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 Comment on Psalm 1:

The writer of Psalm 1 tells us that “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous person”.  (Psalm 1: 6a New English Bible)  Artur Weiser in writing on this Psalm states that God knows the way of life of those who trust and obey him, and that He takes a loving interest in their future.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p197)  The Good News Bible translates this passage to read “The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord.”

  Today, we have gathered to worship the Lord our God.  Let us be assured that God watches over us, that God guides us, that God protects us, and that God takes a loving interest in our future.

Prayer of Praise

 (from 2 Samuel 22) 

The Lord is my protector, He is my strength,

He is my comforter and provider, with Him I am safe.

In my trouble I called to the Lord, I called to my God for help,

He heard my voice; He listened to my cry for help.

Oh Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you,

You save those who are humble, but you humble those who are too proud to acknowledge you as their Lord and God.

How perfect are your deeds, O Lord, how dependable are your words.

The Lord alone is God, there is no other.

Proclaim the greatness of the strong and mighty God who saves us!

Praise Him among the Nations, sing praises to Him at all times.

Lord, you are my light, you dispel the darkness in my life,

It is your constant and all encompassing love that strengthens me day after day.  Amen.

We sing:

“Freely, Freely”  Scripture in Song  volume 1  number 41

[There is a short introduction]

Carol Owens

“He is Lord, he is Lord”  Scripture in Song  volume 1  number 49

Verse 1 of 2

He is Lord, he is Lord,

He is risen from the dead and he is lord,

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

Verse 2 of 2

He is Lord, he is Lord,

He is risen from the dead and he is lord,

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

Composer unknown

Prayer of Confession 

(from Psalm 51) 

Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love,

Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins.

Wash away all my evil,

And make me clean from my sin.

I recognise my faults,

I am always conscious of my sins.

I have sinned against you, only against you,

And have done what you consider impure and evil.

So, you are right in judging me,

You are justified in condemning me.

Sincerity and truth are what you require,

Fill my mind with your wisdom.

Remove my sin and I will be clean,

Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Close your eyes to my sins,

And wipe out all my evil.

Create a pure heart in me, Oh God,

And put a new and loyal spirit in me.

Do not banish me from your presence;

Do not take your holy spirit away from me.

Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation,

And make me willing to obey you.

In humbleness and penitence we lay our guilt before you, merciful God.  Please grant us your pardon for our offences, through Jesus Christ, our advocate.

Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(James 3: 10) 

James reminds us that if we humble ourselves before God He will lift us up.  We have come before God with humility and reverence, these words of James tells us that having confessed our sins God is faithful to forgive our sins and lift us up renewed and restored in our relationship with Him.

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

Psalm 1

1  Blessed is the person who does not take guidance from the wicked, who does not follow the example set by sinners, who is not involved with those who scoff at God and mock Him.  2  Instead, they take delight in obeying the Law of the Lord, on which they meditate day and night.

3  They are like a tree planted beside streams of water, that bear fruit at the proper time, and whose leaves never wither.  They prosper in all that they do.

4  The wicked are not like this, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 

5  So when Judgement comes, sinners will not stand firm, and will be kept apart from God’s own People.

6  The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

James 3 and 4

13  Who among you is wise or clever?  Let their good conduct and good deeds give practical proof of it, with the modesty that comes of wisdom.  14  But if you are harbouring bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, consider whether your claims are not false, and a defiance of the truth.  15  This is not the wisdom that from comes from above; it belongs to the World, it is sensual and demonic.  16  For with jealousy and ambition come disorder and evil of every kind.

17  But the wisdom from above is in the first place pure, and then peace-loving, considerate, and open to reason; it is straightforward and sincere, rich in mercy and in the kindly deeds that are its fruit.  18  True justice is the harvest reaped by peacemakers from seeds sown in the spirit of peace.

1  What causes conflicts and quarrels among you?  They come from your desires for pleasure which are constantly fighting with you.  2  You want something which you cannot have, and so you are ready to kill; you are envious, and cannot attain your ambition, and so you quarrel and fight.  You do not get what you want because you do not pray for it.  3  Or, if you do, your requests are not granted because you pray for the wrong motives, to spend what you get on your own pleasures.

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

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 9

30  Jesus and his Disciples journeyed through Galilee.  Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was,  31  because he was teaching his disciples: “The Son of Man will be handed over to men and they will kill him.  Three days later, however, he will rise to life.”  32  But they did not understand what this teaching meant, and they were afraid to ask him.

33  They came to Capernaum, and, after going indoors, Jesus asked his Disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?”  But they would not answer him, because, on the road, they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest.

35  Jesus sat down, called the twelve Disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must place themselves last of all and be the servant of all.”  36  Then he took a child and had the child stand in front of the Disciples.  Jesus put his arms around the child and said to them,  37  “Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me: and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the One who sent me.”

[Today’s English Version]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Passing the Peace

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

And also with you.

For the Young and the Young at Heart

Screen 1

Everyone has a name

  Everyone has a name.  When we were born, our parents give us our name.  We are baptised under our name.  Our driving licence has our name recorded on it, as does our Passport.  We receive paper and electronic mail because the senders address it to our name which is linked to our physical or electronic address.

  We need a name so that we can be identified, and distinguished from everyone else around us.  Our name enables us to be an individual rather than a thing or just one person in a crowd.  People call out to us by using our name, instead of saying, “Hey you!”  If someone is talking to another person about us, they use our name, so that both of them know that they are talking about the same person.

  Now, we are particular about the spelling of our name aren’t we.  And, in fact, the spelling of our name must be exactly the same on all of our cards and documents if each of them is to be accepted as authentic and useable.  But a name needn’t be written or spoken in English to be an authentic name.

Screen 2

  Here is my name written in Japanese Kunji.

  Whichever way it is written or pronounced, it is still my name, the name by which I am identified as an individual person.

  Have you ever wondered how your name is pronounced or written by the angels in Heaven?  “What a weird question!” you may say.  “Does it matter?” others may ask.  Well, it’s not that weird a question, and, yes, it does matter, because of a particular Book that we are told is kept in Heaven.  Now, at this point you are either confused or concerned about my current ‘state of mind’.

Screen 4

The Book of the Living

  To clarify the matter, there are several references throughout the Bible concerning “The Book of the Living”.

  The earliest references to this Book in the Old Testament appear to refer to a register, apparently kept up-to-date by the Priests, containing the names of individual Jews who were alive at any specific date, that is, a record relating to ‘natural life’.  (Augustus Buckland and Arthur Lukyn Williams in Book of Life in The Universal Bible Dictionary p78) 

Exodus 32: 32 – “the book in which you have written the names of your people”

Psalm 69: 28 – “the list of your people”

  Later references to this Book in the Old Testament and the references to this book in the New Testament have, what is termed, a broader “eschatological” application, referring to a list that is ‘maintained’ by God containing the names of those who are “righteous”, that is, a record relating to ‘eternal life’.  (Frederick Bruce in Book of Life in The Illustrated Bible Dictionary Volume p203 & 204)  

  Luke writes that it relates to those who have responded in an authentic way to “hearing and seeing the Divine revelation of the God’s grace through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  (Luke 10: 21 to 24)  (John Carrol in Luke p240)  Matthew writes that it relates to those who have openly confessed before people that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Saviour.  (Matthew 10: 32 / Luke 12: 8)  (Robin Nixon in Matthew in New Bible Commentary p830) 

Psalm 56: 8 – “your book”

Psalm 139: – “recorded in your book”

Isaiah 4: 3 – “everyone who is enrolled in the Book of Life shall be called holy”

Daniel 12: 1 – “all the people whose names are written in God’s book will be saved”

Malachi 3: 16 – “in the presence of God there was written down in a Book a record of those who feared the Lord and respected Him”

Luke 10: 20 – “your names are written in Heaven”

Philippians 4: 3 – “those whose names are in God’s Book of the Living”

Hebrews 12: 23 – “those whose names are written in Heaven”

Revelation 13: 8 – “the Book of the Living which belongs to the Lamb who was killed”

Revelation 21: 27 – “Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of the Living will enter the City (that is, the New Jerusalem)”

Screen 5

“I will not remove their names from the Book of the Living”

“In the presence of God and the angels I will declare openly that they belong to me”

Revelation 3: 5 

We sing:

“Come, O thou all-victorious Lord”  Wesley’s Hymns number 84

[sung to the tune St Peter – there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 4

Come, O thou all-victorious Lord,

Your power to us make known,

Strike with the hammer of your Word

And break these hearts of stone.

Verse 2 of 4

O that we all might now begin

Our foolishness to mourn,

And turn at once from every sin

And to our Saviour turn.

Verse 3 of 4

We seek your grace on us to show

On this and every day,

Atonement unto life bestow

And take our sins away.

Verse 4 of 4

Please wash away our pain and grief

and from our guilt release,

remove all doubt and unbelief

then fill our hearts with peace.

Charles Wesley

Sermon

Screen 1

“Do I act like God is alive?”

  Philip Yancey, in his book titled, “I Was Just Wondering”, wrote about a friend of his:

“(She) was stopped dead in her tracks by a sceptic.  After listening to her, as she explained her faith, he said this: ‘But you don’t act like you believe God is alive.’  I try to turn his accusation into a question: ‘Do I act like God is alive?’”

  (Philip Yancey in I Was Just Wondering” p97) 

  No amount of logical reasoning or rational arguing has any effect in convincing someone of the reality of God when they have already chosen to conclude the opposite, i.e. that God is not real, that God is not alive, for they will seek to understand and to interpret your words as they choose to, not as you intend them to.  Yet, the sincerity and the earnestness of faith lived out in actions speaks louder than words and forces the person to question their preconceptions of your faith and their initial refusal to accept the reality that God is alive.

  Artur Weiser, in his Commentary on The Psalms, describes Psalm 1 as “a signpost (which) gives clear guidance regarding the way in which God-fearing people shall conduct themselves”.  (Artur Weiser in The Psalms p102) 

Screen 2

The God-fearing person

  The “God-fearing person” is characterised by their obedience to “the Law of God”, not because they are compelled to be obedient, not because they are threatened with punishment if they are disobedient, but because they delight in being obedient, they find joy in obeying God’s Laws, they are happy and content in their obedience, for they find that obedience gives them peace of mind and contentment, and a knowledge that it is the way to bring fulfillment in life and to prosper in life, as the Psalm reads :

“being planted beside streams of water, bearing fruit at the proper time, and with leaves that never wither”  (Psalm 1: 3) 

  The “God-fearing person” lives out their belief that God is alive in two ways; what they don’t do and what they do do. 

  The writer of the Psalm 1 describes what is obvious to an onlooker about the life of the “God-fearing person”:

            They do not take guidance nor seek advice from the wicked, that is, from anyone whose thoughts and actions are impure, immoral, unethical or illegal.

They do not follow the example set by sinners, that is, their thoughts and actions are in contrast to anyone whose thoughts and actions are impure, immoral, unethical or illegal.

They do not become involved with nor do they actively participate with those who, by their words and actions, scoff at God or mock what is held as sacred and Godly.

  (Psalm 1: 1) 

  Instead they fill their minds with God, they meditate on God’s Word and how it guides their trust in and their obedience to the will and purpose of God for their life.  (Psalm 1: 2)  It is this which gives substance to their lives, in contrast to the emptiness and unfulfilled life of the ungodly, for the ungodly “are like chaff that the wind blows away”.  (Psalm 1: 4) 

  And as a direst consequence of their purpose driven life of living for God, the “God-fearing person” has the assurance that God takes an active interest in their wellbeing and in their destiny, an assurance that “the Lord watches over them” all through each day.  (Psalm 1: 6) 

Screen 3

“They must place themselves last of all and be the servant of all.”

Mark 9: 35 

In Capernaum, Jesus challenges the understanding that his Disciples had about greatness.

  The Disciples could look at the Chief Priests and see people who, being the religious leaders of the Jews, wielded authority and power, people to whom others deferred when making decisions, people who demanded respect, people for whom places of honour were reserved at meals and celebrations, people who revelled in comfort and luxury. 

  The Disciples could look at the Roman officials who, being the political leaders of the Jews, wielded power and authority, people who made decisions which others were compelled to follow, people who demanded respect and honour, people who revelled in comfort and luxury.

  That is not greatness in the eyes of God, Jesus explains.  Look at God Himself, Jesus says, who, though being the Creator and Sustainer of Heaven and Earth, who, though being the Lord of Time and of Space and of History, humbled Himself in the form of a mortal being so that He could serve the very ones who He created, who humbled Himself because of His great love and mercy for them.  Greatness, Jesus says, is not associated with what you can build up for yourself nor in what you can become that separates you from others or which gives to you the appearance of being better than others or of more worth than others.  Greatness is not associated with “proud ambition but with humility”.  (Cecil Graham Swift in Mark in New Bible Commentary p871)    Greatness is seen in your willingness to humble yourself in the service of others so that something is gained for them which is beyond their capacity and capability of accomplishing for themselves, to forego yourself as a servant of others.  (Mark 9: 35) 

  Alan Cole writes that this understanding of greatness “is the whole key to the Lord’s life, for he came, not to be served, but to be a servant.”  (Alan Cole in Mark p150)  Later, as they were journeying to Jerusalem, Jesus explained to the Disciples:

“For the Son of Man did not come to be served: he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”  (Mark 10: 45) 

  Alan Cole continues saying “Our Christian greatness lies not in ourselves, but in the greatness of the One whom we represent, in whose name we come.”  (Alan Cole in Mark p151)  It is through our service for others, in the name of God, that shows not just that we act like we believe God is alive, but that God is alive in and through us, as He is enabled to work in the lives of others to His glory and honour.

Screen 4

“good conduct and good deeds”

James 3: 13

  James perceives that what is in the heart of a person finds its expression in the person’s thoughts and actions.  In his letter that he wrote to God’s people in the first century Churches, he stresses the need to be guided by and directed by “the wisdom that comes down from Heaven”, and not by the wisdom “that belongs to the World”.  (James 3: 15) 

  What belongs to the world, James writes, is “sensual and demonic”.  It is characterised by “the harbouring (of) bitter jealousy and (of) selfish ambitions”, which produces “disorder and evil of every kind”.  It is manifested in prejudice and hypocrisy.  It leads to the desire for pleasures which is the cause of conflicts and quarrels among people.  (James 3: 14, 15, 16, 4: 1) 

  A person’s claim to be led by God’s wisdom and understanding is proven by their “good conduct and good deeds”.  Their conduct should be pure and peace-loving, considerate, open to reason, sincere, and rich in mercy.  And, mirroring the thoughts of the writer of Psalm 1, kindly deeds are the fruit.  (James 3: 13, 17, 18) 

  It is in the display of such “good conduct and good deeds” that the person lives out their belief in God.  Randolph Tasker, in his Commentary of Jame’s Letter, writes that the Greek word which James uses and which is translated as “good’, “implies that it must be obvious to others that their way of life is good”, “their religion must show itself in works”.  James stresses that there is no room in the life of a Christian for “arrogance or for self-assertion”.  Instead, the Christian’s nature is to reflect the very nature of Jesus, where he was known for his gentleness, his meekness and his humility.  (Matthew 11: 29)  (Randolph Tasker in Mark p79 & 80) 

  Ronald Ward writes that the wisdom professed by a Christian cannot be purely theoretical in expression, but must be applied in good conduct and in the engaging of good works.  It is in this way that the Christian can be used as “God’s agent of regeneration in the lives of others”.  (Ronald Ward in James in New Bible Commentary p1231) 

Screen 5

distractions arising from the busyness of life.

  Philip Yancey warns of the danger of “the busyness of life”, including “religious busyness”.  He warns of the danger of allowing yourself to unconsciously edge God out of our thoughts, “edged out by a series of distractions, such as : arranging repairs to the car, organising details for an upcoming holiday, needing to clear out the gutters, and attending Church meetings or family gatherings.”

  He describes such distractions as “mere trivialities”, but warns that they have dangerous consequences, for “they may lead to a form of forgetfulness that resembles idolatry in its most dangerous form”, for, he states, “I confess that some days I meet people, work, make decisions, talk on the phone, all without giving God a thought.”  (Philip Yancey in I Was Just Wondering” p97)  It is in this way that, although we may say the right words about our belief in God, we don’t act like we believe God is alive.  Let us include in our desire for meekness before God, a desire to constantly sit with God and to reconnect with God, so that others will see God in our good conduct and our good deeds.

  I thought that I will finish by reading this short poem by Elsie Campbell, titled Humility.  Let it be our daily prayer as we seek to act like God is alive.

Screen 6

Give me a humble heart, dear Lord,

Content to do the lowly task.

Let me be quick with friendly word,

Give me the grace only to ask

That I, wherever I may go

Some spark of Thy great love may show.

(Elsie Campbell in Sunlit Ways – Twenty-Ninth day)

Hymn

We sing: “Fold to your heart your sister and your brother”  TiS587

[sung to the tune O Perfect Love – there is a spoken introduction]

Verse 1 of 4

Fold to your heart your sister and your brother,

Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there

To worship rightly is to love each other,

Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.

Verse 2 of 4

For he whom Jesus loved has truly spoken:

The holier worship which Christ deigns to bless

Restores the lost, and binds the spirit broken,

And feeds the widow and the parentless.

Verse 3 of 4

Follow with reverent steps the great example

Of him whose holy work was doing good:

So shall the wide Earth seem our Father’s Temple,

Each loving life a Psalm of gratitude.

Verse 4 of 4

Then shall all shackles fall: the stormy clangour

Of wild war music o’er the Earth shall cease;

Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger

And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.

John Whittier

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774 

[ sung to the tune Austria – 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 we may be servants of one another, particularly of those in need, and thus bear witness to your love for everyone.

We pray for greater awareness, that we may recognize our common humanity and accompany one another along the journey of life.

We pray for a spirit of humility, that we may recognize all of our gifts as gifts from you and our need for each one of us to become our fullest selves.

We pray for spiritual freedom, that you will awaken us to our selfishness and disordered desires that distract us, and, instead, help us choose ways to be instruments of your mercy and compassion.

We pray for the grace to change, that you will help us to curb our passions of envy and the desires to possess, so that we will be free to live peaceably and with gratitude for all that you have given us.

We pray for a clearer recognition of healthy and unhealthy ambitions, that we may be aware of the motivations that stir our hearts and respond to those that lead us closer to you and toward greater wholeness.

We pray for all leaders in the Christian Community, that you will guide them toward fuller discipleship through practicing self-sacrificing service in their ministry and the lives.

We pray for the poor and powerless in our society, that we may hear their voices, understand their pain, and humbly walk alongside them through life’s challenges.

We pray for all who have been impacted by hurricanes, floods, or wildfires, that you will strengthen them, remove the obstacles which they encounter, and guide them to the assistance that they need.

We pray for the members of our Governments and Local Councils, that you will give them wisdom and insight as they address the budgetary and infrastructure issues before them.

We pray that you will bring healing and hope to the sick and ill, and strength to those who care for them.

We pray for greater recognition of the harm being done to the earth, that World leaders and each of us may take meaningful steps to curtail the environmental damage of the planet and work to protect the poor and vulnerable from its effects.

We pray for Refugees and Immigrants, that those who have fled violence and starvation may find safety, new communities of acceptance, and the resources needed for life.

We pray for the unemployed and those facing evictions, that you will guide them to beneficial resources, help them to maintain their housing and family life, and open new opportunities for them to use their talent.

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

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

“Standing on the promises”  Alexander’s Hymns No. 3  number 160

[There is a short introduction]

Russell Carter

Benediction    

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

(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