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Sunday Worship 15 December 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd George Watt
Introduction
Hello, my name is George Watt. I am Moderator of Thames North Synod of the United Reformed Church which involves overseeing the 110 churches in North London and the surrounding counties and its ministers. I can usually be found out preaching in one of those churches every other Sunday. I have been a minister for over 30 years having served in Southampton, South London, and Surrey. On this third Sunday in Advent we are looking at John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus. He prepared people for the coming of Jesus and we are in that season of preparation with Christmas not far away. We will also hear from the prophet Zephaniah and the Apostle Paul who will also be teaching us about preparing.
Lighting of Advent Candles
As we light the third candle of Advent, we look forward to the coming of the Light of the World, and give thanks for those who in the past brought light into our dark world. We rejoice in the prophets including John the Baptist who spoke God’s Word to us. We pray for the increase of light which finds fulfilment in Christ.
Call to Worship
Surely God is our salvation.
We will trust, and we will not be afraid.
For the LORD GOD is our strength and our defence.
He has become our salvation.
With joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation. On that day we will say: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name.
Make known what he has done among the nations.
Proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done glorious things.
Let this be known throughout the world.
Shout out loud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel who lives amongst you.
Hymn Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Charles Wesley 1744, Public Domain, sung by Lythan and Phil Nevard and used with their kind permission.
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious new realm bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.
Opening Prayers
Let us pray: Lord, we look forward with anticipation as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We want to shout out ‘are we nearly there yet?’ But waiting and patience is part of life and your plans.
We thank you that this is not wasted time. It gives us the opportunity to write or email Christmas greetings to friends and family. We have time to think about what presents we should be buying to show our love for others. There is all the food to prepare for the big day.
But it is also a time to hear you speaking to us through the prophets. A time to get ready to receive the king of kings, born into our world, so that Christmas isn’t just yet another day. Lord, we are bowled over that Jesus should come and live amongst us and we are not worthy to receive him into our midst.
So, we have an opportunity to look at ourselves and how we act to see if we are worthy to meet with him.
We are blessed that we are so rich, although we don’t recognise it. We have not just two coats but a wardrobe full of clothes, while others even in this country go cold. We have stuff, lots and lots of stuff and yet we look for even more this Christmas, when others don’t even have a place to call home. Our tables will groan with foods of all descriptions as we rightly celebrate with others, but there are those who will grow hungry.
Challenge us about our consumerist lifestyles and help us look to the example of John the Baptist who lived, ate and dressed simply. As we enjoy so many good things may we not desire more but share with others what we already have.
Here is good news that although we do not deserve God’s love, yet he has lavished it on us with the sending of Jesus into the world. He sends his prophets to challenge us and gives the opportunity to change our lives around, so that not only are we blessed but we can bless others. Thanks be to God.
We gather up our prayers now as we say together the Lord’s Prayer in whatever version or language you are familiar with:
Our Father …
Reading Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgements against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
Hymn Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!
Isaac Watts 1719 sung by the choir of Bessacarr Evangelical Church
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heav’n and nature sing (x3).
Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!
Your sweetest songs employ,
while fields and streams, and hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy (x3).
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness
the wonders of His love (x3).
Reading Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Reading St Luke 3:7-18
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Hymn Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
James Montgomery (1821) Public Domain, sung by the virtual choir of St Mark’s United Methodist Church, Houston, USA
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
to take away transgression, and rule in equity.
He comes with succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.
He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go,
and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.
To him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever; that name to us is love.
Sermon
A phrase that popped into my mind in preparing for this service which is one you don’t hear very often is ‘betwixt and between’ meaning neither here nor there. And that is how we can sometimes feel as Christians that we don’t feel we belong in this world and yet we haven’t entered into the new world that has been promised for us. It is all the more frustrating when the scriptures paint such an exciting picture of what God’s kingdom will be like. Zephaniah talks about the time when God will bring us home. John the Baptist points to a clearing out so that the kingdom might be a fruitful one.
All of this reminds me of the Gospel song:
This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
And that is how we might feel with all that is going on around us with conflicts, injustice and general sadness. We don’t belong here and long to be somewhere else.
But those same scriptures which are about future vision and hope are also ones which point to the possibility of transformation now. And how can we say that the world is not our home when this is where God sent his son Jesus to. Jesus who was willing to give up everything to come here to live amongst us. God did not give up and still does not give up on this world. The vision of what might become a reality now if we cooperate with God in making it happen.
Zephenaiah speaks of a world of healing and justice for the marginalised and overlooked. God says, ‘I will save the lame and gather the outcast.’ Echoes of Jesus words that the first will be last and the last will be first. During COVID I was queuing up literally down the length of the street outside the Doctor’s surgery for my flu jab. An elderly couple started making their way down the road to the end of the queue. With one voice we told them to turn around and go to the front of the queue. So what if it meant that we had to wait a bit longer. If only that were applied to other parts of life. God condemns the prejudices and self-centredness of much of our lives. We don’t always recognise our privileges and we are quick to demand our rights. But the life of discipleship means we are called to change our thinking and the way we act. ‘After you..’ shouldn’t just be a politeness but a genuine, deliberate act.
Paul, of course isn’t saying that rejoicing belongs in the future but should be a facet of our lives now. We can focus on the negative and have a face like we are eating ‘soor plooms’ (translated to sour plums, a Scottish sweet.) Not that we should go around with an inane grin. But the warmth of a smile can convey the joy that we know and lift others’ spirits, because we have much to rejoice about. And if the people we encounter are lacking joy then it is not just a smile that they need but our encouragement and sometimes practical support.
John the Baptist doesn’t always get good press and when he calls his listeners a brood of vipers, that doesn’t strike you as being very encouraging. But sometimes you need prophets like John to say it like it is. The problem comes when that is all they say. John, as brash as he is, also brings a word of good news. There is the possibility of a fresh start, a new beginning. That is what repentance is about, turning away from how we used to act and do things differently.
John responds to the people’s question – ‘What should we do?’ He offers very practical advice. He says to some, if you have two coats then give one away to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have surplus food give it to those who are hungry. If you are a tax collector, don’t demand more than you should. If you are a soldier don’t abuse your position and extort money by threatening or blackmailing.
John begins with what we might see as charity, if you have something spare give it away. But it is more than charity it is a just redistribution of wealth. His reference to tax collectors and soldiers is perhaps surprising. John is saying that those who are sometimes regarded as outside of the kingdom can be part of the kingdom. The Tax Collector working for the Romans and the Roman soldiers can be holy in the way they carry out their work. We live in a world where some careers are held in greater esteem than others. John doesn’t say give up your jobs, but do them with integrity and reflecting God’s values.
Betwixt and between, neither here nor there. But that is not how God wants us to be. We look forward to being part of the kingdom in all its fullness, but may we open our eyes to see how the kingdom is here and each one of us, yes, each one of us are called to build that kingdom here on earth.
What should we do? We should value the marginalised and overlooked. We should rejoice about what God has done, is doing and will do. We should live our lives well, so that others are blessed and God is honoured.
Affirmation of Faith
We believe in the parent God
who loves us and cares for the least and the lost.
We believe in Christ who stepped into the world
because he believed change was possible
and began the transformation.
We believe in the Holy Spirit
who sets our hearts on fire
to build God’s kingdom here on earth as in heaven.
We believe in the Church, not the institution,
but the radical bunch of disciples who listen to what we should do.
Hymn Christ’s is the World in Which We Move
John Bell ©1989 WGRG, Iona Community, Govan, Glasgow G51 3UU, Scotland OneLicence. Unknown performer on YouTube.
Christ’s is the world in which we move;
Christ’s are the folk we’re summoned to love;
Christ’s is the voice which calls us to care,
and Christ is the one who meets us here.
To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.
Feel for the people we must avoid –
strange or bereaved or never employed.
Feel for the women and feel for the men
who fear that their living is all in vain.
To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.
Feel for the parents who’ve lost their child,
feel for the women whom men have defiled,
feel for the baby for whom there’s no breast,
and feel for the weary who find no rest.
To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.
Feel for the lives by life confused,
riddled with doubt, in loving abused;
feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,
which longs to be pure but fears to begin.
To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.
Prayers of Intercession
We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.
Lord, John the Baptist warned against snakes. Those who plan and plot evil. We pray for those who are their victims, victims of crime, violence and exploitation. This is not how you want things to be. We pray for freedom for them, so that they need not be afraid.
We remember especially those who have suffered as a result of crimes of genocide and flouting of human rights, which was marked in the last week.
We pray for those who speak out for justice in this country and across the world. We give thanks for those who offer protection to others. For Police Officers, Social Workers, parents, teachers and others.
We pray for the perpetrators, that they might have a change of heart and mind.
We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.
Lord, John the Baptist warned against the consequence of bad decisions. We pray that we would learn to take care of this planet. You have sent prophets to warn us of the consequences of not changing. Help us to make the right decisions about how we live our lives so that as we act together we can step back from the brink of destruction.
We pray for governments and corporations that they would be good stewards of resources, so that the future of the planet might be ensured. But also that there would be a just and fair sharing of those resources so that there would be an end to poverty, hunger and homelessness.
We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.
Lord, John the Baptist encourages us to live our lives in a way which reflects that we are following in the footsteps of Christ. We pray that you would show us the way of peace and love. We sometimes think that we can’t do very much to bring about change. But help us and all those of faith and goodwill to stand up for what is right even if they feel they are a lone voice.
We pray for relationships under strain or breaking. We pray for peace within families so that children can grow up with security.
As we prepare to celebrate International Migrants Day we pray that you would help us not just to love those close to us, but to love those who are strangers. We thank you for those who come to our country and enrich it with their presence and contribute to our nation. We pray especially for those coming to seek refuge who don’t always find a welcome. Help them to feel safe and accepted here. For them and for all migrants separated from their loved ones may they still feel them close and held in each other’s hearts.
We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.
All these prayers we offer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is present with us now but will come in all his glory to establish his kingdom in all its fullness. Amen.
Hymn Hark the Glad Sound the Saviour Comes
Philip Doddridge 1735 Public Domain Liverpool Metroplitan Cathedral Choir
Hark, the glad sound! The Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long!
Let every heart prepare a throne,
and every voice a song.
He comes the pris’ners to release,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before Him burst,
the iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the riches of His grace,
to enrich the humbled poor.
Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heav’n’s eternal arches ring,
with Thy beloved Name.
Dedication Prayer
Lord we bring to you all that we are and all that we have to be used by you to build your kingdom. We may not have very much, but what we have we bring to you, knowing that you can multiply our small offering. Use us and our gifts to make a difference.
Blessing
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those you love, now and forevermore.
URC Daily Devotion Saturday 14th December 2024
St Luke 6: 12 – 16
Now during those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Reflection
Jesus prayed all night. Jesus called twelve to be his closest circle of people. It would be easy to read today’s passage and want to insert a break between what appear to be separate sections. But this is not just anyone; this is Jesus! The two halves are most definitely linked.
I remember when I was approaching my ordination feeling, yes, I’ll admit it, jealous, jealous of my Anglican contemporaries who would be going on an organised retreat for two or three days before they were ordained. Granted, having group ordinations, makes retreats easier to organise. I managed to arrange a couple of nights private retreat for myself and I was glad I did. In my own way I was able to link into a treasure of another tradition, and it was good.
Years later, studying for an MA in Spirituality alongside many Catholics, I found myself standing up for one of the treasures of our URC tradition. My colleagues were used to decisions being made by an individual with power. Some were interested to hear more about what they saw as our democratic system.
Yet, of course, our church government is not about democracy, but about corporate discernment. At its best the URC is a Theocracy. Together we seek the will of God.
But I wonder how often our opening devotions at meetings really enable us to engage with God? Are they sometimes perfunctory? Do we have too many words and not enough listening? And do we prepare in prayer as individuals before we even set forth for the meeting or switch onto Zoom?
The future is not straightforward for our denomination, for Christianity, or indeed for our world at the moment. Perhaps we should be thankful we are not all involved in all the decision making which will be needed. However when we are involved, Jesus challenges us to engage with God in deep prayer so we can listen and discern God’s will. And when the decision-making lies with others, maybe we can support them with our prayer.
Prayer
Decisions, decisions!
Which, where, who, what, when, how . . . ?
Oh God, whenever we have to make decisions,
grant us the patience to discern your will
and the courage to follow it.
Amen.
URC Daily Devotion Friday 13th December 2024
St Luke 6: 6 – 11
On another sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Reflection
Dismiss any caricature of Pharisees and Scribes as pantomime villains, wilfully opposing anything and everything done by Jesus and his followers. They were learned scholars intent on maintaining the teaching and traditions of their religion. For them this was a hard but vital task; they lived in an occupied land subject to people with very different religious beliefs and observances; it was the very specific observances of Judaism that held the Jewish people together, and the maintenance of the Sabbath and public observance of the 39 activities enumerated by generations of rabbis was something they perceived as vital for keeping the Jewish people distinct from their heathen overlords and neighbours.
Their focus was indeed narrow, so narrow that any deviation from the law was perceived as an existential threat – for so it was from their standpoint. To quote W R Bowie, “They peered so narrowly into old books that they never lifted their eyes to look out of the window upon the new and exciting facts which were going by. They knew all about what God had said once, and in their preoccupation with that it did not even occur to them that they had better be listening for what God was saying then.”
So, what about us? I regret that the editors of Rejoice and Sing did not carry over from earlier hymn books George Rawson’s paraphrase of Pastor John Robinson’s address to the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620, “We limit not the truth of God to our poor reach of mind, by notions of our day and sect crude, partial and confined … The Lord hath yet more life and truth to break forth from his word.” But at R&S 483 we do have Brian Wren’s, “Glad of tradition, help us to see in all life’s changing where you are leading, where our best efforts should be.”
Prayer
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,* we pray that our minds, our eyes and our hearts may be open to understand what you, Almighty God, are saying to your Church now; give us the vision and strength we need to be and to do what you would have us be and do; in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray: Amen
*Hebrews 12: 2.
URC Daily Devotion Thursday 12th December 2024
St Luke 6: 1 – 5
One sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?’ Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’
Reflection
We live in an age when even good church folk, as I assume most people reading/hearing this might be, sit lightly to the concept of Shabbat that Jesus would have been brought up with. Many will in their lifetimes have experienced a revolution in what is generally acceptable on Sundays. As a child, Sunday afternoons (after Church and Sunday School of course) were for going for walks, visiting a museum or reading a good book and strictly not for playing out – even the swings in the park were chained up. When as a student I moved from Presbyterian Glasgow to Warwick, I was shocked to find the cinema open on a Sunday!
Whether such limited possibilities for activity were beneficial or not I hesitate to discuss. We just accepted them – although no doubt some resented the restrictions on their freedom. In our busy-busy, social media dominated society, the mental health benefits of being able to take time to just switch off are increasingly recognised.
It was the recognition that all, from the lowest to the highest, deserved rest and re-creation that led to the God-endorsed concept of Shabbat freedom from work. When they set out the 39 descriptors of what constituted work, the Jewish authorities had good intentions of helping the people to understand what they could and could not do to respect the law.
By the time that Jesus’ disciples contravened four of these definitions, the Pharisees had forgotten the intent of the rules and their own understanding that Shabbat was made for humanity, not humanity for Shabbat. Jesus’ challenge was that they had read the scriptures but not understood the meaning behind the Word. The minutiae had obliterated the generality.
In the URC we value good order. The intent is to be helpful. The intent must remain paramount.
Prayer
God of Shabbat,
when we hide behind rules, forgive us
when we fail to call out hypocrisy, forgive us
when we fail to use opportunities for re-creation, encourage us
Shalom, Amen
URC Daily Devotion Wednesday 11th December 2024
St Luke 5: 33 – 39
Then they said to Jesus, ‘John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.’ Jesus said to them, ‘You cannot make wedding-guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.’ He also told them a parable: ‘No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, “The old is good.”’
Reflection
Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time. So speaks Proverbs 17v22 (GNT). John the Baptist, ascetic, abstaining from alcohol and all forms of luxury; Jesus, relaxed and friendly, eating, drinking, enjoying life. If their lifestyles were so different, then we would expect their disciples to lead contrasting lifestyles. So how are we to measure Christian discipleship? There is no lack of guidance in the New Testament, especially in the Epistles of Paul and other writings. Interpreting them has produced a rich seam of advice and warnings over the centuries from all branches of the church, to this very day.
In Luke’s gospel we find Jesus illustrating discipleship, not with stern warnings, but with vivid images taken from everyday life. A wedding celebration, lasting a week in Jesus’ time, becomes the means of answering his critics. Fasting and praying disciplines are not appropriate for guests when a bridegroom arrives for his wedding. ‘Where’s the marriage?’, ‘Who’s the bridegroom?’, Who’s the bride?’ are the teasing questions that naturally arise. Admittedly, fasting becomes more appropriate when the bridegroom leaves, for It signals the end of the celebration. But the bridegroom being ‘taken away’ is a much darker comment for folk to ponder. The prophet’s imagery of God as Israel’s bridegroom shimmers away in the background.
Luke follows with Jesus’ two parables illustrating the relationship between the new and the old; the folly of patching new cloth on to old, and the need for new wineskins for new wine. Old wineskins will not contain the fermentation of the new wine, but will burst. These are unsettling images for the recycler. However they teach us that discipleship requires openness, an elasticity of the mind and spirit to follow where the Holy Spirit may lead us.
Prayer
Gracious God,
we are comfortable with old
established ways of discipleship,
and reluctant to embrace new ways
of bearing witness to you in our lives.
Open us up to the leading of your Spirit,
so that we become more courageous
and imaginative in following your Son, Amen.
URC Daily Devotion 10 December 2024
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URC Daily Devotion 9 December 2024
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Sunday Worship 8 December 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Dr Elaine Colechin
Words of Scripture
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare this ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people.”
Luke 1:76-77a
Welcome and Introduction
On this second Sunday of Advent when we are reminded of the prophets who have gone before us, grace and peace to you from God, who calls us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. I am the Revd Dr Elaine Colechin, and I currently minister in Southeast London serving Bromley United Reformed Church. I am also undertaking some Synod-directed work that is looking at the presence of the URC in one of the deprived areas of the Borough of Bromley. Much of my work focuses on social action within the community—being that physical expression of God’s love for the world. Yet, despite the saying “actions speak louder than words,” the sharing of our faith does require more than actions. We are called by God to speak as well as act. To speak like the prophets of the Old Testament, whose messages of the coming of the Messiah are a central theme for the second Sunday of Advent, does not feel appropriate in the world today. There is more than enough doom and gloom, the people do not need to hear anymore. However, when you dig down into the words of the prophets, ultimately, there is a message of hope. Therefore, how do we share that hope that comes from being in relationship with God through Jesus Christ, while drawing attention to the requirements on our side in that relationship? Our scriptures today lead us to explore these questions. First let us hear the words of the apostle Paul to the church in Philippi, as we open ourselves up to God through our worship.
Words of Scripture
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:3-11
Hymn Angels Voices Ever Singing
Francis Pott (1861) Public Domain Sung by the One Voice Choir, Ghana
Angel voices ever singing round Thy throne of light,
angel harps, forever ringing, rest not day nor night;
thousands only live to bless Thee and confess thee Lord of might.
Yea, we know Thy love rejoices o’er each work of Thine;
Thou didst ears & hands & voices for Thy praise combine;
craftsman’s art & music’s measure for Thy pleasure didst design.
In Thy house Great God we offer of Thine own to Thee;
and for Thine acceptance proffer, all unworthily,
hearts & minds & hands & voices in our choicest Psalmody.
Honour, glory, might, and merit Thine shall ever be,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, blessed Trinity:
of the best that Thou hast given earth and heaven render Thee.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
With all of creation, mighty God, we praise and thank you
for the good news that is ours through Jesus Christ.
Thank you that through your grace
and the work of the Holy Spirit within us
we can know your love more deeply
and be inspired to share it with others.
However, we know are hearts are not always pure,
that at times we are far from our best selves
and our actions and words do not tally.
Forgive us as we sing with Zechariah
your promise to us and pray for our deliverance.
Benedictus / The Song of Zechariah
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
The Lord has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through the holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our forebears,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous before him, all the days of our life.
And you child shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Prayer of Supplication
Righteous God, wake us with the dawn
free from fear and doubt of the sins
that holds us back from living our best lives for you.
Unseal our lips and fill us with the Holy Spirit
so that we might praise you with our whole beings
and share that eternal hope
you have given us through Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns with you
as Saviour of all. Amen
Hymn On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry
John Chandler; Author: Charles Coffin Sung by the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Michigan) Virtual Choir and used with their kind permission.
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh.
Awake and harken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings!
Then cleansed be every life from sin:
make straight the way for God within,
and let us all our hearts prepare
for Christ to come and enter there.
We hail you as our Saviour, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward.
Without your grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.
Stretch forth your hand, our health restore,
and make us rise to fall no more.
O let your face upon us shine
and fill the world with love divine.
All praise to you, eternal Son,
whose advent has our freedom won,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Spirit, evermore.
Reading Malachi 3:1-4
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Reading St Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” ’
Sermon
How prepared are you?
Advent would not be Advent if preparation was not mentioned at least once. With us being through the first full week of December, the days are quickly ticking down to making sure everything is ready for how ever we might be celebrating the big day this year. How prepared we might be feeling will soon be measurable by how many Christmas cards we have written and actually managed to send. Life, at this time of year, becomes consumed with readiness, or lack of it. However, when the prophets called the people to prepare for the coming of the Lord, do you think they meant all that exhausts us during December? Of course not, but despite the panic buying and endless lists, what we are doing is far the easiest way for us to prepare for the day of our Lord!
Now, for those of us ensconced in the life of the Church, it is very easy to come to the season of Advent and think, “here is an opportune time to tell the world about Jesus!” Therefore, we set about telling the world of the hope brought with Jesus’s birth and sharing its joy. Through Nativity plays, carol singing with mince pies and the unwrapping of the Christmas story, we stand on our chaotic streets trying to do as John the Baptist did in the wilderness—make the way to God clear, and possibly even prepare people to meet God! And there is nothing wrong with this; if we cannot tell the world about Jesus ahead of Christmas, then we have a serious problem because trying to do at Easter is even harder. But, on this second Sunday of Advent, the words of the prophets do not just suggest that it is the world that needs to be told of what Jesus’s coming was all about—the church itself needs to be reminded that Jesus will come again!
When we hear the words of the prophets Malachi and Isaiah together, they contain very similar thoughts. There will be someone who will come before God’s arrival who will prepare the people for what God will do when God comes. Also, when God comes, God will purify the land and its people, bringing justice. However, Malachi highlights a particular tribe of Israel—the tribe of Levi—those who were the priests of Israel.
A simplistic reading of the message Malachi was bringing to the people of Israel in his prophecy is that God promised a reversal of the people’s fortunes if the priesthood changed their ways. Obviously, there was more to what Malachi was saying than this—it was not just the priests at fault. They were, however, the people who looked after the physical covenant—those stone tablets on which the ten commandments were written. They were the people who, when the Temple was central to Jewish rites and rituals, ensured they were administered rightly. They were the people who should have known better and lived accordingly.
Anyone feeling a little uncomfortable on hearing this? This might sound a little harsh, but I hope those of us who see ourselves as God’s representatives through our membership of God’s church, are feeling uneasy. Just as Malachi was pointing out to the priests, our words and actions as God’s church do need to reflect one another. Do not panic, though, the glitter that we have covered Advent with does not need to be swept up and exchanged for sackcloth and ashes. However, we might need to add some camel hair, just to keep us sharp!
It was no consequence that John the Baptist was the son of a priest and, therefore, a descendent of the tribe of Levi. John may not have followed his father into the temple as would have been expected of him, but that did not mean that he did not live out that calling of a priest—one who lived faithfully in accordance with God’s covenant. Rather he did so demonstrating the shift that would come with Jesus and asking the difficult questions of everyone, including himself, about one’s readiness for that new era.
By challenging the priesthood, Malachi sets before us that no one is beyond God’s justice. In the context of the book of Malachi, God’s justice related to judgement. Malachi was saying that being a priest did not make one immune to God’s wrath. Words we seriously have to heed as the church. Justice, however, is also about how one lives—the moral code we hold to which for Malachi, Isaiah and John was God’s. Again, something that we have to take seriously as the church and not just in our preaching!
This brings us to John’s call for repentance. As we will discover next Sunday when we hear some of John’s preaching on the banks of the Jordon as recalled by the gospel writer of Luke, there is no escaping language that is condemning. We find John living up to the idea that he was not just one of the priestly people, he was a true prophet. When it comes to repentance and the world’s need for salvation, it is not hard to see how one’s passion for everyone to hear turns quickly to everyone being condemned. Here, though, as an uncomfortable church, knowing that we are as much in the wrong as everyone else, we have an advantage and the ability to change the heard rhetoric. In reflecting on are worthiness before God, we can interpret John’s words and share the compassion of God he was sharing with the people. In turn this knowledge allows us to show the way to God so that those who do not know can approach God with open hearts.
In preparation, what then does this mean for the Church?
As those in the know, both Malachi and John are, as we reflect on their words, questioning the church about how things stand between us and God. As with the temple priests and other religious leaders, the church and its members are being called to own their own imperfections. With the world, we are being asked where is God present in our lives and how are we honouring that presence?
Luckily, this self-reflection is not only encouraged in the season of Advent or what might seem more fitting, the season of Lent. In our worship, the church is encouraged to lay itself open before God and let go of what might be holding it back. We are urged to look upon the empty cross, see the open tomb and be reminded of God’s immense love and grace for all of humanity despite its imperfections and flaws. Through our worship, our readiness and willingness to let God remodel us, maybe even refine us, should be nurtured.
At the beginning of our service, we heard the apostle Paul’s prayer for the church in Philippi. Paul, as he gave thanks to God for the Church, congratulated the church in its sharing of the gospel. Yet, for the church’s welfare and its ability to keep doing what it was doing, Paul prayed for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the church’s openness so it could do better and live according to God’s justice.
How much do we, as the church, need that prayer as we take on the mantle of John to prepare the way for the coming of Christ?
This Advent, how prepared are we to own our imperfections before God? How prepared are we to hear the words of the prophets and know they are as much for us as for the rest of the world? How prepared are we to receive Christ again?
In our making ready and our excitement to share the good news of the angels, let us keep an ear open to the prophets so that we all will see the glory of God. Amen
Hymn Make way, make way, for Christ the King
Graham Kendrick © 1986, Thankyou Music Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir. Accompanied by Andrew Ellams and produced by Andrew Emison and used with their kind permission
Make way, make way!For Christ the King
in splendour arrives.
Fling wide the gates and welcome Him
into your lives
And those who mourn with heavy hearts,
who weep and sigh,
with laughter, joy and royal crown
He’ll beautify
Make way! (Make way!) Make way! (Make way!)
For the King of kings (For the King of kings)
Make way! (Make way!) Make way! (Make way!)
And let His kingdom in
He comes the broken hearts to heal;
the prisoners to free.
The deaf shall hear, the lame shall dance,
the blind shall see!
We call you now to worship Him
as Lord of all;
to have no gods before Him –
their thrones must fall!
Make way! (Make way!) Make way! (Make way!)
For the King of kings (For the King of kings)
Make way! (Make way!) Make way! (Make way!)
And let His kingdom in
Affirmation of Faith
‘Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great …’ yet this Advent, let us proclaim the faith of the Church universal which the coming of Christ made possible.
We believe in God as parent,
creator and protector,
root of all being.
We believe in Jesus Christ—
God in our midst—
coming as that fragile promise
of a baby yet to be born
and whose birth was heralded with hope.
Who John the Baptist announced
would turn the world upside down
seeing deep into the human heart
separating the wheat from the chaff
and the sheep from the goats.
Yet who passed through the grip of death
so all might know justice and peace—
God’s gifts of mercy and compassion
far beyond our human understanding.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
implanter of truth,
who brings us to birth as the body of Christ,
holds us together,
and empowers us to confront and transform
all that is wrong in our lives and the world
for the glory of God
who draws near, who is always near
and who promises to come near again. Amen
Prayers of Intercession
Gracious God,
as your church strives to be better,
as it endeavours to be the true example,
Jesus commissioned it to be,
of right living in you,
we pray that you will shine on those who find themselves in darkness
and in that land of shadows between life and death.
We pray for the many conflicts of this world,
for the innocent lives that are being destroyed
because of corruption, a hunger for power,
in justification of a position whether true or false.
silence
We pray for the communities of which we are a part,
for those difficult relationships, hidden realities,
the mountain which is injustice within society.
silence
We pray for all those who are ill,
close to death, grieving,
or who find themselves in one of life’s deep valleys
unable to see the way through.
silence
You call your church to be that voice in the wilderness of life,
to tell of your mercy and love, speak up for justice,
making your way in the world clear.
Therefore, we pray for all those
with political and financial power in the world;
our nation’s governments,
local councils and assemblies.
May a heart for change use knowledge wisely
to bring about equity and understanding.
silence
And we pray for ourselves as your church,
for the unconscious bias that is within us
and how that can shape our openness to the world.
As we prepare to celebrate your coming,
Jesus Christ, pour your Holy Spirit upon us
to refine our view of the world
and guide our feet on your path
leading others to a life with you and in you.
All these prayers, and many more that will go unsaid today,
we offer in and through the prayer you taught the disciples
which as your church we pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen
Offertory
Aware of God’s power — God’s ability to change hearts and minds—
we prepare to make our offering to God.
Refining God, you can take all that we offer
and turn it into something better.
Though what we bring might feel limited, not worthy of your greatness,
as we prepare the world and ourselves for your coming,
make these offerings mighty proclaiming your glory for all
through Jesus Christ. Amen
Hymn Hills of the North, Rejoice
Charles Earnest Oakley public domain performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission.
Hills of the North, rejoice,
river and mountain-spring,
hark to the advent voice;
valley and lowland, sing.
Christ comes in righteousness and love,
he brings salvation from above.
Isles of the Southern seas,
sing to the listening earth,
carry on every breeze
hope of a world’s new birth:
in Christ shall all be made anew,
his word is sure, his promise true.
Lands of the east, arise,
he is your brightest morn,
greet him with joyous eyes,
let praise his path adorn:
your seers have longed to know their Lord;
to you he comes, the final word.
Shores of the utmost West,
lands of the setting sun,
welcome the heavenly guest
in whom the dawn has come:
he brings a never-ending light
who triumphed o’er our darkest night.
Shout, as you journey home,
songs be in every mouth,
lo, from the North they come,
from East and West and South:
in Jesus all shall find their rest,
in him the universe be blest.
Dismissal and Blessing
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way, to give knowledge of salvation to all people.
Go then, with God’s call ringing in your ears and hearts open to God’s leading ready and willing to share your knowledge of Christ with all whom you meet.
And the blessing of God, who is eternal, incarnate and abiding,
go with you and remain with you this Advent and beyond. Amen
URC Daily Devotion 7 December 2024
St Luke 5: 12 – 16
Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Reflection
We have been reading Luke in one of my church’s Bible study groups and this time, I’ve appreciated how Luke, the Doctor, uses his medical training to report and observe Jesus’s ministry.
Like many of the reported healing stories, this one reminds us, if we reach out to Jesus, he willingly turns our courage in making ourselves vulnerable into welcome and healing. And that healing is reciprocal, Jesus does not heal from afar, he heals by coming alongside us, by touching those who are diseased or considered unclean, risking the same fate for himself. This type of healing demands vulnerability and courage from the healer too.
And he heals us completely at every level. By sending this man to the temple, presumably something he could not do when he was physically unwell, he is restored not just in body but to his place in the community. Although Jesus knows this risks unwanted attention, he considers this man’s full restoration more important. This is an entire person not a patient with multiple, unrelated symptoms. Luke, the physician, clearly sees the importance of this compassionate and wholistic approach to wellness offered by Jesus.
And linked is the almost throwaway line in verse 16, telling us Jesus both healing a lot of people and often took time out alone. Anyone who gives of themselves whether offering a sympathetic ear or as a full time carer, knows this can be simultaneously rewarding and draining. Jesus leads by example showing that carers also need to care for themselves. He takes some time with God to replenish himself. So many, who offer themselves in serving the church, whether volunteers or ministers, put themselves at risk of burnout. This example of Christ, carefully noted by Luke, reminds us there is another way.
Prayer
Compassionate God,
we thank you that you are interested in our lives
and want us to be wholly healed people
We bring before you today those in need of healing,
that they might have rest and restoration of body and soul.
We pray for all who serve you,
that they take time to strengthen and refresh themselves
so they can better serve your Kingdom
so that all may live life to the full. Amen