Welcome: –

Passing the Peace: –

As we gather for worship let us remember that we are one people in Christ Jesus.  We are all welcomed by God into His presence and graced by His mercy.  Let us, then, be united in our worship of God and in our fellowship together, and uplift our hands to greet those both here and those in their homes with these words:

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Call to Worship    

  Leslie Weatherhead writes:

“the central fact of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is alive and available and present.  He is nearer to you now than the person sitting next to you.  Don’t be content with Organisations or (fine) words or memories.  Don’t look back to him as though he lived only in the Past.  He is no longer in the grave outside of the walls of Jerusalem.  He is risen.  He goes before you.  He beckons you to follow him, and is waiting for our response.  Who will follow him?”

  (Leslie Weatherhead in When the Lamp Flickers p255)

  When we gather for worship, we do not offer our thanks and praise to a mythical figure, nor to the fictional embellishment of an historical figure.  Instead, we offer our thanks and praise to the living Lord Jesus, risen from the dead, glorified by God, ascended to the righthand side of God, as our Redeemer, our guide in life, and mediator. 

  We offer our thanks and praise in songs and words with the confidence that God is, that God is in control of Time and space and of History, and that it is God’s will and purpose for the World is being fulfilled as we live.  And, as Leslie Weatherhead challenges us, will be heed his call to follow him, wherever he leads.

Prayer of Praise  

(from Opening Prayers p26, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year A p77)  

  Creator God, your glory is revealed in your mighty works that we see and experience around us every day, the Earth on which we walk, the air that surrounds us and which we breathe and gives us life, the stars and the planets that you have set in the Universe and which move and have their place in the night sky according to the laws and principles of Physics that you established.

  May our worship of you acknowledge your majesty and authority over all that lives and over all that is part of the Universe in which we exist.

  Shepherd God, we praise you for enfolding us in your great love.  We rejoice in the knowledge that your care for us is so great that we lack nothing.  You provide for all our needs, especially the strength to cope in times of darkness and distress.  The depth of your care for us is revealed in the person of Jesus, who was prepared to go to the cross to prove that your goodness and mercy is more powerful than evil and death. 

  May our worship of you sincerely reflect our thankfulness and earnest appreciation.

  Healing God, you have restored our vision as to what is beautiful, what is worthy and what lasts.  We are no longer blind to the truth of your grace and mercy.  We have heard the good news proclaimed in your Gospel and have responded to your promise of redemption and restoration.  In you we find a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls.  In you we find a richness of being unknown to us before.

  May our worship be a profession of you as Lord and Master of our lives, now and always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 Songs

‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases’ (from Scripture in Song Volume 2 number 414)

Edith McNeill

The 2^nd song is: ‘The Greatest thing in all my life’ (from  Scripture in Song volume 2 number 436)

Mark Pendergrass

Prayer of Confession   

  Holy and merciful God, we confess to a blindness to our faults and our shortcomings, a defiance that does not regret its own sins.

  We confess to a pride that dares not admit that we sin, and to an evasion of our true nature that tries to make excuses for our sin.

  We confess that there are times when we choose to reject the gift of your insight, preferring to ‘close our eyes’ to the pain and suffering which are daily experiences for so many people.  When selfishness blinds us to the needs of others; 

  Jesus, Light of the world, forgive us.

  When our insensitivity blinds us to the hurt we cause others;

  Jesus, Light of the world, forgive us.

  When our prejudices blind us to the equal dignity and worth of others;

  Jesus, Light of the world, forgive us.

  When our pride blinds us to our own faults;

  Jesus, Light of the world, forgive us.

  When the lure of materialism blinds us to the transience of property and wealth, and blinds us to the poverty of others;

  Jesus, Light of the world, forgive us and cleanse us from our sins.  Guide us in the right paths with trust in our hearts.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(John 9: 39a) 

“I came into this World so that the blind should see” said Jesus.  Our sins have bound us to the darkness and blinded us to the love of God.  God in His mercy has not forgotten us but has searched for us, has found us, and has provided the means for restoring us to a right relationship with Himself.  Having confessed our sins before God, we have the confidence in knowing that He has forgiven us and has welcomed us as Children of the Light, able to experience the very presence of God in our Lives.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(from Uniting in Worship Book 1 number 12 p599) 

  Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to receive your Word.  Silence in us any voice but your own.  In hearing these words may we perceive new truths that you seek to teach us, and may we perceive your will that you seek for us to follow, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Ephesians 5:

8  Paul writes:

You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord’s people, you are in the light.  So you must live like people who belong to the light,  9  for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.  10  Try to learn what pleases the Lord.  11 Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do , things that belong to the darkness.  Instead, bring them out to the light.  (12  It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.)  13  And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed;  14  for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light.

  That is why it is said,

“Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you.”

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 9:

1  As Jesus was walking along the streets of Jerusalem, he saw a man who was born blind.  2  His Disciples asked him,

“Teacher, whose sin caused him to be born blind?  Was it his own or his parents’ sin?”

3  Jesus answered,

“His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents’ sins.  He is blind so that god’s power might be seen at work in  him.  4  As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me; night is coming when no one can work.  5  While I am in the World, I am the light of the World.”

6  After he said this, Jesus spat on the  ground and made some mud with the spittle; he rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes  7  and told him,

“Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam.”  (This name means sent.)

So the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing.

8  His neighbours, then, and the people who had seen him begging before  this, asked,

“Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”

9  Some said,

“He is the one.”,

But others said,

“No he isn’t, he just looks like him.”

So the man himself said,

“I am the man.”

10  “How is it that you can now see?”  they asked him.

11  He answered,

“The man called Jesus made some mud, rubbed it on my eyes, and told me to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash my face.  So I went, and as I washed, I could see.”

12  “Where is he?” they asked.

“I don’t know.” He answered.

13  Then they took to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.  14  The day that Jesus made the mud and cured him of his blindness was a Sabbath.  15  The Pharisees, then, asked the man again how he had received his sight.  He told them,

“He put some mud on my eyes, I washed my face, and now I can see.”

16  some of the Pharisees said,

“The man who did this cannot come from God, for he does not obey the Sabbath Law.”

Others, however, said,

“How could a sinner perform such miracles as these?”

And there was a division among them.  17  So the Pharisees asked the man once more,

“You say he cured you of your blindness – well, what do you say about him?”

“He is a Prophet.”  The man answered.

18  The Jewish authorities, however, were not willing to believe that he had been blind and could now see, until they called his parents  19  and asked them,

“Is this your son?  You say that he was born blind; how is it, then, that he can now see?”

20  His parents answered,

“We know that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind.  21  But we do not know how it is that he is now able to see, nor do we know who cured him of his blindness.  Ask him, he is old enough, and he can answer for himself!”

22  His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, who had already agreed that anyone who said they believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the Synagogue.  23  That is why his parents said,

“He is old enough, ask him.”

24  A second time they called back the man who had been born blind, and said to him,

“Promise before God that you will tell the truth!  We know that this man who cured you is a sinner.”

25  “I do not know if he is a sinner or not,” the man replied.  “One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.”

26  “What did he do to you?”  they asked.  “How an he cure you of your blindness?”

27  “I have already told you,” he answered, “and you would not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Maybe you, too, would like to be his disciples?”

28  They insulted him and said,

“You are that fellow’s disciples, but we are Moses’ disciples.  29  We know that God spoke to Moses; as for that fellow, however, we do not even know from where he comes!”

30  The man answered,

“What a strange thing that is!  You do not know from where he comes, but he cured me of my blindness!  31  We know that God does not listen to sinners; He does listen to people who respect Him and do what He wants them to do.  32  Since the beginning of the World nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind.  33  Unless this man comes from God, he would not be able to do a thing.”

34  They answered,

“You were born and  brought up in sin – and you are trying to teach us?”

And they expelled him from the Synagogue.

35  When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked him,

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36  The man answered,

“Tell me who he is, sir, so that I can believe in him.”

37  Jesus said to him,

“You have already seen him, and he is the one who is talking with you now.”

38  “I believe, Lord!” the man said, and knelt down before Jesus.

39  Jesus said,

“I came to this World to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.”

40  Some Pharisees who were there with him heard him say this and asked him,

“Surely you don’t mean that we are blind, too?’

41  Jesus answered,

“If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are still guilty.”

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to join in singing the Hymn ‘O God most merciful and true. (Wesley’s Hymns number 369)

 [This YouTube clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune] [The words are printed below]

Verse 1 of 3

O God, most merciful and true,

Your nature to my soul impart;

My life, my all, make pure, renew,

And write perfection on my heart.

Verse 2 of 3

With you true fellowship restored,

To serve you foremost on my mind;

And, in the knowledge of my Lord,

Fulness of life eternal find.

Verse 3 of 3

Pardoned for all that I have done,

No more my sin I strive to hide,

All glory give to God alone,

For me, my Lord was crucified.

Charles Wesley  (adapted) 

Sermon

There is the story about three people walking through a tunnel.

The pessimist among the three only sees the darkness in the tunnel.

The optimist sees a light at the end of the tunnel.

The realist sees that that light is in fact a train.

The driver of the train sees 3 fools walking on the railway tracks.

(https://jokojokes.com/darkness-jokes.html)

  James Michener, an author from the USA, once wrote,

“An age is called Dark, not because the light fails to shine, but because people refuse to see it.”  (in Reader’s Digest Quotable Quotes p136) 

  Today’s passage from John’s Gospel is an illustration of people who refused to see the ‘light’ shining before them.

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/464910192/photo/the-pool-of-siloam.jpg)

  The Pool of Siloam, the same pool of water as is mentioned in John 9, is as factual and well-known in Jerusalem as it was in the days of Jesus.  The Pharisees in the days of Jesus could not and did not deny the truthfulness of its existence, and may even have drunk from its waters or used its waters.

  However, having a man stand before them claiming that he was born blind yet can now see, solely because of the actions of Jesus, the itinerant preacher from Galilee, was something which they could not accept as truthful nor acceptable to their understanding.

  To their understanding, the man standing before them was either delusional or telling lies.  John informs us that the Pharisees had reached an understanding amongst themselves that Jesus could not be and, emphatically, was not the promised Messiah foreseen in the Old Testament writings, and that they “had already agreed that anyone who said they believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue”.  (John 9: 22b) 

  Based on this stance, they could not accept the straightforward explanation given by the man for his gift of sight.  As the man born blind told the Pharisees,

“Since the beginning of the World nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind.  Unless this man Jesus came from God, he would not be able to do such a thing.”  (John 9: 32 & 33) 

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/471889563/photo/jesus-heals-man.jpg)

  The account commences with Jesus and his Disciples walking along a street in Jerusalem, when they see a man “who had been born blind”.  (John 9: 1)  Whether he was a regular beggar in that part of Jerusalem and whose background was well-known, or whether this information was gleaned by John at the time of this incident, is not clarified.  What we are told is that, upon seeing the man, “Jesus made some mud with his spittle and rubbed it on the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash his face in the Pool of Siloam.  (And), so the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing.”  (John 9: 6 & 7) 

We can picture the joy that was his, for now he could see.  From now on, he could earn a living from a well-paying occupation and not from begging; from now on, he could help to look after his aging parents, as was the expectation of a son; from now on he could enjoy the sights around him and connect them with the familiar sounds and noises; from now on he could fully participate in social and cultural and religious activities from which, in the past, he had been precluded because of his disability.  His life, truly, had been turned around.

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/471889555/photo/healed-man-tells-pharisees.jpg)

  We then read that some of his neighbours and those who had previously seen him begging, took him to “the Pharisees”.  (John 9 & 13)  We must ask ourselves what was the intent behind taking this man to the Pharisees.  It was not to validate his healing so that he could participate in the Temple worship.  That was the role of the Priests, and such an act was a requirement only specified for those who had been suffering “a skin disease”  (Leviticus 14: 1 – 32)  .  We are told that “no descendant of Aaron the Priest who has any physical defect, no-one who is blind, lame, disfigured or deformed, may present a food offering to God”  (Leviticus 21: 16 – 23)  But again, this requirement relates solely to those of the Family of Priests.  It does not preclude someone else who is blind from going to the Temple and requesting a food offering to be made on their behalf. 

  The intent of those who took the man to the Pharisees is explained by the next sentence in the account.

“The day that Jesus made the mud and cured him of his blindness was a Sabbath.”(John 9: 14)

  According to the strict interpretation of the Law, as advocated and proclaimed by the Pharisees, the simple act of making clay was work, and any form of work was forbidden on the Sabbath.  In addition, any medical attention given on a Sabbath was to keep the patient from getting worse, not to make them any better.  Therefore, it was forbidden to heal on the Sabbath.  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John Volume 2 p44 & 45) 

  It was clear to many in Jerusalem that, at this point in the Ministry of Jesus, there was great antipathy, even hatred, on behalf of the Pharisees towards Jesus, for he was seen by them to represent a challenge to their religious authority and power over the people of Judah.  The Pharisees would be seeking any opportunity to create trouble for Jesus, and to set up a situation whereby they could claim that Jesus was breaking the Laws of their Faith and proving himself to be heretical, thus passing judgement upon himself and opening himself up to arrest and, at the very least, imprisonment.  Thus, those who took the man to the Pharisees did so with the clear intent of causing trouble for Jesus.

  The Pharisees, true to their nature and intent, did not share in the joy of the man who had been blind but could now see, not if it brought support to the claims of Jesus and his stature in the eyes of people.  We see in their questioning of the man the unresolved conflict in their minds.  On the one hand, they hear the tale related to them by the man of what Jesus did resulting in the gift of sight that was now his, and of how only a man of God could have done this.  On the other hand, they had already judged Jesus to be a sinner, a stance justified in their eyes because, in their reckoning, by his actions in healing the man on the Sabbath, Jesus had broken two of God’s Laws.  If Jesus was, therefore, a sinner, how was it possible that Jesus had healed the man as the man had related to them.  How was it possible for God to be working through “this man Jesus”, when they knew well enough that God could not work through the actions of a sinner.  (John 9: 16b) 

  Therefore, to resolve this conflict in their minds, they needed to establish some grounds upon which to reject the account of the man who claimed to have been healed.  And we see this taking shape throughout John’s account.

  Initially, we see the Pharisees refusing to accept that he was the person who he claimed to be, or that he had been born blind.  To settle these questions, “they called his parents to appear before them”, asking, “Is this your son?  Do you verify that “he was born blind”.  (John 9: 19)  His parents, whose word was acceptable in any Court of Law, answered truthfully,

“We know that he is our son, and we know that he had was born blind.”  (John 9: 20) 

  Upon establishing that the man was who he claimed to be and that he had been born blind, we see the Pharisees refusing to accept that the man was telling the truth about how he had been given the gift of sight.  Upon calling the man a second time to relate to them what had taken place, they demanded,

“Promise before God that you will tell the truth!”  (John 9: 24b) 

  We can understand why the man was getting upset with this continuing questioning by the Pharisees and with their underlying distrust in his prior explanation.  The Pharisees, by the very Laws they had sworn to uphold, were required to accept the truthfulness of an account given by a man who was old enough to give such an account of his actions, unless there was evidence to the contrary or statements by witnesses to the contrary.  In this instance, the man was old enough to give an account of his actions  (John 9: 21b)  , there was no evidence that the account that he had already given to them was false or untrustworthy in any manner, and there were many witnesses to what had occurred who could verify the truthfulness of his account in every detail.  As such, the Pharisees were not justified in demanding that he give his account a second time, especially when they were accusing him of lying to them.

  By acting upon their hatred for Jesus and upon their preconceived judgement that Jesus was a sinner and could not be their expected Messiah, they were the ones who broke the Law in their continuing questioning of the man and in their refusal to accept the truthfulness of his account.  They were the ones who were sinning.  They were the ones who refused to see the truth of God, through Jesus, acting in the life of the man.  They were the ones who chose to remain blinded to the truth of God acting out His will and purpose in the World.  They were the ones who turned away from the light and chose to remain in the darkness of their misguided beliefs and attitudes.

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/471889567/photo/jewish-leaders-discuss-healing-of-man.jpg)

  Their unjustified criticism of the man and their unjust behaviour towards the man is compounded by their further actions.  Seeking an explanation as to why they were demanding that he repeat his account, the man asks them,

“Why do you want to hear it again?  Maybe you, too, would like to be his disciples?”  (John 9: 27b) 

  Whether the man said this out of sarcasm or out of a genuine interest in their faith is not clear.  Their response to this question was to, unjustifiably, “insult him”  (John 9: 28a)  .  They then sought to justify their stance about Jesus, saying that, as upholders of the Law of Moses, they were compelled to act according to how and to whom they determined God spoke.  As they could see God speaking through Moses when God gave the Law to Moses, they were Disciples of Moses.  Because they had determined that, as Jesus acted against the Law of Moses, they, therefore could not perceive that God could be speaking though “this man Jesus”.  As such, they claimed that “did not even know from where he comes” and, therefore, had rejected Jesus as speaking on behalf of God.  (John 9: 29) 

  The healed man presents two arguments that disprove the stance taken by the Pharisees. 

Firstly, he presents two facts: that Jesus healed him and that God does not listen to sinners, as we read in Proverbs 15: 29,

“When good people pray, the LORD listens, but He ignores those who are evil.”

.  The Pharisees could not negate these two facts.  He then infers that if his healing shows that God listened to Jesus, then Jesus therefore could not be a sinner.

   Secondly, he presents two additional facts: firstly, that never in all of their history is it recorded that someone, by their own abilities as a Human being, was able to give sight to someone born blind, and, secondly, that such an ability to act in this way could only come from God, the Almighty Creator of all there is in Heaven and upon Earth.  The Pharisees also could not negate these two facts.  He then makes a second inference, that if Jesus healed me and that if such a healing could only come from God, then God must have been acting through Jesus.

  The Pharisees refuse to accept the logic and the truthfulness of the man’s statement, to which they had no answer  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John p49)  Instead, they unjustly accuse him of “being born in sin”  (John 9: 34a)  , that is, of pre-natal sinfulness, the unbiblical concept of a sinful soul entering him at the moment of his conception.  And, so as to ensure that they no longer need listen to his stinging rebuttal of their unjust and unjustified stance, “they expelled him from the Synagogue”  (John 9: 34)  .  They sought to silence him by using their power to inhibit him from participating in the religious life of his community, and by holding that he is now under God’s curse and judgement in this life and the next.

  William Barclay writes,

“The moment insult and abuse and threat enter into an argument, it ceases to be an argument and becomes a contest of bitterness.  If we become angry and resort to wild words and hot threats, all we prove is that our case is disturbingly weak.”  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John p49) 

  Randolph Tasker makes the comment that these actions of the Pharisees is a demonstration of “the cocksureness, the petty-mindedness and the legalistic spirit of Pharisaic practice at its worst.”  (Randolph Tasker in John  An Introduction and Commentary p124) 

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/471889559/photo/healed-man-thanks-jesus.jpg)

  Randolph Tasker continues by saying,

“By being content with the Law of Moses and by shutting their eyes to the grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ, the Pharisees are being plunged into the darkness of unbelief as surely as the once-blind beggar is walking more and more towards the illumination of faith.”  (Randolph Tasker in John  An Introduction and Commentary p125) 

  We see the openness of the man born blind to the words of Jesus in two ways.

  When Jesus meets the man while he was begging beside the road and allowed Jesus to make some mud and place it upon his eyes, the man was demonstrating his trust in the words of Jesus.  When he heeded the call of Jesus to go to the Pool of Siloam and to wash

his face in the water of the Pool, he was demonstrating his obedience to the words of Jesus.  It is only as we heed the call of Jesus and obey the call of Jesus that Jesus can work in our lives. to remove the blindness of unbelief and to enlighten our understanding of God and of His grace.

  We see a development in his understanding of the person of Jesus. 

  When the man returned from washing his face in the water of the Pool of Siloam and gave his explanation of what had taken place he says of Jesus, “the man called Jesus”.  (John 9: 11) 

  When the Pharisees called him back again to answer their questions, they asked of him,

“What do you say of him?”  (John 9: 17a) 

  In the short interval between these two scenes, we gain a glimpse of the thoughts that have gone through the mind of the man for he answers,

“He is a Prophet.”  (John 9: 17b) 

  Here is the developed understanding that, though Jesus was a man, because he was able to do what he had done, Jesus demonstrates the qualities of a Prophet of God, that he must live close to God and is one who brings God’s message to people.  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John p51) 

  After the man is expelled from the Synagogue, Jesus seeks him on the streets of Jerusalem, finds him, and asks,

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?”  (John 9: 35) 

  Out of respect for Jesus, the man calls Jesus “Sir” and answers,

“Tell me who he is so that I can believe in him.”  (John 9: 36) 

  It is then that Jesus reveals his true self to the man, saying,

“You have already seen him, and he is the one who is talking with you now.”  (John 9: 37) 

  Finally, the man moves on from just respect for Jesus, to reverence of Jesus.  He comes to the confession that Jesus is his Lord, that though Jesus is a mortal man, there is in Jesus the divine nature of God, worthy of the man kneeling before Jesus, offering his worship and addressing Jesus as his “Lord”.  (John 9: 38)  

  William Barclay writes,

“The more we know about Jesus the greater he becomes.  The more we know about Jesus, the greater the wonder becomes; and that will be true, not only in time, but also in Eternity.”  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John p52) 

  It is here that we see that Jesus has had an influence on the whole of the life of the man who was born blind, for he has “received both physical and spiritual sight.”  (Donald Guthrie in John in the New Bible Commentary p950) 

  William Barclay writes,

“John finishes this account with one of his favourite thoughts, that Jesus came into the World for judgement.  Whenever a person is confronted with Jesus, that person at once passes judgement upon themselves.  If they see in Jesus nothing to desire, nothing to admire, nothing to love, then they have condemned themselves.  If they see in Jesus something at which to wonder, something to which to respond, something to reach out to, then they are on the way to knowing God.”  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John p50) 

  Randolph Tasker writes:

‘Because Jesus is the Real Light, “the Light that comes into the World and shines on all of Humanity”  (John 1: 9)  , it is he who shows up the hidden motives and the darkest secrets of people, (that) the inevitable consequence of his presence in the world is a separation between those who claim to have religious insight though they are in fact spiritually blind, and those who, conscious that they are blinded by sin, pray that they may be given the sight of the sin inherent in their nature has robbed them.  To awaken in people a sense of their spiritual blindness is a primary work of Jesus, the Son of God, and the performing of this work puts all who choose to remain ignorant of their deepest need upon the defensive.  Hence the indignant question of the Pharisees,

“Surely you don’t mean that we are blind, too?”’  (John 9: 40)  (Randolph Tasker in John  An Introduction and Commentary p126) 

  He continues with this warning,

‘The ultimate reason for the decline of Christian worship is, and must always be, a failure to recognise or experience the redeeming work of Jesus, for it is not as a social reformer, nor as an ethical teacher, but as Saviour that He claims and receives the adoration of the faithful.”  (Randolph Tasker in John  An Introduction and Commentary p125) 

  The person who thinks they know it all, the person who does not realise that they cannot see, is the person who, (by their choice), is truly blind and beyond hope and help.  Only the person who realises their own weakness can become strong (through Jesus Christ).  Only the person who realises their own blindness can learn to see (through Jesus Christ).  Only the person who realises their own sin can be forgiven (through Jesus Christ).’  (William Barclay in The Gospel of John p50) 

  I will finish with this poem by David Sper.

“The outstretched hand of God extends to those weighed down by sin;

He offers to remove their load and give His peace within.”

  (from Our Daily Bread 10 March 2007) 

  Amen.

You are invited to join in singing the Hymn ‘The King of love my Shepherd is’  (TiS145  AHB81  MHB76) This clip doesn’t have the printed words, so they are pried below:

Verse 1 of 6

The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am his

And he is mine forever.

Verse 2 of 6

Where streams of living water flow

My ransomed soul he leadeth,

And where the verdant pastures grow

With food celestial feedeth.

Verse 3 of 6

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love he sought me,

And on his shoulder gently laid,

And home rejoicing brought me.

Verse 4 of 6

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill

With thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Your rod and staff my comfort still,

Your cross before to guide me.

Verse 5 of 6

You spread a table in my sight,

Your blessed grace bestoweth;

And O what transport of delight

From your pure chalice floweth.

Verse 6 of 6

And so through all the length of days

Your goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing your praise

Within my house for ever.

Henry Baker

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  

[This YouTube clip is for another hymn so 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

Loving God, knowing of your love for all of Humanity, especially of your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

  Merciful God, we look at the World around us and see the darkness of hatred and conflict, we see the darkness of oppression and discrimination, we see the darkness of need and suffering.  And we bring our cares and concerns before You.

  Merciful God, we pray for the leaders of Nations, those who make the decisions that affect the lives and the livelihoods of others.  May they discern their responsibility to make right judgements, their responsibility to value the worth of each person, their responsibility to respect the rights of other Nations, their responsibility to tend to the needs of the people under their care, above any desire to accumulate power and prestige and wealth for themselves.

  We pray for peace and cooperation between Nations, so that there will be a common effort to combat diseases, to cater for the needs arising from natural disasters, to create opportunities for jobs and for education for all people.

  Merciful God, we pray for our own Leaders, at all levels of Government, National, State and Local.  We pray that they will focus of people, not on politics or privileges or getting re-elected in three or four years time.  We pray for sincere efforts to enact legislation for the betterment of our Society, to alleviate needs, to correct wrongs.

  We pray for right decisions to ensure that people are safe in their homes and when they walk along the streets.  We pray for right decisions to ensure that people have worthwhile employment and opportunities for their future.  We pray that you will enlighten them as to your will for Humanity.

  Merciful God, we pray for those who are suffering and disabled, may they find in you comfort and healing.  We pray for those who are distressed and lost amidst their worries and concerns.  May they find in you a peace of mind and of soul that brings calm to their lives.

  We pray for those who have not been treated with respect or care.  May they find in you someone in whom they can trust to love them and to bring them through troubled times.  We pray for those who are tired of life and its troubles.  May they find in you a friend and

helper.

  Merciful God, we pray for those who serve others, for those working in our hospitals and assisted accommodation facilities, for those teaching our children in schools and colleges, for those preserving and saving the lives of those caught up in accidents and emergencies, for those offering a helping hand or a shoulder upon which to cry, for those in our military services at home and overseas protecting the lives of others and preserving peace in areas of conflict.

  Please sustain them in their efforts, please guide them in making the correct decisions, please give to them a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

  Merciful God, we pray for your Church, that it would reflect your light to a darkened World, that it would not let itself be influenced by Human desires for glory or for wealth or for influence, but seek to challenge the World to look at itself in its state of darkness and to its need to turn to you for its redemption and healing.

  May the Church be a source of compassion for the downtrodden; may it be a source of action for the oppressed; may it be a source of strength for the powerless.  May the Church be the moral thorn of Society, confronting people to make choices according to your will and purpose for your created World.

We pray for the Church, that we may share the light of the Gospel with all who are struggling to recognize good from evil, truth from lies, and selfless love from self-serving activity.

We pray for the growth of our faith, that your love for us may enlighten our path as we face our daily challenges and draw us into a deeper relationship with you.

We pray for a spirit of respect, that we may honour each person who enters our life, particularly those with physical or developmental limitations, and encourage them to use their gifts and enrich the community.

We pray for all who face social, cultural, political, or family opposition to embracing the Gospel, that you will strengthen their hearts and help them find loving and supporting communities.

We pray for all who are bound by the blindness of prejudice, that you will free them from judging others and open their eyes to the value and dignity of each Human person.

We pray for reconciliation amongst communities of faith, that we may each repent of past wrongs and work together to confront evil and violence in the World.

We pray for Government officials, that you will anoint their minds and hearts so that they

may promote the well-being of all whom they serve, particularly the vulnerable and powerless of society.

We pray for all who have suffered abuse by religious leaders, that you will heal their wounds, give them new insight into their strengths, and help them to be open to sharing their gifts for the good of others.

We pray for all who have no sight or who are losing their sight, that they may experience your presence with them and your guidance in living their lives fully.

We pray for insight and openness to caring for our environment, that you will help us to see the damages that have been done to our air, water, and land and guide us in developing policies that will protect the environment from further harm.

We pray for all whose lives are darkened by alcohol, drugs, or pornography, that the light of the Gospel may shatter their darkness and open a path to living a new life.

We pray for all who live in the darkness of violence, warfare, or human trafficking, that you will comfort all who are in pain, bring light into their lives, and speed the assistance that they need to find new communities.

We pray for refugees, that you will guide them to places of safety and open the hearts of their new neighbours to welcome and include them in their communities.

We pray for all recovering from natural disasters, that you will protect them from harm, heal their injuries, and guide them in accessing the resources which they need.

https://liturgy.slu.edu/4LentA031923/ideas_other.html Copyright © 2023. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.

We pray for Kylie Conomos, that you will support her and guide her as she seeks to address the issues and problems affecting the lives of the students, families and staff of Bald Hills State School.

We pray for the leaders of Religious Instruction classes held at Bald Hills State School, that you will enthuse them as they present the Gospel to the children.  May the Holy Spirit work in the minds and the hearts of the children so that they will respond to your message with acceptance and joy.

We pray for those who have not been able to join us in fellowship.  May they experience your presence and support each day, reassured of your strength and power to guide them.

  God of justice and peace, may we be your justice makers and your peacemakers, feeding the hungry, tending the sick, planting goodwill and sowing justice.  May your words give nourishment to the roots of our faith so that in our words and actions we can give nourishment to those in the Community in which we live and move.

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.

You are invited to join in singing the Hymn ‘Jesus!  I am resting, resting’  (from Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 164) The clip doesn’t have the printed words, so they are shown below:

Verse 1 of 4

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

You have bid me gaze upon you, and your beauty fills my soul,

For, by your transforming power, you have made me whole.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Verse 2 of 4

Oh, how great your loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea,

Oh, how marvellous your goodness, lavished all on me.

Yes, I rest in you, beloved, know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Know the certainty of promise, and have made it mine.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Verse 3 of 4

Simply trusting you, Lord Jesus, I behold you are you are,

And your love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart,

Satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need,

Compassing me round with blessings, you are love indeed.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Verse 4 of 4

Ever lift your face upon me, as I work and wait for you,

Resting ‘neath your smile, Lord Jesus, Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory, Sunshine of my Father’s face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with your grace.

Chorus

Jesus!  I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are,

I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart.

Jean Pigott

Benediction 

(“Our Guide”  Day 22 in Sunlit Ways by Elsie Campbell) 

“We cannot see ahead, as God can see

But if we take Him – daily – for our guide

Whatever comes, of joy and sorrow, we

Can never fail while walking by His side.

He wisely veils the future from our sight

Gives us strength sufficient for the day;

Through joy-filled morning or through darkest night

He leads us, step by step, along life’s way.

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

Benediction Song

“By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered”  TiS617

[This hymn is sung to the tune Finlandia – tis clip is for another hymn, but is used here for the tune. The words are printed below– only the one verse is to be sung.]

Verse 1 of 1

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,

And confidently waiting come what may,

We know that God is with us night and morning

And never fails to greet us each new day.

We shall remember, all the days we live through,

All of our life before our God we lay.

Dietrich Bonhoffer

Translated by Frederick Pratt Green  (adapted)