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 to God in sorrow for our sins, and we seek 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. Aid us and restore 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 - Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10 to 20 :-
Finally, find your strength in the Lord, in his mighty power. Put on the full armour provided by God, so that you may be able to stand firm against the stratagems of the devil. For our struggle is not against human foes, but against cosmic powers, against the authorities and potentates of this dark age, against the superhuman forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, take up the armour of God; then you will be able to withstand them on the evil day and, after doing your utmost, to stand your ground. Stand fast, I say. Fasten on the belt of truth; for a breastplate put on integrity; let the shoes on your feet be the gospel of peace, to give you firm footing; and, with all these, take up the great shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the burning arrows of the evil one. Accept salvation as your helmet, and the sword which the Spirit gives you, the word of God. Constantly ask God’s help in prayer, and pray always in the power of the Spirit. To this end keep watch and persevere, always interceding for all God’s people. Pray also for me, that I may be granted the right words when I speak, and may boldly and freely make known the hidden purpose of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may speak of it boldly, as is my duty.
John, chapter 6, verses 56 to 69 :-
Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven; it is not like the bread which our fathers ate; they are dead, but whoever eats this bread will live for ever.’ Jesus said these things in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum.
On hearing them, many of his disciples exclaimed, ‘This is more than we can stand! How can anyone listen to such talk?’ Jesus was aware that his disciples were grumbling about it and asked them, ‘Does this shock you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh can achieve nothing; the words I have spoken to you are both spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who have no faith.’ For Jesus knew from the outset who were without faith and who was to betray him. So he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.’
From that moment many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Your words are words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are God’s Holy One.’
Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.
Reflection on the Readings
I have never been a soldier, and I suspect that if I had been one, I wouldn’t have been very good at it. I wish we didn’t need our armed forces, and that we and all the world could live in peace, but the reality is that we do need those who can defend us, and I have enormous respect and gratitude for those who serve our country in this way. Over the years I’ve met quite a few who’ve served our country in various conflicts, and one or two who have been specially decorated for bravery. I once made the mistake of referring to one such gentleman as fearless. “Don’t call me fearless,” he replied. “I was always afraid, in fact. And if I hadn’t been, I think I’d have been much less use as a soldier.”
What he meant was that for himself and for those for whom he was responsible, he needed to be fully aware of the dangers they faced. There’s an important difference between being courageous and being foolhardy. Fear has to be managed, but it’s a good and healthy thing; and it’s not the opposite of courage, but its ally.
Paul the apostle and the people he was writing to in Ephesus will have known a lot about the Roman soldier. The might of Rome was built upon its military victories, and the high reputation of its armies. They were well led, and well marshalled and trained, but above all they were well equipped. So Paul uses that image of the well equipped soldier as he encourages his readers to find their strength in the Lord.
I’m not going to spend time here going through the list item by item that Paul gives us, but I would encourage you to read those words again and reflect on them. For what was true for Ephesus two thousand years ago remains true for us today, if we’re being serious about being Christians. There’s a lot that can turn us aside from where we’re meant to be, and what we’re meant to be doing. And I don’t only mean those who actively oppose what we stand for and preach. Alternative philosophies, the attractions of an easy life, the false doctrine of “do your own thing”, and the idea that today there is no single “truth”, we’re free to create our own.
Our churches can sometimes appear to be part-time and half-hearted, with the faith as something fitted in to the schedule, one hobby or pastime among many. But that is very different from Paul’s image of the soldier, with his good boots, his helmet and shield, and the great sword of truth. The same for those who defend our shores today: they have to be fully committed, completely on message, and thoroughly well defended. We don’t serve a part-time God, so we shouldn’t be part-time in our service. The spiritual armour Paul wrote about was all about being fully connected to God, and placing ourselves under his protection and power.
Now I can see that not everyone is going to hear a message like that gladly. Only the other day I was chatting with a friend who quite candidly said, “I wouldn’t mind coming to a church service now and again, but in the end I mostly stay away, because you lot keep telling me I should come every Sunday.” In our Gospel reading we see that some of those who followed Jesus ended up walking away, because, to be honest, he wanted more from them than they were prepared to give. So Jesus asks Peter and the rest of the Twelve, “Are you going to walk away too?”
Peter’s answer is important. “To whom else can we go? You have the words of life.” If we truly believe that in Jesus we have life, that in Jesus we have something that cannot be found elsewhere, that no-one else can give, that no-one else could have won for us - that should change our life, that should re-set our priorities. And the process of that happening is what is sometimes called “conversion”. Which is not that we’ve turned into a happy clappy or any other caricature of a Christian; or that we’ll no longer be fun to be with or be able to enjoy life; but it is the process which changes a person from being a bystander to being a participant, and perhaps also a soldier on active service. And when we make that move, the armour we shall need is provided for us.
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 Church worldwide to bear the marks of kindness and concern, and to be constant in service. Pray for Christians in South America, and for the Anglican Church of South America. Pray for our own Diocese and for Bishop Richard, and for the churches and communities of the Condover Deanery.
Pray for the world, and world leaders, that they may have vision and understanding, a desire for peace, and a concern especially for those who are poor, marginalized or vulnerable. Pray that nations may co-operate in a wholehearted way in the fight against disease of all kinds but especially the present threat of Covid. Pray for all competing in the Paralympics beginning in Tokyo.
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, and for those places where new waves of spread are occurring. 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 our local wildlife trusts, for nature reserves and those who manage them, and for those who work with schools and community organizations to promote awareness of and care for our wildlife. 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.
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