Worship at Home - 27 September

 

Worship at Home – 27 September 2020

Worship at Home 27 September 2020

This sheet is based on the service that will be taking place at Sandy Methodist Church on Sunday morning. 

 

Call to Worship

[You may wish to light a candle to remind you that even though you are worshipping at home, you are joining with all of God’s people across time and space who worship before the throne of grace.]

We have a great high priest who is ascended into heaven,
Jesus the Son of God.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
Lord have mercy
Lord give us grace in our time of need.  Amen

[Hebrews 4.14–16]

Hymn – StF 593 Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour - https://youtu.be/i9aKk_gHnpA

Prayer of Adoration

Creating God,
you are worthy of honour and glory and praise.

At your command the heavens and the earth were created,
darkness and light,
sea and sky,
oceans and land.

Redeeming God,
you are worthy of honour and glory and praise.

At your command the word became flesh,
he was born of Mary,
he befriended sinners,
he was crucified and raised to life.

Sustaining God,
you are worthy of honour and glory and praise.

At your command, your Spirit fills the earth,
love outpoured
stream of living water
breath of God

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer
you are worthy of honour and glory and praise.  Amen

 

Prayer of Confession – either listen to or prayerfully read Kyrie Eleison, have mercy by Stuart Townend - https://youtu.be/BkpbH33aecI

            Kyrie Eleison, have mercy,
            Christe Eleison, have mercy. (Repeat)

As we come before you with the needs of our world,
we confess our failures and our sin;
for our words are many yet our deeds have been few,
fan the fire of compassion once again.
Chorus

When the cries of victims go unheard in the land,
and the scars of war refuse to heal,
will we stand for justice to empower the weak
till their bonds of oppression are no more?
Chorus

If we love our God with all our heart, mind and strength,
and we love of neighbours as ourselves,
then this law of love will heal the nations of earth
and the glory of Christ will be revealed.
Chorus

Lord, renew our vision to be Christ where we live,
to reach out in mercy to the lost;
for each cup of kindness to the least in our midst
is an offering of worship to the throne.
Chorus

Stuart Townend (born 1963) and Keith Getty (born 1974)

 

Reading – Philippians 2.1–13

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death –
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.

Reflection

We continue to read Paul’s letter to the Philippians, written during one of his imprisonments: his letter from lockdown. 

As well being concerned that his imprisonment is having a negative effect on the Philippians’ faith, Paul is also troubled to hear that squabbles and divisions are beginning to take place among them. 

One cause of division among them is the question of how much they should comply with Jewish Laws.  There is a hint in Chapter 3 that some of the opposing preachers have brought with them the teaching that Christians must observe the rites and practices of Judaism to be fully included in God’s purposes.  (See Phil 3.1–4)  The debate over the extent to which Gentile converts had to become Jewish proselytes was one of the most serious doctrinal questions in the New Testament Church. A council of apostles sought to resolve the issue in a gathering in Jerusalem. (recorded in Acts 15)  Despite their ruling that they should ‘not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God’ by requiring them to fully convert to Judaism, teachers continued to arrive in the Churches founded by Paul insisting that to be true Christians it was necessary for males to be circumcised.  Paul’s judgement is that this is motivated by a desire to set up a system of external checks that would enable a Christian’s commitment to be measured and judged.  This gives rise to several alarming possibilities including granting some Christians control over the faith and actions of others and establishing a way of judging who are superior disciples.

We read Paul’s rebuttal of this error in several of his letters where he consistently warns against those who want to turn Christianity into an entirely external religion.  His language is rarely polite and in Philippians it is equally robust:

‘Watch out for those dogs, those evil–doers, those mutilators of the flesh.  For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.’ [Phil 3.2–3]

Each time Paul addresses this issue he tells his readers that a Christian is not defined by outward compliance to religious rules and rituals but by the work of God’s Spirit in a person’s heart which become evident by their actions and attitude towards others.  He warns the Philippians (and his other churches) that human religious structures cannot act as a substitute to an encounter and relationship with Jesus.  Whilst it is true that outward actions and attitudes can indicate a healthy spiritual life, just as the fruit of a tree can indicate its healthiness, Paul is warning that the opposite is not true: tying apples onto the branches of an oak doesn’t make it an apple-tree!  In the same way just ‘doing the things Christians do’ doesn’t make one a Christian. 

Paul’s insistence that Christians are defined by their relationship with Jesus is threaded through the Philippian letter.  We have already read Paul’s description that a Christian is one who has been granted ‘not only to believe in him, but also to suffer [and struggle] for him.’ [Phil 1.29]  In today’s passage he goes on to say that those who participate by believing in Christ and suffering for him, should take encouragement that they are united with all who are included in God’s purposes. 

He particularly wants to stress that since discipleship involves suffering and struggle, it is important that we don’t get distracted by seeking some kind of status as ‘super-saints.’  For those who are walking the way of Christ there should be no room for claiming superiority over another or insisting that our opinion or way of doing things should automatically be given priority. This is a particular temptation when our focus becomes external religious behaviour since it is possible then to think ‘my Christianity is better than yours.’

Paul urges the Philippians to avoid the trap of beginning to measure their Christianity according to their compliance with outward rules and rituals, instead they should keep their attention on Christ and to continue to seek to ‘have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.’ (Phil 2.5]  A life shaped by a Christ-like attitude will be one that fosters unity of spirit and mind because Christ’s example is one of doing ‘nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit [but] rather, in humility [valuing] others above yourselves.’ [Phil 2.3 adpt]

Paul illustrates this in his poetic description of Christ’s attitude and mindset [a poem that some scholars suggest may have been borrowed from an early Christian hymn].   Whilst he expresses it poetically, he does not hide the fact that living according to Jesus’ pattern is not easy.  For Christ is meant becoming ‘obedient to death.’  As Paul writes, he faces the possibility that his obedience may result in his death and for the Philippians he indicates that their Christian obedience requires them, at the very least, to put to death their ‘ambitions, hopes and plans’ (as the modern hymnwriter puts it – see StF 555)

Possibly one of the most difficult lessons we need to learn as followers of Christ is that as fellow-disciples we have nothing to prove to another.  Within any given congregation there will always be a variety of viewpoints.  Also, individuals will live out their faith in different ways.  This does not make one person superior to another and none of us has any right to judge another’s relationship with Jesus or insist that they do it our way.  Throughout its history, the Church has changed and adapted its practices and priorities as its situation and circumstances change.  The way the Philippians worshipped would not suit 21^st Century Britain – in the same way it may be true that the way Methodists worshipped and lived their lives in the 19^th Century is just as alien.  Different times call for different approaches and if we fail to adapt we risk going out of existence.  If we continually try to make everyone fit into the model of Christianity we most favour, then we are in danger of creating a ‘fixed mindset’ that allows no room for things to change, develop and grow.  Ultimately this attitude leads congregations to die since those who are different are viewed with suspicion and as outsiders. 

Instead, Paul’s plea that the Philippians should value others above themselves suggests that we should begin with the assumption that those who approach their faith differently are at least as good if not better than us and have something to teach us.  This generosity and openness towards difference allows for a ‘growth mindset’ since if we assume that someone who lives out their Christian faith differently may be ‘better than me’ then we become willing to learn from each other and to grow together in our various ways.  This doesn’t mean that we all have to try to copy those churches that seem to be succeeding in attracting newcomers and growing: what works in one place may not work in another – but it does mean that we should be open to embracing difference and change so that God’s Spirit can continue to breathe new life into the Church. 

The same is true when it comes to decision making.  It is easy for us to approach decision making in the Church from the perspective of ‘what suits me?’  Paul, though, urges the Philippians to ‘not look to your own interests but … to the interests of others.’ [v 4]  It is only natural that our starting–point may be with those things that we find useful, familiar or comfortable.  [The older we get the truer this might become!]  Yet, it may be necessary for us to recognise that the way we have become accustomed to doing things is not necessarily in the best interests of the people we are seeking to serve. 

This has been particularly true as we have considered how we can safely resume worship in our chapels.  Those who are at least risk from Coronavirus have been asked to accept adaptations to our worshipping style that are necessary to protect those who are more vulnerable … and it is right that this is so.  Equally, those who can be in chapel are asked to remember friends who are not able to meet with us as we continue to provide them with written service sheets, (like this one!) and keep up our contact with those who are ‘out of sight’ so that we do not allow them to become ‘out of sight and out of mind.’ 

One sure sign that we are remaining open to God’s Spirit is that we experience a strengthening of our bond of fellowship.  When our attitudes are shaped by a desire to show others compassion and sympathy and a willingness to lay aside our personal ambitions and interests then we grow in unity and love.  We begin to move beyond arguments and grumbling and, instead, begin to experience a growth both in our own spirituality and eventually as others are attracted to join us.  It is an ongoing process that requires us to constantly examine our motives and adjust our attitudes: obedience is not easy!

No two Christian stories are the same – we each face different trials and struggles.  The extent to which we are called to share in Christ’s suffering will differ from one to another.  Let us remain committed to loving one another so that we can help each other as we continue to walk the way of Christ.    

The Northumbria Community’s morning prayer reminds us to be generous in our attitude by expecting to find Christ’s presence in our fellow believers.

“Be in the heart of each to whom I speak
and in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.”

In Galilee, Jesus chose twelve to be apostles, they were a varied group of people with different experiences, different perspective and different approaches to discipleship.  Today, Christ still chooses a variety of people to be his followers.  Let us give thanks for the great diversity of folks who walk with us in the way of Christ and let us be humble enough to learn from one another and gentle enough the grow together, ‘for it is God who works in [each one of] you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.’  Amen. 

Prayers of Intercession – taken from daily.commonworship.com

In peace, let us pray to Jesus our Lord,
who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Saviour of the world,
be present in all places of suffering, violence and pain,
and bring hope even in the darkest night.
Inspire us to continue your work of reconciliation today. 

Lord of the Church,
empower by your Spirit all Christian people, [especially NN],
and the work of your Church in every land.
Give us grace to proclaim the gospel joyfully in word and deed. 

Shepherd and Guardian of our souls,
guide and enable all who lead and serve this community
and those on whom we depend for our daily needs.
Grant that we may seek the peace and welfare of this place. 

Great Physician,
stretch out your hand to bring comfort, wholeness and peace
to [N and] all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.
Fill us with compassion, that we may be channels of
your healing love. 

Conqueror of death,
remember for good those whom we love but see no longer.
Help us to live this day in the sure and certain hope of 
your eternal victory. 

Let us commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, 
to the mercy and protection of God.

Open prayer may be offered and silence is kept.

The Lord’s Prayer

Hymn – Hymns and Psalms 739 – May the Mind of Christ My Saviour - https://youtu.be/dRTLocMzTvs