2nd Sunday in Lent
This short act of worship has been prepared for you. I invite you to share in a few moments with God knowing that other people within Paulton, Trinity and Chew Stoke Methodist Churches are sharing this act of worship with you.
Revd Martin Slocombe
Psalm 22:27-31
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
Hymn – All my hope on God is founded www.youtube.com/watch?v=DohxO6ytsaU
1 All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.
2 Human pride and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray our trust;
what with care and toil we fashion,
tower and temple, fall to dust.
But God's power,
hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.
3 God's great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom passing thought;
splendour, light, and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of nought.
Evermore
from his store
new-born worlds rise and adore.
4 Daily doth the almighty giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.
5 Still from earth to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all
ye who follow shall not fall.
Robert Bridges (1844–1930) (alt.)
based on Joachim Neander (1650–1680)
Prayer
All-powerful God of past, present and future,
keeper of promises:
How we love you.
Son of Man, the way, the truth and the life,
loving despite rejection:
How we love you.
Holy Spirit, living Power within,
helping, guiding, testing and transforming:
How we love you.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
your unique relationship – open to us:
How we love you. Amen.
Your example is to have words of greeting, words of love on the lips. Forgive us when we fail to act as you do, Lord.
When we have words of retaliation, insincerity and malice on our lips:
forgive us when we act towards others in this way, Lord.
When we are overwhelmed by complex relationships and rocky paths:
forgive us for not setting our minds on you and your ways.
When we are afraid of rejection and wary of being our true selves:
forgive us and help us to give of ourselves as you give.
Forgive us, Lord, for our failure to trust you; for not allowing you to be in the driving seat.
Lord of covenant relationship, lead us and help us to live your way.
In your name we pray.
Amen.
Jesus was handed over to be crucified because of our sins.
He died and rose again to make us right with God.
Through him we are forgiven.
Let us follow the Lord our God, giving our lives as he gave his for us.
Amen.
Readings
Romans 4:13-25 - God’s Promise Realized through Faith
13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ 23Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
Mark 8:31-38 - Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’
Reflection
I wonder what it was that Peter said to Jesus in verse 32 from our gospel reading?
Perhaps Peter was worried about the effect of Jesus’ words on his followers. This was not the positive message they wanted to hear and it would not go very far in helping the disciples to recruit more followers. Perhaps Peter was asking Jesus to tone down the negativity, and find something a bit more positive to say?
We have all observed the work of the “spin-doctors” in the world of politics, who manage every message which is communicated, trying to hide bad news, and turning apparent failure into roaring success. Was Peter the first “spin-doctor”, but who had no idea how he was going to turn Jesus’ warning of his impending death into some sort of good news that he could share with his followers?
The mistake he made, as he often did, was to view Jesus’ words from a human rather than divine perspective. Rather than having faith that through these actions, God’s promises from generations before would be fulfilled, Peter could not see how this message was anything other than bad news.
Paul writes to a persecuted church in Rome, who are struggling to see how the good news of Jesus, in which they believe, has brought them anything other than bad news, as they struggle in the face of persecution and despair. Paul reminds them that they are not Christians simply because they follow the rules and conventions of the Christian Church, but that they also need to have faith that God’s promises will be fulfilled, even when their eyes seem to be telling them the reverse. He reminds them of the example of Abram and Sarai.
In their time, descendancy was key to success and survival, but due to age and the lack of children, Abram and Sarai are condemned. And yet God promises to make Abram the “father of many nations”. Clearly, this cannot be true, thinks Abram, as he considers both his and Sarai’s age, but he had faith, and that was credited to him, and children were to follow, just as God had promised. What seemed impossible to man, is possible to God.
What are the seemingly impossible challenges that you are faced with today? Do you truly believe that God will enable you to overcome them? Paul makes it very clear, that calling yourself a Christian, and following all the rules that that implies is of little benefit without faith in God’s promises to love and protect us.
But faith is not a magic wand that makes all the bad stuff go away. Jesus makes it very clear to those listening to him that the path of the disciple is a difficult one, one which will demand much of them, but the good news is that despite everything which may happen, God’s promises can be trusted. They need to consider the bigger picture, not just what their eyes are telling them at that particular moment.
When we are faced with the seemingly impossible, do we have the faith to place our trust in God, who promises to walk with us through the darkest valleys, and can be trusted to enable us to overcome our fears, even when we fail to see that it can be possible?
Do we place our trust in what we see, or what we know?
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
Faithful God, as a cautious route out of lockdown is planned, may we hold on to the hope it offers but not run ahead of the realities.
We pray for the work of Covax as they ensure fair access to vaccine, and we ask that poverty would not create vaccine inequality.
Your promise is to all generations:
We believe that all things are possible with you.
Faithful God,
we pray that the under 5s will have opportunity to play, that students studying for exams would not have their futures jeopardised, that decisions would be wise and timely, and that classrooms will be made as safe as possible.
We pray today for all teachers wearied by long hours and changing rules, for students who have been lonely and confused, and for parents stressed by home schooling. Surround all schools with your protection, and may we find long-term responses to the needs of children and young people.
Your promise is to all generations:
We believe that all things are possible with you.
Faithful God,
you promise that the poor shall eat and be satisfied, but in the UK, rates of deprivation have skyrocketed in the pandemic.
We pray also for starving children in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, and for the Yazidi people, displaced and without hope.
As we begin to think about the future, may we focus on your priorities and be ready to work for change, so that no one goes hungry and all find a place to live.
Your promise is to all generations:
We believe that all things are possible with you.
Faithful God, all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to you.
As we look at pictures from the red surface of Mars, we wonder again at the miracle of your creation, and give thanks for the extent of human adventure and achievement.
May the same courage that explores space, finds new vaccines, be applied to our everyday challenges.
Give us fresh energy to face the future, with all its seemingly intractable issues, and may we be ready to respond to your call to follow you,
though the pathway is challenging and the way ahead may require sacrifices.
Your promise is to all generations:
We believe that all things are possible with you.
Faithful God, as days lengthen and signs of spring appear, we thank you that you have placed us in community, and we remember today all the people who fill our lives with hope.
We remember in silence all we know who are struggling today:
We pray for our friends and family.
We give thanks for the lives of two church members from Paulton and Trinity Westfield and we pray for peace and comfort for their families.
We pray for the churches in our Circuit, this week for Weston, and their minister, Jan Tate and as Churches Together in Radstock and Westfield we are asked to pray for the Bath City Church.
May your love surround them.
Your promise is to all generations:
We believe that all things are possible with you.
May your faithfulness give us hope in believing.
Amen.
We say together the prayer that Jesus gave us:
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.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn – Beyond these walls of worship - www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2elEBTNsic
1 Beyond these walls of worship
in the stress and joy of life,
can we offer you our bodies
as a living sacrifice?
Will we keep you at the centre
far beyond the Sunday call?
Will we turn to you,
be transformed by you;
still declare you God of all?
2 Beyond these walls of worship,
in the times of work and rest,
will we display your love for all
when our faith’s put to the test?
When the people that surround us
deny that you are there,
will we display our faith in you —
in life, in praise, in prayer?
3 Beyond these walls of worship
may your Spirit strengthen us
to make the whole of life our worship
as we witness to your love.
From this hour in your presence
send us out now to proclaim
that we'll live our life as a sacrifice
to the glory of your name.
Ian Worsfold (b. 1974) and Paul Wood (b. 1967)
Blessing
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you, now and forever more. Amen
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