Psalm 25 - Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Hymn – When I survey the wondrous cross www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls07Bgvr5m4
1 When I survey the wondrous cross,
on which the Prince of Glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
3 See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down;
did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4 His dying crimson, like a robe,
spreads o’er his body on the tree;
then am I dead to all the globe,
and all the globe is dead to me.
5 Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
Prayer
Loving, faithful God,
your love is absolute, your promises irrevocable.
We look up after a shower of rain, marvelling at the colourful beauty of your rainbow – a reminder of your promise and faithfulness to all generations.
Wherever we happen to be – wilderness, mountain or valley bottom – your Holy Spirit is with us.
We adore you, loving, faithful God.
Amen.
In the wilderness of today’s world, we face many enemies, many temptations. Forgive us for succumbing to selfishness, greed, lust, anger, power.
Lord most high, forgive us, we pray.
Sometimes difficult times follow fast on the heels of one another. And it’s hard to keep our focus on you. Forgive us.
Help us not to wallow in self-centredness, but to remember your promises and recognise you in those you bring alongside.
Lord most high, forgive us, we pray.
Forgive us when our minds fail to focus on you and your word. Help us to remember that no matter what we’re going through, you’ve been there before us. Help us not to lose sight of your
hand guiding us to eternal glory at rainbow’s end.
Lord most high, forgive us, we pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, you went from water to wilderness to suffering on the cross. Through your blood we are washed clean of all our guilt. And we are able to enter the presence of God with whom you now sit.
Because of you, we are forgiven.
Praise be to Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Readings
1 Peter 3: 18-22
18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.21And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
Mark 1: 9-15
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
The Temptation of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
Reflection by Rev. Martin Slocombe
A minister friend of mine asked recently if it was acceptable for a minister to be in a Zoom meeting whilst wearing her PJ bottoms out of sight of the camera!! New forms of worship have enabled us to worship in a rather more informal way at home, and I am guessing that perhaps you too are not dressing in your “Sunday best” as you would have if going to church today. It leaves me wondering what you are wearing as you read this service??
In our gospel reading for today, Mark typically rushes through 3 stories that the other gospel writers spend rather more time on – Jesus’ baptism, temptation and then the beginning of his ministry. Each of these stories tell us something about Jesus, but the order in which they come is significant. Firstly, before anything else, Jesus’ baptism is a clear affirmation from God of who he is. Secondly, his temptation in the wilderness is a time for him to reflect on that knowledge and understand God’s mission for him. Only then does he know what to do, and is equipped to start his ministry.
How many of you have a telephone voice? It is tempting to portray ourselves before strangers in a way which may not be entirely accurate in real life. This might work for other people, but it doesn’t work with God, who sees us exactly as we are – fundamentally a beloved child of His – before we add the many layers with which we cover ourselves. It might be slightly unnerving, that whilst we can dress ourselves up before our friends, we are fully exposed before God.
Like an onion, life adds many layers to us, some from experience, some as a means of protecting ourselves. And we add layer upon layer. Perhaps there are some layers of which we are ashamed and wish to hide from others, secrets we must keep, traumas we cannot face, but we cannot hide them from God. My favourite Psalm, 139, is a beautiful but challenging reminder.
It might be unnerving, but it is also a blessing that God sees us as we really are, his vulnerable creation, despite the layers of our lives. The judgements we make about ourselves, or those that others make about us can be painful. Decisions we made many years ago are locked away but can continue to affect who we are. The Good News is that despite the appearance we try to portray to the world, God continues to see us as he made us – precious, loved, unaltered, unadorned, undefiled by the things of this world. Our worries are like the multiple layers of the onion, which God, in his love for us, peels away as he continues to reach out for us.
In the desert, Jesus stood before God, devoid of the protection of this world, and accepted his mission unconditionally. As we stand in the face of temptation, may we also have the courage to cast off the multi-layers we have wrapped around ourselves, and allow the God who truly loves us unconditionally to see us, and accept us, just as we are. He surely will.
Amen
Hymn – Just as I am www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lxqhPC1mNA
1 Just as I am, without one plea
but that you died to set me free,
and at your bidding, ‘Come to me!’
O Lamb of God, I come!
2 Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings within and fears without,
O Lamb of God, I come!
3 Just as I am, you will receive,
will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve:
because your promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come!
4 Just as I am — your love unknown
has broken every barrier down —
now to be yours, yes, yours alone,
O Lamb of God, I come!
5 Just as I am, of that free love
the breadth, length, depth and height to prove,
here for a time and then above,
O Lamb of God, I come!
Charlotte Elliott (1789–1871)
adapted by Jubilate Hymns (alt.)
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
As we walk into the long weeks of Lent, we begin a journey into the wilderness: may your Spirit rest upon us.
We walk in relative security, thankful for the comforts we know.
We pray for people who cannot afford to work from home and ask that we would address the inequality this shows us.
We pray for people in homes that are insecure
and for people living in life threatening icy weather in central and southern US.
We give thanks for the peace we experience,
and ask that our church communities can offer hope and safety for those in distress.
We join with the Circuit, praying for Trinity Methodist Church, and with CTRW as we pray for Trinity Radstock.
We walk in separation, apart from friends and those we love: give us strength to endure in hope.
We pray especially for all who are burdened by loneliness; for all who are in pain; for the bereaved and the despairing; the sick and the dying:
We pray for our friends and family.
We give thanks for the lives of our two church members and we pray for peace and comfort for their families.
We walk in hope for a future as the rollout of the vaccine continues across the UK. We give thanks for the work of the NHS as they administer vaccines to the public and manage long lists of people needing urgent surgery.
May we be mindful of countries yet to begin vaccination, and countries who cannot afford the vaccines, and we pray that governments would enable fair distribution.
When we begin to emerge from this crisis, may we work to build a better world where the poorest are protected.
Your kingdom comes near to those who call on your name;
your pathway is surrounded by love.
Teach us to walk in it. Amen.
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our final hymn is accompanied by a video from the choir and orchestra at Victoria Methodist Church in Bristol.
Hymn – Best of all is God is with us www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKJ5siTbOWQ
1 Best of all is God is with us,
God will hold and never fail.
Keep that truth when storms are raging,
God remains though faith is frail.
2 Best of all is God is with us,
life goes on and needs are met,
God is strongest in our weakness.
Love renews, will not forget.
3 Best of all is God is with us,
hearts are challenged, strangely warmed,
faith is deepened, courage strengthened,
grace received and hope reformed.
4 Best of all is God is with us,
in our joy and through our pain,
till that final acclamation:
‘life is Christ, and death is gain.’
5 Best of all is God is with us
as we scale eternal heights,
love grows stronger, undiminished;
earth grows dim by heaven's lights.
Andrew Pratt (b. 1948)
Based on John Wesley's final words.
Blessing
Go in the knowledge that you are cherished by the God who made you, and rejoice, in Jesus’ name.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you, now and forever more. Amen
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