May the grace, mercy and love of God be with us all. Amen.
Collect
Faithful Creator, your mercies never fail us: deepen our faithfulness to you
and to your living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession
Let us call to mind our sins, and make confession to our heavenly Father.
Most merciful God, we have sinned in thought and word and deed. We are truly sorry, and we ask you to forgive. Help us by your Spirit to live the new life in Christ, loving you with all our heart, and our neighbours as ourselves; for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
God’s Word - Romans, chapter 6, verses 1 to 11 :-
What are we to say, then? Shall we persist in sin, so that there may be all the more grace? Certainly not! We died to sin: how can we live in it any longer? Have you forgotten that when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus we were baptized into his death? By that baptism into his death we were buried with him, in order that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might set out on a new life.
For if we have become identified with him in his death, we shall also be identified with him in his resurrection. We know that our old humanity has been crucified with Christ, for the destruction of the sinful self, so that we may no longer be slaves to sin, because death cancels the claims of sin. But if we thus died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing as we do that Christ, once raised from the dead, is never to die again: he is no longer under the dominion of death. When he died, he died to sin, once for all, and now that he lives, he lives to God. In the same way you must regard yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God, in union with Christ Jesus.
Matthew, chapter 10 verses 24 to 39 :-
Jesus said, ‘No pupil ranks above his teacher, no servant above his master. The pupil should be content to share his teacher’s lot, the servant to share his master’s. If the master has been called Beelzebul, how much more his household! So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered, nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I say to you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight; what you hear whispered you must shout from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Fear him rather who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet without your Father’s knowledge not one of them can fall to the ground. As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than any number of sparrows. Whoever will acknowledge me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; and whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
‘You must not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man will find his enemies under his own roof. No one is worthy of me who cares more for father or mother than for me; no one is worthy of me who cares more for son or daughter; no one is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me. Whoever gains his life will lose it; whoever loses his life for my sake will gain it.
Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.
A Reflection on the Reading
Today’s readings are really rather difficult ones, I think. Paul’s letter to the Romans is his most theological writing, and often quite hard to unravel. What, for example, does he mean by “dying with Christ”? But Jesus himself, as Matthew presents his teaching, is also giving us some hard stuff. One of the titles we give to Jesus, especially at Christmas, is “prince of peace”. Yet here he’s saying, “I haven’t come to bring peace but a sword.” And then he goes on to speak of people set against each other, of family members set against each other. It sounds as if he’s not going to solve the world’s problems, but to add to them.
One of the moving images from last weekend’s “Black Lives Matter” demos was of a couple of black guys protecting a white far right supporter from the beating he was getting, and carrying him to safety. Like in the parable of the Good Samaritan, I guess what motivated those guys was just “This is someone who needs my help. It doesn’t matter who he is or from what tribe, if he needs help and I can give help, he’s my responsibility.” I’ve no idea what faith these people followed, if any - but what they were doing seemed to me a good and godly thing.
Now Jesus makes very clear that loving your enemy, and doing good to those who treat you badly, is fundamental to the faith he calls us to follow. It may mean - it very likely will mean - going against what the crowd decide to do. His attackers went on trying to hit that white guy even while his rescuers were carrying him away. And anyone who puts Jesus first will likely offend causes, organisations, political allies, people, friends, even family members, who feel they’re being downgraded, that they should have pride of place. Although anyone truly putting Jesus first will always be doing their best for those around them, because that’s what Jesus would want us to do.
Putting Jesus first is what Paul is referring to when he writes about “dying with Christ”. He means letting go of the life we own and can do what we want with, to live in a new way, shaped by the cross of Christ. Jesus himself says, “No-one is worthy who does not take up his cross and follow me.” This means not following the way of the world. Christians are not called on to be nice, but to be true; and we’re not promised popularity, but we are assured of our Father’s blessing.
For me the cross is a powerful image of a way of living that reaches up in praise and in prayer, that reaches out in fellowship, but also is always ready to reach down to raise up the fallen, to rescue the needy, to challenge injustice. A life that’s not content to leave things as they are, but is always wanting to proclaim how things could be, how things will be, as we are remade in the image of Christ.
This isn’t something I can do, not on my own. So I need to be joined to the example of Jesus, to the love of Jesus, to the death of Jesus, to win through. As Paul writes to the Church in Rome: “See yourselves as dead to sin, and alive to God, in union with Christ Jesus.” Amen.
Statement of faith
We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayers
Pray for the world: for every place of deprivation, suffering and injustice; for all who are abused or exploited, for landless people and refugees; and for those places where the impact of Covid 19 continues to grow. Pray for wisdom and clear vision for all in places of leadership and power, and also for all who are working to find effective vaccines and treatments for Covid 19.
Pray for the Church everywhere to be cross-shaped in its witness to the world. Pray for Christians in Nigeria, and for the Anglican Church in that nation. In our own Diocese, pray for a ministry that reaches out to all and affirms the worth of each person regardless of age, gender, background or race. On World Music Day, give thanks for all church musicians and composers.
Pray for all who are in need today: for any who are grieving, for any who are lonely, worried, or anxious, and for all who are ill, including all infected by the Covid 19 virus. Pray for their care, treatment and recovery. Continue to pray for the safety of all front line workers, especially those in hospitals, health centres and care homes.
Pray for families and friends, and for the life of our communities. Continue to pray for our schools, shops and other premises beginning to re-open, and for the safely of all; also for those whose jobs or businesses are lost or at risk. Pray for all who continue to self-isolate, and that all of us may continue to act with care, looking out for one another and keeping safe ourselves.
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.
Blessing
May the cross of Christ be our guide; may we bear that cross with courage and with faith, and may all we do be done in love; and so may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, surround and sustain us now and always. Amen.
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