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.
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