Welcome to our service - 6 March
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.
SERVICE
Opening
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Blessed are those who have endured temptation; they have stood the test and will receive the crown of life.
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ji4y9Q-K0
Tell out, my soul,
the greatness of the Lord;
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of His Word;
In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.
2. Tell out, my soul,
the greatness of His Name!
Make known His might, the deeds His arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age the same;
His Holy Name - the Lord, the Mighty One.
3. Tell out, my soul,
the greatness of His might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills
are put to flight,
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
4. Tell out, my soul,
the glories of His word!
Firm is His promise, and His mercy sure,
Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children's children and for evermore.
Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926-
THE BEATITUDES
Let us hear our Lord’s blessing on those who follow him:
Blessed are the poor in spirit
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn
for they shall be comforted
Blessed are the meek
for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
for they shall be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful
for they shall obtain mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall seek God
Blessed are the peacemakers
for they shall be called children of God
Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
CONFESSION
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Let us confess our sins remembering before God the times when we have fallen from temptation into sin.
We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love:
fill us with your Spirit.
(Silence)
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith:
fill us with your Spirit.
(Silence)
Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust:
fill us with your Spirit.
(Silence)
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
ABSOLUTION
May the father of all mercies cleanse you from your sins,
and restore you in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
COLLECT
Eternal God,
give us insight
to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6LC8cu03Ig
THY WORD is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
(Repeat)
When I feel afraid,
Think I’ve lost my way,
Still You’re there right beside me.
And nothing will I fear
As long as You are near;
Please be near me to the end.
THY WORD is a lamp unto my feet…
I will not forget
Your love for me, and yet
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus, be my guide
And hold me to Your side,
And I will love You to the end.
Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith. © 1983 Meadow Green Music/Word Music/Adm. SongSolutions CopyCare
READINGS
Romans 12:1-2 New International Version - UK
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Matthew 6:19-23 New International Version - UK
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
This is the word of the Lord,
Thanks be to God.
Talk – Eddie Short
If you’ve read the Old Testament book of Leviticus, you’ll have come across the long and laborious descriptions of temple sacrifices. The practice of sacrificing – usually animals, but also grain and drink – to God was central to the religious practice of the Israelites. However, it is a completely alien concept to us today. Even the carnivores among us are used to neatly packaged, refrigerated meat that bears little resemblance to the living creature from which it was derived. As we read the long lists of rules and regulations governing temple sacrifice in the bible, they can seem dull and repetitive. However, the actual practice would have been far different, a truly sensory experience packed with sights, sounds and smells. It would have been gory; giving the participants a vivid reminder that if it wasn’t for the grace of God it would have been their life on the alter. It would also have involved real personal sacrifice. The animal offered would have likely been raised by the family and have had real financial value.
This is the context for when we read Paul words, in Romans 12, urging us to “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice”. This is at the heart of today’s bible reading and sets the scene for our new teaching series that will run throughout the season of Lent up until Easter. During our Sunday services, and also through the Daily Reflections that are being posted on Facebook and emailed out daily [contact Alistair if you aren’t currently receiving these but would like to], we will be slowly working our way through the 12th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. And this introductory call to be ‘living sacrifices’ is central to its message.
As we explore what it means to be a living sacrifice, its worth noting that Paul’s words would have been truly shocking and revolutionary at the time of his writing. Sacrifice was not only central to Jewish practice but also to contemporary pagan religions. Paul takes this familiar form of worship and turns it on its head. Firstly, he takes sacrifice out of the temple and into everyday life. Secondly, he takes the focus away from ritual and places it on action.
Before we go any further, its worth reminding ourselves that there were various types of Old Testament sacrifice, but these can be divided neatly into two broad categories: voluntary and mandatory. As you may have guessed, voluntary sacrifices were optional. They were acts of worship initiated by the Israelites themselves to express their devotion, commitment, or thanksgiving to God. On the other hand, mandatory offerings were required of all Israelites and dealt with atonement (paying the price) of sin.
So, into which category does Paul’s ‘living sacrifice’ fall? The big clue is in his very first word: ‘therefore’. In the previous chapters (as in his letter to the church in Colossae which we explored together in our previous teaching series), Paul has gone to great lengths to explain that Jesus has paid the price of sin, once and for all. Jesus was the ultimate mandatory sacrifice. Paul then tells us that ‘in view of God’s mercy’ we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices. So this is a voluntary sacrifice made not for the purpose of atonement but to express our thanks that Jesus has already made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
Paul goes on to describe this ‘living sacrifice’ as our ‘true and proper worship’. There is a powerful challenge here for us to recognize that worship is much more than what we do when we gather on a Sunday: it is how we live our lives over the rest of the week. It is as much about singing praises in church as it is about reflecting the love and goodness of Christ is our personal relationships, to our colleagues and to the strangers that we meet. It will involve looking for, and taking, every opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. And, just as with temple sacrifice, it will involve personal cost as we purposefully choose not what serves us but what serves others.
In the second verse of today’s reading, Paul goes on to say: ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ Not only are we to offer up our bodies to God, but also our minds.
The Greek word (aiōni) translated in the NIV as ‘world’ can also be translated, arguably more accurately, as ‘age’. Paul is talking about the time of ‘now but not yet’ in which we live; when the kingdom of God has been established on earth but not fully realized as it will be when Jesus comes again. Meanwhile, the word (syschēmatizesthe) translated ‘conformed’ suggests a malleable sense of conformation. The person who is ‘conformed to this age’ is free to embrace the next popular philosophy or fad. It’s like being a leaf blown by the wind, never knowing exactly where you are going next—or why. But the word (metamorphousthe) translated ‘transformed’ is quite different, it infers a transformation at the core of our being. If being conformed to this age is drifting like a leaf, being transformed by the renewing of our mind is being like a tree trunk: anchored and steady. Paul is urging us not to be caught up in every worldly fad, but to allow the Spirt to transform us at our core, so that we can remain firm despite the winds of popular opinion.
The Greek word metamorphousthe is also where we get the English word ‘metamorphosis’ and the most obvious example of this is, of course, the caterpillar which metamorphosises into a butterfly.
For a time it is one thing and then goes through a process where it becomes something completely different. So it is, by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, that we who were one thing (conformed to this age) can be transformed (metamorphosised) into something wholly different—people who are Godly and holy.
Through this transforming of our minds, Paul tells us, we can ‘approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will’. The word (dokimazein) translated here as ‘approve’ can also be translated ‘discern’. Paul tells us that the renewing of our minds enables us to ‘discern the will of God’. But sometimes it can be easy to assume that God’s will mirrors our own, to unconsciously force God into the mould of our own thinking. If we are to truly discern God’s will, we must become putty in His hands, though that transforming process. And we can do that by reading his Word with a truly open mind; making ourselves fully open to the Spirit’s leading; and prayerfully reflecting on what we read and experience. This is something that we need to make into a habit which extends beyond Sunday into every day, so that it empowers us to be living sacrifices in every aspect of our lives.
A great way to get started with this is to engage with the St Gabriel’s daily lent reflections. They are short and easy to fit into our daily routines, but also insightful and designed to challenge us all to fulfil Paul’s call for us to become ‘living sacrifices’. If you’ve already been engaging with them – keep it up. But if you’ve not started yet, it’s not too late. I’d encourage you to take a look at the church Facebook page to catch up on the three you’ve missed so far (it won’t take long) and then set aside some time each weekday to engage with each new reflection.
Finally, as we prayerfully – through reading scripture, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through the wisdom of fellow Christians – discern the true will of God there is a challenge for us to act on what we discern. God has a unique plan for each of our lives; he wants the best for us, so that we live lives that fulfil all He created us to be. And that plan will have different seasons as we move through life. But we need to act when God prompts, especially when he leads us out of our comfort zones into new challenges. So I’ll end by posing a few questions for each of us to ask ourselves:
Am I living a life that is obedient to God’s plan in this season?
Do I involve Him through prayer in my decision making, especially when it comes to my careers/finances?
Is God calling me to put something down that has previously been part of His good intention for my life in order to move on to something new?
Is God calling me to begin to serve him in a new way in this season?
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 Sam Chubb
Our prayers today include some actions that we would encourage you to do while we prayer.
We start with…
Cupped hands in front
Lord God, we pray for the conflict happening in your creation. For the war that has broken out in Ukraine, may you protect those caught up in the midst and heart the conflict. May those that you’re shepherding be led to safety. May those staying in their homes know you are watching over them. Holy Spirit may you continue to move and bring peace to the hearts and minds of those who are fearful. Thank you for the organisations that are sending aid to Ukraine, for the volunteers making this happen, for the generosity of the donations given so far. In amongst the chaos and confusion, may your love shine through to provide light in this time of darkness. May you soften the heart of Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin, so that withdrawal of troops can be an option taken. Thank you for the resilience of the Ukrainian prime minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Bless him in his leadership to stand firm and manage this war with rationality and strength. Thank you, Lord, that you are also working continually in the aftermath of events that are no longer in the news. You know about them and are working for good in the stories where we don’t know what’s happening in your world.
Hands on head
Loving God, as we see and hear about what happens in your world this week, may you protect us from what we take in. May it not be overbearing, but provoke responsible action and thoughts of how we can support our brothers and sisters around your world. Make us tune into hearing the important facts and details, so we can respond with the fullness of our hearts. Anything we have in our minds that’s lingering negatively from events this week, may it be taken away by the grace of your spirit. Renew our minds with peace for what’s to come this week, Lord.
Hands on heart
Loving God, thank you for how you sustain us. Thank you that our hearts are beating, and our lungs are filled with air today. When our minds are absorbed in the responsibilities of life, may we remember that you are working for our good. Keeping us sustained to go into this week ahead. May you speak into the simple pleasures of our lives, so that the bigger things may not seem as big, and calmness may ensue over us all.
Hands out in front
Loving God, may we receive your peace today. Wash and cleanse our souls to be refreshed for you. May you empower us to serve you this week in our lives. Dwell in us, Lord, so our thoughts and actions can be inspired by you. May we bring your desires from heaven to earth, and make room for taking in how you’d like to speak to us this week.
Hands to the side
Loving God, thank you for the community of Greystones. Thank you for the primary school, the GP surgery, the pub, the salon, and the newsagent. May you bless those working here this week in their roles. May you speak to those that walk past and live nearby to St Gabriel’s. Particularly those who don’t have a faith. May they notice something this week as they walk or drive past this church of yours; a feeling inspired by your spirit. Thank you, Lord, for how you’re working here. May you equip us to be lights in our communities this week. To live faithful lives for your glory. 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=Y0a9T0UtJBQ
When the music fades,
all is stripped away
and I simply come;
Longing just to bring
something that's of worth
that will bless your heart.
I'll bring you more than a song,
for a song in itself
is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within
through the way things appear,
You're looking into my heart.
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
and it's all about you,
all about you, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it,
when it's all about you,
all about you, Jesus.
2. King of endless worth,
no one could express
how much you deserve.
Though I'm weak and poor,
all I have is Yours,
every single breath.
I’ll bring you more than a song…
Matt Redman © 1997 Kingsway's Thankyou Music
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
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=6CMclLT_Hjg
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me,
save that Thou art -
Thou my best thought
in the day or the night,
waking or sleeping,
Thy presence my light.
2. Be Thou my wisdom,
be Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father and I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
3. Be Thou my breast-plate,
my sword for the fight,
be Thou my armour
and be thou my might.
Thou my soul's shelter
and Thou my high tower:
raise Thou me heavenward,
O power of my power.
4. Riches I heed not,
nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only,
the first in my heart,
high King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
5. High King of heaven,
after victory won,
may I reach heaven's joys,
O bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Ancient Irish tr. by Mary Elizabeth Byrne, 1880-1931
Versified by Eleanor Henrietta Hull
FINAL BLESSING:
Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him; and the blessing of God the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
Amen