A gathering prayer:
Lord, our God, let us see your glory.
Help us to lift our eyes to you, open our ears to hear your voice. You gave your message to prophets throughout history; you give us your Holy Spirit for the present. And you have given us Jesus, your Son, to lead us into eternity with you. Lord, we see, we hear, we believe, and we come to worship.
Amen.
StF 362 - Meekness and Majesty
Meekness and majesty,
Manhood and deity,
in perfect harmony –
The Man who is God
Lord of eternity,
Dwells in humanity,
Kneels in humility
and washes our feet.
Oh what a mystery –
Meekness and majesty:
Bow down and worship,
for this is your God,
This is your God!
Father’s pure radiance,
Perfect in innocence,
yet loves obedience
to death on a cross:
Suffering to give us life,
conquering through sacrifice –
And as they crucify, prays ‘Father, forgive.’
Oh what a mystery –
Meekness and majesty:
Bow down and worship,
for this is your God,
This is your God!
Wisdom unsearchable,
God the invisible,
Love indestructible
in frailty appears:
Lord of infinity,
stopping so tenderly,
lifts our humanity to the heights of His throne.
Oh what a mystery –
Meekness and majesty:
Bow down and worship,
for this is your God,
This is your God,
This is your God!
Bible Readings
Psalm 119:1-8
א Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart –
3 they do no wrong
but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
Matthew 5:38-48
Eye for eye
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for enemies
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Prayers:
Sarah Crosby, Methodist Preacher (1729–1804)
Most of us don’t like change, Lord Jesus! We are comfortable in the rut we have carved out for ourselves, the way we see things, the way we act, the familiar pattern of the everyday. And then you step into our lives, Lord, you disrupt our thoughts, you challenge us to look at the world, those around us, differently, you invade our plans, you make us question our values! But it’s not your fault, Lord, for I invited you in. I was challenged by the way you lived, overwhelmed by the way you loved, moved by the sacrifice you were prepared to make for the world – for me! And so there was no alternative, Lord, and now you are changing me – I’m sure it’s for the better, but it’s not easy, as you know!
Amen
Too long have I worried about so many things yet my Lord few are needed.
May I today live more simply – like the bread.
May I live more clearly – like the water.
May I live today, be more selfless – like Christ.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as 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 for ever.
Amen.
Time to reflect:
During the last few weeks, we have been looking at the Sermon on the Mount.
In Matthew, Jesus’ teaching as recorded is all about our Christian character.
It is not a set of instructions on how we are to behave but it is all about discovering the Living God in the loving and dying Jesus. We are continuously learning to reflect on that love, that the world and those around us needs so greatly.
Here are three examples that may help us in our walk with God today. The first one is turning the other cheek when someone strikes us. Our first reaction may be to hit back verbally, it may be tempting to do so, but somehow it continues to keep evil in circulation. In Biblical times if you were offering the other cheek, you are saying we are now equal and there is no one who is more superior than the other. In our society it is about welcoming all. The Bible says there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
The second example asks us to imagine us in a court room when we have been asked to pay a fine, we just cannot pay. In the days of Jesus nearly everyone only had two coats and the offer of just one coat shows that someone has nothing else to give. To give away your second coat you were showing you were poor and being shamed publicly, this was the end of the line, there was nowhere else to go financially. Sometimes we may feel that we have little to offer to God but wants to be generous to those around us sharing all that we have to bless those around us.
In the third example the Roman authorities had laws to force people to carry military equipment for just one mile, it was forbidden for them to go further. However, Jesus encouraged people to not get angry but to volunteer to go further. To offer to go the second mile would alarm the roman soldiers as you are showing a different way of being caring. Do we go the extra mile for God?
I can remember my grandfather who fought in World War One once said to me ‘violence is never the answer’. Jesus opened a new way for all, Jesus showed us how to react by his responses, he was mocked and did not respond. When they struck him, he took the pain and when they gave him the cross beam on his shoulders walking through the streets of Jerusalem to his place of crucifixion, Jesus did that for you and me.
In Jesus we see Emmanuel God with us, but it is all about discovering the Living God in the loving and dying Jesus.
StF 20 - Be still for the presence of the Lord.
Be still for the presence of the Lord,
The Holy one is here;
Come bow before him now
in reverence and fear:
In Him no sin is found –
We stand on Holy ground.
Be still
for the presence of the Lord
the Holy one, is here.
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
He burns with Holy fire,
with splendour He is crowned:
How awesome is the sight –
Our radiant King of light!
Be still,
for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
He comes to cleanse and heal
to minister His grace:
No work too hard for Him –
In faith receive from Him.
Be still,
for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
A sending out prayer:
Awesome God, your glory shines all around us. Help us to use all our senses to know how close you are. Give us words to tell everyone that you are there for them too.
Amen.
May the God who knows where you come from and where you should be going, go with you. May the God who knows your hopes and dreams, bless you – and others through you – more than you can possibly imagine. May the God who was with Joseph and Mary in all that they faced, be known to you as Immanuel – God with you.
Amen.
