause or recognition, but we do well to remember that God is looking for faithfulness.

Today, take care of your body, look after your soul, do what is right even when it’s unseen, and trust that God will honour it.  We live not for the approval of others but for the eyes of God who sees all.

Prayer

Living God, thank you for caring about every part of my life: my health, my choices, and even my quiet moments.  Help me to be faithful in what is unseen, to trust that you see every good work, and to care for my body as a gift from you.  Teach me not to judge others quickly, but to walk humbly and patiently.  Let me live for your glory alone.  Amen.

1 Timothy 5: 21 – 22

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, I warn you to keep these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality. Do not ordain anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Reflection

The letter to Timothy takes up some interesting themes, including addressing issues with regard to leaders in the early Church.  Today’s verses begin with the reference to taking account of ‘the presence of Christ Jesus and the elect angels’. It’s a reminder that when we take decisions in the life of the Church, we do so not on our own, but in the sight and presence of God, praying for God’s wisdom. (However, I found myself wondering how far any of our churches or Church Meetings talk about the role of angels, and in particular ‘elect angels’.)

Being in the presence of Christ means being open to hearing God’s word without prejudice or partiality.  Opening our hearts and minds and spirits to receive God’s word is part of the life of the Church, in worship,  Bible study, and our discussions and reflections. Hearing God’s word then takes us into living in God’s way, day by day. This means being open to people who are diverse and different, embracing each one equally, and listening carefully to the various views expressed.

While these words refer primarily to the ‘elders’ in Timothy’s day, they offer an interesting challenge today to take time in thinking of setting aside people in the church who will take on leadership roles, as we help people to see first of all God’s leadership and calling, not what we personally want for ourselves or for others.

The warning ‘do not participate in the sins of others’ comes as a reminder of the need for self-examination in the eyes of God, to see whether it is God’s way of love and peace in which we are each living. Sometimes the world around us urges us to think only of ourselves rather than of others, and to favour some people more than others.

Taking time each day to reflect on our lives as seen through God’s loving eyes is helpful as we seek to live fully in God’s way.

Prayer  

Loving God and ever-present Christ,
open our eyes to the times we are tempted to go astray.
May we put prejudice and partiality behind us.
Open our lives that we may live in the purity of your way of love and peace,
may we go on discovering this way of love,
in each of our hearts and minds,
and as we come together as your people. Amen

 

A Prayer

Following today’s tragic events in Manchester, the URC offers the following prayer for use in personal and corporate worship.  It may be reproduced freely.

With our Jewish sisters and brothers, we grieve, mourn, and pray,
bringing to the Eternal One, our pain and protest, our tears and tenderness, our fears and failures.

O Most High,
we lift to You all who live in fright and anger,
especially today the Jewish communities of Manchester;
bring peace and security,
tenderness – even in the face of tragedy,
and balm for the affliction of our souls.

With those praying and fasting, Risen Lord,
we long for redemption from hatred and terror.
We yearn for a just and equal world where all are safe,
whether in the street, at work, or at worship 
in synagogue, mosque, temple, gurdwara, or church.

Guide with Your wisdom, Holy Spirit,
the police and security services as they investigate,
and civic and religious leaders as they work for calm, 
that none may exploit devastation to bring division,
so that believer and non believer alike
may work together for the good of all.

Finally, Eternal God,
we remember before You those murdered today,
and their family, friends, and communities,
may your perpetual light shine upon them, and give them peace
as we seek to build a better world.  Amen. 

With every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
 

1 Timothy 5: 17 – 18

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain’, and, ‘The labourer deserves to be paid.’

Reflection

Whatever our particular ministry is, and we all have one, we probably don’t particularly liked being compared to any form of farm animal.  It’s not the most flattering image but here we are – Paul, in his wisdom, quoting Deuteronomy: “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  And suddenly, I find myself reimagining my ministry not through the lens of discipleship courses, mission projects or vision statements, but through the ancient, steady, sacred rhythm of an ox plodding round and round, crushing grain to make bread for others.

There is a deep holiness in that image, if we can set aside our ego for long enough to receive it.

Because let’s be honest: the ox doesn’t get much glory. It’s not flashy. But it is strong, dependable, and present. It keeps going, one foot after another, tethered to the work, slowly feeding the community through its effort.

And that, I think, is closer to the truth of discipleship and ministry than we often admit. Maybe we preach, or teach, or walk with people in grief, or visit the lonely or take the minutes —and we do it on a loop, again and again.

But here’s the important bit: Paul doesn’t just say “the ox is useful.” He says: Don’t muzzle it. In other words—let the ox eat. Let the one who labours take nourishment from the same Word they’re breaking open for others.

That hits home for me.

Because it’s far too easy, in the busyness of serving, to forget to feed ourselves. To spend our energy grinding grain for others—without taking time to chew on that Word ourselves.

The sacred rhythm of ministry must include both the labour and the nourishment. The giving and the receiving. The treading out, and the tasting.

Prayer 

God of steady rhythms and sacred labour,
let us not forget to eat from the harvest – 
to be nourished by your Word even as we share it.
Sustain us in the paths we tread,
that we may serve with joy and be fed with grace. Amen.
 

1 Timothy 5: 3 – 16

Honour widows who are really widows. If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents; for this is pleasing in God’s sight.  The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day;  but the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach.  And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been married only once; she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way. But refuse to put younger widows on the list; for when their sensual desires alienate them from Christ, they want to marry,  and so they incur condemnation for having violated their first pledge.  Besides that, they learn to be idle, gadding about from house to house; and they are not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say.  So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, and manage their households, so as to give the adversary no occasion to revile us.  For some have already turned away to follow Satan.  If any believing woman has relatives who are really widows, let her assist them; let the church not be burdened, so that it can assist those who are real widows.

Reflection

Well, according to this checklist, I’m a real widow.  Not a club I chose to join: my husband died of pancreatic cancer in 2016. I’m over 60 years old, have been married only once, and have done most of the good works that Paul lists.  I’m fortunate to have children and grandchildren who care about me, and a wider family too.  It hasn’t crossed my mind to remarry although, I must admit, it gets a bit lonely sometimes.  But my life is busy, I don’t have money worries and I volunteer for all sorts of things.

Who are Paul’s real widows today? Perhaps people who lose their life partner at a point when they are also needy themselves: like the couple who can still manage their lives together when one of them has physical health problems and the other has dementia, but it all falls apart when the first one dies.

In Paul’s time the Church would be providing financial or material support for widows who had no one else to help them.  The story of Ruth and Naomi illustrates the difficulties faced by women on their own and the need to be dependent on male relatives, and the obligation on communities to care for them.  Today in the UK we expect the welfare state to provide but many people struggle on benefits and in negotiating the complexities of the benefit system.  What we don’t expect is to prove our worthiness for benefits in terms of good living: it’s right that the system is not discriminating.

Many churches open their doors any day of the week to provide a safe welcoming space for anyone: relationships build up to help with loneliness and give people a purpose in life.  Doors are opened and we hope and pray that we are making a difference in our local communities.

Prayer 

Lord Jesus, we pray for all who are struggling with bereavement.
Help us to be sensitive to people’s needs for support, love and care and a purpose in life.
Amen

1 Timothy 5: 1 – 2

Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity.

Reflection

Sometimes in the New Testament there is a possible confusion in the Greek, since the word ‘presbuteros’ is sometimes used to denote an office in the Church (Elder) and sometimes used in a more ordinary sense as an older person (a male older person here). There is the same ambiguity in English now of course, but we generally work it out quite easily. Here, in 1 Timothy 5, it seems to be about an older man, rather than a church Elder. And the hearers of this letter are being exhorted to treat others (presumably in the church community) as they would family members. Speak to an older man as you would to a father, to younger ones as your brother, to older woman as your mother, and younger women as sisters. The advice seems to be addressed to younger people, and we might recognise the ‘ageism’ that might make people ‘harsh’ towards older people, and perhaps also the way that sexual attraction might intervene, sometimes inappropriately. 

It has become a common assumption in Christian circles that we are family; brothers, sisters, siblings. Minutes of church meetings among some early Congregationalists reveal a culture in which people were given no titles except ‘brother’ or ‘sister’. This can, at its best, create a culture both of equality and also, potentially, of respectful affection. In the company of the Church we are not comrades, members (as in a club), or part of a hierarchy. We are siblings, family, held together in affection, mutually responsible for one another, bound in love. For some, this might be a rather awesome, even unwelcome, thought. Better to be ‘friends’ perhaps; like-minded, freely chosen, free to go different ways, welcome company. 

Take a moment to imagine the people with whom you worship and share Christian community. Are they friends or family? 

Prayer

God of love,
thank you for my siblings,
for all my relations, in faith. 
Give me grace to cherish them,
to care for them and spend time with them,
to nurture love and respect,
to grow in understanding of them. 
And may I have the grace
to receive their love for me,
to weather any arguments,
and to know that I belong,
in your family, always,
Amen.

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

 
Introduction

Hello, my name is Nicola Furley-Smith and I am the Deputy General Secretary for Ministries.  Today’s service is coming to you from Purley United Reformed Church.  

Call to Worship 

Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord their God. Praise the Lord, O my soul! Our God is generous and just, and lifts up the lowly. Praise the Lord, O my soul! Our God will reign for ever. Praise the Lord, O my soul! Amen.

Hymn     Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven 
Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) Sung by the Northern Baptist Convention and used with their kind permission.

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet thy tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven
who like thee his praise should sing?

Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting King!

Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still the same for ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless:

Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting King!

Father-like he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes:

Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting King!

Angels, help us to adore him,
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space:

Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting King!

Prayer of Approach, Confession and Lord’s Prayer

God of kindness and compassion, God of fairness and justice,
God who sees all and hears all, we praise you.

God of justice and mercy,
we praise You for the uncomfortable truth of Your Word,
which opens our eyes to the world as it is and as You long for it to be.

You are the God who sees the beggar at the gate,
who hears the cry of the poor,
who lifts up the lowly and brings the proud to account.

God of infinite love and boundless hope,
who calls us to life with you, we praise you.
You are not impressed by riches nor blinded by splendour.
You search the heart, and Your judgment is true.
You remind us that eternity is shaped not by comfort, but by compassion
not by feasting, but by faithfulness. Amen.

Merciful God, so often we have focused on the wrong things
and turned away from those who need our help.
Whether through thoughtlessness, presumption or fear,
we have not embodied the abundant life you offer us.
We confess that we have lived like the rich man dressed in comfort, feasting on abundance, while ignoring the Lazarus at our gate.
We have closed our hearts to the cries of the poor,
turned away from suffering we do not want to see,
and justified our indifference with excuses and distractions.

Forgive us, Lord,
for the times we have known what is right but failed to act.
For the ways we have hardened our hearts,
even when Your law and prophets have spoken clearly.
For building walls of separation
where You call us to hospitality and justice.
We repent of our blindness and beg for Your mercy.
Open our ears to the voices we have silenced.
Open our eyes to the needs we have ignored.
Open our hearts to Your transforming grace.
May we not wait until it is too late.
Teach us now to live with compassion,
to use our blessings for the sake of others, 
and to follow the way of Christ,
who became poor so that we might become rich in mercy.
In His name we pray, Amen.
 
Assurance of forgiveness

Loving God, thank you that it is not too late. 
Every day is a new chance to serve you, 
to love others and to be the people you made us to be. 
Thank you for forgiving us when we get it wrong. 
Thank you for being ever willing to begin again. 
May we dispense kind words and generous actions.
May we be known for an attitude of love,
that honours you and all you have made. Amen

Hymn     Inspired by Love and Anger
John L Bell (born 1949) & Graham Maule (1958-2019) © 1987, 2002 WGRG, c/o Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow, G5 9JP, Scotland. OneLicence 178345. Sung by members of the Upper Clyde Parish Church and used with their kind permission.

Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by endless pain,
informed of God’s own bias, we ask him once again:
‘How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self interest turn prayer and pity blind?’

From those forever victims of heartless human greed,
their cruel plight composes a litany of need:
‘Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?’

From those forever shackled to what their wealth can buy,
the fear of lost advantage provokes the bitter cry,
‘Don’t query our position! Don’t criticise our wealth!
Don’t mention those exploited by politics and stealth!

God asks, ‘Who will go for me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?’
 
Reading     Amos 6:1a, 4-7

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria. Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David improvise on instruments of music, who drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore, they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

Reading     St Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house – for I have five brothers -that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”

Sermon     Are You Sitting Uncomfortably?

Are you sitting uncomfortably? I ask that not to disturb your morning…
…but because it’s exactly where the Bible places us today. Two readings. Amos and Luke. Both deliver messages that are sharp, uncompromising…
…and deeply unsettling. Messages that refuse to be soothed by soft hymns or polite sermons. Messages that should make us shift in our seats.
Let’s begin with Amos. Amos is not your typical prophet. He’s no temple insider. He’s a shepherd. A fig-tree farmer. A man of the soil. And yet, God calls him to speak out. To confront a culture of luxury and indifference. He condemns a society where the wealthy lie on beds of ivory… …recline on couches……feast on lamb and veal…and pour themselves wine from great bowls. Meanwhile, justice is a distant memory. And the poor? They are suffering, ignored, sold into slavery. Amos does not condemn wealth. He condemns apathy. He condemns indifference. “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,” he cries. Woe to those who live in comfort…while their neighbours weep unseen. Woe to those who feel secure…while others go hungry, unheard, unnoticed. Are you sitting uncomfortably yet?

Because today as we worship in peace and safety children will die of hunger. Not because of war. Not because of disaster. But because this is the everyday life of the world’s poor. What we call normal life is unimaginable luxury for millions. Are you sitting uncomfortably?

Amos’s words are timeless. And so, too, are the words of Jesus. Because now we turn to Luke’s Gospel, and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And few parables strike the heart as forcefully as this one.

The rich man—unnamed—lives in splendour. He dresses in purple and fine linen. He feasts every day.  And at his gate — a gate meant for justice in ancient Israel — lies Lazarus. Sick.  Hungry. Covered in sores. Longing for scraps. Licked by dogs. Every day, the rich man walks past him. Every day, he chooses to look away. And then comes the great reversal.
Lazarus dies…and is carried by angels to Abraham’s side — the place of honour. The rich man dies…and finds himself in torment. And now he notices Lazarus. ow he calls out. Now he begs for comfort. But the chasm between them is fixed. It cannot be crossed.

This is not divine cruelty. This is the cost of a lifetime of indifference. The rich man’s sin was not his wealth. It was that he didn’t care. He knew Lazarus. He walked past him every day.  he never stopped. Never helped. Never even saw him. Are you sitting uncomfortably?

Because we must ask — Who are the Lazaruses at our gates? Who do we step over…because they’re inconvenient? …because they’re far away? …because we don’t know what to do?

The rich man begs Abraham: “Send Lazarus to warn my five brothers.” But Abraham replies, “They have Moses and the prophets. If they don’t listen to them, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

And we know, of course, someone has risen from the dead. Still, the question remains: Do we listen?

Luke’s Gospel does not shy away from the realities of money and power.
Mary sings in the Magnificat: “The rich he has sent away empty. The hungry he has filled with good things.” Jesus, in the synagogue, declares:
“Good news for the poor. Release for the captives.” In the Sermon on the Plain: “Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.” And: “Woe to you who are rich… you have already received your consolation.” Zaccheus gives half his wealth to the poor. The early Church shares everything. No one is left in need. This is the economy of the Kingdom.
This is the Gospel lived out.

The Bible does not say wealth is evil. But wealth becomes dangerous
when it dulls our senses…when it insulates us…when it blinds us to the pain of others. And so Jesus warns us—clearly, repeatedly.

We live in a culture that prizes independence, success, comfort. We’re taught to aim higher. To get more. To secure our own future. But rarely do we ask: More of what?  Higher than whom? At what cost? And at whose expense?

The parable of Lazarus is not isolated. It’s part of a string of stories in Luke: The lost coin—joy in what is found. The prodigal son—wealth lost and grace found. The dishonest manager—money used wisely or foolishly. Each parable asks us: What do we truly value? Where is our treasure? Who matters?

And here, in Lazarus and the rich man, we see the warning in sharpest relief.  This is about more than charity.  This is about transformation. About the shape of God’s kingdom. About the reversal of the world’s values. About the cost of turning a blind eye.

This is not just personal.  It’s collective.  It’s about us.  The Church.  Society.  Community.  Because the parable always ends the same way…unless we live a new ending.

Are you sitting uncomfortably?  Good.  Because maybe discomfort is where transformation begins.  The kind of discomfort that wakes us up.
That opens our eyes. That stretches our hearts. That makes space for the Spirit to move.

We are a privileged people.  Privileged in education, security, health, opportunity.  Privileged to worship freely.  Privileged to hear the Word of God.  And with privilege comes responsibility.  To see.  To care.  To act.

As Paul wrote:  “You know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)  Christ gave  himself – 
not to make us comfortable, but to make us whole. And now calls us to do likewise.

This parable always ends the same way. Unless…unless we live differently.
Unless we rewrite the ending. With our lives. With our love. With our justice. With our generosity.  So…over to you.  Amen.

Hymn     For the Healing of the Nations
Fred Kaan (1929-2009) © 1968 Stainer & Bell Ltd One Licence 178345 Sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.

For the healing of the nations, Lord, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing of the things that earth affords. 
To a life of love in action help us rise and pledge our word.

Lead us now, Lord, into freedom, from despair your world release, 
that, redeemed from war & hatred, all may come and go in peace. 
Show us how through care and goodness fear will die and hope increase. 

You, Creator-God, have written your great name on humankind;
for our growing in your likeness bring the life of Christ to mind;
that by our response and service earth its destiny may find.

Prayers of Intercession

God of compassion and justice,
You see what is hidden, and You hear every silent cry.
With the story of the rich man and Lazarus still echoing in our ears,
we come before You, lifting our prayers for the world You love.

We pray for those who sit at the gates of our comfort—
the hungry, the homeless, the refugee, the forgotten.
May they know dignity, healing, and hope.
May we not walk past them, but kneel beside them,
offering not only words, but action shaped by love.

We pray for the powerful and wealthy,
for those who live in ease while others suffer.
Soften hardened hearts. Shake loose the illusion of self-sufficiency.
Open eyes to the responsibility that comes with privilege.

We pray for the Church, that we might not simply hear the prophets,
but respond with courage and faith.
Make us bold in our witness, tender in our service, and urgent in our love.

We pray for those who live with regret,
who wish they had acted differently—
that they may know Your mercy and find a new way forward.

We pray for ourselves, that we would live each day in light of eternity,
trusting Christ, walking with the poor, 
and listening to the voice of Scripture.
God of Lazarus, God of justice, God of mercy – 
hear our prayers and make us instruments of Your kingdom.

We pray this morning for the rich and powerful;
for the leaders of nations and multi-national companies,
for diplomats and generals.
May they not feel so elevated
that they are unable to see the poor at their feet.
God of the poor: meet us in our need.

We ask that your Church should be on the side of Lazarus.
Help us to see those around us in need
and to welcome all those excluded by society because of religion, wealth,
background or birth. God of the poor: meet us in our need.

We pray for everyone in need:
for all those ill, physically, mentally, spiritually;
for the despised, excluded and hated; for the bereaved and lonely.
God of the poor: meet us in our need.
Help us to meet others this week as you have met us,
and help us to share in the riches that you give us. Amen.

Hymn     All My Hope on God is Founded
Joachim Neander (1650-1680) paraphrased Robert Bridges (1844-1930) BBC Songs of Praise
 
All my hope on God is founded;
He doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown, He alone
calls my heart to be his own.

Human pride and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
tower and temple, fall to dust.
But God’s power, hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.

God’s great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendour, light, and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of nought.
Evermore, from his store,
new-born worlds rise and adore.

Still from earth to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ his Son.
Christ doth call one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.
 
Blessing

Go with eyes and hearts open to the needs of the world.
As you are blessed with belonging, 
so may you enfold others in God’s community of care.
Amen.

1 Timothy 4: 11 – 16

These are the things you must insist on and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.  Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Reflection

A friend of mine, as a young man, was converted by his own preaching.  He attended a church youth group because he fancied some of the girls.  The youth group  were asked to lead a church service and, as the gobbiest, he was asked to preach.  The only resource he had to base this on was an old tract ‘Journey into Life’.  Halfway through his sermon, he realised that if what he was saying was true, he needed to do something about it!  I have no idea if anyone else was blessed by his preaching, but he went on to be a great Christian youth worker and encourage many young people to exercise their God-given gifts in different ways.

Timothy was blessed to be part of an intergenerational faith community, along with his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois.  He also had Paul as a mentor or ‘Godparent’ cheering him on, believing he had something important to offer, whatever his age.

I am definitely no longer young, yet not quite embracing old (despite the senior railcard!), but rather stretching middle age out as long as possible. However, I can still remember every time someone has encouraged me to step out and exercise a gift in service of the church and the world.  I am also blessed in my role to spend time across the year with the amazing URC Youth Executive, and to learn from their examples in speech and conduct, in love, in purity and in faith. I pray we may all be blessed by the young people we have connection with, and be a blessing to them:

Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in love, in faith, in how to live. Fan into flames the gift of God that is within you and be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

(Blessing for young people based on 1 Tim 4:12, 2 Tim 1:6 & 2 Tim 2:1) – see Pray like Paul – United Reformed Church

Prayer

Loving, living God, give us faith like Paul,
to pray for young people,
that we may be a place and a people
where they are encouraged, empowered and equipped
to play their part in the mission of God.
Prepare us to hear you through them
and to be led by their example closer to you. Amen

1 Timothy 4: 6 – 10

If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed.  Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness,  for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance.  For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.

Reflection

By TV ads and YouTubers we could be influenced to believe that appearances are everything and physical training will fulfil our every dream. I am delighted that this letter reminds us that it is only of ‘some’ value. This is to put my physiotherapy and Pilates in their rightful place: beneficial to health but not a fountain of youth.

Even when the writer speaks of pursuing godliness it is described as being ‘valuable’ and holding ‘promise’, not a panacea. These verses serve to remind us that, despite what we are told, our lives are not firmly divided into physical, spiritual, or mental boxes – this might best be described as an “old wives’ tale”, which we should have nothing to do with.

Humans and humanity are complex. As we identify separate attributes, it serves us well to accept how they overlap. Physical health impacts our mental and spiritual life, our mental health affects our spiritual and physical, our spiritual wellbeing shapes our physical and mental. Multifaceted, interrelating fullness. The same is true of the natural environment, where different species, plants, and processes influence each other.

Complex wholeness is of God, which is a saying that is sure and worthy of full acceptance.

The previous verses of this chapter name the godly and ungodly; another form of dualism that the writer rejects. ‘Everything created by God is good’, we are told. We might ask, “How?” in a world of climate change, injustice, and war, but we should remember our own influence in these affairs and in the ways we persuade ourselves and others that we are divided, hated and failing.

God created us in our complexity, even as we divide. Hope on the living God.

God loves us from our beginning to our end, even as we hate. Hope on the living God.

God made us whole and perfect, even as we struggle and fail. Hope on the living God.

As verse 11 goes on to say: ‘command and teach these things’. 

Prayer

Loving God, who created all things as good,
we take a peaceful moment to rest in your truth that all is good, including me.
We think this day, of the truth we can tell (or have told),
that speaks of your goodness,
that shows love by our actions,
or that strengthens another in their complex wholeness.
In thanksgiving and hope we pray, Amen