Welcome to our online service - 11 July
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday services, 10am, live on Zoom and in the church and 11:30am in church. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join us. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
Please join us for public worship in the church building this Sunday at 10am or 11:30am.
OPENING
Praise the name of the Lord;
ascribe greatness to our God.
Lord, open our lips
and we shall praise your name.
HYMN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQeIGbKqiw8
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
that Thou, my God,
shouldst die for me!
2 'Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies;
who can explore His strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all let earth adore,
let angel minds inquire no more.
3 He left His Father's throne above -
so free, so infinite His grace -
emptied Himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
for, O my God, it found out me!
4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray -
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free.
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
5 No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown,
through Christ, my own.
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CONFESSION
The word of God is living and active.
It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
All is open and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we give account.
Lord God, our maker and our redeemer,
this is your world and we are your people: come among us and save us.
We have wilfully misused your gifts of creation;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have seen the ill-treatment of others and have not gone to their aid;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have condoned evil and dishonesty and failed to strive for justice;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have heard the good news of Christ,
but have failed to share it with others;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
We have not loved you with all our heart, nor our neighbours as ourselves;
Lord, be merciful:
forgive us our sin.
ABSOLUTION
May God who loved the world so much
that he sent his Son to be our Saviour
forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve him in the world,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
COLLECT
Creator God,
you made us all in your image:
may we discern you in all that we see,
and serve you in all that we do;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6LC8cu03Ig
THY WORD is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
(Repeat)
When I feel afraid,
Think I’ve lost my way,
Still You’re there right beside me.
And nothing will I fear
As long as You are near;
Please be near me to the end.
I will not forget
Your love for me, and yet
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus, be my guide
And hold me to Your side,
And I will love You to the end.
Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith.
Copyright © 1983 Meadow Green Music/Word Music/Adm. SongSolutions CopyCare
READINGS
James 5:7-12 New International Version – UK
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Otherwise you will be condemned.
Matthew 24:10-14 New International Version - UK
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
This the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
TALK written by Alistair Stevenson
I wonder how good you are at waiting?
Before I moved to Sheffield I used to work in Scotland for a Christian Charity and it would require me to travel around the country, particularly back and forth to Edinburgh and Glasgow from where I lived in Stirling. I had timed it so well that I knew I could run down from my house to the train station in Stirling in about 6 minutes and therefore I could leave the house 7 minutes before the train was due to leave. Catherine would often ask: ‘why do you leave it so tight to catch the train?’ You might ask the same thing. My response would be: ‘because I don’t like to wait. Waiting is a waste of time’. Of course, that’s dependent on the train actually being on time. Having run down to the train to find it was delayed would be very frustrating! I am not very good at waiting.
I wonder if you ever waited a long time for something - a parcel, a job, some news, or something else - and at the end of your waiting, when the thing finally came, it turned out to be very different from what you expected? Maybe you were surprised, even disappointed, that it didn’t seem to live up to all that you had hoped?
It has been 55 years, 27,570 minutes of playing time, 300 different players, over 140,000 miles of travel, playing in 52 countries on four continents since England men’s football team were last in a final of a major competition. It’s been a long wait but I wonder how you will feel at about 10pm this evening? Will the wait have been worth it?
We might wish that waiting for something as trivial as a bus or a train, or a parcel, or the take-away, or a football match was our only experience of waiting at the moment. But the reality is that for many of us we are waiting for much more profound and significant things. We’re waiting for the vaccination to be rolled out, we’re waiting for case numbers to decrease significantly, we’re waiting until we feel comfortable actually meeting in person with other people, we’re waiting to see family and friends who we haven’t been able to see much or at all over the last year. We may be waiting for test results, an operation, or postponed medical treatment.
Some of us have or are waiting on God. Maybe we're waiting for him to act, to answer a prayer, or to fulfil a dream. Perhaps you have experienced disappointment with God, if those things haven’t come, or haven’t lived up to your expectations.
James says to the believers he is writing to: ‘Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming’. James paints the picture of a farmer waiting for his valuable crops to mature, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. The farmer has prepared the grown, he has sown the seed, but now he has to wait and he is powerless to control the rains. Nothing he can do will make the rains come sooner. The only thing he can do is wait. So too, James says, must we be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
The NIV translation that we use here at St Gabriel’s translates verse 8 as ‘be patient and stand firm’, but the original Greek is more nuanced. It says: μακροθυμήσατε καὶ ὑμεῖς, στηρίξατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. Taking each word in turn, it can be translated as: ‘Be patient also you strengthen the hearts of you.’
The NIV says stand firm - but I love this phrase which is more accurate to the Greek: strengthen the hearts of you - strengthen your hearts. The word strengthen was used to describe something being established, a buttress, a prop - it should conjure the image of something supporting a plant as it grows. The ESV translation says: ‘You also, be patient. Establish your hearts’.
Let your imagination taking hold of that image for a moment - your heart being strengthened and established. Growing and maturing strong and firm because it is being supported. It is a heart that doesn’t bend when the hard winds blow, or wither when the soil becomes dry and cracked. It is strengthened. It is established.
Why? Well James says, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Again - let’s look closer at this phrase ‘the Lord’s coming is near’. James is using the same Greek word that Jesus used throughout the Gospels to describe the coming of His kingdom which was ‘at hand’ or ‘has come near’. In the Gospels we get the sense of Jesus’ Kingdom coming now but not yet. Through Jesus we see signs of the Kingdom - it is near. The deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised to life, prisoners set free, the bondage of sin is broken. The Kingdom is near!
We are able to be patient and stand firm because Jesus’ Kingdom is closer than we think. He is at work, his Kingdom, his reign and rule, his sphere of influence is closer than we think. And so, we cry out in prayer: Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done. Come Lord Jesus come!
Last Saturday evening England played in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. While I had watched every other match of this tournament, I was unable to watch this one. Over a month ago we had put in the diary a date to have some friends over for dinner who we had been meaning to see for some time. We couldn’t really cancel and so I had to sacrifice watching the match to spend time with these friends. Don’t worry, it wasn’t too much of a sacrifice. They are very lovely people.
In the moments when I popped out to check that the children were asleep, or clear the dinner plates, or make teas and coffees, I would quickly check the score. It was a comfortable match for England in the end and it therefore wasn’t an anxious evening. Our friends left later that evening and I watched the second half highlights. Knowing the score, and particularly because we had won, made watching it really enjoyable. I wasn’t worried, or anxious, I wasn’t fearful about the outcome because I already knew what was going to happen.
James here is saying the same thing. Be patient, stand firm, strengthen your hearts because you know that the end is coming and you are already beginning to see it outworked. It is a picture painted amazingly by John in Revelation when we get a glimpse of the new creation - where God will dwell with his people and there will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. We must set our hearts on that vision of the future and as we do so our hearts will be established and strengthened.
When you are waiting for something, knowing what you are waiting for changes how you wait. We wait and as we do so we establish and strengthen our hearts. We’re able to do this because we know what we are waiting for and in fact are starting to see glimpses of it in the here and now.
The important point then is about our attitude of readiness - our active waiting. As Jesus says in Luke 12 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.”
How good are you watching? Do you have a heavenly perspective on life? With spiritual eyes open for glimpses of the Kingdom. Fixing your gaze on God’s Kingdom always puts everything else in perspective and in its proper place. Often the things we are worried or fearful about seem to weigh less when we fix our eyes on the Kingdom. For me it is the very heartbeat of prayer.
Moreover, as James suggests in verse 11 - there is blessing for those who wait actively - who are patient and persevere. It’s a blessing that comes now. It’s the blessing of the peace and security that comes when we put more faith and trust in Jesus.
James suggests that patience is warranted precisely because God has shown himself to be faithful. How easy it is to forget or remember how God has been faithful in the past in our own lives, let alone in the lives of those heroes of faith. James points the believers to those heroes - those prophets - who spoke in the name of the Lord. See what the Lord did through them, James says. See how He outworked His compassion and mercy. So too we must look to those heroes of faith - yes in the Bible, but also throughout history and significantly those heroes of faith in our own lives.
I love to hear stories of marriages that have stood the test of time. Marriages with anniversaries of 50, 60, 70 years. When I look at those marriages it gives me encouragement that maybe, with lots of God’s grace, my marriage to Catherine will go the distance.
I love that this church, albeit relatively small, is all-age. We are young and old - from 1 to 90. Those of us who are a bit younger have so much to learn from those who are older - those who have been patient and stood firm in their faith over many, many years. We need to hear their stories and learn from their wisdom and their leadership. They are vital to the life and health of this church.
God has shown us the seeds of his Kingdom. We’ve seen glimpses of the new life that came with Jesus, and hope for the restoration of all of God’s creation. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith and we ultimately look to Him. He offers us a relationship with him here, now, today and His presence is closer and nearer than we think. We must pursue his presence to flood and infuse every aspect of our lives.
As James says, as the farmer is patient, so must we be. Right now some, if not most, of our seeds are still in the ground, and we won’t see the fullness of the crop until Jesus returns. So God calls us to be faithful farmers - imitating Jesus wherever we find ourselves. You know when you are spending lots of time with someone when you are saying and doing the things that they do and say. So too, when we spend time with Jesus we start doing what he does. We become his hands and feet - using our gifts, caring for the sick, reaching out to the lonely, tending God’s planet, proclaiming the good news. And as we do all of this we trust in that glorious day when the fullness of the harvest will come, and our disappointment will be no more. We trust, we are patient, we stand firm, strengthening our hearts because we know the end of the story.
Let me close with these famous words from the final pages of The Last Battle - the final Narnia book written by C.S. Lewis:
“And as He (Aslan) spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before”.
Be patient, stand firm, strengthen your hearts because the Lord’s coming is near. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand
of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen
O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
When I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
Come and listen to me.
Jacques Berthier/Taizé.
Copyright © 1982 Ateliers et Presses de Taize (France).
PRAYERS - written by Christine Carney
Heavenly Father, we confess that when we pray we expect answers straight away - and yet we know that only your timing is perfect. Please fill us with the patience and perseverance we need in order to wait for your answers and to cope with the trials and difficulties of everyday life…
Thank you, Father, that you are full of compassion and mercy. We thank you for the Wholeness Team at St Gabriel’s and for their prayers and support for so many. We pray for healing for those who are suffering from isolation, depression and difficulties with mental health; for healing for those in this country and abroad who have coronavirus or Long COVID; for support for those who have lost their jobs and those who are fearful for the future. We pray for wisdom for the leaders of all countries struggling with coronavirus, particularly for India, Indonesia, Brazil and those struggling with famine as well like Yemen. We continue to pray that rich countries will be willing to share the vaccinations fairly.
We commit to you, Father, the prayer stations in Church this afternoon and the Recovery Service on Thursday evening. We pray that you will be at work in each of us helping us to reflect on our experiences of the pandemic, to lament and to give thanks for your presence.
Heavenly Father, we commit to you the heatwave in the USA and Canada and those struggling to put out wildfires. We pray that all governments, including our own, will take the threat of climate change seriously and be willing to take urgent action.
On this godparent Sunday we thank you for all those of us who have the privilege of being godparents. Please help us to build positive relationships with our godchildren and to persevere in prayer for them, that they might come to know you for themselves.
We thank you, Father, for the opportunity to meet outside for the Church picnic on 18th July. We pray for good weather and for your blessing on the Church family and all our relationships.
Thank you for the Bless Greystones initiative. We continue to pray for your especial blessing on this area of Sheffield and that you will be powerfully at work in people’s lives. Give each of us the courage to share our faith with a friend or family member over the summer period.
Thank you for the Holiday Club and that it is now fully booked! Please bless Catherine and Alistair and all the helpers in the final preparations. We cry out to you, Lord, for every child who is signed up to come that nothing will prevent them from being able to come, that they will be kept safe and that they will have a wonderful time as they learn about your love for them through the love and encouragement shown to them by the leaders.
We commit to you, Father, our mission partners Dave and Helen Smithers in Manchester. We pray for the completion of the work on their house and that it will be a place of welcome and hospitality. Please continue to bless them and their children as they build relationships with those in the community.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16KYvfIc2bE
In Christ alone my hope is found.
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my all in all,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
2. In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorned by the ones He came to save:
till on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied -
for ev’ry sin on Him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.
3. There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
then bursting forth in glorious Day
up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
for I am His and He is mine -
bought with the precious blood of Christ.
4. No guilt in life, no fear in death,
this is the power of Christ in me;
from life's first cry to final breath;
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from His hand;
till He returns or calls me home,
here in the pow’r of Christ I'll stand!
Words: Stuart Townend
Music: Keith Getty
© 2001 Kingsway's Thankyou Music.
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
SAY:
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you,
and of your own do we give you.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxA0TFe3-Uo
JUST AS I AM, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Charlotte Elliott (1789–1871)
BLESSING
The Father, whose glory fills the heavens,
cleanse you by his holiness and send you to proclaim his word. Amen
The Son, who has ascended to the heights,
pour upon you the riches of his grace. Amen.
The Holy Spirit, the Comforter,
equip you and strengthen you in your ministry. Amen.
And blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen