Living By Faith
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 130 - Waiting for Divine Redemption
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Hymn – StF 51 – Great is thy Faithfulness www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKIqmdfHSk
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1 Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, 2 Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, 3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, |
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Thomas O. Chisholm (1866–1960) |
Prayer of Praise
God of all the world, we praise you for calling us into your family, for choosing us even though we are imperfect, for trusting us even though we make mistakes, for not giving up on us even when we give up on ourselves, for offering so much, when we would settle for much less.
God of all the world, draw us into a deeper relationship with you and with one another, we pray. Amen
Readings
Genesis 3: 8-15
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ 10He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ 11He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’12The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ 14The Lord God said to the serpent,
‘Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.’
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak,14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 15Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Living by Faith
16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Reflection
Rodin’s statue of Eve
Notice that Eve is turned in on herself.
What does it convey about Eve? What emotions is she showing?
How does this statue make you feel?
How easy was it for Eve to make the naïve mistake that she did?
Perhaps you have made similar naïve mistakes in the past?
Some people use the story of Adam and Eve to lay the blame for the world’s troubles at the feet of women. It is a human failing that when things go wrong, we look for someone to blame – someone else to blame other than ourselves.
I was reflecting on this last week, as I was listening to the evidence being given by Dominic Cummings to the Parliamentary committee. Here was a man who was a senior advisor, who to everyone’s knowledge held great influence in 10 Downing Street, who now places the blame for decisions that were made very firmly at the feet of others.
The story of creation, particularly of Adam and Eve, is one of an open and trusting relationship, the basis of the fundamental relationship that God wants with all of us. But in true Cumming’s fashion, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. The open, trusting relationship is spoilt by deceit, and a carefree paradise is replaced with nakedness and vulnerability, as Adam and Eve seek to hide their bodies, and their actions.
In the words of the Psalm with which we opened today’s service, the Psalmist accepts and acknowledges that he is not perfect, but is also certain that God forgives our human iniquities, and because of this, rather than needing to hide from God, the Psalmist waits in anticipation for his appearing.
As we acknowledge our failings, our naïve mistakes, we do so with a sense of regret and a desire to do better next time, but also with the knowledge of God’s grace and the hope of forgiveness. Perhaps now is the time to move on, to stop beating yourself up, to be kind to yourself, to let go of that voice that lays blame on you. For God brought Adam and Eve out of the bushes, restored their broken relationship, and gave them a way to move on, whilst not denying the reality of the situation that they have created.
Paul writes to a community in Corinth, struggling with broken relationships, fighting and division within the community. He speaks of the difference between the life being led in this world, and the assurance of a glorious life in the world to come. Our relationship with God exists in this world, but there is so much more in a world which is not yet visible to us, and his faith enables him to “not lose heart”. As life becomes more challenging as we get older, God continues to restore us every day, and when life in this world finally ends, eternal glory in heaven awaits us.
Paul’s faith gives him confidence in a community which extends far beyond what is obvious and visible in this life, to the joy of being in community with God in the life which is to come.
However challenging life becomes, God is constantly seeking to restore our damaged relationship, and to bring us into his glory. We do not need to hide our nakedness and vulnerability from God, but can enter into his presence with thanksgiving, assured of his acceptance and his forgiveness. Thanks be to God. Amen
Prayer of confession and assurance of forgiveness
Merciful God, we lay before you our actions of which we are ashamed, our thoughts that corrupt our actions, the ease with which we are tempted away from you, and our lack of remorse for the distance we put between us.
We confess our rush to lay the blame for our failings at someone else’s door, and our unwillingness to take responsibility for our own decisions.
We repent of our deeds which force us away from your garden, and ask for your help to find the way back to you.
God of truth and mercy,
where we break down, you build up
where we damage, you repair
where we isolate, you include
where we go wrong, you put us right
where we confess, you forgive
where we begin again – you are with us
Amen
Prayers for others
Almighty God, we bring our prayers for this world which is all too visible to us, with all its conflicts and injustices, and pray that the promise of the invisible world which awaits us might bring hope to those in distress. We pray for ……
We pray for the church, and for a reigniting of the Holy Spirit within us, that in the face of trouble and doubt, we might be able to share the assurance of your love and forgiveness to those searching for answers.
We pray for the North East Somerset & Bath Circuit, of which we are a part, for it’s ministers, lay workers, churches and congregations – especially this week we join with the Circuit as we pray together for Bathampton, and their minister, Elizabeth Kirova and Beechen Cliff, and their minister, Jan Tate.
As part of Churches Together in Radstock & Westfield we pray for our brothers and sisters at St Benedicts, and for Father Michael and the brothers at the Abbey at a time of great change and uncertainty for them.
We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time …
And we pray for ourselves …
Lord, for all who seek you, those who know you, and those yet to find you, we pray that your will be done.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Hymn – StF 577 – Bread of life, hope of the world www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMqHja3fFsQ
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Bread of life, hope of the world, 1 As we proclaim your death, 2 This bread we break and share 3 We eat this living bread, |
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Bernadette Farrell (b. 1957) |
Holy Communion
Hymn – StF 303 – I know that my Redeemer lives www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKRhhwduAdk
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1 I know that my Redeemer lives — 2 He lives, to bless me with his love; 3 He lives, and grants me daily breath; 4 He lives, all glory to his name; |
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Samuel Medley (1738–1799) |
Blessing
Loving God, you sent your Son into your world to gather us all up into your kingdom. Be with us, as we hear and respond to your call to do the same.
Amen
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