A short service and reflection for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

You may wish to light a candle before you begin.

May the grace, mercy and love of God be with us all. Amen.

Collect 

God of constant mercy, who sent your Son to save us: remind us of your goodness, increase your grace within us, that our thankfulness may grow, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession

We come before God’s gracious mercy, in sorrow for our sins, and seeking his help and strength.

O Lord our God, we confess before you the sins by which we have displeased you: the wrong things we have done, and the good we have failed to do. Help us and comfort us, cleanse us from our sins and renew us in your service,  in Jesus’ name. Amen.

May almighty God free us from our sin and from all that may harm us, and make us worthy of the kingdom of his glory.  Amen.

God’s Word 

Romans, chapter 12, verses 9 to the end :-

Love in all sincerity, loathing evil and holding fast to the good. Let love of the Christian community show itself in mutual affection. Esteem others more highly than yourself.

 With unflagging zeal, aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Let hope keep you joyful; in trouble stand firm; persist in prayer; contribute to the needs of God’s people, and practise hospitality. Call down blessings on your persecutors - blessings, not curses. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in agreement with one another. Do not be proud, but be ready to mix with humble people. Do not keep thinking how wise you are.

Never pay back evil for evil. Let your aims be such as all count honourable. If possible, so far as it lies with you, live at peace with all. My dear friends, do not seek revenge, but leave a place for divine retribution; for there is a text which reads, ‘Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay.’ But there is another text: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; by doing this you will heap live coals on his head.’ Do not let evil conquer you, but use good to conquer evil.

Matthew, chapter 16,  verses 21 to the end :-

From that time Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem, and endure great suffering at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes; to be put to death, and to be raised again on the third day. At this Peter took hold of him and began to rebuke him: ‘Heaven forbid!’ he said. ‘No, Lord, this shall never happen to you.’ Then Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Out of my sight, Satan; you are a stumbling block to me. You think as men think, not as God thinks.’

Jesus then said to his disciples, ‘Anyone who wishes to be a follower of mine must renounce self; he must take up his cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What will anyone gain by winning the whole world at the cost of his life? Or what can he give to buy his life back? For the Son of Man is to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will give everyone his due reward. Truly I tell you: there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they have seen the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

Reflection on the Readings

“He hasn’t made much of a success of his life, I suppose, but he always seems happy enough.” So said a friend to me the other day about someone we both know, a man of great talent and skill who could probably have been very successful in worldly terms, but chose not to be. I found myself not quite at ease with this analysis.

It was the implication that he wasn’t successful that I found difficult, I think. Because he  hadn’t built up his business into something worth millions (and perhaps he could have done), and because he hadn’t made a name for himself that the world would recognise (and again, he probably could have). But he was a kind and pleasant person, good to be with, and, above all, happy. Isn’t that “being successful”?

Paul, writing to the Church in Rome, gives his readers a list of ethical imperatives that can be summed up in the last words of the chapter: “Use good to conquer evil.” Paul writes about making space with others in mind, living with sympathy and empathy, and being prepared to mix with all sorts, to be hospitable to everyone, and to call down blessings even on those who treat you badly.

I recall a friend many years ago who chose to escape the rat race by setting up his own small business; and at the time he said to me, “I’m happy to climb as high as you want in the world, but I’ll not do it by trampling over other people.” I think Paul would have recognised and approved of that philosophy. “Never pay back evil for evil,” says Paul, “Live at peace with others if you possibly can.” 

But where I find him a bit more difficult is when he goes on to talk about “heaping live coals on your enemy’s head.” OK, you’re doing it by being nice to him - feeding him when he’s hungry, giving him a drink when he’s thirsty - but it still comes across as somehow doing those things with bad intent.  My friend, after all, had chosen not to trample on anyone - not the good guys, but not the bad guys either.

But I think what Paul is really saying is something Jesus also said: “Don’t set yourself up as judge; leave that to God - leave it to God to be the arbiter of what is good and what is evil.” Maybe also a bit about not coming down to your enemy’s level. And behind all of that we need to be aware of the high priority given to hospitality in the world of those days - so that not to give food and drink to someone who needed it, whoever they were, would in itself be a deliberately bad and neglectful action.

Perhaps your kind and charitable response to the person who deals with you badly may change and convert them. If that happens, you’ll very obviously have overcome evil with good. But often it won’t, and people may think of you  as weak, and take advantage of you. Within yourself, though, you will still have overcome evil with good, and your heavenly Father knows that. And if your enemy does persist in repaying your kindness with malice, really it won’t be you heaping up the burning coals on his head . . . he’ll doing that to himself.

The same word in Greek, the language of the New Testament, means both happy and blessed: makarios. Happy are they who are content within themselves, rather than always striving to take on the world; and blessed are they also.

All this I think is what Jesus is talking about when he tells us we must take up our cross, in order to follow him. Though they find it hard to accept and understand, he’s started to talk to his disciples about how he will die. The way of the cross isn’t just about suffering, but it is always about sacrifice: living with others, caring for others, moving aside from the “me, me, me” of modern culture. Living as God calls us to live, carefully, practically, kindly, rather than dancing to the world’s tune.

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, and for those in places of leadership and power, in our own nation and across the world. Pray they may have vision and understanding, a desire for peace, and a concern especially for the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Continue to pray for co-operation and mutual support as we face up to the continued threat of Covid 19, and that the search for a safe and effective vaccine will be entirely successful. On the International Day of the Disappeared, pray for all who are imprisoned unjustly and without cause. 

Pray for the Church worldwide to bear the marks of kindness and concern, and to be united in both mission and service. Pray for Christians in India, and especially for the United Church of South India. Pray for our own Diocese - for Bishop Richard, and for the care, conservation and creative use of our church buildings.

Pray for all who are ill or troubled, and for their healing and health; pray for those infected with Covid 19, wherever in the world they may be. Pray too for the health, safety and protection of health care workers.

Pray for families and friends, and the life of our communities. Pray for the safety and health of people at work, and also for those whose jobs have been lost or are insecure.  Pray we may continue to act with responsibility and care, looking out for each other, 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 God keep us steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and constant in love; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us always.   Amen.

A short service and reflection for Trinity 11

You may wish to light a candle before you begin.

May the grace, mercy and love of God be with us all. Amen.

Collect 

God of glory, the end of our searching, help us to lay aside all that prevents us from seeking your kingdom, and to give all that we have to gain the pearl beyond all price, through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Confession

Trusting in God’s gracious mercy, let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.

Almighty and eternal God, you are the source of all healing and peace. We confess the times when we have fallen short of what you would have us be. We are truly sorry and repent of our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that henceforth we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

May the Lord God have mercy upon us; may he deliver us from all our sins, and strengthen us in all goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

God’s Word - Romans, chapter 12, verses 1 to 8 :-

My friends, I implore you by God’s mercy to offer your very selves to him: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Conform no longer to the pattern of this present world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect. 

By authority of the grace God has given me I say to everyone among you: do not think too highly of yourself, but form a sober estimate based on the measure of faith that God has dealt to each of you. For just as in a single human body there are many limbs and organs, all with different functions, so we who are united with Christ, though many, form one body, and belong to one another as its limbs and organs. 

Let us use the different gifts allotted to each of us by God’s grace: the gift of inspired utterance, for example, let us use in proportion to our faith; the gift of administration to administer, the gift of teaching to teach, the gift of counselling to counsel. If you give to charity, give without grudging; if you are a leader, lead with enthusiasm; if you help others in distress, do it cheerfully.

Matthew, chapter 16,  verses 13 to 20 :-

When he came to the territory of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ They answered, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’   ‘And you,’ he asked, ‘who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 

Then Jesus said: ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are favoured indeed! You did not learn that from any human being; it was revealed to you by my heavenly Father. And I say to you: you are Peter, the Rock; and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall never conquer it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; what you forbid on earth shall be forbidden in heaven, and what you allow on earth shall be allowed in heaven.’ He then gave his disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

Reflection on the Readings

“You are Peter, the Rock; and on this rock I will build my Church.” With these words Jesus confirms Simon Peter as leader among the apostles; but as a foundation stone Peter comes across as a bit wobbly, surely? There’s no doubting his faith, or his boldness in speaking out. But this is the man who loudly denied on the night before the crucifixion that he had ever known Jesus. That may well have been a perfectly sensible course of action given the circumstances, but the fact remains that it was exactly what Peter had promised Jesus he would never do just a short time before.

And then, as he heard the cock crow, Peter realised - too late - what he’d done. “I will never abandon you, Lord,” he had said to Jesus. “Really, Peter?” said Jesus in reply. “Let me tell you that before the cock crows, you will have denied three times that you know me.” Peter collapsed in tears; he’d let Jesus down at the very first test. How quickly and easily he had reneged on that promise! How weak he was, how much not to be relied on. And yet Jesus had said to him, “You are the rock on which I will build my Church.”

So what had Jesus seen in Peter that was so special? Well, as we heard in this morning’s reading, he was the first to call Jesus “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter didn’t yet understand what this would mean; neither he nor any of the others could yet see how Jesus as Messiah would walk the way of the cross. But he could see that Jesus was more than just a rabbi, a teacher, more than just a good man, more than a prophet and a healer. Where Jesus was, God was present, and that when Jesus spoke, he did so with all the power and authority of God.

But then it was I think the very brokenness of Peter - Peter’s failure, and the self-awareness that sprang from it, that would make him a good and sure foundation. He’d always been quick to promise, and eager to do - too quick, though, and too rash in his eagerness. But then he’d learned that his own strength could never be enough. And he became the foundation on which the Church could be built only because he would be himself completely and utterly dependant on Christ.

“Offer your very selves to God,” writes Paul to the Church in Rome. And he goes on to say to them: “Do not think too highly of yourself.” Had Peter originally thought too highly of himself, I wonder? I don’t mean that Peter was boastful or conceited or looking for others to praise him. But I do think he thought he could do it all himself, that his own eagerness and loyalty and strength would be enough. Like the child in class whose hand always goes up first: “Let me do it, Miss!” - the ever-helpful one who can begin to get a bit wearing. He needed to grow up a bit.

By the time he wrote what we know as the First Letter of Peter he had. And this is what he writes in chapter 4 verse 10: “As good stewards of the varied gifts given you by God, let each use the gift he has received in service to others.” This chimes in with what Paul wrote to the Romans in our first reading about “belonging to one another as the limbs and organs of the body of Christ.”

Peter discovered that his own strength could never be enough, he needed to be strong not in himself but in his Lord. And for that to happen he had first to be made aware of his own weakness. A Christ-like church must be a servant church, and to be of service in the world we must first of all be serving and supporting each other. The image of the body of Christ is a very helpful one. For a body to function well, every bit of it needs to be working, working in ways that are coherent and mutually supportive. And a body is only truly healthy when each and every part of it is fully instructed by the head, fully on-message, to use the modern phrase.

As we begin the difficult transition from the Covid world to the post-Covid world, and try to discern how to be the Church of Christ within the new normal, our starting point has to be to take Peter and Paul seriously. We are the body of Christ, we say: and we must truly be that body, to be of use and service in the world.

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, and for every place of disharmony and division. Pray for the refugees and displaced people of our world, often living in places of great risk and need. Pray for the places of poverty and for those whose crops have failed. And pray for all who are abused, exploited or treated badly, perhaps because of their race, colour or faith. Pray for all who work to bring help and healing, to build bridges, to challenge injustice, and to inspire peace.

Pray for the Church worldwide to learn to be one body, true to the commands and example of Christ, especially that first and greatest command, that we should love one another. Pray for Christians in South-East Asia, and for the Anglican Province of South-East Asia. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard and for the churches and communities of the Condover Deanery.

Pray for all who are ill or troubled, that they may he healed and restored to health; pray for all in hospital or other places of care, including those infected with the Covid virus, here and around the world. Pray for the health, safety and protection of health care workers, and also for the continuing research to find effective treatments and vaccines to combat Covid.

Pray for families and friends, and the life of our communities. Pray for all who manage and use our local village halls, and also for our schools as they look to the challenges of the new school year.  Pray we may continue to act with responsibility and care, looking out for each other, 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 God of all grace, who called us to his eternal glory in Christ, restore, establish and strengthen us on a sure foundation; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us always.   Amen.

A short service and reflection for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity

You may wish to light a candle before you begin.

May the grace, mercy and love of God be with us all. Amen.

Collect 

Lord of heaven and earth, as Jesus taught his disciples to be persistent in prayer, give us patience and courage never to lose hope, but always to bring our prayers before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, trusting that in God our Father we may find forgiveness, renewal and peace.

Gracious and holy God, when we fail to be good stewards of your creation, forgive us; when we fail to be good stewards of your gospel, forgive us; and when we fail to be good stewards of your gifts, forgive us. Help us to use the time, the talents and the opportunities you give us to your glory and in ways that enrich the lives of those around us. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hear this word of pardon: through God in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven.  Amen.

God’s Word 

Romans, chapter 11, verses 1 to 2a, and 29 to 32 :-

I ask, then: Has God rejected his people? Of course not! I am an Israelite myself, of the stock of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected the people he acknowledged of old as his own. 

For the gracious gifts of God and his calling are irrevocable. Just as formerly you were disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so now, because of the mercy shown to you, they have proved disobedient, but only in order that they too may receive mercy. For in shutting all mankind in the prison of their disobedience, God’s purpose was to show mercy to all humanity.

Matthew, chapter 15,  verses 21 to 28 :-

Jesus then withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from those parts came to meet him crying, ‘Son of David! Have pity on me; my daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he said not a word in reply. 

His disciples came and urged him: ‘Send her away! See how she comes shouting after us.’ Jesus replied, ‘I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to them alone.’ 

But the woman came and fell at his feet and cried, ‘Help me, sir.’ Jesus replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ ‘True, sir,’ she answered, ‘and yet the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Hearing this Jesus replied, ‘What faith you have! Let it be as you wish!’ And from that moment her daughter was restored to health.

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

Reflection on the Readings

There is a thread running through both our readings today that is about exclusion. And then another common thread to do with persistence. And then, added to these, something important about what faith is, what faith does, and where faith is to be found.

Let’s start with Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul rejoiced greatly to find the gospel message he felt called to preach being enthusiastically received by Greek or gentile people, non-Jewish people. But he himself was a Jew, and so he also felt the pain of finding this same message rejected by those of his own faith. Why was this? Had God rejected his own people?

Paul could see how people who had been excluded - people he’d have excluded himself back in the old days - were coming with delight into a new faith in Jesus. It had always been God’s plan, he realised, that those who had been for so long excluded should now be included, so that in this new beginning there would be no distinction between Jew and Greek, and all would be one in Christ.

He could also see how faith, in other words trusting in Jesus and in the healing and reconciling power of the cross, rather than law - the requirement to keep to the letter every facet of the Law of Moses - was becoming the basis for a new form of community, marked by healing, thanksgiving, peace and mutual love.

And yet his own people seemed for the most part to be excluding themselves from this new way. For Paul this was hard to take. In the reading we heard this morning he suggests a link between the new obedience of those who once were excluded, and the new disobedience of those (his own people) who continued to claim that they and only they were God’s chosen people. And, looking at this, he insists that it remains God’s purpose to show mercy to all humanity, and not to be partial. Jesus died on the cross not for some people, but for all people; not to change some human situations, but every human situation.

But it remains up to us whether we accept that, whether we respond to it. At the heart of it all is love: Jesus is the King of love. And love cannot force or compel, it can only love, and wait for the other to respond - it can only attract and serve, and risk being ignored, rejected or taken advantage of.

God’s purpose is to show mercy to all humanity, wrote Paul. But that’s not so clear when we start to read our passage from Matthew’s Gospel which begins with Jesus in the region of Tyre and Sidon, modern-day Lebanon, and back then a very mixed community, many if not most of whose members would not have been Jews.

A woman described here as Canaanite, and in other Gospels as Syro-Phoenician - certainly not a Jew, anyway - is being troublesome. Or so the disciples think, we find. They’re urging Jesus to get rid of her, but he in fact just chooses to disregard her completely. He blanks her, and she is excluded, because she isn’t one of the lost sheep of Israel, and therefore she isn’t the concern of Jesus at all.

But what she is, is persistent, not on her own behalf, but for her sick daughter.  So at last Jesus does have to respond to her directly. He speaks to her as any Jewish rabbi might be expected to speak to one who has been excluded, who doesn’t count: “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs!” “But the dogs can still take the scraps from under the table,” replied the woman.

Had Jesus deliberately provoked her into a profession of faith that would astound and maybe open the eyes of his disciples? Or had Jesus meant what he said, until the woman’s firm and faithful response changed his understanding? We can’t be completely sure, but this we can say - the story shows us how faith can cross boundaries and break barriers. We see that persistence pays off in prayer as it does elsewhere, and that in reality the love of God seeks to exclude no-one.

And nor should we. “Love your neighbour as yourself,” says the Summary of the Law. And my neighbour isn’t the person of the same tribe as me, or the person who looks like me, or thinks like me, or votes like me. He or she is the person who needs the help I can give. Without regard for race or religion or even merit. That is how God sees us; and that is how should see and deal with one another.

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:  that leaders of nations may work together for harmony, fellowship and peace, and with full regard for human rights and freedom, especially on this World Humanitarian Day; that across the world we may work together for the common good, especially as we face up to the continued impact of Covid 19: and that the work to find an effective cure may meet with success, and its fruits be made available to all. 

Pray that the Church in every place may be fervent in prayer, strong in faith and purpose, and open to all. Pray for Christians in Scotland, and for the life and work of the Scottish Episcopal Church. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard, and today especially for all that helps to create good and creative links between church and community in each local place.

Pray for all who are ill or troubled, especially those we know, and for their help and healing; pray for all in hospital or other places of care this weekend, including those infected with the Covid virus. Pray also for the health, safety and protection of all who care for others.

Pray for our families and friends, and the life of our communities. Pray for all who have lost jobs, or whose employment is insecure. Pray for our shops and high streets under pressure. Pray too that we may continue to act with responsibility and care, looking out for each other, 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 God, who no longer calls us strangers and foreigners but has made us fellow-citizens with all the saints, bring us into full fellowship with him; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us always.   Amen.

A short service and reflection for the 9th Sunday after Trinity

You may wish to light a candle before you begin.

May the grace, mercy and love of God be with us all. Amen.

Collect 

Gracious Father, revive your Church in our day, and make her holy, strong and faithful, for your glory's sake in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession

As God’s family, we turn to him to offer our penitence and praise, for he is full of gentleness and compassion. Let us then ask his forgiveness of our sins.

We confess to God that we have sinned in thought, word and deed, and in the things we have failed to do. Most loving Father, where sin has divided and scattered, may your love make us whole again; where sin has brought weakness, may your power heal and strengthen us; and where sin has brought death, may your Spirit raise us to new life. Amen.

May God through his forgiveness draw us closer to him, and in him closer to one another, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

God’s Word - Romans, chapter 10, verses 5 to 15 :-

Of righteousness attained through the law Moses writes, ‘Anyone who keeps it shall have life by it.’ But the righteousness that comes by faith says, ‘Do not say to yourself, “Who can go up to heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or, “Who can go down to the abyss?”’ (to bring Christ up from the dead). And what does it say next? ‘The word is near you: it is on your lips and in your heart’; and that means the word of faith which we proclaim. If the confession ‘Jesus is Lord’ is on your lips, and the faith that God raised him from the dead is in your heart, you will find salvation. For faith in the heart leads to righteousness, and confession on the lips leads to salvation.

Scripture says, ‘No one who has faith in him will be put to shame’: there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all, and has riches enough for all who call on him. For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how could they call on him without having faith in him? And how could they have faith without having heard of him? And how could they hear without someone to spread the news? And how could anyone spread the news without being sent? As scripture says, ‘How welcome are the feet of the messengers of good news!’

Matthew, chapter 14,  verses 22 to 33 :-

As soon as they had finished, Jesus made the disciples embark and cross to the other side ahead of him, while he dismissed the crowd; then he went up the hill by himself to pray. It had grown late, and he was there alone. The boat was already some distance from the shore, battling with a head wind and a rough sea. Between three and six in the morning he came towards them, walking across the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were so shaken that they cried out in terror: ‘It is a ghost!’ But at once Jesus spoke to them: ‘Take heart! It is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter called to him: ‘Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you over the water.’ 

‘Come,’ said Jesus. Peter got down out of the boat, and walked over the water towards Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the gale he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, ‘Save me, Lord!’ Jesus at once reached out and caught hold of him. ‘Why did you hesitate?’ he said. ‘How little faith you have!’ Then they climbed into the boat; and the wind dropped. And the men in the boat fell at his feet, exclaiming, ‘You must be the Son of God.’

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

Reflection on the Readings

It was forty years ago at the end of June last that I first went, in some fear and trepidation, to Lichfield Cathedral, there to have hands laid upon me and to begin my ministry as a deacon. A year later I returned to be ordained as a priest; and on both occasions I think I shared something of what it may have felt like for Peter to have left the safety of the boat to walk across the water to Jesus.

It’s all right to begin with, but then when you start to really think about what you’ve set yourself to do, and just how impossible it really is, your nerve begins to fail you, and you find yourself sinking. “Save me, Lord,” cries Peter at that point, and Jesus reached out and held him up. “Why did you hesitate?” he asks him, as they climb into the boat.

This strange story is told partly to demonstrate that in Christ all the creative power of God resides. After all, the story includes the sudden stilling of the storm wind against which the boat had been battling, as soon as Jesus steps on board, which connects this story to the account of Jesus stilling another storm which had terrified his disciples on the lake, which we can read in Matthew chapter 8. Mark and John also tell the story of Jesus walking on water, but only in Matthew’s version do we have Peter trying to do the same.

And by including Peter’s failed attempt, Matthew makes the story one not only about authority, but also faith. It was Peter’s faith that failed him; and why? Because he was suddenly aware of just how strong the wind was, and how high the waves.

The late Anglican priest and preacher Roly Bain, who also performed as a clown under the name “Holy Roly”, used to tell his own version of this story while doing a tightrope walk across the church. Like many tightrope walkers aiming to scare the crowd a bit while entertaining them, he would seem to lose his balance halfway across, and sway on the wire. But his walk was one with a serious message. To walk a tightrope you need to have your eyes firmly fixed on the destination point, so that you are completely focused on that, and not distracted by anything else. And Roly would have fixed a great cross as his destination point.

The apostle Paul would have understood that well, for he wrote this to the Church in Corinth: “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Roly’s message was that to walk the way of faith he - and you - would need to keep eyes and heart and mind firmly fixed on Jesus. And that’s what Peter was managing to do, until the wind and the waves distracted him.

Forty years on from my ordination, I can see - looking back - many occasions on which I got distracted - times when the sea around me seemed too rough, the demands on me too great, my faith not enough, my nerve gone. At my ordination, the bishop had prayed, “May their life be disciplined and holy, their words declare your love, and their actions reveal your glory.” But we’re only human. Mistakes get made. Things go wrong. It took me a while to realise that my job is to persevere in doing the best I can. Amazingly, God has called me despite my imperfection, and he goes on calling me despite my mistakes. His faith in us bridges the gap between faith and practice in our own lives. Peter failed in his attempt, but Jesus caught him.

And of course, it’s not only ordained folk that all this refers to. We’re all in the same boat, or out of it. All of us are called to share God’s love, and to act in ways that reveal his glory. And all of us fail in the attempt. But let’s not ever give up. For our weakness is known and understood, our sins forgiven - if we re-fix our eyes on Jesus, and keep striving, and keep loving, and keep going.

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, and that we may live in harmony with one another, and with respect and care for God’s creation. Pray for the leaders of nations, that they may work together for the peace of all, and with regard for the needs and rights of all. Continue to pray that we may work together and support each other as we face up to the continued threat of Covid 19: for the places where the impact of the disease is growing, and for all that is being done to develop treatments and vaccines. 

Pray that the Church in every place will be strong in faith and active in service. Pray for Christians in Rwanda, and for the Anglican Province of Rwanda. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard, and today especially for the churches and communities of the Clun Forest Deanery.

Pray for all who are ill today, especially those known to us, and for everyone who is in hospital or some other place of care. Pray for those waiting for operations or courses of treatment, and for all who have tested positive for Covid 19. Pray for the treatment, care and recovery of all who are ill, and the safety of all who care for others.

Pray for families and friends, and for the life of our communities. Pray for the places where new virus infection clusters or spikes have been identified, and for all who feel they are particularly at risk. Pray we may continue to act with responsibility and care, looking out for each other, 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 

God grant us a spirit of unity and common purpose, that with one voice we may glorify his name; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us always.   Amen.