Sunday Service - 18 June

Welcome to our Service - 21 June

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.

To the right is Alistair’s talk. It can be watched separately or as part of the rest of the service.

If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join you. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.

NOTICES:

Opening the church building

Many will be aware that the government announced 6th June that church buildings may re-open for individual prayer from Monday 15th June.

The diocese has made it clear that there is no pressure to re-open the church building and they will support us in whatever decision makes the best sense for us locally.

However, further to our notice last week, the wardens and the vicar have decided to postpone opening the church for private and individual prayer. This decision has been made for a number of reasons including; the impact of current redecoration that is taking place within the church, the expected uptake which is predicated to be low and the pressure it puts on volunteers to prepare and clean the building to follow risk assessment guidelines.

We understand that this decision will be met with sadness by some who have been particularly missing gathering in the church building for prayer and worship. However, we will continue to re-access and hope to make it possible in the coming month.

There is still no indication of when it might be possible to gather for public worship in the church building. We will let you know as soon as we are able.

OPENING

SAY:

Faithful One, whose word is life: come with saving power to free our praise, inspire our prayer and shape our lives. For the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SING:

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)

CONFESSION

Coming together as God’s family, with confidence let us ask the Father’s forgiveness for our failure to respond fully to his grace, for he is full of gentleness and compassion

A time of silence - for reflection

Lord, when we resist your work within us;

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy

Jesus, when we prefer not to be changed;

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy

Lord, when our attitudes are moulded by hardness of heart;

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,

and keep us in eternal life. Amen.

COLLECT

Heavenly Father, your love for us is beyond measure and you provide for our every need. Help us to offer you in worship a due proportion of our wealth, for all we are and have is rightly yours. We make our prayer in the precious name of Jesus, Lord and Saviour of creation. Amen.

SING

O LORD, GIVE ME AN UNDIVIDED HEART

To follow You.

O Lord, give me an undiminished love,

To see what You see, to do what You do,

O Lord, give me an undivided heart.

O Lord, give me an unrelenting mind

To seek Your face.

O Lord, give me an undefeated faith,

To see victory in all that I do,

To worship in spirit and truth.

To see less of me, and much more of You,

O Lord, give me an undivided heart.

Chris Roe/Dave Markee.

PRAYER

Loving Father, thank you for the signs of newness and change that we can observe in the story of Zacchaeus. Help us to be prepared to be open to the power if your Holy Spirit to bring about change in our attitudes and behaviour. May generosity, integrity and a spirit of righteousness be the hallmarks of our discipleship. Amen.

READINGS

1 Timothy 6:17-19 New International Version - UK

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Luke 19:1-10 - New International Version - UK

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’

This the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

TALK written by Stuart Ibbotson

Recently all of us will have been much more aware of keeping ourselves ‘safe’ in a way that we probably have not done before. Some of us have almost had to hide away from just about everybody outside of our home, which for most people is highly unusual. But I suspect that most of us usually feel safest when we are at home. However, human nature is such that we are normally prone to need to get out and about, to meet people and to discover new things. If I were not talking in the midst of these unusual times I would still ask the question today, do we all have places where we feel safe?

I’m not talking about a hiding place like we’d use in a game of hide and seek, but a place where we feel at home, protected, comfortable to be ourselves? The sort of place where we go when perhaps there’s been an argument in the family, or it’s been a stressful week/month (or whatever) at work, or we’re just feeling rubbish - about our self or the world in general?!

Sometimes we can crave anonymity, to be far from alone, but just a face in a crowd. What were you like at school when the teacher asked a question? If you were like me, most of the time I felt like I was visibly trying to shrink so that the teacher did not pick on me if no-one put their hand up to answer. Some people hide in a crowd for the wrong reasons, so that they can do wrong and hope that they will not be singled out for punishment or that sheer volume of numbers will protect them- as we saw in the recent rioting tagged onto Black Iive’s Matter and counter protests. Some people have positions in society that make them feel safe as others fear the consequences of getting on the wrong side of them. Then again, sometimes we don’t want to be seen, perhaps because we need a break from being with lots of people, or because there are expectations placed on us when we are with other people that we don’t feel we can meet (very recently we have had the example of Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan who seemed to be struggling with the demands that their lives were placing on them- whatever you think about them you can understand something of where they were coming from); or perhaps we’re not happy with something about ourselves or the way we’ve been behaving, but don’t want to make the effort to change, or we don’t know how to change.

I think that maybe Zacchaeus might have been a man who liked to be in spaces where he felt safe so he didn’t have to make the effort to change his behaviour; he could just stay out of the way of the people he knew didn’t like the things he did. There was nothing inherently wrong with being a tax-collector – the government was within it’s right to collect taxes, as even Jesus pointed out, and someone had to do it. The money to pay for all the public works had to come from somewhere and the part of Monty Python’s Life of Brian when the question is asked ‘What have the Romans ever done for us’ nicely sums up what some of the taxes went to pay for. So yes, Zacchaeus was a Jew working for the hated Roman Empire, but it was the way that Zacchaeus did his tax collecting that was wrong, which was very common and why tax collectors were so hated; there are several words for what he was doing; stealing is one, fraud is another one. What we need to remind ourselves is that tax collecting wasn’t like it is today when someone or a computer at HMRC decides what we should pay as our share of the taxes. The Romans sold the tax collecting rights, usually to the highest bidders, so they had the money BEFORE the taxes were collected. They then allowed the tax collectors to collect what they could or wanted from the local population, making a profit- often a very significant one that amounted to theft or fraud- but protected by the might of Roman soldiers, and tolerated as long as serious unrest did not result.

I think Zacchaeus had two safe places where he could hide from being so unpopular; one was his regular safe space, the other was a more spur of the moment idea.

Which was Zacchaeus’s spur of the moment safe space? A Tree.

Which was Zacchaeus’s regular safe space? His home.

What happened to him in both those safe spaces? Jesus found him.

God has an uncanny habit of being able to find us where-ever we are, we cannot hide, and He can break into our usually busy daily life’s quite unexpectedly!

Zacchaeus was hiding in places he thought of as safe, because he had his priorities wrong.

What sort of things were wrong in Zacchaeus’s life? -Well, he was putting his own needs before other people’s - he was stealing from other people - he wasn’t being honest, with himself or other people. Zacchaeus was unpopular because of his actions, and probably quite lonely as a result.

Do we think Zacchaeus knew that there was lots wrong in his life? I think that the answer has to be Yes.

Why? Because I don’t think that being short was the real reason for Zacchaeus climbing the tree! What he wanted to do was see and hear Jesus, without other people seeing that he was interested in what Jesus was saying and doing. He didn’t want to admit in front of other people that he was interested in Jesus, which his climbing into the tree clearly showed he was. After Peter’s talk last week, you may think that using trees as a place of safety is a recurring theme! However, Zacchaeus didn’t expect to be seen by anyone while peering from the tree he was hiding in, including Jesus, and certainly didn’t expect to be singled out by Jesus for special attention. So what happened?

First Jesus got Zacchaeus down out of his tree, for to Jesus he was far from hidden in his tree, then he invited himself around to Zacchaeus’ house for tea!

Do we know what Jesus said to Zacchaeus whilst they were having tea? No. Would it be helpful to us to know what Jesus said to Zacchaeus? Well Yes and No as with all that Jesus did, we only ever get a glimpse of the detail of what he does in His 3 years of spreading the good news.

But, Zacchaeus was clearly moved and changed by the fact that Jesus could see him wherever he was, and wanted to spend time with him, as well as by whatever Jesus said to him. We are not told how long Jesus spent at Zacchaeus’ home, or what Jesus said to him. But what Jesus said to Zacchaeus was said in his safe space, in his home. Jesus may even have told one of his stories about not hording wealth and being generous with what God has blessed any person with.

What was important was that Zacchaeus wasn’t hiding any longer, and he wasn’t going to steal any longer, and he was going to pay everyone back, with more on top too! In this month of generous June I want to begin by briefly looking at generosity in a slightly different way- being generous by not being dishonest, with ourselves and others- be that with money, time, skills or whatever we could be more generous with- not with-holding but giving generously. Something Jesus said had helped Zacchaeus understand the link between what he was doing to other people, and why he was isolated from them. Interestingly Zacchaeus doesn’t say he’ll change his profession, the story seems to suggest that he’s going to carry on being a tax collector for the Romans, but he is going to do that job in a way that won’t hurt the people in his community, i.e. with integrity.

As we think about Zacchaeus today, we may, or may not, feel like we’ve got to hide in one or more of our safe spaces. It won’t necessarily be because we’ve been doing things wrong, it may just be because we’re not coping with our lives very well at the moment, or we deliberately want to take time out to pray to God, looking for him from a particular vantage point. If we’re not prepared to meet God out in the open, then it is perfectly possible for Jesus to invite himself round for tea, so that he can talk honestly to us about how we are, and who are, and who he wants us to be.

We don’t need to know what Jesus said to Zacchaeus, because what he wants to say to us will be different and how He wants us to be more generous will be different- but seeking to enrich ourselves at a cost to others, be it hoarding wealth or possessions, is something He wants to change, and though I doubt that any of us actually undertakes those kinds of activities which are Illegal or frowned on as immoral by wider society, we are called upon to be more generous in every way possible, be it with our wealth, property, time, skills etc.

The question then is are we prepared to listen to God’s words, and if so, are we then prepared to carry through the changes in ourselves that God requires of us? He has been generous to us beyond measure, the most generous Father ever we remind ourselves on Father’s Day. For he sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to pay ALL of our debts for sin. What are our repayment terms? Are they unreasonable and demanding, placing unreasonable strains on us? No, far from it! The terms are undemanding by any measure- that we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and as a direct result of our love and gratitude for His generosity to strive to live compassionate and generous lives in His service. Some changes will be simple, like changing the way we shop, bank, use our savings; but some changes might be far harder, like sorting out a relationship that’s been spoilt, or our own attitudes and behaviour towards others, but also how generous we are with all aspects of our lives. We also need to be aware of ensuring that we really are listening to Jesus and not to our own hopes and dreams, otherwise they will take precedence and the generosity in us will slowly but surely shrivel!

Today, let’s ask God into our safe space, wherever that may be, and let’s really listen to what Jesus wants to say. Let’s pray that like Zacchaeus we can have the strength to be open about the changes God expects of us, and then as we are changed, others will come to recognise how important it is not just to be curious about Jesus from a distance, but actually to let Jesus into our lives. As this happens, we and others who come to trust in Jesus Christ as Lord will inevitably become more generous in every way that we can. Amen

Prayer of Declaration

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.

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.

PRAYERS - written by Christine Carney

Heavenly Father, we confess that, like the wealthy Zacchaeus, we care too much about our money and possessions. Help us, like Zacchaeus, to come into your presence willing to be transformed and to put our trust in you. Help us to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share what we have.

Thank you, Father, for your generosity: for the abundance we see in creation. Thank you for the trees and flowers, the birds and insects, for the lovely sunshine we have had and the plentiful rain to water our gardens.

We pray for an end to the pandemic, for healing for those who are ill, for comfort for those who are grieving. We commit to you our politicians, their advisors and head teachers as they seek to find a way forward to get children back into school safely. We pray for wisdom that comes from you, Lord, and for protection on teachers, children and their families. We pray for parents that you will give them the energy they need to home school their children.

We commit to you, Father, those who are struggling financially because of the lockdown and those who are fearful of losing their jobs. Thank you that the government has agreed to extend the voucher system for free school meals over the summer holidays. We pray that Churches and Christians will lead the way in giving to the poor and sharing what they have.

We pray for your protection on India, Brazil and Yemen where there is poverty and poor medical facilities. Thank you, Lord, that the anti-inflammatory drug which has been found to help those on ventilators is inexpensive and so can be available for the NHS but also for developing countries.

We pray for peace in the world and especially commit to you, Father, the tensions on the borders between India controlled Kashmir and China – and between North and South Korea. We pray for stability and that you will raise up leaders who seek peace and reconciliation.

On this Fathers’ Day, we thank you for the opportunity many fathers have had during the lockdown to spend time with their children and we pray that this will bear fruit in long term, positive relationships. We commit to you those fathers who don’t live with their children, and step-fathers, and pray for your blessing on these more difficult relationships.

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: My Jesus, my Saviour,

Lord, there is none like you;

all of my days I want to praise

the wonders of your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,

tower of refuge and strength,

let every breath, all that I am

never cease to worship you.

Shout to the Lord all the earth,

let us sing power and majesty,

praise to the King;

mountains bow down and the seas will roar

at the sound of your name.

I sing for joy at the work of your hands,

forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand;

nothing compares to the promise I have in you.

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.

Heavenly Father, give grace to us, the living stones who form your Church, to reflect prayerfully at this special time on our love for you and our neighbour. Make us mindful of the many gifts you bestow upon us. We ask that your Holy Spirit will inspire and direct us in our choice of giving, remembering that we are only giving back that which is truly yours. Strengthen us, Lord, to meet this challenge according to your will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord who has given all that we might live. Amen.

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:

Great is thy faithfulness,

O God my Father,

there is no shadow of turning with thee;

thou changest not,

thy compassions, they fail not;

as thou has been thou for ever wilt be.

Great is thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

all I have needed thy hand hath provided;

great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2 Summer and winter,

and springtime and harvest,

sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

join with all nature in manifold witness

to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is thy....

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is thy....

Thomas O. Chisholm

BLESSING

May God our Father, whose grace is everlastingly poured into our hearts, fill you with an overflowing love.

Amen.

May God the Son, through whose death and resurrection we receive life in abundance, shine in your lives.

Amen.

May God the Holy Spirit, who works in us and through us to redeem God’s world, give you the power and persistence to follow him.

Amen.

And may Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Stuart Ibbotson preaches on 1 Tim 6: 17 - 19 and Luke 19:1-10