18th. July. 2021.Service.
Service of Worship 18th July 2021
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude: They that wait upon the Lord
Introit: Hymn 510 Jesus calls us here to meet him
Collect for today
Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn 160 Praise, my soul the King of Heaven
Call to Prayer
In times of trouble, God leads us to still waters.
God our shepherd, we come to you.
In time of uncertainty, God leads us in right paths.
God our Shepherd we hear your voice.
In times of loneliness, God is with us.
God our Shepherd, we find your love
In all our moments, God is with us.
We praise the One who restores our souls.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
God our Maker, in summer we marvel at the world you have made,
the colours of sunrise and sunset which fill the skies above us,
the intricate beauty of flower gardens and natural parks,
the quiet dignity of a river in its course,
and the solid presence of a rock face carved through time.
You show us how every little piece of your creation
depends in many ways on all the others.
Summer growth depends on spring rains.
The health for every creature depends on the wise balance
you have set among the species.
The quality of our lives depends on the respect we show one another.
Wise and patient God, we exult in the wonder of all you have made.
Let our worship join the song of the whole creation honouring you as we rejoice in the unity of all things in Jesus Christ, firstborn of all creation.
God our Maker, while we rejoice at the marvel at your creation, we confess we often take it for granted.
We do not know what to make of reports about the damage humanity is inflicting on your earth and find it too easy to live as if our society makes has no impact on the earth. We confess we don’t really want to change, but also, we wonder if the way we live is acceptable to you.
For all the ways we put your creation at risk and harm the earth,
we ask for your forgiveness.
Teach us how to live in this marvellous world with love and respect
for you and for your whole creation.
Assurance of Pardon
St Paul declared that in Christ, the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. God has made peace with us through the Cross of Jesus Christ. As in Christ, all things hold together let us accept his make peace with one another in his name.
Prayer for Understanding
Move among us by your Spirit, O Lord, and challenge us to hear and receive your Word. Silence in us any voice but your own, that hearing you, we may obey your will and follow your commandments through the example of Jesus Christ, the Living Word. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
(In the words most familiar to you)
Intimations
Invitation to the Offering
God’s goodness surrounds us in this season of growth and re-creation. Our gifts to God are a token of our gratitude for everything we receive in Christ and in creation. These gifts will also help God’s goodness to spread through the ministries we undertake in Jesus’ name.
Prayer of Dedication
God of goodness and growth, receive our gifts and our gratitude for the fruitfulness you provide. Bless our gifts through your Spirit that they may accomplish much in your kingdom for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Friend and Saviour. Amen.
Hymn 53 O greatly blessed the people are
2 Samuel 7:1-14 – They that wait upon the Lord
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.’
3 Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.’
4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5 ‘Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord says: are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”
8 ‘Now then, tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
‘“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.
Amen.
Hymn 198 Let us build a house where love can dwell
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56.
30 The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed those who were ill in the market-places. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Amen
Hymn 462 The King of love my Shepherd is
Sermon
Mark 6:53-56
When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognised him, and ran about the whole neighbourhood and began to bring sick people on their mattresses to any place where they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, city or country, they laid their sick in the market place, and begged Jesus that they might touch even the hem of his garment. And as many as touched it were made whole.
Wherever the man from Nazareth goes, all is well.
We are enjoying a beautiful spell of weather at the moment. Summer suns are actually glowing this weekend and it is not too hot. It is lovely to see blue skies early in the morning and the trees and flowers are at their summer best and people are relaxed, wearing brighter summer clothes and getting out in the evenings.
Everything seems glorious. Our minds can easily rejoice in God our Creator for such goodness. Our hearts may praise God our Saviour for opening our eyes to see and revel in such providence. Our souls may sing with God the Spirit in celebrating all things. All is well. All is very well indeed!
Yet at the same time, all is not well. In our prayers each week we cannot avoid remembering the human pain and grief that exists despite so much beauty. We are very aware of the suffering caused by Covid-19, and whilst we enjoy the weather, people in Europe are experiencing devastating floods and in North America a third heat dome is developing over the west of the continent.
Recently I have heard from a minister who reports:
–A woman, a choice soul, fighting a long, rear guard action against cancer.
— A friend, once outgoing, who is trying to extricate himself from the dark, cold pit of depression.
–The kindly man devastated when his wife left him, taking the children to live with someone who had been his closest friend.
–The minister serving in a very remote parish who has been caught up in a most difficult pastoral crisis.
–An elderly couple who after the best part of a life time of serving God together, now seem to be estranged though still living under the same roof.
–A retired judge, who appointed to head an inquiry into issues related to a political scandal, has since been subject to ongoing attacks by politicians who did not like his report.
–The soul-mate of a compassionate young man who died suddenly from a virulent infection in the heart.
–The young parents of a little girl suffering from a severe growth defect.
These are the experiences of one pastoral community. But they are there all the time in every community, and they push aside the wider news of terrible injustice and terrorism and war. Disease and poverty, hunger and homelessness, road trauma and domestic violence, drug addictions and youth suicide.
Though all is well, yet at the same time all is not well.
How then can we, in the same moment, presume to celebrate the beauty of a new day with joy and exhilaration when our lives are in some measure touched by challenges like that?
In one way the answer is simple. Because of the divine, human person we know as Jesus. He is the one who combined the deepest joy with the most profound grief. He is the source of thanksgiving that rises up even though we may be troubled by many disasters.
His is the light that shines even in the darkest place, and the laugher that echoes across all the graveyards of the world. His is the new life that rises from the ashes. He is the man of salvation: Rescue and healing abound wherever he goes.
Jesus reveals God, the ultimate healer of a broken world. It is because of this we are able to celebrate a glorious summer day, even as we pray for the healing of the multitude of ills that afflict and imperil humanity.
We are turning again to that brilliant snapshot produced by Mark, of Jesus at work in the land on the far side of Galilee.
When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognised him, and ran about the whole neighbourhood and began to bring sick people on their mattresses to any place where they heard he was.
And wherever he came, in villages, city or country, they laid their sick in the market place, and begged Jesus that they might touch even the hem of his garment. And as many as touched it were made whole. Mark 6:53-56
We need to picture this scene
The far side of Galilee was a territory avoided by some of the strict Jews. Many of the inhabitants there were of mixed blood. The fastidious Pharisees saw them as half-breeds not much better than the Gentiles whom they considered to be beyond the pale. Yet that was where Jesus went ashore from the fishing boat and was soon surrounded by a mass of suffering. He had time for them.
Can’t you visualise the folks? A sample of humanity in its pitiful need. On crutches or dragging themselves along the ground. Some blind, some deaf and dumb. Some scoured with disease. Some mentally deranged. In city, village or countryside, says Mark. Many being carried on stretchers into the market place to meet him. Just to touch the hem of his garment, gave them hope. He was enough for them.
And as many as touched it [his garment] were made whole. Mark 6:53-56
This is the Christ whom we should always see, the inclusive healer the true child of humanity, the true Child of God. A man who knew how to laugh and cry deeply. The person who allowed both the bubbling happiness and the unfiltered misery of this world to invade his personal space and responded to it with a gift of salvation. The man who challenged ‘negative karma’ with free grace.
Here we see Jesus of Nazareth encouraging us to live life to the full, to be thankful without ignoring the pain of others, to suffer pain without begrudging the health of others, to have faith and love without despising people of little faith and little love.
This is not a Saviour promoted by many of those religions and sects that promise their converts protection from all ills, plus special financial success and favours. I was listening to a book by Rupert Sheldrake discussing why it is that what is called the prosperity gospel is so popular. He concluded that it is not a saving faith.
The Gospel that we see in scripture describes a Jesus who stands in the middle of human suffering with hope, who calls us to remedy whatever ills we can, to pray for one another in sickness and in health. He does not promise prosperity, safety, freedom from ills, but a cross, and grace to bear it, as St Paul told us recently. He promises eternal security and the presence of God with us all the days of our life.
Today’s Psalm is 23, which talks of blessing and refreshment in green meadows and by flowing waters, but also the presence of the Shepherd through the valley of the shadow of death, and of providence and blessing in the face of the enemy along with the fulness of eternal life. Our hope comes from the one who himself willingly suffered a most horrific death for the sake of his faith in God and his inclusive love for all. The Gospel is not an insurance policy against disaster. It is a Gospel of Emmanuel; God with us, present in all circumstances with transforming love.
There are those who criticise Christians for being escapists This is not so. The church building is not a place where we hide from the ugly realities of life. Nor is the church community a fellowship where we pretend that bad things will never happen to God’s own. This week I read a critic who blamed Christianity for using fear to evangelise. I couldn’t resist responding that if critics cared to read the gospels, they would find that Jesus called people to resist fear and banish it from their lives. To be carefree because we know that God is with us, is to be free to enjoy the beauty and blessing of life on this planet.
Here we do not shut our eyes to the anguish of other people, in order to sing other-worldly songs of thanks and praise. The church is a place where we can both celebrate and lament together, in the knowledge that God in Christ is with us and for us. The cup of Christ holds tears, both tears of joy and tears of grief. We lift up that cup to God with thanksgiving.
That is one of the reasons we meet for worship. To be reminded that we can let our fears and anxieties go, that we can rejoice in the love and providence of God whilst bringing at the same time our compassionate prayers.
We began by mentioning the beautiful summer days we are enjoying, the kind of days that evoke joy, relaxation, and celebration when it is good to be alive! All was well. All was very well.
Then we mentioned people who were facing difficult, painful times. The minister I quoted indicated that the lady with cancer has since died. Loss and grief are now interlaced with the beauty of the world and the joy. This reminded me of the first funeral I conducted in Prince Edward Island, folks mourning on a glorious summer day. I wondered then if the experience would forever cloud the beauty of summer for the closest relatives. I’ve since learned that a funeral on a beautiful day adds a lustre to the grief which renders it more bearable. Hard experiences in no way negate the celebration of beauty or God’s goodness to us. In a paradoxical way, grief even enhances the celebration of it.
We follow Christ ashore on the far side of Galilee and see the crowds come flocking to him. “And as many as touched him were made well.” We are among those strangers on the far shore. Thank him for coming our way and having time for us.
There is one minor point in this story which becomes a major point when I compare Jesus with us. t was Jesus’ day off. The events of our Gospel reading took place when he was hoping to get away from the pressures of ministry and relax.
Everyone is entitled to some time off, aren’t they? We all value precious times off. I’m sure you do. Jesus took his disciples across the lake to get away from the crowds for a bit. He was very weary. His was an exhausting ministry. He said to his friends: “Come away with me to a lonely place, and rest a while.”
He went to that unpopular shore looking for a bit of peace and quiet. Yet when he arrived, another crowd of human misery found him there, and he did not send them away. He let them flood around them. His love included them.
It is that same incomparable Jesus who allows us to celebrate life in joy or grief. He is the one who is there for people, even on his day off. This Christ enables us to go on celebrating even in the most adverse circumstances. Through him “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Amen
~ Mother Julian of Norwich.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Good and generous God,
in Jesus Christ you came to us, promising life in abundance.
Today we gladly count our blessings and thank you for them and for the wealth of your goodness towards as and the assurance of your love from day to day.
We thank you for the relief of your mercy when we are confronted by our failings and for hope and faith which keep us going when things seem bleak. We rest in the peace that comes to us when we entrust ourselves into your eternal care.
These are the gifts that matter, O God, and in the quietness of these moments of silence we thank you from the depth of our souls.
Loving God, today we pray for people whose lives are empty of joy—
because the going is tough for them, and friends still seem far away…
because their hearts are filled with disappointment or because their sorrow and grief are raw and keen.
(Keep silence for 15 seconds.)
Hold up each one in your love and compassion.
Compassionate God, we bring before you people whose lives are empty of peace and hope—because they are suffering illness or coping with a disability,
because they are powerless in the face of violence or are the victims of circumstances beyond their control.
Especially today we pray for people who are facing discrimination because of their culture, their religion or because of their racial background.
And for everyone who is struggling with the effects of the pandemic in their lives
(Keep silence for 15 seconds)
Give healing and peace along with the hope of better days ahead.
Generous God, we pray for people who are frustrated because they are without work or held back by the strange circumstances of these times of confusion and uncertainty, or because they have made poor choices and cannot find a way forward into a future which does not seem clear…
(Keep silence for 15 seconds)
Give faith and patience to keep going from day to day until the way opens for them.
Good and generous God, give us compassion and the energy and will to reach out to people we know who are facing difficult times. Guide us to them and give us resources to help them
May we become the gift we have received in Jesus, as we serve and worship you in His Holy Name. Amen.
Hymn: 721 We lay our broken world
Sending out and Benediction
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is your stronghold in time of trouble.
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love today and evermore. Amen.
May God’s blessing surround you each day
Postlude: Look at the world – John Rutter
For Children
Have you been able to go on holiday with your family this year? It has not been easy for people to get away on holiday in 2021 because of the pandemic. Some folks are having a “staycation,” a fancy new word for a holiday at home. A few fortunate people are booking holidays in other parts of the country or overseas, but they cannot be certain they will happen. You will be having a slightly longer holiday from school this year which I hope you enjoy.
We all need to get away sometimes. Even Jesus said that we sometimes need to take some time off to get caught up on our rest. The Bible tells about a time the disciples went to Jesus and told Him how busy they had been teaching and ministering to the needs of people. “There have been so many people coming and going that we didn’t even have time to stop and eat,” they told Jesus.
“Come with me to a quiet place so that you can get some rest,” Jesus said to the disciples.
So, the Bible tells us that they got in a boat. And they went away with Jesus to a quiet place. That must have been good. We may not have a boat but perhaps there is a place in a park or the country where we can go a spend some time quietly
Yes, we all need a time to get away, even Jesus and His friends needed to rest!
Dear God, thank You for work, for play, and for school.
We also thank You for those times when we can get away from it all and get some rest.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.