WE GATHER IN GOD’S PRESENCE:

Lighting the Candle:

Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness

but will have the light of life.’

Greeting:

The Lord be with you. AND ALSO WITH YOU.

Call to Worship:

Come, gather to worship the God

WHO HAS GATHERED US INTO GOD’S FAMILY

Come, sing praise to the God

WHO TEACHES US HOW TO SING A NEW SONG

IN STRANGE AND WORRISOME SITUATIONS

Come, learn from the God

WHO LOVES US

WITH UNLIMITED AND NEVER ENDING LOVE

Come, gather to worship the God

WHO HAS NAMED US AS GOD’S OWN!

We Sing TIS 148 ALL THINGS PRAISE YOU, LORD MOST HIGH 4VV

Prayer

Gracious God,

you call us not only to worship and serve you,

but into community…

as we gather in different places and at different times,

in your presence unite us a community,

mindful of each other as together we offer you

our focus and time…

We pray that you will grant us

what is necessary for our well-being,

especially courage and compassion

during this time of viral infection risk!

We continue to approach you

with awe and familiarity

as Creator and sustainer God, and our Father in heaven,

especially as we pray the words offered by Jesus for us to say:

The Lord’s Prayer 
Our Father in heaven, 
Hallowed be your name, 
Your kingdom come, 
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.  

Give us this day our daily bread. 
Forgive us our sins,  
as we forgive those who sin against us. 
Save us in the time of trial  

And deliver us from evil. 
For the kingdom, 
the power and the glory are yours,  
now and for ever. 
Amen. 

Welcome

WE LISTEN FOR A WORD FROM GOD

Prayer for Illumination

HOLY AND MERCIFUL 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

Scripture 

ROMANS 8:26-39

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 We know that in all things God works for good[1] for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,

‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
    we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reader: this is the Word of the Lord

Response: WE HEED AND REJOICE, O GOD!

MATTHEW 18:15-22

15 “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, seventy times seven…

Reader: this is the gospel of our Lord

Response: PRAISE BE TO YOU, LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Prayer of Confession:

Most merciful God,

again we come overwhelmed by the revelation of your love for us!

We confess with embarrassment

how often we lose sight

of your concern and care towards us… [pause]

Lord have mercy: LORD HAVE MERCY

Most generous God,

we come overwhelmed by your incredible strength

of commitment and purpose for our well-being

you grant us through Christ Jesus!

We confess to our discomfort

in how often we ignore or even disbelieve

your promises to us… [pause]

Christ have mercy: CHRIST HAVE MERCY

Most compassionate God,

we come overwhelmed by the enormity

of everything you are doing with us!

We confess to our shame

how little attention we give our community life

which is meant to model reconciliation

and compassion… [pause]

Lord have mercy: LORD HAVE MERCY

The Promise of Reconciliation

Hear the good news of God,

the power of God for the life abundant

for all who trusts God:

If God is for us, who is against us? 

He who did not withhold his own Son,

but gave him up for all of us,

will he not with him also give us everything else? 

In Christ all is forgiven us,

through the Holy Spirit all is transformed!

therefore we exclaim with grateful hearts

THANKS BE TO GOD

Passing the Peace.. as we raise our hands in blessing to those unseen…
The peace of the Risen Lord be with you all 

AND ALSO WITH YOU

We Sing TIS 650  BROTHER SISTER, LET ME SERVE YOU 6VV

CONTEMPORARY WORD

I remember how shocked my mother and I were

at the comments a dear friend made:

What a lovely day it was, my dear,

and you’ll see, God has a purpose in all this!

The ‘lovely day’ was the day of the thanksgiving service

for the life of my father, celebrated in the local church,

followed by his cremation at the crematorium,

which was all in the morning;

and the mourners were invited for lunch at our local church afterwards.

It was about 4.00 pm, and most people had left.

My father died of cancer of the pancreas within six weeks of being diagnosed.

He was only 56, his life cut short

just when he had managed to arrange the buying of a house

only two years earlier…

I was then in ministry at Hervey Bay.

We were shocked firstly at the phrase, ‘what a lovely day!’

Not exactly the way we experienced it!

Mind you, the service was attended by hundreds of people,

testifying to my father’s involvement in church and Boys’ Brigade.

The lunch was a feast, only we had no appetite.

However, in a sense, we knew what she meant with that phrase,

‘what a lovely day!’

Secondly, her suggestion that God had purposed this

was what mainly shocked us.

She of course, was merely sincerely passing on

a common misunderstanding of the Romans text read this morning!

We know that in all things God works for good[2]

for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

The text offers the word of comfort,

that God works in all things for good…

This is not the same at all as saying

God purposed what happened

to achieve the good!

Even taking note of the alternative possible readings:

God makes all things work together for good,

for those who love God…

or 

We know that all things work together for good

does not suggest that God causes any event to happen

to achieve the good God might bring out of a situation.

However, just to be clear, whatever good might have come about

because of my father’s death,

nothing could compare with the good

which my mother and he would have enjoyed

growing older and old together,

for him to have enjoyed his grandchildren

the first of which arrived shortly after his death…

I would suggest that good should not be understood

as simply something pleasant, or beneficial…

We need to note rather, that the promise made

comes as part of a package of promises and affirmations! 

Promises and affirmations made to those called according to God’s purpose!

N.B. who are called according to his purpose (8.28).

Paul then describes again what God’s purpose is:

to foreknow, to predestine, to call, to recalibrate, to glorify… (8.30)

all this a summary of what Paul has argued in earlier chapters,

the work of God achieved through the faithfulness of Jesus

to God’s desire for reconciliation between God and humanity…[3]

God hopes that through this process we will  

be conformed to the image of his Son (8.29).

You will have noted that one permissible translation has:

We know that all things work together for good

God has no mention here,

that is because where God appears in an English translation,

it is based on manuscripts which added God

to allow God to be the subject, the one doing the ‘working’… [4]

Half the documents available to us include God as the subject,

the other half have no direct reference to God as the subject.

Both translations, all things work together, and God works

are permissible; as are, in fact a third and a fourth!

We have then the suggested meaning

that the ‘in all things’ as subject, the doing agent,

could refer specifically to the stuff summed up as:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing

with the glory that will be revealed in us (8.18)

and in fact illustrated by Paul’s own life as being for him:

hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or peril, or sword… 

Other things being equal, these would normally be considered “evil.”

But for those whose lives are enveloped in God’s love

even these things work for “good”—

the “good” in this case being salvation…^[5]

the ongoing process of recalibration

within our being and life

towards the abundant life which Jesus promised

and within humanity the ongoing process of reconciliation with God;

what Paul refers to as the assurance of the love of God

in Christ Jesus our Lord,

which nothing on earth and beyond it can take away (8.38).

That is the translation taken by the King James Version,

the New Revised Standard Version, the Good News Translation, and others.

That is what many Christians were brought up to believe,

making people think they ought to be able to say,

of any and every disaster, that in some way it was ‘for the best’. ^[6]

Tom Wright, in his approach to looking at a Christian response

to the current viral pandemic goes on to say:

 “Many who have understood it like that—

and who have found, let’s be clear, a kind of comfort in it—

have effectively skipped over the previous verses.

That has then sometimes cast an almost Stoic blanket

over anything ‘bad’ that happens.

 ‘Never mind, all things work together for good.”’^[7]

He then draws attention to another possibility

for translating this section of the Romans text,

an understanding which has the one doing the work,

the subject of the verb, as being the Holy Spirit.

I came across this first in the reading I did on Romans way back in 1981,

that Easter Weekend I mentioned in an earlier sermon.

John A.T. Robinson wrote that the key in this text

is the verb, synergein “to work together”…

(you get the sense in our use of a word such as ‘synergy’…)

He comments : “the noun synergos and the verb synergein

are always used in the New Testament of a person helping another.[8]

Robinson goes on to argue that the One working together with us

is the previously mentioned Holy Spirit…

This understanding is carefully explained by Robert Jewett in his 2006 commentary[9]. Of the English translations, the New English Bible has this approach…  Let’s begin with a common translation of verse 26,

in the same way the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.

We do not know how we ought to pray,

but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.

The NEB then has this:

v. 27 and God who searches our inmost beings knows what the Spirit means, because he pleads for God’s people in God’s own way;

v. 28 and in everything, as we know, he co-operates for good with those who love God, and are called according to his purpose…[10]

(this is the third possible translation)

Note the change in emphasis…,

from ‘God makes all things work together for good for those who love God’ 

to ‘in everything, as we know,

he co-operates for good with those who love God’. 

This is crucial to Tom Wright,

who draws attention to two other uses where Paul uses this verb,

synergein to work together, to co-operate…  He writes:

In 1 Corinthians 16:16 he’s talking about the ‘fellow-workers’ who collaborate with him and with the whole Church.

In 2 Corinthians 6:1 he sums up the previous passage (about God working through the apostles, like a monarch acting through his ambassadors),

by saying that he is ‘working together’ with God.

Tom Wright then explains that the cognate noun, synergos,

which is more common than the verb,

is used by Paul eleven times to refer to his colleagues,

people who work with him.

Once he uses it to say that we—the apostles—are God’s colleagues,

working with him (1 Corinthians 3:9).

As J.B. Phillips has it: In this work, we work with God,

 and that means that you are a field under God’s cultivation,

or, if you like, a house being built to his plan[11]

That seems to be the point here in Romans 8;

God works all things towards ultimate good

with and through those who love him.^[12]

Wright prefers this as his translation: (a fourth possible translation)

where works foris replaced by work with, co-operates

‘God himself co-operates for good with those who love God’.

The Spirit, as referred to in verses 16, 26 and 27,

is the one at work within believers,

and this Spirit-and-believer combination is the joint unit

with which the Father is co-operating.

The very moment of the wordless lament, the groaning,

described in verse 26

is the moment when God the Father and God the Spirit

are working together

with believers caught up by the Spirit,

within that strange but vital interchange.

Wright continues then to apply the text to today… [13]

So the encouragement and comfort here in Romans 8:28

doesn’t amount to a kind of Stoic resignation.

It is a call to recognise the truth of what Paul says elsewhere:

that we are called to hard work, to faithful work,

to the obedience of faith,

knowing that God is at work in us.

The last phrase of the verse

(‘who are called according to his purpose’)

then seems to be describing,

not merely God’s purpose for these people—

but his purpose through these people.

God has ‘called’ them to be part of his saving purpose

for his suffering world.

Believers, at this point, may not have words

to speak their lament, their groanings, as the global tragedy unfolds…

But they may still have work to do, in healing, teaching,

poor relief, campaigning and comforting.

These things grow out of lament.

we may not be able to say ‘Why’,

but we may glimpse ‘What’: Who is at risk?

What can be done? Whom shall we send?

Paul is not, then, proposing a Christian version of Stoicism.

He is offering a Jesus-shaped picture of a suffering,

redeeming providence,

in which God’s people are themselves not simply spectators,

not simply beneficiaries,

simply waiting for ‘all things,’ or even God, to sort things out…

but we are called to be co-workers with God,

active participants through prayer,

even, especially, if such prayer is ‘groaning’, lament…

and taking action!

Such God-lovers are therefore shaped

according to the pattern of the Son:

the cruciform pattern in which God’s justice and mercy,

his faithfulness to the covenant and to creation,

are displayed before the world in tears and toil,

lament and labour.

That is our vocation in the present time.^[14]

Then our exclamation of praise can be:

8:37  No, in all these things

we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.  AMEN

We Share Our Community Life 

Prayers of the People:

We come, gracious God,

grateful for your Word to us

through the one called to be the Apostle to the Gentiles,

which affirms to us your rock-solid commitment to us

through your reconciling activity in Jesus Christ, our Lord!

We express our praise!

Lord hear us – LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER

Grant us through your Spirit

that conviction within ourselves

that no matter what the list of modern strife and troubles,

nothing removes us out of your love for us in Christ Jesus:

not cancer, not unsolvable neurological deficiencies,

no amount of arthritis in our bodies,

not failing eyesight, nor lack of hearing,

not reduced mobility, no amount of aches and pain,

no threatening virus, nor threatening ecological crisis;

Secure us in all of these, that we remain embraced in your love for us,

especially when we wonder if you are with us…

Lord hear us – LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER

We come, gracious God,

grateful for the many blessings which come our way:

we thank you for the effort people make to stay in contact,

for phone calls, letters, notes, cards,

emails, text messages, visits also,

invitations to do something different…

We thank you for the dedicated care

of those responsible for community and personal well-being:

For politicians who make unwelcome decisions,

for law enforcement officers of whatever ilk,

who keep us all within the appropriate bounds for health

whilst still enjoying social interaction,

for the health professionals and the unseen supporting workers

who care for those who are ill and even dying…

Grant all courage and strength with discernment

Lord hear us – LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER

We come, God of all nations,

very mindful of how political leaders target ‘the other’

with accusations and language which attacks,

rather than seeks understanding and reconciliation;

so often we get a sense of deja-vu,

as yet again another nation

becomes the new target of disparagement and accusations

which echo old slogans and judgments levelled at others

in previous decades…

Grant us a mindfulness of our brothers and sisters in Christ

in those places, and your strength and courage to them.

Lord hear us – LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER

In the name of Jesus we pray

AMEN

SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

We Sing: TIS 526 LORD JESUS CHRIST YOU HAVE COME TO US 4VV

We Bring Our offering to God

setting aside our gifts to support the local and wider work of the church

and bless our gifts in an act of praise…

The Words of Institution (1 Cor 11)

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: 

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,

 ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 

“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

 ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying,

 “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; 

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you!

AND ALSO WITH YOU

Lift up your hearts

WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD!

Let us give thanks to the Lord Our God

IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE GOD

OUR THANKS AND PRAISE

It is indeed right to offer praise to you, O God,

for you offered us stewardship of creation,

which task we corrupted

through humanity’s original and ongoing disobedience

to your will…

Nevertheless, you did not give up on us,

demonstrating a faithfulness towards us and your creation

through choosing an ancient people to bear witness

to your call to live in reconciliation with you!

You allowed your Son to come to us

to add divine weight to your call to be your people,

and your guidance towards the abundant life;

You chose one named Saul, who would be to us

Paul the Apostle, to invite all peoples

to recognize themselves as descendants of Abraham

by living a life of simply trusting your good-will towards us;

so now with angels and archangels and the whole heavenly host,

and all your saints on earth and in heaven,

we join in singing the song of your unending praise

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD,

GOD OF GRACE AND MERCY,

HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OF YOUR GLORY.

HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST.

BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!

HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST.

We praise you for Jesus

who shows us the way of working with you

through his faithfulness to your plan

for the restoration and transformation

of humanity and creation

so that our living might reflect his living,

and creation might be re-birthed to your divine purpose.

His determined service brought about his death on a cross;

but death would not be the end of him,

you raised him to life,

and henceforth we know death is not our end!

Great is the mystery of faith.

CHRIST HAS DIED;

CHRIST IS RISEN;

CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN.

Gracious God,

as Jesus challenged his disciples

to be mindful of community

when sinned against,

so strengthen our own resolve

to avoid retribution,

but to practise reconciliation!

To you now and always

be the glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus to all generations,

in the communion of the Holy Spirit,

one God now and forever,   AMEN

The Present Christ (Rev.3:21)

it is Jesus who invites himself to sup with us here,

joining us if we but say the word:

Here I am! Jesus said, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

COME, LORD JESUS

The Distribution of the Bread

My body, broken for you, Jesus said.

Do this for the remembrance of me…

The Distribution of the Cup

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood; Jesus said

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me

Prayer:                         

Generous and welcoming God,

in Jesus Christ

you desire to embrace all.

Grant us of your own

generous Spirit

that we might speak

words of invitation

and practise actions of welcome

in a Spirit of hospitality

to bring all within your embrace.

May they and we enjoy feasting

at your table,

revelling in your gracious gift

of abundant life,

to the praise and glory of your name. AMEN

WE GO TO SERVE GOD

We Sing  TIS 658 HERE I AM LORD  3VV

Sending Out

Go as a people:

whose eyes have been opened

to Jesus as Messiah,

the Son of the Living God!

 whose ears have recognized the call of God

and the good news

of our gifted transformation

into the grace filled life!

 Whose hearts resonate

with the groaning of creation and the Spirit

as we live lives

which contribute to the recalibration

of ourselves and creation!

Blessing

The blessing of the God

who secures our well being

beyond any suffering we might endure;

The blessing of the Christ

who secures us in the love of God

come what may;

The blessing of the Spirit

who groans with creation and ourselves

securing the rebirth of all,

be with us, now

and in the re-birthed creation to come

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN

---

[1] Other ancient authorities read  God makes all things work together for good, or We know that all things work together for good

[2] Other ancient authorities read  God makes all things work together for good, or We know that all things work together for good

[3] Robinson, John A.T. 1979 Wrestling with Romans p.106 London: SCM press

[4] Byrne, B. (1996). Romans. (D. J. Harrington, Ed.) (Vol. 6, p. 271). Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

^[5] Byrne, B. (1996). Romans. (D. J. Harrington, Ed.) (Vol. 6, p. 267). Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

^[6] Wright, N. T. (2020). God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (p. 46). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective.

^[7] Wright, N. T. (2020). God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (pp. 46–47). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective.

[8] Robinson, John A.T. 1979 Wrestling with Romans p.105 London: SCM press (except in James 2:2 where faith is personified as the subject)

[9] Jewett, R., & Kotansky, R. D. (2006). Romans: A commentary. (E. J. Epp, Ed.) (p. 527). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.   The most likely option is that Paul intended τὸ πνεῦμα (“the Spirit”) to be supplied by the reader in v. 28b*, because this requires no change of subject from the end of v. 27*. This option is strongly suggested by the repetition of the prefix συν- in συνεργεῖ (“it cooperates with”), following συναντιλαμβάνεται (“it lends assistance with”) in v. 26*, where the subject “the Spirit” is explicitly supplied. The same subject is also stated for the next verb in v. 26*, ὑπερεντυγχάνει (“it intercedes”), and must be supplied for the final verb in the immediately preceding v. 27*, ἐντυγχάνει (“it intercedes”)

[10] The New English Bible, The New Testament, second edition, Oxford Press and Cambridge Press 1970 pp 266/7.

[11] Phillips, J.B. (1960) The New Testament in Modern English (p.345) London: Geoffrey Bles

^[12] Wright, N. T. (2020). God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (p. 49). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective.

[13] Wright, N. T. (2020). God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (pp. 49–51). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective.

^[14] Wright, N. T. (2020). God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath (pp. 49–51). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective.

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