A short service and reflection for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity

 

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.

The Lord Almighty grant us forgiveness of our sins, and the grace and comfort of his Holy Spirit.  Amen.

God’s Word - Ephesians, chapter 4 verse 25 to chapter 5 verse 2 :-

Have done with falsehood and speak the truth to each other, for we belong to one another as parts of one body. If you are angry, do not be led into sin; do not let sunset find you nursing your anger; and give no foothold to the devil. The thief must give up stealing, and work hard with his hands to earn an honest living, so that he may have something to share with the needy.

Let no offensive talk pass your lips, only what is good and helpful to the occasion, so that it brings a blessing to those who hear it. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, for that Spirit is the seal with which you were marked for the day of final liberation. Have done with all spite and bad temper, with rage, insults, and slander, with evil of any kind. Be generous to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. In a word, as God’s dear children, you must be like him. Live in love as Christ loved you and gave himself up on your behalf, an offering and sacrifice whose fragrance is pleasing to God.

John, chapter 6,  verse 35 and verses 41 to 51 :-

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

At this the Jews began to grumble because he said, ‘I am the bread which came down from heaven.’ They said, ‘Surely this is Jesus, Joseph’s son! We know his father and mother. How can he say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ ‘Stop complaining among yourselves,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets: “They will all be taught by God.” Everyone who has listened to the Father and learned from him comes to me.

‘I do not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who has come from God has seen the Father, and he alone. In very truth I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, yet they are dead. I am speaking of the bread that comes down from heaven; whoever eats it will never die. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever. The bread which I shall give is my own flesh, given for the life of the world.’

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

Reflection

I am told it was the writers Jonathan Swift and Matthew Henry who first used the phrase “the staff of life” to refer to bread, in other words speaking of bread as the staple and essential for life. They wrote in the 17th century, but the phrase could be adapted from a Bible verse in the prophecy of Isaiah. As it happens, most scholars would say that the word translated as bread really means food of all kinds, not only loaves of bread - just as it does in “Give us this day our daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer. But it’s because bread is such a basic food that the word becomes a synonym for food of all kinds. I love good bread; It’d be hard to live without it - but of course I could live without it, so long as other foodstuffs were available. But isn’t there something rather wonderful about the process of converting a cereal grain into a loaf of fresh bread? Like the loaf of bread Jesus breaks and shares, when he says, “This is my body.”

Jesus had previously said, in St John’s Gospel, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain. But if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.” There’s a sacrificial element to the story of bread, which we’ll come back to later.

The story itself is a very old one indeed. Prehistorically (for this predates any written record) people moved from just harvesting whatever plants happened to grow around their settlements to preparing the ground and actually selecting and sowing seeds; and wheat, the world’s most commonly sown cereal crop, was being cultivated maybe ten thousand years before the time of Jesus, perhaps in the hilly country of what is now part of modern Turkey.

The image of a wheat grain falling into the ground to die makes bread a symbol of sacrifice - grain surrendered to provide us with life. Both bread and wine were thought of as symbols of sacrifice - alongside what Jesus said about the grain falling into the ground to die, in popular thought the trailing vine which needed to be supported on frames had sacrificed all its own strength and vigour in order to feed the grapes. So at the last supper, as he broke the bread and shared the cup of wine, Jesus was in fact using two potent symbols of sacrifice.

Today we’ve heard Jesus call himself, “The bread of life.” Years ago we stayed in a little Greek taberna that was just across the road from a bakery; each morning I’d nip across and buy whatever was fresh from the oven. None of it lasted very long! But if you leave it, bread goes hard and dry and stale, and loses that first wonderful freshness: so Jesus told the people who’d followed him round the lake having been fed with bread and fishes in the story of the feeding of the 5,000, “Don’t chase after ordinary food that doesn’t last - work for the food that doesn’t go stale, but lasts for ever: the bread from heaven only God can give.”

“How shall we do this?” the people asked him. By believing in me, said Jesus. And in today’s Gospel, he hear him say, “I give myself, for the life of the world.” Most people didn’t understand what he was saying; and some were angered by the claims he was making. But as he broke bread and shared it with his disciples at the meal we call the Last Supper, Jesus was joining those who sat round table with him there to what would happen the next day, the first Good Friday, to what only he could do, having, in complete obedience to his Father’s will, chosen to walk the way of the cross for our sake, even though it would lead to his own death. Each holy communion joins us to that event; but how in practice can we be joined to the sacrifice only Jesus himself could make?

Surely by being the living bread God calls us to be, in the day to day of our lives; doing our best to be, for those around us with whom we share this planet, and for our children and grandchildren and the future to come, the staff of life. As life givers, life enablers, and life enhancers. Or, in St Paul’s words, being those who “Live in love as Christ loved you and gave himself up on your behalf, an offering and sacrifice whose fragrance (like that of new bread?) is pleasing to God.”

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 everywhere to be life-giving and life-affirming, bread for the world. Pray for Christians in India, and for the united Church of South India. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard, and for the churches and communities of the Clun Forest Deanery.

Pray that in the world, those who exercise power may do so with peaceful intent, and for the good of all. Pray that a truly global response to the continued threat of Covid 19 may be developed. Pray too for those who will end this day hungry, and for all that is being done to end human poverty, and to ensure all have bread to eat.

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 remain at risk of losing jobs, as the national furlough scheme draws to an end. Pray for our farmers as they harvest their cereal crops, and for a good yield. Pray too that we may continue to act with responsibility and care, looking out for each other, and keeping safe ourselves.

Lord's Prayer

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 Ninth Sunday after Trinity

 

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 may your Spirit raise us to new life and empower us afresh in your service, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

May God through his forgiveness cleanse us from our sins, and restore us as his people, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

God’s Word - Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 1 to 16 :-

I Implore you then - I, a prisoner for the Lord’s sake: as God has called you, live up to your calling. Be humble always and gentle, and patient too, putting up with one another’s failings in the spirit of love. Spare no effort to make fast with bonds of peace the unity which the Spirit gives. There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope held out in God’s call to you; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But each of us has been given a special gift, a particular share in the bounty of Christ. That is why scripture says: “He ascended into the heights; he took captives into captivity; he gave gifts to mortals.”  Now, the word ‘ascended’ implies that he also descended to the lowest level, down to the very earth. He who descended is none other than he who ascended far above all heavens, so that he might fill the universe. And it is he who has given some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip God’s people for work in his service, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity inherent in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God: to mature manhood, measured by nothing less than the full stature of Christ.

We are no longer to be children, tossed about by the waves and whirled around by every fresh gust of teaching, dupes of cunning rogues and their deceitful schemes. Rather we are to maintain the truth in a spirit of love; so shall we fully grow up into Christ. He is the head, and on him the whole body depends. Bonded and held together by every constituent joint, the whole frame grows through the proper functioning of each part, and builds itself up in love.

John, chapter 6,  verses 24 to 35 :-

When the crowd saw that Jesus had gone as well as his disciples, they went on board these boats and made for Capernaum in search of him. They found him on the other side. ‘Rabbi,’ they asked, ‘when did you come here?’ Jesus replied, ‘In very truth I tell you, it is not because you saw signs that you came looking for me, but because you ate the bread and your hunger was satisfied. You should work, not for this perishable food, but for the food that lasts, the food of eternal life.      

‘This food the Son of Man will give you, for on him God the Father has set the seal of his authority.’ ‘Then what must we do’, they asked him, ‘if our work is to be the work of God?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the work that God requires: to believe in the one whom he has sent.’

They asked, ‘What sign can you give us, so that we may see it and believe you? What is the work you are doing? Our ancestors had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’ Jesus answered, ‘In very truth I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread that God gives comes down from heaven and brings life to the world.’ ‘Sir,’ they said to him, ‘give us this bread now and always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

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

Reflection - a shorter version of the sermon preached online and in church

I was walking down the street the other day when someone hailed me with a cheery “Good morning.” I responded of course, and a conversation ensued, in which it was clear that this person knew a lot about me. They asked how I was doing these days, and how various members of my family were, things like that. Then we moved on, in different directions, and I have to say I still have no idea who that person was. But it must be like that all the time for people who are celebrities, I reflected. Because you appear on their TV each evening, folk think they know you, they claim a part of you, and your life is no longer your own. There can be a dark side to that too of course - people who stalk you, or troll you, or in some cases just actively wish you harm.

In our Gospel reading we see that for a while Jesus had exactly that sort of celebrity status in Galilee. Wherever he went, crowds gathered. They’d followed him in their thousands to the far side of the lake - and he fed them there, that was the story of the feeding of the five thousand, which was last week’s Gospel. This week they discover he’s gone back across the lake to Capernaum, and chase after him again.

The way Jesus responds to this demonstrates how aware he was that celebrity is a very fragile flower. Famous folk get knocked very easily off their pedestals, and there are always people around looking to do that. I’m reminded of the Eagles’ song “New kid in town”, where everyone wants to know the latest arrival on the block - until, that is, the next “new kid” arrives.

“Don’t just chase after me,” says Jesus to them; “Instead, commit yourselves to God, and work for the food that lasts for ever.” “How do we do that?” they ask. And Jesus replies, “You do it by believing in the one whom God has sent.”

Believing seems a fairly straightforward and easy thing to do, though some things are harder to believe than others, I suppose. I’m reminded of Lewis Carroll’s Alice, who said, ““One can't believe impossible things.” To which the Red Queen replies, “I daresay you haven't had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’

Paul wrote to the Ephesians about using the gifts we have, in complementary ways, so that the Church operates as Christ’s body, working for him in the world. And all of this is based in the recognition that there is “One Lord, one faith, and one baptism.” The sort of believing Jesus is speaking about is more than just the acquisition of remembered facts, it has to do with response, action, change of life - it’s about more than just belief, it’s about faith.

Those who chase after celebrity are maybe looking to be entertained, amused, or to acquire a bit of reflected glory. It has to do with what we receive, what we get for our money. The belief Jesus is talking about, and the lifestyle Paul encourages from his readers in Ephesus - this is more about what we give, what we lay down, what we commit ourselves to, than what we get. It’s not about the latest ephemeral thing - to be dropped when something more fun or more in fashion comes along.

But the foundation is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” People chase after celebrities because they want more; and when there’s no more to give, they chase after someone else instead.  In Christ we have already been given more than we could ever give in response. We are nothing, we are wasting assets, without the victory won once and for all on the cross. The challenge Jesus gives is, “Believe in this victory; believe in this love; then act on what you believe.”

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 that the Church in every place will be strong in faith and active in service. Pray for Christians in south-east Asia, and for the Anglican Province of SE Asia. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard, and for all that helps keep our churches actively engaged with the life and needs and aspirations of the communities in which we are called to serve.

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 nations may work together to ensure that Covid vaccines are readily available throughout the world. On Lammas Day, pray we may honour God in the use of the land and care for creation.

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 diagnosis, operations or courses of treatment. Pray for the ongoing process of monitoring and recording Covid cases, keeping up with new variants, and refining and improving vaccines.

Pray for families and friends, and for the life of our communities. Pray for all who are visiting or passing through our communities during this holiday season, and for their safety and wellbeing and ours. May we continue to act responsibly and with care, to look out for each other, and keep 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.

 

A short service and reflection for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity

 

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

Collect

Lord God, your Son left the riches of heaven and became poor for our sake: when we prosper save us from pride, when we are needy save us from despair, that we may trust in you alone; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession

Trusting in his forgiving love, let us make confession to our heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father, we confess to you and to each other the wrong we have done, and the good things we have failed to do. Grant us the courage to admit our faults, the strength to amend our actions, and the hope that your grace awaits us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May God our Father deliver us from our sins, heal our hearts, and kindle within us the flame of his love,  for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

God’s Word - Ephesians, chapter 3, verses 14 to the end :-

I kneel in prayer to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, that out of the treasures of his glory he may grant you inward strength and power through his Spirit, that through faith Christ may dwell in your hearts in love. With deep roots and firm foundations may you, in company with all God’s people, be strong to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love, and to know it, though it is beyond knowledge. So may you be filled with the very fullness of God. Now to him who is able through the power which is at work among us to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or conceive, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus from generation to generation for evermore! Amen.

John, chapter 6 verses 1 to 21 :-

Jesus withdrew to the farther shore of the sea of Galilee (or Tiberias), and a large crowd of people followed him because they had seen the signs he performed in healing the sick. Jesus went up the hillside and sat down with his disciples. It was near the time of Passover, the great Jewish festival. Looking up and seeing a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread to feed these people?’ He said this to test him; Jesus himself knew what he meant to do. Philip replied, ‘We would need two hundred denarii to buy enough bread for each of them to have a little.’

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to the people as they sat there. He did the same with the fish, and they had as much as they wanted. When everyone had had enough, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather up the pieces left over, so that nothing is wasted.’ They gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that were left uneaten.

When the people saw the sign Jesus had performed, the word went round, ‘Surely this must be the Prophet who was to come into the world.’ Jesus, realizing that they meant to come and seize him to proclaim him king, withdrew again to the hills by himself.

At nightfall his disciples went down to the sea, and set off by boat to cross to Capernaum. Though darkness had fallen, Jesus had not yet joined them; a strong wind was blowing and the sea grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. They were terrified, but he called out, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ With that they were ready to take him on board, and immediately the boat reached the land they were making for.

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

Reflection on the Readings (a shorter version of the sermon preached at the Sunday service)

A year ago, when we last had the Feeding of the 5,000 as our Gospel text, I found myself reflecting in this slot about the strangeness - for me - of spending months not able to receive the bread and wine of communion. Some of my colleagues had celebrated communion in their own homes, but I didn’t feel I wanted to, because for me the fellowship of communion is of overriding importance: not just the closeness to God I feel when receiving the bread and wine, but the fellowship I share with those around me.

The hospitality of the table is part of the joy of friendship, and it’s also a duty of community, and I’m glad that we are now able to share in these ways again, though I do hope we will continue to act with real thought and care for those around us, and therefore with caution - and I’m also very aware that there are many people still excluded. In today’s story, it’s clear that for Jesus, not to have offered hospitality to those who’d come out to hear him in the wilderness would have been unthinkable.

Scholars tell us that the feeding of the 5,000 should not be thought of as the same thing as Holy Communion, but it still feels a lot like it to me. This miraculous meal and the Lord’s Supper both share a message to do with God’s gracious and abundant provision. We learn that God is a generous God, and perhaps that helps both bond us in fellowship and encourage us to act with grace and generosity ourselves.

The distinctive thing about the story as John tells it, is the small boy brought forward by Andrew. “Here’s a lad who has five barley loaves and a couple of fish.” While Andrew might have just spotted the boy, I’ve always liked to think he came forward and offered his loaves and fish, with the naïve generosity of a child. For, as Andrew went on to say, what is that among so many?

The story, though, adds a simple message to what otherwise is just a demonstration of miraculous powers - and it’s this: we may not have very much, but if we offer it all, it’s amazing what God is able to do with it. Everyone ate well that day, including the lad who offered the bread and fish in the first place.  But what would have happened if the offer had never been made, of those five loaves and two fish?

Bread is also divided and shared at the last supper. “Take this and eat it - this is my body,” said Jesus to his surprised and shocked disciples. Jesus at that event, and at every celebration of Holy Communion, offers himself to take our place, and to bear the weight of our sin, and to lead us to life. As the darkness closed in around them, he shared bread with his friends to make them part of that story of redemption. He opened to them the generous heart of God, and he does the same for us; at every communion service we gather at the same table.

So of course, last year I was missing it terribly, and I still long for our services of Holy Communion to be back to how they were pre-Covid. So we’re gathered at the table itself, and not stuck in our pews. But taking care and keeping safe in church is also part of our generous response to God’s generosity, and our care for each other within the fellowship of the Holy Communion. And, whatever we’re able to do in church, the important thing is that the message of communion and of today’s Gospel remains at the heart of our faith. Our God is generous and hospitable God whose glory and love is revealed in Jesus; and what we offer of ourselves to him becomes something so much greater as it is touched by his love.

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 in every place to reflect in its action and its fellowship the generosity of our God. Pray for Christians in Scotland, and for the Scottish Episcopal Church. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard, and for the churches and communities of the Bromyard deanery, including the Camino trail in that deanery being inaugurated today on the Feast of St James.

Pray for peace in our world: for all who are exploited or abused by others, or treated unjustly, and for all who are tempted to misuse the power they hold. In the week of the World Day against the Trafficking of Persons, pray for all who are caught up in the various forms of slavery that still exist in our world. Continue to pray for strength and unity of purpose as the world faces up to the threat of Covid 19, and for vaccines to be made available to all.

Pray for all who are ill today, especially those whose situations we know, and all who are in hospitals and other places of care. Pray for those whose diagnosis or treatment has been delayed by the Covid crisis, and also for any directly affected by the Covid virus, as cases again increase. Pray also for the safety of healthcare workers.

Pray for families and friends, and for the life of our communities. Give thanks for the new opportunities allowed by the easing and removal of restrictions, but pray too that we may continue to act with responsibility and 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 generosity of God support, encourage and strengthen us, and open our hearts to be generous in all we offer and do; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us always.   Amen.