Service for Sunday 11th April 2021 – Geoffrey Webber

Servicing the Bald Hills and nearby Communities

Service for Sunday 11th April 2021 – Geoffrey Webber

Welcome:

Call to Worship  (from 1 John 1: 5b to 2: 2):

God is light, and there is no darkness at all in Him.

If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions.

But if we live in the light, just as He is in the light,

Then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son, purifies us from every sin.

If we say that we have no sin,

We deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us.

But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is right:

He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.

If we say that we have not sinned,

We make a liar out of God, and His word is not in us.

But if anyone does sin,

We have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf, Jesus Christ, the righteous one.

And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven,

And not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.

In this, the first of his Letters, the Apostle John is, in part, seeking to reveal the fallacies of the false teachings that were prevalent in various of the early Churches in Asia and Europe at the time of his writing.  John clarifies the Good News which Jesus taught and of which he was an eye-witness, that:

God’s nature is one of light, not darkness, that God alone is righteous, that God’s word is trustworthy and gives us hope.

We, on the other hand, are the liars, the wrongdoers; that our nature is characterised by what is impure.

God seeks for us to acknowledge the sinfulness of our very nature, and the need to confess before Him our failure to live the life that He seeks for Humanity to follow.

That God has promised to listen with mercy to all who confess their sins and to provide the means for us to be purified in His sight, for his son, Christ himself, “is the means by which our sins are forgiven”.  (Charles Dodd in The Johannine Epistles p18) 

That is the Good News that we celebrate when we gather together here in worship.  That is the Good News that sustains us in this life, and is the hope upon which we depend for Life after this life.

Prayer of Praise  (from Psalm 1: 2a & 6a, 2: 7b and 4: 6b) 

Almighty God we come together here today as your children, your precious possession.  You have called us to be in close fellowship with yourself, to show your love for us, to bless us with your kindness. 

In you we depend for our daily sustenance and provision for our needs.

By you we receive guidance for right living and protection from the attacks against us from Satan and his demons.

Through you we have received forgiveness of our sins and our mistakes, a forgiveness that is complete and which lasts forever.

Ever-loving God, we gather before you today to express our thanks for your work of regeneration in our lives, to express our thanks for your care and concern for us as individuals and for us as your Church, to praise you above all your Creation in Heaven and on Earth because you are majestic above all else, because your works are marvellous in our eyes, because you are magnanimous in revealing your grace and mercy to us.

O Lord, our God, we offer our worship of you in humbleness and gratitude, to your glory and honour.  Amen.

Hymn

“Joyful, joyful, we adore you”  TiS152 

[Sung to the tune Ode to Joy]

Prayer of Confession  (from Psalm 5: 4, 5, 11b & 12, 7: 3 & n9a, 9: 4, 12, 13a & 18, 10: 7, and 15: 2b & 3b) 

O Lord, you are not a God who is pleased with wrongdoing,

You allow no evil in your presence.

O Lord, you are a righteous God,

You correctly judge our thoughts and our desires.

O Lord, if I have wronged anyone, or have offended a friend,

Have mercy, O God, and forgive my sin.

O Lord, if I have been unfair or dishonest in my judgements,

Have mercy, O God, and forgive my sin.

O Lord, if I have neglected the cry of those who suffer, or if I have neglected the plight of the needy,

Have mercy, O God, and forgive my sin.

O Lord, if I have boasted of what I have done by my own abilities, but have not given you any thanks for your providence for me,

Have mercy, O God, and forgive my sin.

O Lord, if my speech is filled with lies and hurtful words,

Have mercy, O God, and forgive my sin.

O Lord, if my speech is filled with insincere words or is used to spread rumours among my neighbours,

Have mercy, O God, and forgive my sin.

O Lord, You protect those who love you,

They are truly happy because of you.

You bless those who obey you,

They are joyful because of your love for them.

O Lord, we put our hope in your unending grace towards all people, everywhere.

In your mercy, forgive our sins and no longer remember our wrongdoings.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

The Apostle John assures us that if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise, He will forgive us our sins and purify us from our wrongdoings.  (1 John 1: 9)  Having confessed our sins to God, let us hold onto that promise and know that God has indeed forgiven us and cleansed us in His sight.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination

Holy God, through your Holy Spirit, instruct us that we might rightly understand the Word of Truth, and find ourselves as People who reflect the Living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Psalm 133:

1  Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in harmony!  2  It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes.  3  It is like the dew on Mount Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.  For there the Lord bestows His blessing, life for evermore.

Acts 4:

32  The group of believers was one in mind and heart.  No one said that any of their belongings was their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had.  33  With great power the Apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God poured rich blessings on them all.  34  There was no one in the group who was in need.  Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale,  35  and turn it over to the Apostles; and the money was distributed to each one according to their need.

Ephesians 2:

11  You Gentiles, remember your former condition,  12  you were at that time separate from Christ, strangers to the Community of Israel, outside of God’s covenant and the promise that goes with His People.  Your world was a world without hope and without God.  13  But now in union with Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of Christ’s blood.  14  For he is himself our peace.  He has made Jews and Gentiles one people.  In his body of flesh and blood he has broken down the enmity which stood like a dividing wall between them;  15  for he annulled the Law with its rules and regulations, so as to create out of the two a single new Humanity in himself, thereby making peace.  16  This was his purpose, to reconcile the two in a single body to God through the cross, bringing the enmity to an end.

17  So he came and proclaimed the good news: peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near by;  18  for through him we both, alike, have access to the Father in the one Spirit.  19  Thus you are no longer aliens in a foreign land, but fellow citizens with God’s People, members of God’s household.  20  You are built upon the foundation laid by the Apostles and Prophets, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.  21  In him the whole structure is bonded together and grows into a holy Temple in the Lord.  22  In him you too are being built with all the others into a place where God dwells through His spirit.

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Luke 15:

11  Jesus went on the say, ”There was once a man who had two sons.  12  The younger one said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’  So the man divided his property between his two sons.  13  After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money.  He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living.  14  He spent everything he had.  Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing.  15  So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs.  16  He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat.  17  At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve!  18  I will get up and go to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you.  19  I am no longer fit to be called your son, treat me as one of your hired workers.”’  20  So he got up and started back to his father.

  He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him.  21  ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against God and against you.  I am no longer fit to be called your son.’  22  But the father called his servants.  ‘Hurry!’ he said.  ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him.  Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet.  23  Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast!  24  For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’  And so the feast began.

25  In the meantime the older son was out in the field.  On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing.  26  So he called one of the servants and asked him, ’What’s going on?’  27  ‘Your brother has come back home,’ the servant answered, ‘and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.  28  The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in.  29  But he spoke back to his father, ‘Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders.  What have you given me?  Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends!  30  But this son of yours wasted all your property on reckless living, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!’  31  ‘My son’, the father answered, ‘you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours.  32  But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’”

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Passing the Peace

We are one in fellowship and in worship of our God, whether we gather together in the Church building on Sunday morning or whether we worship in the ‘digital sphere’.  It is important that we recognise that, together, we remain one in Christ Jesus.  With that thought, let us uplift our hands and greet those both here and in their homes: May the peace of God be with you all.

And also with you.

For the Young at Heart

Screen 1

Shaun the sheep

  Shaun is the protagonist of the series and the leader of the flock. He is a clever, confident sheep, prone to mischief, but equally adept at getting himself and/or his friends out of it. As there is no dialogue, like all the sheep he communicates entirely through bleating and often explains his ideas to the flock by drawing diagrams on a blackboard. Shaun has a good friendship with Bitzer, the farmer’s dog, though this does not stop him from playing pranks on him at times.

  The Farmer is a bespectacled, balding man who runs the farm with Bitzer, his dog, at his side and acts as the flock’s primary, if unwitting, nemesis. His livestock’s main concern is to ensure he remains completely oblivious to their unusual sentience, a task made easier by his conventional, unobservant nature, but complicated by his enthusiasm for picking up new hobbies. He can be heard frequently making wordless noises, speaking gibberish, or muttering under his breath just audibly enough for the viewer to pick up on his meaning.

  Shaun the sheep is a popular Children’s Show on the ABC.  Shaun and the rest of his flock live on Mossy Bottom Farm.  The essence of the show is that he and the other animals on the farm have an unusual sentience, that is, they think and behave in ways similar to humans, but without the farmer, who owns Mossy Bottom Farm, knowing anything about it.  The humour of the show involves the antics that the animals get into, and the means they employ to ensure that the farmer remains “completely oblivious” to their abilities and their activities.  The show was created by the same people who made the Wallace and Gromit series.

  In the show, we are intended to accept that the farmer, though he is interacting with each animal on a daily basis at every part of his property, has an incomplete understanding of the life and the culture existing on his farm.  I was recently reading an article in the July 2000 issue of National Geographic Magazine that mentions this concept of incomplete understandings.

Screen 2

Niaux Caves (Les Grottes de Niaux)

Niaux caves – Tourism & Holiday Guide (france-voyage.com)

  The article mentioned the Niaux Caves, located in the south of France.  The cave is noted for the charcoal drawings of animals on the walls, dated to between 11,000 and 17,000 years old.  The article quotes a Jean Clottes, a French rock art specialist, who states that the drawings may not “symbolise merely hunting” scenes.  The placement of the spears on the drawings indicates that “they might (not be showing hunting spears but rather ) spiritual spears – symbolic links between humans and the animals.”  “We will never know the details of their (spiritual) ceremonies.” continued Jean Clottes, “But with Humans nothing is obvious.  Who would think by looking at pictures of the Crucifixion in a Cathedral that the essence of Christianity is love?”

(National Geographic July 2000 Vol.198 No.1 p116)

Scene 3

The Crucifixion Of Jesus

“then they crucified him”  Mark 15: 24

  I was taken aback by this statement by Jean Clottes, for isn’t it obvious that the essence of Christianity is love?  But, in a way he is correct, for if you look at any drawing or painting relating to the crucifixion, there is no explicit message about love.  What you see is a display of a cruel method of execution undertaken by Roman soldiers who have no feelings of sympathy for those being crucified since these soldiers are simply obeying orders given to them by their Officers.  Those looking on may display feelings of sadness or even of horror, but, if the painter is true to the Gospel records about the crucifixion, then these who are included in the scene should be drawn as if they are “hurling insults at Jesus”  (Mark 15: 29)  and “making fun of Jesus”  (Mark 15: 31)  , for that is what we read in the Gospel accounts, hardly what could be labelled as ‘the essence of love’.

  But, that is because the crucifixion scene must be understood in the context of God’s relationship with Humanity, it must be understood in the context of what we read in the whole of the Bible.  It is in this context that we see displayed God’s inclusive and inexhaustible love for each person.  The danger for the Church is an inaccurate expectation that everyone, inside and outside of the Church, has a clear understanding of this context.

Scene 4

  I believe that our focus, not just at Easter, but for the whole of the year, should not be Christ on the cross, for that is a focus solely upon his death; nor should it be the empty cross, for that is a focus upon the removal of his body for burial in the tomb; nor should it be the empty tomb, for that is a focus upon the uncertainty concerning the whereabouts of the body of Jesus.  Our focus should be upon the visible risen Christ, for that is the proof of “the means by which our sins are forgiven”  (1 John 2: 2)  , and that is the proof “that we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf”  (1 John 2: 1)  .

  We should not be like the farmer of Mossy Bottom Farm, with his state of being oblivious to the abilities and the activities of his animals.  We need a clear understanding of the context of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  To achieve this, we must, individually, and regularly, read what we have freely available to us, God’s word, the Bible.

  Don’t be afraid to open it and read it, each day.  Unlike the farmer of Mossy Bottom Farm, we need to look around us, to see and to understand how God is at work in the World.

Hymn

“Author of faith, eternal word”  TiS565  AHB473  MHB362

[Sung to the tune Warrington]

(This is the only YouTube recording that I could find for this tune.  It only lasts for 3 verses, so you will need to play it through twice so as to sing all 6 verses in the TiS.  There is no introduction.)

Verse 1 of 6

Author of faith, eternal Word,

Whose Spirit breathes the active flame;

Faith, like its finisher and Lord,

Today as yesterday the same:

Verse 2 of 6..

To you our humble hearts aspire,

And ask the gift unspeakable;

Increase in us the kindled fire,

In us the work of faith fulfill.

Verse 3 of 6

By faith we know You strong to save;

Your saving presence let us know;

Whate’er we hope, by faith we have,

Future and past are present now.

Verse 4 of 6

To us who in your name believe

Eternal life with you is given;

Into ourselves we all receive,

Pardon, and happiness, and Heaven.

Verse 5 of 6

The things unknown to feeble sense,

Unseen by reason’s glimmering ray,

With strong, commanding evidence

Their Heavenly origin display.

Verse 6 of 6

Faith lends its realizing light,

The clouds disperse, the shadows fly;

The Invisible appears in sight,

And God is seen by mortal eye.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

A disobedient son comes home repentant. Jesus told this parable to teach how God welcomes repentant sinners home into the Kingdom of God. Bible theology. Christianity. Illustration published 1879. Source: Original edition is from my own archives. Copyright has expired and is in Public Domain.

“this son of mine was lost, but now he has been found”  Luke 15: 24

  We are all familiar with the parable of “The Lost Son“ or, as it is commonly called, “The Prodigal Son”.  We are familiar with the context of why Jesus told this parable, along with the accompanying parables of “The Lost Sheep” and “The Lost Coin”, that is, as a response to the complaints by some Pharisees and Scribes that Jesus, “welcomes outcasts and even eats with them”  (Luke 15: 2)  , as if, in doing so, mixing with this ‘class’ of ‘sinful’ people would make Jesus ‘impure’ in the sight of God, leading him to be rejected by God and unable to worship God in the Temple.  We are familiar with the lessons that Jesus is seeking to draw out from the parable:

-the misery of Humanity in desiring to live lives separate from the love of God and apart from a life of trust in and of obedience to the Will of God,

-the need for Humanity to come to a point of realising their error, to repent of their turning away from God, and to make a conscious decision to return to God, and

-“the unbounded joy in the Father’s house when the lost child comes home”  (Michael Wilcock in The Message of Luke p151)  .

  All of this is an important understanding, but something with which we may not be as familiar is the cultural framework within which the parable is presented.

  The younger son demands from his Father an amount equal to that which would be his inheritance upon the death of his Father.  The Good News Bible correctly has the son saying “Father, give me my share of the property now.”  (Luke 15: 12)  .  The younger son is to be criticised, if not condemned, for three reasons:

Firstly, at the very least, he is showing gross disrespect towards his Father, for he is treating his Father as if he were already dead.  In doing so, he dishonours his father and brings disgrace upon himself. 

Secondly, he is wantonly reducing the family assets, that is, reducing the means by which the Father ensures, not just the viability of the family farm, but the sustaining of the life of all who live on the farm, family and servants, all who depend upon the farm’s productivity.

Thirdly, by his action, he has determined to “disassociate himself from his family and strike out on his own”  (Stuart Briscoe in Parables of Luke – Patterns for Power p129)  .  There is no consideration by him of his responsibility, as a son, to assist his Father in carefully and profitably making use of the property that had been the inheritance of his family from the time that the People of God initially settled in Canaan, the Land that God had promised to give to them.  By his subsequent squandering of his inheritance, “he put at risk the preservation of the family’s land and property, a responsibility of such crucial cultural value in first century Palestinian society”  (John Carroll in Luke – A Commentary p315)  .

  It was God who gave the Land of Canaan to the People of God.  It was God who instructed Joshua to divide the Land amongst the 12 Tribes of Israel.  It was God who instructed Joshua how the land that was allocated to each Tribe was to be divided between each family of the Tribe.  It was God who instituted the Laws that ensured that the land occupied by each family was theirs to own and to make use of ‘in perpetuity’.  (Numbers 27: 8 to 11 & 36: 7 to 9)  Ownership of land by a family, and therefore the family’s ability to use the land so as to provide for the family’s needs, could not, by God’s Law, be removed nor extinguished.  Land was to be inherited by the descendants of the family, or, if there were no direct descendants, then a close relative of the family.  Such was the case when Boaz purchased the land that had been owned by Naomi’s husband.  (Ruth 4: 1 to 6) 

  Why was this such a critical aspect of the culture of the People of Israel?  The practice of such land ownership principles ensured that a family, and each subsequent generation, would always have the ability to make use of the land so as to provide for the needs of the family.  It ensured that the wider family would always have the ability to make use of the land so as to provide for the needs of a widow and her family, and of orphans of a family.  

  The practice of such land ownership principles meant that the sons of a family, and their subsequent families, continued to live together in the one household with their parents.  We see this in the reference to the home of Simon and Andrew in Capernaum, in which there also lived Simon’s mother-in-law and, presumably, Simon’s family  (Mark 1: 29 & 30)  .  It is also the setting of the hypothetical problem brought to Jesus as a test by some Sadducees that involves the seven brothers who each, in turn, needed to marry the widow of the preceding brother, as we read in Mark 12: 18 to 23.

  But, such a household setting could only function effectively and produce mutual benefit for all involved, if there was, not just resigned compliance of the situation by any brothers living together, but an active and willing unity and harmony between these brothers. 

  Such is the context of Psalm 133, where we read, “how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in harmony”.  Such harmony would result in a pleasant family environment and also in a pleasant working relationship between the brothers that will guarantee mutual benefit for all the family members, as well as God’s blessing upon the household, the “life for evermore” of which the Psalmist sings.

  The Genesis account of the People of God records for us several examples where there was disharmony and disunity within the family, disharmony and disunity which threatened the family’s survival for the future.

  In Genesis 13 we read that “quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abraham’s animals and the men who took care of Lot’s animals”  (Genesis 13: 1 to 12)  .

  In Genesis 27 we read of Esau’s hatred of Jacob, so much that he thought, “The time to mourn my Father’s death is near; then I will kill Jacob.”  (Genesis 27: 41) 

  In Genesis 37 we read of the hatred that the brothers of Joseph felt towards him, so much so that “when they saw him in the distance, they plotted against him and decided to kill him.”  (Genesis 37: 11 & 18) 

  In such examples, there was no pleasant family life, no guarantee of mutual benefit for all, no ensuring that the needs of all were met, no guarantee for the sustaining of the life of the family in the future.

  And it is on these grounds that we can criticise the actions of the elder son in the Parable of the Lost Son.  Where the Father forgave the younger son because it was obvious that the son was truly and sincerely repentant of his sinful actions and of his waste of what had been given to him; where the Father welcomed the opportunity to be reconciled with his son; where the Father saw renewed hope for the family in the reuniting of the family, the elder son only saw an opportunity to disapprove of his Father’s generosity towards his brother.

  The elder son could look no further than his judgement upon his younger brother’s wilful and sinful behaviour.  Where one showed “remorse’, the other showed “resentful rage”  (John Carroll in Luke – A Commentary p315)  .  Where one demonstrated repentance, the other demonstrated “rank prejudice and infantile pettiness”  (Stuart Briscoe in Parables of Luke – Patterns for Power p134)  .  The elder son, in turn, dishonoured his Father by refusing to attend the feast.  (Luke 15: 28)  The elder son, in turn, showed discourtesy towards his Father by not addressing him with respect.  (Luke 15: 29 & 30)  The Father was intent on restoring the unity and the harmony of the family, for that would be the only way to guarantee the continued life of the family and the blessing of God upon the family.  And that required his reconciliation with both of his sons, and their reconciliation with each other  (John Carroll in Luke – A Commentary p318)  .  Unity and harmony within a family may not come easily.

  With the coming of Pentecost, the concept of family within the early Church was broadened.  Luke describes the early Church in Jerusalem for us; “The group of believers was one in mind and heart.”  (Acts 4: 32)  The scene appears to be one of the people dwelling in harmony under the leadership and nurturing of the Apostles and the resultant blessing of God.  There appeared to be a spontaneous and voluntary sharing of possessions for mutual benefit, and of selling property as the situation arose to meet the needs of all who were part of the fellowship of believers.  (Howard Marshall in Acts in The Lion Handbook to the Bible p552)  This mirrors the ideal of family life as has been presented to us elsewhere in the Bible.

  Edward Blaiklock raises questions, though, about how reckless was this generosity, and that it may have been borne from “an immature viewpoint of the second advent of Jesus”, an overanxious expectation of the imminent return of Jesus.  He also questions whether this lifestyle was an “over hasty dissipation of capital” which contributed to the later “poverty of the Jerusalem Church”, about which Paul mentions in Romans 15: 26, and which was the cause to which the Corinthian Church gave a generous gift, as we read in 1 Corinthians 16: 1.  (Edward Blaiklock in Acts p69) 

  Craig Keener, however, sees in these actions of the early believers in Jerusalem, an awareness that “Jesus owns both them and their property” and of “radically valuing people over possessions”.  (Craig Keener in Acts in The IVP bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p330)  The willingness to open their homes as meeting places, for the sharing of meals and for fellowship did reflect the Old Testament pattern of the wider family living together in harmony and sharing what they had to meet the needs of others, but in a renewed context.

  With the proclamation of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea, to Samaria and to the ends of the Earth, as Jesus commanded the Apostles to do  (Acts 1:8)  , the concept of what constituted the family of God was broadened further.

  This was a time of uncertainty within the Church.  There were some traditionalists who insisted that those who followed Jesus Christ could only be those of the Jewish faith.  Others, though, recognised that the Call of God to come and join His household was being rung out to all people everywhere, people of every tribe and nation, people of every class and language, people of every race and creed.  (Henry Halley in Halley’s Bible Handbook p507) 

  Paul saw the importance of being united as People of God, united across social and cultural divides.  He saw the Gospel as the means of bridging Human divisions.  (Lesley Charlton – 12 July in International Bible Reading Association Noted on Bible Readings for 1989 p137)  Paul clearly understood that there was only one means of peace with God, Jesus Christ, a means that was open to all peoples.  This faith in Jesus Christ was a common bond among people, a bond that was stronger and deeper than any differences between people, differences based on colour, or class, or race, or tribe, or language or culture, or former religion or background.  (Donald Guthrie in Acts in The Lion Handbook to the Bible p605) 

  That is why, in today’s passage from his Letter to the Church in Ephesus, Paul writes:

 of the breaking down of barriers between Jew and Gentile, (verses 14 & 16),

 that by means of the cross God brough both ‘races’ back to Himself as the one body, (verses 15 & 17),

 that the cornerstone of the foundation of the faith to which we all belong is Jesus Christ (verse 20),

 that together we are being built into a place where God dwells through His Spirit, the very Household of God (verse 22),

 that God’s goal is the making of peace, peace between Himself and us, and peace amongst ourselves (verse 15).

   This is reminiscent of the living in harmony and the source of the blessing of God about which we read in Psalm 133.

Screen 2

To dwell above with saints we love

O that would sure be glory.

But to dwell below with saints we know

Well, that’s another story.

(Michael Green [ed] 1500 Illustrations for Bible Preaching no.191 p65)

  But we must balance any excitement generated from reading Paul’s words with the lesson that we gained from The Parable of the Lost Son, that unity and harmony within the Family of God may not come easily.

  How do we stop ourselves from acting as did the Pharisees to whom Jesus addressed this parable?  How do we prevent ourselves from judging people as to whether or not they are good enough to come to Church?  My daughter-in-law’s father and his current wife once stayed overnight in a hotel in a small country town, north-west of Brisbane, at a time when they were not yet married.  Beside the hotel was a small church.  The following morning, being a Sunday, they decided to attend the worship service in the church.  He was relating to me that when the people in the church learnt that they were living together but not yet married, they were made to feel most unwelcome, and even though they subsequently purchased land nearby, they never returned to that church.  How many others have the people of that church made to feel unwelcome to come into the presence of God and unwelcome to share in fellowship with God’s people?

  How do we stop ourselves from becoming like the early Jewish Christians and insist that true worship of God must be done in a certain way with specific rites and practices?  How many people feel uneasy about entering a church because they do not know when to stand or what to say?  How do we ensure that we greet them warmly and find ways to worship with them, not glare at them when they ‘don’t do the right thing’?

  How do we reconcile ourselves to brothers and sisters within the church with whom we are in conflict, or who hold strongly held differing views, or who are not comfortable in worshipping with us?  How do we break down the barriers between us?

  How do we ensure that the needs of all those in our fellowship are met?  How open are we to sharing our needs?  How open are we to sharing what we possess?

  How do we ensure that our church is a Household of God, that we are working together for the mutual benefit of all of the members of our fellowship?

  In the parable, the father said to his eldest son, “But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.”  God celebrates our being reconciled to Him.  We should approach our worship as celebrating with God our reconciliation with Him, as celebrating with God the return of others to the Household of God.  Our focus should be on maintaining the unity and harmony as sisters and brothers in the Household of God and of seeking God’s blessing on all that we do.  That is true worship or God and being a group of believers, one in mind and heart.  Amen.

Hymn

“Salvation now to us has come”  TiS195

[Sung to the tune Mit Freuden Zart]

[This YouTube has the words for another hymn.  It is the only YouTube recording that I could find for the tune that I have selected.  Only 3 verses are played, so you will need to play it through twice so as to sing the 5 verses for this hymn, and then to stop the recording after singing the last verse..  There is no introduction.]

Verse 1 of 5

Salvation now to us has come

By God’s free grace and favour;

Good works cannot avert our doom,

They help and save us never.

In faith we look to Christ alone,

Who did for all the World atone;

He is our one redeemer.

Verse 2 of 5

The Law of God fulfilled must be,

Or we were lost for ever;

Therefore God sent His Son that he

Might us from death deliver,

For us the Law he has fulfilled,

The Father’s anger he has stilled;

God’s curse is gone for ever.

Verse 3 of 5

Since Christ has full atonement made

And brought to us salvation,

Each Christian therefore may be glad,

And build on this foundation,

Your grace alone, dear Lord, we plead,

Your death is now our life indeed,

For you have paid our ransom.

Verse 4 of 5

To you, O Lord, in faith we cling,

We love and trust you truly,

And from this faith good works will spring

That serve our neighbour duly.

It’s faith alone that justifies;

The works that from such faith arise

Reveal that it is living.

Verse 5 of 5

All blessing, honour, thanks and praise

To Father, Son, and Spirit,

To God who saved us by His grace

All glory to His merit!

O Triune God, in Heaven above,

You have revealed your saving love;

Your blessed name we hallow.

Paul Speratus

translated by Carl Doving and others

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  [to be sung to the tune ‘Austria’ – refer to TiS772]

[disregard the words – only the one verse is needed]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

Let us come before God with our cares and our concerns.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that through the gift of the Spirit, we recognize may your presence with us and profess, with Thomas, “My Lord and My God”.

We pray for all who are newly baptized, that their faith may, in time, continue to grow and that they may learn to generously offer loving service to those in need.

We pray for your gift of peace, which may abide with us and sustain us through all the challenges of life.

We pray for a spirit of openness, that we may be open to your love and forgiveness, which you abundantly pour out for us.

We pray for our growth as your children, that you will give us the grace and strength to love you with all our hearts and keep the commandments you have given us.

We pray for the grace of reconciliation, that you will help us to turn from selfishness, forgive those who have injured us and be instruments of reconciliation in our society.

We pray for all who are questioning their faith, that the Holy Spirit will guide them to new insights and help them recognize your presence through the witness of Christian love and service.

We pray for a renewal of our faith communities, that, like the early Church, we may see the needs of others as our needs and open our hearts and resources to assist them.

We pray for a blossoming of faith, that you will enrich our faith so that we may be victors over the lies, illusions, and false promises that our secular Culture promotes.

We pray for all who are in need, particularly those who suffer violence, those who are recovering from natural disasters or those who lack resources for daily living, that you will give them strength, help them to trust, and to move the hearts of many to assist them.

We pray for healing, that the Spirit will renew the gift of life in all who are sick, discouraged, struggling with addictions or weakness that comes with aging.

We pray for an end to violence, that Christ’s victory over death will turn hearts from violence and revenge and help us to respect the value and dignity of each human life.

We pray for peace, that the Spirit will open dialogue and new understanding amongst nations, communities, and families who are in conflict.

https://www.slu.edu/  Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  To your glory we pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is 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 forever.  Amen.

Hymn

“O breath of God, breathe on us now”  TiS408  AHB321  MHB285

[Sung to the tune Calm / Ilkley]

[This is the best YouTube recording for the tune that I have selected, however there are only 4 verses recorded.  It omits verse 4.  There is a short introduction.]

Verse 1 of 4

O breath of God, breathe on us now

And move within us while we pray;

The spring of our new life art Thou,

The very light of our new day.

Verse 2 of 4

How strangely art Thou with us, lord,

Neither in height nor depth to seek:

In nearness shall Thy voice be heard;

Spirit to spirit Thou dost speak.

Verse 3 of 4

Christ is our advocate on high;

Thou art our advocate within:

O plead the truth, and make reply

To every argument of sin.

Verse 4 of 4

Be with me when no other friend

The mystery of my heart can share;

And be Thou known, when fears transcend,

By Thy best name of Comforter.

Alfred Vine

Benediction  (from Invocations and Benedictions p75) 

May God shine the light of His presence in our lives this day and each day to come.  Let us go into the World with the assurance of sins forgiven, to serve the Lord with gladness and to serve each other in humility.  May God’s peace unite us in our worship of Him and in our fellowship with each other.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Benediction Song

“Now to him who loves us saves us”  TiS771

https://hymnary.org/media/fetch/179720

(only the one verse is needed)

Now to him who loved us, gave us

Every pledge that love could give,

Freely shed his blood to save us,

Gave his life that we might live,

Be the Kingdom

And dominion

And the glory evermore.

Samuel Miller Waring