Welcome to our service - 6 February
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.
Notices
Please don’t hesitate to ring Alistair (07769 213 581) if you have any questions or would like support.
Accession Day marks the anniversary of the reigning monarch taking the throne, which in the case of Her Majesty the Queen is 6 February 1952. It is particularly fitting to celebrate this anniversary in 2022 as it marks the beginning of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
As The Queen is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and also the head of state, we pray frequently for her work and for her needs.
I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service... But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it. - Princess Elizabeth, 21 April 1947
SERVICE
Opening
The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us rejoice and shout for joy,
giving God the glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuMh_ept-Js
Crown Him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heavenly anthem
drowns
all music but its own:
awake my soul, and sing
of Him who died for thee,
and hail Him as thy chosen King
through all eternity.
2 Crown Him the Son of God
before the worlds began;
and ye who tread where He hath trod,
crown Him the Son of Man,
who every grief hath known
that wrings the human breast,
and takes and bears them for His own
that all in Him may rest.
3 Crown Him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o'er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife,
for those He came to save:
His glories now we sing,
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.
4 Crown Him the Lord of heaven,
enthroned in worlds above;
crown Him the King to whom is given
the wondrous name of love:
all hail, Redeemer, hail!
for Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.
Matthew Bridges (1800-94) Godfrey Thring (1823-1903)
CONFESSION
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.’ We long for the fire of God’s cleansing to touch our unclean lips, for our guilt to be removed and our sin wiped out. So we meet Father, Son and Holy Spirit with repentance in our hearts.
We have not always worshipped God, our creator.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
We have not always followed Christ, our Saviour.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
We have not always trusted in the Spirit, our guide.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
ABSOLUTION
May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins,
and restore us in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
COLLECT
Almighty God,
give us reverence for all creation
and respect for every person,
that we may mirror your likeness
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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.
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, we will magnify …
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 forever.
We will magnify, we will magnify …
Phil Lawson Johnston.
Copyright © 1982 Thankyou Music.
READINGS
Colossians 2:16-23 New International Version - UK
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Matthew 15:1-11 New International Version - UK
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!’
Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, “Honour your father and mother” and “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is “devoted to God,” they are not to “honour their father or mother” with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
‘“These people honour me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”’
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.’
This the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
TALK by Alistair Stevenson
For the last two years every single one of us have been impacted by lockdown rules and it has been a challenge to keep up with all the changes. Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask. Work from home, don’t work from home. Go to school, don’t go to school. Don’t leave the house unless for essential purposes. Meet with up to 2 or 3 households, indoors, or just outdoors. The rule of 6. The creation of support bubbles. Exercise on your own, or just with one other. The tiered system - rules dependent on where you live.
For the church we’ve been out of the building, in the building, then out of the building, then back in the building. And our services continue to look very different from two years ago.
And as the last few weeks have revealed, even those in power coming up with the rules, have struggled to keep them.
What lockdown has definitely shown us is that we all have slightly different attitudes to rules. Each of us sits somewhere on the spectrum of being a rule breaker or a rule keeper. I wonder where you sit on the spectrum?
The keeping of rules was a keep problem that Paul was trying to address in this small but growing church in Colossae. But the problem was not that the church was failing to keep the rules, it was that the rules were being used to determine whether you were in or out - ultimately whether you were saved by Jesus or not. And so, Paul in our passage this morning, is desperately trying to tell the church that human rules are inadequate to save and aren’t necessarily founded in Christ.
Of course, for many of the recent converts to Christianity, their faith and in fact their whole lives up to that point, had been dominated by following the rules. The Israelite faith was based on religious rituals - numerous laws that had to be followed. And Paul knew this all too well. He was a Jew - describing himself in another letter as a ‘Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee’. He knew the rules and before he met Jesus, he followed them to the letter.
But, at the very heart of Paul’s message to the church in Colossae was this: ‘It’s not what you do, it's who you follow that counts’.
In an age of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media, who you follow can be a key indicator of who you are - or at least your online identity. And fame is now marked by how many followers you have rather than necessarily what you have done or archived.
But let’s be clear. This is not close to what Paul is trying to communicate to this fledgling community of early Christians 2000 years ago. The problem that Paul was trying to address was a false teaching that had arisen suggesting that salvation was not only through a relationship with Jesus but also through adhering to a number of different rules and regulations. As Eugene Peterson's translation of these verses puts it:
“So don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ.
Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They’re a lot of hot air, that’s all they are.”
Imagine with me for a moment that you are slightly short of friends and you think you need a new one. So, you identify someone in your social network who you think might be a good fit and you approach that person to inquire with them whether they might like to be your friend. You tell them that, for this relationship to grow, flourish and deepen into the future, you will need certain things - rules even - that need to be put in place.
So, you suggest to this new friend that you think they should start to meet once a week, for an hour, and during this hour you should make sure you talk about certain topics that you know will lead to a deeper friendship. You tell them that you should each message one-another twice a day, every day in the morning and in the evening. You should soon become friends on Facebook and like each other's posts.
You then decided that a good friendship should be based on spending some extended time together - possibly a dinner once a month - maybe even a short holiday. And again, you make sure that the time together is structured appropriately with activities that will again engender a positive, deepening relationship. You also decide that you should both exchange a gift, at regular intervals as a sign of your good friendship. You put gift exchanging in the diary with clear parameters about the type of gift and how much should be spent.
In this scenario, a relationship might very well form but it would be a very usual one. And with these structures and rules, it's likely not to be a very good friendship. Good relationships, as we all know, grow naturally and organically out of a heart’s desire of love and affection for another person. Rules never lead to good relationships. Relationships based on duty won’t go very deep.
Our relationship with Jesus will never grow out of duty and obligation. But often when heart change takes place, then comes a change in lifestyle and action. And it is then because of this transformation of the heart that we realise we need to put certain habits and routines in place to keep that relationship alive.
If you never met up with your friends, didn’t speak to them regularly, never helped and supported them, the relationship will likely die. It’s important to do all these things, but do you notice the difference if it comes from a place of love rather than rules? The same is true with a relationship with Jesus. Remember - It’s not what you do, it's who you follow that counts.
A relationship with Jesus is based on love not on rules. A relationship with Jesus starts in the heart. It starts, as Paul explains in the chapter before, when we know that he has forgiven us all our sins. That Jesus has cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
When we meet Jesus at the cross, our lives will never be the same again.
Paul continues to warn the church about people who were trying to come up with rituals that had to be followed. These people, he explains, “have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”
The problems of faith start to arise when we lose connection from the head- that’s Jesus and from the whole body - that’s the church. When the body is healthy it is supported and held together by ligaments and sinews. As in a body, it’s the ligaments and sinews that hold together the bones and muscles and the organs. The bones are the structure and the muscles keep the body moving. But all these are held together by ligaments and sinews. As a church, we might have a brilliant structure – great bones. And we might have fantastic muscles - whether that’s people, or buildings, or finances. But all these things are not going to work if we don’t have the things that connect us - the things that make relationship with Jesus and relationship with one-another possible.
So how do you connect to Jesus and his body? Or possibly how are you going to start to stay connected? How are you going to help others stay connected, particularly those who may find coming to church or meeting people difficult.
Faith in Jesus is all about relationships. Yes, a relationship with God through Jesus, but also a relationship with his body - with his family the church. And like all relationships, they need to be sustained, they need to grow, they need to deepen if they are ever going to flourish. They need regular communication. They need honesty and trust. They need commitment.
One of the hardest things about lockdown has been its impact on relationships. When we’re forced to stay indoors, to see only a few people if anyone, our relationships take a hit.
So don’t let your relationship with Jesus and the church stay in lockdown. Take steps to let it grow and flourish. Connect and stay connected.
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
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
PRAYERS - written by Grace Jackson
Our Father in heaven, thank you that through the Lord Jesus we have the priceless privilege of access to you, and we come to you now with our requests, and to thank you for your many blessings.
We pray for the worldwide Church, and thank you that we are all joined together as part of the body of Christ. So we pray for Christians who face persecution and discrimination for their faith. Please give them your strength to stand firm, and an awareness of your presence with them.
We pray for all those living in areas of the world feeling the devastating effects of climate change, such as tsunamis, droughts, floods etc. Please help the vulnerable people who are most badly affected by these disasters, as they try to come to terms with the loss, in many cases, of homes, possessions and livelihoods, as well as, tragically, family members. Please help them as they try to rebuild their lives and start again. We pray for your blessing on the work of relief agencies such as Christian Aid, Tear Fund, and UNHCR as they seek to give support and provide the means to enable people to rebuild their homes and re-establish their trades.
We pray also for many people around the world made homeless because of conflicts and violence. Please guide them to a safe place where they will be welcomed, and can start again. We pray for the leaders of nations that you will guide them to policies of peace and not of war, especially bringing before you the plight of people in Afghanistan in the aftermath of many years of war, and the situation in Ukraine, praying that peaceful policies will prevail over Ukraine.
We pray for our own country, our government and Prime Minister. Please guide them in all the decisions they have to make and help them to act with wisdom, integrity, and with generosity towards poorer nations. Help them also to promote policies which will be fair to all and compassionate towards the most vulnerable in our own society.
We pray for our own church and parish. Please uphold Alistair and Catherine, and give them the strength and guidance they need for the task you have called them to do. We pray for Churchwardens Peter and Stuart, and for members of the Church Council. Please give them wisdom and guide them in all the decisions they have to make. We lift to you the children's work, the Sunday School, and the youth group, and pray that each young person may be learning more about you week by week.
We pray for the Alpha course just started, that each member, and we all as a church family, may have the courage to share our faith with those who are not yet Christians.
Lastly, we thank you, Lord, for the series of sermons on Colossians, and as we reflect on their message, we pray that you will help us to be a church that supports one another, that is united, and that is, by your will and power, a growing church. Amen
SING: (Sorry there is no YouTube video available for this song)
ALMIGHTY SOVEREIGN LORD,
Creator God,
You made the heavens and the earth.
You’ve spoken to the world,
Yourself the living Word,
You give us eyes to see Your kingdom.
So stretch out Your hand, O God,
In signs and wonders,
We rest our faith on Your almighty power.
Stretch out Your hand, O God,
To heal and deliver. We declare,
We declare Your kingdom is here.
Stir up Your people like a mighty wind,
Come shake us, wake us from our sleep.
Give us compassion, Lord,
Love for Your holy word,
Give us the courage of Your kingdom.
Why do so many stand against You now,
Bringing dishonour to Your name?
Consider how they mock,
But we will never stop
Speaking with boldness of Your kingdom.
So stretch out Your hand, O God…
Phil Lawson Johnston.
Copyright © 1987 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.
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=6ph-t8P2r_I
BREATHE ON ME, BREATH OF GOD,
Fill me with life anew;
That I may love what Thou dost love
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure;
Until my will is one with Thine
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine;
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.
Edwin Hatch (1835–89)
FINAL BLESSING:
May the Father
from whom every family in earth and heaven receives its name
strengthen you with his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and that, knowing his love,
broad and long, deep and high beyond our knowledge,
you may be filled with all the fullness of God;
and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always.
Amen