A call to worship:
Listen to the words of Jesus Christ!
Seize the moment with both hands!
Let us come together to listen and to learn,
as we seek to be his servants.
StF 161 - Speak, O Lord
Speak, O Lord, as we come to you
To receive the food of your holy word.
Take your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today in our acts of love and our deeds of faith,
Speak, O Lord, and fulfil in us
All your purposes, for your glory.
Teach us Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility,
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of your purity.
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see your majestic love and authority.
Words of power that can never fail;
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.
Speak o Lord and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of your plans for us. Truths unchanged from the dawn of time that will echo through eternity. And by grace we’ll stand on your promises, and by faith we’ll walk as you walk with us.
Speak. O Lord till your Church is built
And the earth is filled with your glory.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Gracious God, help us to appreciate and celebrate all we have received.
Help us have gratitude for your gifts of love.
May we continue to feel able to offer all we have and are, in your service.
Prayer of confession and assurance
May we be able to notice when we have done wrong and try not to repeat this behaviour or thought pattern.
Living God, we marvel that you need us as much as we need you; that is an awesome privilege and a huge responsibility.
Help us to honour the trust you have placed in us and live to your praise and glory
Amen
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.
StF 462 – Come with me
Come with me, come wander, come welcome the world where strangers might smile, or where stones might be hurled; come leave what you cling to, lay down what you clutch and find, with hands empty, that hearts can hold much.
Chorus Sing Hey for the carpenter leaving his tools! Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules! Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets! Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!
Come walk in my company, come sleep by my side, come savour a lifestyle with nothing to hide; come sit at my table and eat with my friends, discovering that love which the world never ends. Chorus
Come share in my laughter, come close to my fears, come find yourself washed in the kiss of my tears; come stand close at hand while I suffer and die and find in three days how I never will lie. Chorus
Come leave your possessions, come share out your treasure, come give and receive without method or measure; come loose every bond that’s resisting the Spirit, enabling the earth to be yours to inherit. Chorus
Bible Reading
Luke 10:38-42
At the home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
41 ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’
Reflection
The lectionary gospel readings for the last few weeks have taken us through Luke chapter 10. We’ve had the sending out of the seventy (Jesus giving a message about mission) then the Good Samaritan – who is my neighbour and then this week the story of Martha and Mary.
So, what is this story about? This is a radical challenge to the social norms of Jesus’ time and place. Why? Because the usual household arrangements were that men and women for most of their daily lives were separated. Women brought meals to the men but ate and worked separately. Cleaning, cooking and childcare were solely female tasks. Older boys and men learnt from a Rabbi, or teacher, by listening and discussing.
In this reading Mary “sits at Jesus’ feet”, this means she was in the room with the men, rather than in another part of the house, with the women and children. Sitting at the feet of a teacher is still a metaphor that we use today to describe a student learning from a teacher. Mary was not literally sat on the floor by Jesus’ feet, she was joining in with the men to learn what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This is radical – women were not meant to be in this moment Lord, we bring our prayers and our concerns for others
Learning in this way; active participation in the world of being a disciple would have been a shocking idea to most people. Which is probably why Martha intervenes. Whether she is worried about her own reputation, or her sisters, we don’t know. Jesus gently explains that what Mary is doing is important.
Learning from Jesus is what this chapter of Luke has been all about – how many different ways can one person try to demonstrate what his message is. God’s love through Jesus is for everyone, everywhere. There are no boundaries in gender, ethnicity or geography. We too are called to be radical, to challenge inequality and discrimination.
This is much easier said than done, but it is important that we keep in mind that Jesus is challenging us all, to better understand his teachings and then put them into practice.
StF 409 – Let us build a house
Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive. Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
Chorus: All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where hands can reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known. Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face; let us bring an end to fear and danger:
Chorus
Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tears and cries of laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
Chorus
Prayers of Intercession
Lord of all, hear the cry of the oppressed and exploited, the hungry and homeless, the sick and suffering. Help us to hear and notice, consider how we might be able to respond. Help us to be patient listeners and responsible teachers.
Amen
