Welcome to our online service - 12 September
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 service, 10am, live on Zoom and in the 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 Prayer:
Eternal God, source of all blessing,
help us to worship you
with all our heart and mind and strength;
for you alone are God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BOIJ2T0m9k
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
How He left the realms of glory
For the cross on Calvary.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with His saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.
2. I was lost but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Raised me up and gently led me
Back into the narrow way.
Days of darkness still may meet me,
Sorrow's path I oft may tread;
But His presence still is with me,
By His guiding hand I'm led.
3. He will keep me ‘til the river
Rolls its waters at my feet,
Then He'll bear me safely over,
Made by grace for glory meet
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with His saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.
Words: F W Rawley (1854-1952)
Music: R H Prichard (1811-87)
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
What God has prepared for those who love him, he has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything. Therefore, let us in penitence open our hearts to the Lord, who has prepared good things for those who love him.
We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love:
fill us with your Spirit.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Silence
We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith:
fill us with your Spirit.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Silence
We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust:
fill us with your Spirit.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Silence
ABSOLUTION
The Lord enrich us with his grace,
and nourish us with his blessing;
the Lord defend us in trouble and keep us from all evil;
the Lord accept our prayers,
and absolve us from our offences,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Amen.
COLLECT
Lord God,
defend your Church from all false teaching
and give to your people knowledge of your truth,
that we may enjoy eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
SING:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnWKehsOXu8
Blessed be your name
in the land that is plentiful,
Where your streams of abundance flow,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name
when I’m found in the desert place,
Though I walk through the wilderness,
blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out
I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in,
Lord, still I will say,
‘Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your glorious name.’
Blessed be your name
when the sun’s shining down on me,
When the world’s ‘all as it should be,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name
on the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering,
blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out
I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in,
Lord, still I will say,
‘Blessed be…………
You give and take away,
you give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
‘Lord blessed be your name.’
‘Blessed be…………
Beth & Matt Redman ©2002 Thankyou Music
READINGS
Psalm 19 New International Version - UK
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from wilful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Mark 8:27-38 New International Version - UK
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’
They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’
‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’
Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’
This is word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
TALK written by Alistair Stevenson
The church leader and author Pete Greig, tells the story of how a distinguished art critic was studying an exquisite painting by the Italian Renaissance master Filippino Lippi. Robert Cumming, as many a critic had done before, stood gazing at the 15th-century depiction of Mary holding the infant Jesus on her lap with two saints kneeling nearby. But like many had before, he was left troubled by the painting. It was clear that Lippi was an extremely gifted artist, highly skilled in the use of colour and composition. However, the proportions of the picture didn’t seem right. The hills in the background seemed exaggerated, the two kneeling saints beside Mary looked awkward and uncomfortable.
But at that moment, Robert Cumming had an epiphany. What if this painting was never intended for a pristine art gallery, hung at eye level, but instead to hang in a place of prayer. And so, this dignified critic dropped to his knees and gazed up at the painting. Suddenly he saw what generations of art critics before him had missed. From his knees, gazing up, the painting became perfectly proportioned. The foreground moved naturally to the background, the two saints seemed settled - their awkwardness, like the painting itself, having turned to grace. The eyes of Mary now were fixed upon his, looking kindly as he knelt at her feet.
It was not the perspective of the painting that had been wrong all these years, it was the perspective of the viewer. And here, Robert Cumming, on bended knee, found a beauty that Robert Cumming the proud art critic could not. On bended knee, in a posture of humility and prayer, the painting came alive.
Often our whole view of something can be radically transformed if we change our perspective - we immediately see something that we were seemingly blind to before.
Having the right perspective - and seeing things through spiritual eyes - is at the heart of the passage we just heard from Mark chapter 8.
Mark 8 sits at the centre of his gospel - and it is the key turning point. Up until this point Jesus’ ministry has been marked by power, success, magnetism and enthusiastic crowds but, from now on, Jesus turns to walk the lonely path to suffering and the cross. Geographically he is at the northernmost point of his ministry and he will soon turn from the adulation of the crowds in Galilee and head south to the opposition of the authorities in Jerusalem.
Leading up to this passage Jesus has just fed the 4000 and then rebuked the disciples because they did not understand the Kingdom significance of what he had done. And then immediately after Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida. A healing, that you may remember - requires Jesus to twice put his hands on the man’s eyes. The first time his vision is partially restored - the secondly it comes fully. The healing was to exemplify the blindness of the disciples and the surrounding crowds - a symbolic parallel to the need for Jesus to keep teaching them about the true nature of his ministry.
It seems appropriate therefore that Jesus asks the disciples a question that he asks of each one of those he calls to be His disciples: ‘Who do you say I am’? In other words, ‘how do you see me? Am I just another prophet like the people seem to suggest - or am I something more?’
Without a right understanding of who Jesus is, the disciples will not be able to follow the call of Jesus to deny themselves and take up the cross of discipleship. So too with us. Like the art critics view of that famous painting, if we don’t see Jesus as he really is, then we won’t be able to fully grasp his calling on our lives.
In our passage, Peters seems to get it 100% right at one moment and then 100% wrong the next. At one moment he sees things with a spiritual, kingdom perspective and then the next is back to seeing things through the lens of the world. I think he acts for most of us, and thank goodness, that the great apostle Peter can get it so amazingly right in one moment and then so horribly wrong in the next.
Peter sees things firstly with that spiritual perspective. He glimpses the way of the Kingdom and declares that this Jesus, standing in front of the disciples, is the Messiah. The long-awaited one in whom the hope of Isaiah rested. The one spoken about by the prophets - the chosen one - the one who was to redeem God’s people. The one who was going to rescue and restore - to give sight to those who were spiritually blind.
But then, having just got 100% on the ‘Who is Jesus’ exam. Peter goes back to his worldly eyes and tries to rebuke Jesus not to speak and go ahead with his prediction of rejection, death and resurrection. Peter no doubt felt like this was the opportunity to get 100% on the ‘how to advise Jesus exam’.
‘Hey, Jesus, it’s me Peter – I’ve got your back. I know you’re the Messiah – that you are the chosen one – but being Messiah means defeating the Romans, not suffering on a cross.’
Tom Wright writes this:
‘You might as well have had a football captain tell the team what he was intending to let the opposition score ten goals right away. This wasn’t what Peter and the rest had in mind. They may not have thought of Jesus as a military leader, but they certainly didn’t think of him going straight to his death. As Charlie Brown once said, winning ain’t everything but losing ain’t anything; and Jesus seemed to be saying he was going to lose. Worse, he was invited them to come and lose alongside him.’
I think Peter’s experience probably describes the journey of life and faith that most of us can relate to. Life seems to be going great and then suddenly something tragic happens. You think you have got it and then suddenly everything seems a mystery. Jesus at one point feels very close, your relationship with him is strong, and suddenly the next he seems distant. It’s a theme we see so often in the Bible, God’s people and the key characters, seem to take two steps forward and then one step back. It’s progress, but not easy progress.
And so a word of encouragement – if you are feeling like you are taking a step back, that faith seems a mystery, know that you are not alone. Keep going, keep pursing Jesus. Keep taking those steps forward in faith.
We all, no doubt, feel for Peter. Having got it so wrong he is sternly rebuked by Jesus and moreover in front of the other disciples. That must have really hurt. And so Jesus continues to explain that his journey to the cross was not just for him - but a calling for all those who want to be his disciples. He emphasises the two perspectives of how to live. Either the spiritual Kingdom perspective, marked by self-denial, losing your life, taking up a cross of suffering and following Jesus. Or a worldly perspective which even if you gained the whole world means exchanging our soul for something else and something less.
In his book, Cost of Discipleship, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: ‘When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die’. Back in chapter 1, Jesus called those first disciples to pick up their cross and follow him. He called Simon and Andrew to leave their nets - their one source of income and financial security. James and John left their father Zebedee in the boat, which in first-century Jewish culture, would have seemed like a scandalous failure of a son’s duties.
And so here in chapter 8 the disciples would have already recognised part of the cost of following Jesus. But now Jesus is emphasising that ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ The language would have been shocking to Jesus’ hearers. Today it can quickly lose its edge, often interpreted into more comfortable terms of discipleship requiring us to carry an, at the most, inconvenient burden through life or to make some kind of sacrifice every so often. But this cannot possibly be what Jesus means. Christian language of ‘self-denial’ (and even of ‘cross-bearing’) has dulled the force of Jesus’ words. They are about literal death, following the condemned man on his way to execution. As one commentary writes:
“Discipleship is a life of at least potential martyrdom. It may be legitimate to extrapolate from this principle to a more general demand for disciples to put loyalty to Jesus before their own interests and comfort, but that can be only a secondary application of the passage. Jesus’ words are not to be taken as merely metaphorical.” (France, Matthew, NICNT)
And, in the end, martyrdom was to be the final call for nearly all of those disciples gathered around Jesus.
The challenge is extraordinary, daunting, impossible even. If you were told that following Jesus would likely lead to your death, would you take up the call? In the end, Jesus goes to the cross alone. Not one of the disciples follows him to death. Peter, the great apostle, instead of dying with Jesus, denies him three times and abandons him at his darkest moment.
But of course - the cross is not the end. As I quoted last week, Bishop Leslie Newbiggin wrote that ‘The resurrection was not the reversal of a defeat but the manifestation of a victory.’ The cross was not a defeat. Rather, taken together, the cross and resurrection are the greatest victory to have taken place in the history of the world.
And it was this victory and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that changed everything for Peter and the rest of the disciples. It as through the experience of the resurrection and coming of the Holy Spirit that enabled each disciple to carry their own cross to martyrdom. The resurrection changes everything and through it these disciples whole perspective was transformed. They had seen glimpses in the life and teaching of Jesus, but through the power of the Holy Spirit it’s like the light was switched on, their perspective was changed and they could see everything through the lens of the Kingdom.
As with the disciples - so too with us. You see, in his gospel Mark is at pains to expresses that the life of Jesus was marked by pain, rejection, suffering and death but also glorious resurrection, salvation and restoration. So too the life of a disciple. We are called to take up our cross and follow but we do so in the power of the Holy Spirit and with the hope of the resurrection. That hope makes the seemingly impossible, possible.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit and the lens of the resurrection that we are given the lens of the Kingdom. It is through the surrender, dropping the knees of our lives, that we see everything in the right perspective. Like the painting by Lippi, it’s only on our knees, the position of prayer and worship, and we can train our spiritual eyes to see what God is doing. 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 we often take your wonderful creation for granted. We see the beauty of your world but we fail to recognize the Creator God behind it… Like Jesus’ disciples, we may not be sure who you are. Please help us to have the faith to acknowledge, as Peter did, that you are the Christ, the Son of God. Open our hearts, Lord Jesus, to accept the love you offer to each one of us.
On this Education Sunday we thank you, Father, for all teachers and those who work in schools. Please give them the energy, skills and enthusiasm they need for the term ahead. We commit to you all the children from four years old to eighteen who have started in new classes or moved on to a new school; please bless and encourage each one and help them to feel safe and accepted. We pray that they will form good relationships with their new teachers and make positive friendships. We pray that children with special needs will be encouraged and given the support they need. We pray for those children who are behind because of the lockdown that they will be given the opportunities they need to catch up and we pray for your protection from coronavirus spreading in schools. We pray for wisdom for those making university or career choices. We pray for those who are fearful about exams or the future that you will fill them with your peace.
Father, we commit to you the young people who have moved on from school. We pray for Jess continuing at university with civil engineering training, Martha in her apprenticeship at the Northern General Hospital and Sam Clow deciding how best to spend his gap year. Please bless each of these young people, Lord, and provide the opportunities they need. We thank you for Sam Chubb and his internship at St. Gabriel’s; please bless him and develop his skills in the coming months.
We pray for inspiration for Alistair as he prepares assemblies online for Greystones School and for wisdom about whether to start a Christian Union there. We pray for all Christian children and young people for a Christian friend to walk alongside them…
Heavenly Father, we cry out to you for the people of Afghanistan. We pray for safety for all civilians and Aid workers; we pray that those who are fearful for their lives will be able to leave the country safely. We pray for the refugees that they will be welcomed and provided for in the countries where they seek refuge. We pray for wisdom for world leaders in deciding whether to recognize the Taliban government and we pray for a change of heart for the Taliban leaders in their attitude to women’s education and leadership.
Father, we commit to you the government’s efforts to resolve the funding for health and social care and we pray that it will be fair to all people in our society.
We pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
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=ggSjE26Iivw
THE KING IS AMONG US,
His Spirit is here,
Let’s draw near and worship,
Let songs fill the air.
He looks down upon us,
Delight in His face,
Enjoying His children’s love,
Enthralled by our praise.
For each child is special,
Accepted and loved,
A love gift from Jesus
To His Father above.
And now He is giving
His gifts to us all,
For no one is worthless
And each one is called.
The Spirit’s anointing
On all flesh comes down,
And we shall be channels
For works like His own.
We come now believing
Your promise of power,
For we are Your people
And this is Your hour.
The King is among us,
His Spirit is here,
Let’s draw near and worship,
Let songs fill the air.
Graham Kendrick.
532 Copyright © 1981 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=YOxqryzXSdE
PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW,
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, you heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
(Repeat)
Give glory to the Father,
Give glory to the Son,
Give glory to the Spirit
While endless ages run.
‘Worthy the Lamb’
All heaven cries,
‘To be exalted thus:’
‘Worthy the Lamb’
Our hearts reply,
‘For He was slain for us.’
Dave Clifton and Andy Piercy.
980 Copyright © 1993 I Q Music Ltd
Graham Kendrick (c) 1987 Make Way Music/Thankyou Music
BLESSINGS
You believe that by his dying
Christ destroyed death for ever.
Amen.
You have been crucified with Christ
and live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved you and gave himself for you.
Amen.
May he send you out to glory in his cross,
and live no longer for yourselves but for him,
who died and was raised to life for us.
Amen.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen