Welcome to our service - 2 May
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. 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.
Please join us for public worship in the church building this Sunday, 11:30am, for a service of Holy Communion.
OPENING
This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNQOcpECk4A
Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God.
He, whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for His own abode:
on the rock of ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
2. See, the streams of living waters,
springing from eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove:
who can faint, while such a river
ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
never fails from age to age.
3. Saviour, if of Zion's city
I, through grace, a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in Thy name:
fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Zion's children know.
John Newton (1725-1807)
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
God shows his love for us
in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Let us then show our love for him
by confessing our sins in penitence and faith.
Most merciful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy
forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly,
love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.
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.
COLLECT
Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d5HbddjrTU
I believe in Jesus;
I believe He is the Son of God.
I believe He died and rose again;
I believe He paid for us all.
(Men) And I believe You're here now.
(Women) I believe that You're here
(All) Standing in our midst.
(Men) Here with the power to heal now,
(Women) With the power to heal,
(All) And the grace to forgive.
2. I believe in You, Lord;
I believe You are the Son of God.
I believe You died and rose again;
I believe You paid for us all.
(Men) And I believe You're here now.
(Women) I believe that You're here
(All) Standing in our midst.
(Men) Here with the power to heal now,
(Women) With the power to heal,
(All) And the grace to forgive.
Mark Nelson (c) 1987 Mercy Publishing/Thankyou Music
READINGS
James 1:19-27 New International Version - UK
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Matthew 22:24-40 New International Version - UK
‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?’
Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead – have you not read what God said to you, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.’
When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’
Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’
This the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
TALK written by Alistair Stevenson
Are you a rule keeper or a rule breaker? Think about yourself for a moment. When it comes to rules and laws do you find that you see them as really important - created and put in place to keep us and others safe and to make sure things run well? Or do you instead find yourself wanting to break the rules seeing them as restrictive and inhibiting? Of course there's a spectrum, but I reckon that we all have a tendency to either want to break the rules or to keep the rules.
How you respond to the question above might also indicate how you perceive the book of James. This week we are exploring verses 19 - 27. You may remember last week that we explored how the letter was written around 45AD and is addressed to the church - the 12 scattered tribes - that had been flung across the Mediterranean because of the persecution in Jerusalem.
James’ letter is heavily influenced by the wisdom literature of the Old Testament - particularly the book of Proverbs - but also the teaching of Jesus and particularly his Sermon on the Mount. The book of James is really practical, suggesting throughout that Christian faith in the gospel should work itself out in a life of obedience.
In this first chapter, James offers a number of soundbites that he is going to explore in more detail later in the book. Last week I offered four reasons why I felt it was significant that we were looking at this book, at this time, in this season in the life of St Gabriel’s. Do go back to that sermon on the website if you missed it.
As we come to our passage this morning we come to the heart of what James is at pains to communicate: don’t just listen to the word but do what it says. Just do it! Why - because this word is a perfect law that gives freedom and brings blessing.
In 2016 Catherine and I, with Ethan and Izzy, went on a long-awaited trip to America for 3 weeks. I had wanted to take Catherine since we got married. I’m half American and spent my second year of uni in North Carolina. It was an amazing 3 weeks as we travelled up the East Coast. For the final 10 days, we were joined by my parents and my dad took us to a large wooden house on the edge of a huge lake in New Hampshire. It is owned by my dad’s cousins and has been in his family for many many years. The house has a jetty that goes out onto the water of the lake where you can drive off into the water and launch boats.
Ethan was still 3 and Isabella was 2 years old - so they both couldn’t swim. Potentially this jetty could have been a real hazard and worry. So we gave the kids two really simple rules that they had to keep if they wanted to go out onto the jetty. Firstly they had to be with an adult and secondly, they had to wear a life vest. If they did so, they were able to be safe and play on the jetty. They could run around, they could join me fishing, they would get in the boats with us, even jump in the water. These two simple rules gave them the freedom to enjoy themselves. Both kids were old enough to understand the rules but, particularly with Izzy, not old enough to understand why we had put these rules in place and why they were important. But they discovered if they followed these simple rules, they would have way more freedom and fun and wouldn’t have to stay stuck back at the house and away from the water.
James describes in verse 25 the law as perfect and able to bring freedom and blessing. Like our kids on the jetty, God gives us his perfect law because he knows if we live it out it will bring us freedom and blessing. God says to us: ‘if you follow these laws, if you live life as I have set it out, it will bring you so much more joy and freedom than you ever thought possible’. We might not fully understand why he has put these laws in place - we may lack the maturity - but we follow them because we know that he is a good father who loves us completely and wants the best for us. He knows that through them we will experience blessing and joy in whatever circumstance of life.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Remember that we gave Ethan and Izzy two rules - to make sure they were with an adult and that they wore a life vest. Jesus says to us, like two oxen ploughing a field - joke yourself to me, let me walk and work with you, to help you carry your burdens. But he also says, ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light’. Jesus is referring to the joke of the law that had been twisted and manipulated by the religious leaders at the time. The law had become a heavy burden, a load that - instead of bringing freedom and life - brought oppression, guilt and shame. But the law of Jesus, the perfect law mentioned by James, is easy and light - it helps us to live freely and lightly.
As you come to this letter of James, how are you going to respond to the challenges that he puts forth? Do you perceive them as something good that will help you live life in all its fullness, joy and freedom or as things that are going to restrict you from doing what you really want?
Surrounding verse 25, and the perfect law that James describes, he suggests that if we are going to experience the freedom and blessing that come from following the perfect law we must do two things. Firstly we must be good receivers of the law and secondly we must be good doers.
James loves a good illustration and one of his best is here in verse 23. While it takes me 300 words to share an illustration, James uses just 38. He says this: “do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. “
I love it. James is saying that if you hear and don’t act it’s like looking at yourself in the mirror, checking out your appearance, maybe adjusting your hair, checking your make-up, making sure there's no food in your beard (maybe that’s just me). But then you walk away and two minutes later you have completely forgotten what you look like. It’s foolish, it's silly, it makes no sense and it is a waste of time. But he says, look intently into the perfect law. The Greek word here to look or look intently is different to the Greek word translated as look in verse 23 and 24. The word now is parakuptó and it literally means to stoop, peer in, to look down in detail.
To be a good receiver of the word requires us to first look in detail at, to focus on, God’s law. We don’t just listen in some passive way, we take action with our hearts and our minds to take hold of and receive what is being taught. The Psalmist says in Psalm 1 blessed is the one “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season”. James says in verse 21 “humbly accept the word planted in you”. Receive the word that is already within you. A good receiver doesn’t just hear but meditates and takes delight in the law of the Lord. The word is like a seed, Jesus says in Luke 8, that if it falls on good soil will produce a crop a hundredfold. Let the word become your spiritual food. It is our drink. It is our light. It is our lamp. It is our path.
And how do we receive it well? James suggests that it is through humility - not always thinking that you are right and have all the answers. It’s being quick to listen and ready to get rid of - literally putting off, throwing aside - all the baggage, the brokenness and filth of our lives. Instead, we clothe ourselves in Christ through receiving his mercy, grace and forgiveness. It’s why confession in our services is nearly always before the Bible reading and talk. We need to get right before God to make us more able to receive the word he has for us.
I have preached regularly now for over 8 years. Before the pandemic, I would stand at the back of the church at the end of the service. If I had preached, people would often say encouraging words which I was always grateful to receive. But sometimes I would want to say (but fortunately never did) “I don’t care how nice you felt it was - what are you going to do about it!” I realise that is insensitive. But James has a similar sentiment here. Now you have received and heard, what are you going to do about it?
Secondly, then we need to be good doers. The seed produces a crop. The impact of the receiving is seen in the fruit.
But this is also a two-way thing - sometimes we get better at receiving by first doing. We tell our children to say please, to say thank you, to say sorry - and we have taught them to do so even before they might know what those words really mean. But we have, and continue to do it, because it is the action of saying please, thank you and sorry, we believe that the habit changes the heart. If you’re struggling to be motivated to follow God’s law, if it sometimes feels pointless, maybe start doing it and in doing so, your heart might be changed.
James will go into more detail in the rest of his letter, but for now, he gives a hint about what good doing looks like. James uses these three particular examples. These are obviously not the only fruits of a life that is good at receiving and doing the word, or even the most important. But he probably uses them because each of these fruits has a long pedigree in Old Testament teaching and they seem to be particular struggles for James’ readers.
To be a good doer means to control your tongue. The Greek gives the impression of bridling, curbing and restraining. In not doing so, it’s like you are deceiving yourself of the righteousness and worthiness of your religion. Your speech is that important.
Secondly, a good doer cares for, protects and restores those who are most helpless and on the margins of society. In that time it was the orphans and widows. Today it’s the homeless, the jobless, those disadvantaged because of their race, gender, class.
And thirdly, it’s keeping oneself from being polluted by the world. It’s being in the world but not of the world. Don’t put back on what you got rid in verse 21. Guard yourself. Stay close to Jesus, walk and work with him.
In the coming weeks James is going to be getting more practical and more challenging. But for now I want to finish by asking this: how are you going to receive the teaching that is to come? My prayer is that we will experience it like a life vest that gives us protection - freedom, life and joy. That we will receive it as words from a loving father who walks and works with us and wants us to thrive and flourish.
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 Gemma Withers
As we come into this time of prayer, I would encourage each of you to just take a minute, come into a time of quiet, to focus on God. Perhaps you may wish to open up your hands, as a sign of our willingness to open up to God, as we ask the Holy Spirit to come into this space. There will be some time to pause are add your own personal prayers to God. And I would really encourage you to use this as a time to connect to God
O Lord come. Be with us now. We know you hear our cries, we know you can do all things, and Lord you can move mountains. God we pray that we will know your presence now and that we will know the love you have for us. We open our hearts and our arms to be in your presence now. We pray you will pour out your love in our lives and that we will know your peace in our lives. Lord help us know that you are comforting us with the mountains we may be facing in our lives. help us know that you are with us daily to face those challenges and that your love is stronger than any challenge we may face in our lives. Lord speak to us now about the love you have for us, fill us with your love and spirit and give us peace and comfort in the challenges that we are facing that we bring to you now.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God we lift the country of India up to you now. Lord we ask for protection over the whole country in the midst of a huge rise in COVID cases, and a second wave of the pandemic that is sweeping across the country. God we pray that medical supplies will be provided, that support and aid from other countries will be provided to help slow the rate of deaths currently being seen. God we ask that you will comfort those who mourn for their family, and for those who are not able to be treated or buried in the way they or their family may have wanted. God we pray for hope for the people of India and that you will provide an answer for the millions of people in fear of what may be to come. God we pray for energy and strength for those working in hospitals trying to help patients in any way they can. God we also pray for other countries that are seeing increases in cases that they will follow the right measures and restrictions and will be protected from any further rises in Covid cases. God we lift these people up to you now in our own words.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God we give continued thanks for the successful vaccination programme in UK, and the continuing easing of restrictions. We thank you for the beautiful weather that has meant we have been able to enjoy time outside with friends and family, and enjoy new aspects of life again. We pray that this will continue safely and that you give wisdom to those in government to make the right decisions to protect those in this country as rules ease further. We pray this week for the council elections in Sheffield and across the UK that they will run smoothly, and that people will feel able to use their vote. We thank you for our ability to play a part in our democracy, we ask for humbleness within our government, and we pray for those countries who suffer under dictatorship and corruption from authority. We thank you that you govern over worldly law, and that your law is perfect. We give our thanks to you now.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God as we have heard this morning about how your word and law can bring freedom and blessings, help us to connect to your word and not forget it when we leave church. We pray that as we look to explore this passage further this week, either privately or with friends or discipleship groups we will connect with your word further and feel challenged to daily receive your word, and to act on your instruction through the love of Christ. God we thank you that we will be able to join in the church building and begin to join together to share in teaching about you in the coming weeks. We pray for Alistair and the rest of the team involved in the services at St Gabriel’s that you will give them guidance on how to proceed with the running of these services smoothly and that you will give them a renewing of energy as we move into a new term and chapter of the church’s life. God thank you for the blessing that zoom church has been, and we pray you will be able to continue to speak to us and grow us with a personal faith and as a church. We pray as a people of God that your work in Greystones will continue to flourish.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
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
SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h10GlC47Ut8
Shout for joy and sing,
let your praises ring;
see that God is building a kingdom for a King.
His dwelling place with men, the new Jerusalem;
where Jesus is Lord over all.
And we will worship, worship,
we will worship Jesus the Lord
We will worship, worship,
we will worship Jesus the Lord.
2. A work so long concealed,
in time will be revealed,
as the sons of God shall rise and take their stand.
Clothed in His righteousness,
The church made manifest,
Where Jesus is Lord over all
And we will worship, worship,
we will worship Jesus the Lord
We will worship, worship,
we will worship Jesus the Lord.
3. Sovereign over all,
Hail Him risen Lord.
He alone is worthy of our praise.
Reigning in majesty,
ruling in victory,
Jesus is Lord over all.
And we will worship, worship,
we will worship Jesus the Lord
We will worship, worship,
we will worship Jesus the Lord.
Dave Bilbrough © 1983 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=oTZnuPTGWS8
O Lord our God, how majestic is Your name,
The earth is filled with Your glory.
O Lord our God, You are robed in majesty,
You've set Your glory above the heavens.
We will magnify, we will magnify
The Lord enthroned in Zion;
We will magnify, we will magnify
The Lord enthroned in Zion.
2. O Lord our God, You have established a throne,
You reign in righteousness and splendour.
O Lord our God, the skies are ringing with Your praise,
Soon those on earth will come to worship.
We will magnify....
3. O Lord our God, the world was made at Your command,
In You all things now hold together.
Now to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb,
Be praise and glory and power for ever.
We will magnify....
Phil Lawson Johnston (c) 1982 Thankyou Music
BLESSING
God, who through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
has given us the victory, give you joy and peace in your faith;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always.
Amen