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.

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.

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

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.

inspiration in your inbox 10 December 2024   St Luke 5: 27 – 32 After this Jesus went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table with them.  The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’  Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick;  I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ Reflection In our readings from Luke’s gospel we are regularly confronted by Jesus’ encounters with those who are on the margins of first century Palestinian society. Today’s reading starts with ‘after this’, which begs the question “after what?”  Jesus has just dealt with some wanton destruction of property, and a person excluded from society through disability. He is now dealing with someone who, for whatever reason, has marginalised himself, through collaboration with the occupying forces.  Not only does Jesus befriend this traitor, but then feasts with Levi’s friends and acquaintances, none of whom belong in polite society. The respectable citizens are enraged. Quite why they want Jesus to themselves is questionable – though they do enjoy trying to trip him up with their questions, and when they ask him why he’s mixing with all the wrong people, he manages a response which is both flattering to them, and also a bit of  a put down. At our last General Assembly we were challenged about being a church with people on the margins. The question of who is on the margins is a fascinating one. We might even perceive ourselves, as people of faith, to be those who are on the margins of society ourselves! Who are the people in our own communities who, by choice or chance – or a combination of the two – are on the margins? And how can we, as individual disciples, or as a community of Christians, work with them to bring about signs of the Kingdom? Prayer Lord Jesus, help us to see those who are marginalised, to listen to voices are seldom heard, and to be changed by those who have a different perspective on life and faith.   Help us to work together to bring about your kingdom – your rule – in and beyond the Church. Amen

Today’s writer The Revd Clare Downing, Synod Moderator, North Western Synod New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

inspiration in your inbox 9 December 2024   St Luke 5: 17 – 26 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.  Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus.  When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’  Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’  When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”?  But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’ Reflection ‘When he saw their faith …’ If you could ask one question about Jesus what would it be? Religious teachers and guides had not one but two concerning Jesus when he told the mattress man that his sins were forgiven. ‘Who is this that is speaking blasphemies?’ ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Such loaded questions! Jesus responded in a like for like fashion with two of his own, demanding to know why they asked such questions, and confronting them with a conundrum about the relationship between forgiveness and healing. The questions of Jesus’s interrogators are not my questions. Instead, I’m intrigued (and disconcerted) by the Gospel writer’s comment that it was when Jesus perceived the faith of the friends that he pronounced the paralysed man’s sins were forgiven. Not his faith (if he had one) – their faith. So, I was wondering, might my faith save others from their sins and/or whatever ails them? Might the faith of others do the same for me? That seems at odds with my experience of religion where I have been invited to have faith so that my sins might be forgiven, and it’s suggested that it is up to others to have faith so that theirs also might be forgiven. Maybe I need to take more seriously this business of praying for the wellbeing of others. Speaking of prayer, I suppose I could put my questions to Jesus, but contemplating this Bible passage, I fear he might just respond with some questions of his own. Particularly, how should I respond if Jesus says, ‘I like your idea about “thoughts and prayers” for those in difficulty, but did you notice that the “saving faith” of friends is one expressed in practical, helpful actions?’ Prayer Lord Jesus, help me to have a faith that helps others in their need, and grant to others a faith that helps me in my need. Amen.

Today’s writer The Revd Dr Trevor Jamison, Minister at Saint Columba’s URC, North Shields  New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 
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

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

St Luke 5: 1 – 11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,  he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’  Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’  When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’  For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken;  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’  When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Reflection
I don’t know if you’re watching the series ‘The Chosen’ (if not, I highly recommend it), but I love the portrayal of Peter. In the first episode, we meet him in a fist fight. He’s rough, tough, loves to drink and gamble and he’s not above cheating. 

He loves his wife, Eden, and we see he’s got a good heart. He’s simply trying to make a life in a hard world, but he’s not what the religious leaders would call a ‘good’ Jew. He’s not as scrupulous about keeping sabbath as he could be. He even comes to an arrangement with the Roman occupiers about grassing up fellow Jews who are avoiding taxes. All in all, I can see why Eden’s brothers aren’t keen on their ne’er-do-well brother-in-law.

And then Jesus arrives on the scene. And the carpenter tells the fisherman how to fish. I imagine that Peter’s words were a bit more fruity than Luke’s demure, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” I mean, how would you react if you had spent all night in hard, physical labour and got nothing to show for it? You’re tired, hangry, and not a little scared about where the next meal is coming from, and then some bloomin’ handyman strolls up and tells you how to do your job! I’d have been livid! “Who the [bleep] do you think you are? Do I tell you how to fix a [bleep]in’ table leg?”

However, Peter does what Jesus says and suddenly there are fish everywhere. I love Jesus’ laughter as he watches it.

Peter leaps from the boat and kneels at Jesus’ feet. “You don’t know who I am, the things I’ve done,” he says. Jesus smiles. Of course he does. He knew Peter before he was born. He knows about the fighting and the gambling and the everything else. 

“Follow me,” says Jesus.

Because in the end, that is all that matters.

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
I say, “You don’t know who I am, the things I’ve done.”
And you reply, “Of course I do. I’ve always known and love you still.”
I say, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful person.”
And you reply, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
You say, “Follow me.”
And I reply, “Yes, Lord.”

Thursday 5 December 2024

St Luke 4: 42 – 44

At daybreak Jesus departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them.  But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’  So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

Reflection

Early in his ministry, Jesus preached in his home synagogue at Nazareth. There he was forcefully rejected. At that point, he could have given up his ministry and gone back to the trade he knew. After all, he was presumably the head of the family by then, and family ties can be a very strong pull. However, Jesus knew that God was calling him to a wider ministry.

So Jesus moved on to Capernaum, the home of his new friend Simon, where he was received very differently. There they marvelled at his authority. There he healed many people. There the crowd clamoured for him to stay

Jesus could have stayed there, comfortable in the acclaim of the people. He could still have carried on preaching and teaching, healing and sharing.  However, Jesus knew that his calling was wider than this. He had to go on to other places and other things, leaving behind the security of this place where he had found acceptance.

These are only a couple of the many decision points in Jesus’  life. Earlier he had decided to stay in Nazareth, until he was ready to go into the wilderness and to ask for baptism by John. It can be easy to forget that a decision not to do anything new is as much a decision as the most radical change.

One of our greatest temptations is to stick with the status quo, not risking anything that might disturb us or those whom we love. Jesus was not one to stick to the status quo, however comfortable it might be. Jesus knew that there was a decision to be made each day about where his calling might be taking him next. We too must continue to ask what we are called to next, especially if we are comfortable where we are today.

Prayer

Living and loving God,
We praise you that you know and love each of us,
and that you call each of us to play our part
in your mission here on earth.
Open our hearts and minds to hear your call afresh each day.
Help us, when it is your will, to let go of the familiar and comfortable
and to journey to pastures new with you.
Thanks be to God
Amen