Trust in the Shepherd who looks after his sheep

July - Paulton Church Anniversary

Hymn – StF 17 – With gladness we worship, rejoice as we sing

Prayer

Almighty God, Lord of past, present and future, we come together today, as generations have done before us in this church to thank and praise you.

Over the past year, we have experienced the uncertainties of life in an unprecedented way, and yet despite all the difficulties we have faced, we were reassured that you have been the rock on which we continue to build, the shield that protects us, and the light that guides our feet.

Forgive us, that we have drifted apart, and give us a new sense of togetherness and mission to this village and beyond.

Walk with us Lord, in the days to come, help us to look to you who will never leave us, and inspire us to build on what has gone before, to love you more truly, and serve you more faithfully, each and every day.

To you, be praise and glory, now and for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

We remember in prayer, members in our churches we have lost during Covid

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 - The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. ¹⁵For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. ¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Prayer

Almighty and ever-loving God, we thank you for the those members who have died. For their contribution to this church, for their love and kindness, and for their gentle witness to your word.  Enfold them in your peace, and may they rest with you for eternity.  Amen

Hymn – StF 90 – Sweet is the work, my God, my King

Readings

Jeremiah 23:1-4 

Restoration after Exile

23 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. ²Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. ³Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. ⁴I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Feeding the Five Thousand

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³²And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. ³³Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Healing the Sick in Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. ⁵⁴When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, ⁵⁵and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Hymn – StF 443 – Come, let us sing of a wonderful love

Reflection

I have placed sheep around the church today, scattered to all four corners.

Today is our church anniversary, which might feel difficult to celebrate this year, as we have not been the church we are usually over the past year.  Sadly, I feel very much as though we have become a flock which has slowly scattered and now, as restrictions start to be lifted, we need to be gathered back  together again.

Many of you have kept in touch by telephone in recent months, which has been wonderful, but it is just not the same as being in each other’s company.

Sadly, 6 of our flock have crossed the river, and now graze in new pasture, and we have already remembered them this morning.  2 more have moved to a new field, 2 have joined a different flock, and sadly, another 2 may have been lost altogether.  We are saddened to lose any from our flock, and we will miss them, but we pray that the Good Shepherd will gather them in somewhere else.

The question now remains as to where God will guide this somewhat depleted flock?

Jeremiah warns the people of Israel on returning from exile, that they have been the ones who have allowed the sheep to become scattered, and failed to protect them.  But he also confirms that God will gather his flock out of the exile and restore them.  It may feel as if we have been in exile for the last 15 months, and now we need to be restored as a church.  We will do this, but cautiously.  We must balance our desire to be together with an ongoing vigilance against the virus so that as we meet, everyone feels safe.  That is very important.

The assurance that God is still with us despite everything, is just as important to us today as it was to the Israelites.  We are not the church that we were, and we are not alone in that.  Many of the things we used to do, we can no longer do.  We might even be grieving for the church we used to be.  But we are the church that we are today, we still have a mission to serve God in this community, and with him to shepherd us, we will find our way again.  At the AGM last Thursday we heard about the new Mission Planning Workbook, and I was really pleased that there was some enthusiasm to engage with this process, and we will begin this in August.  Like never before, we now have an opportunity to create something new at Paulton Methodist Church, to learn about our community and to review what we can do to engage with the issues around us.  As we return from our exile, now is a great time to think afresh about the life and ministry of this church.

Jeremiah reminds us that God’s response to the scattered sheep of Israel was to “bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply….. and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing”.  Jesus’ response in our gospel reading was to have compassion on the crowd which had coming looking for healing and restoration, and to begin to teach them.  Our readings come either side of the story of the feeding of the 5000.  That is what the shepherd does, feed his sheep and heal them.  That is what Jesus can do for us, feed us so that we have strength for the day, and heal the things which are broken.

At Church Anniversary we often look back and reminisce about the past.  That is our story, and has contributed to creating this church in the first place, and so it is right to celebrate.  But it is now a time to change our focus and look to the future.  The world has changed significantly in the last year or so, let alone the last 200 years, and the needs of this community in Paulton are different to what they were.  As we look to the future, we look to the shepherd to gather the lost sheep, to bring us back together and to lead us forward. 

Before you go today, find a sheep, and take it home with you.  Each one has a challenge, it says, “Do you know of any lost sheep who you could bring back into the fold.”  We each have a role to play in restoring the flock, and bringing the lost sheep home.  Who will you bring back to us?

The past is our heritage, but the future is our mission and the reason for our existence.  May we place our trust in the shepherd, who leads us to green pastures and still waters, and who restores our soul.  May we listen for his voice, and coming together as one flock, willingly follow.

Amen

Hymn – 323 – I will sing the wondrous story

Prayers for others

Almighty God, we come to praise you this morning, as we give thanks for the life of Paulton Methodist Church, and for its congregation.  During lockdown we have been physically separated, but constantly united by your presence in our lives.  We thank you for your love and for the uniting force which has seen us through difficult days.  As we meet here, to give thanks for this church, we ask for strength to begin rebuilding the life of this congregation, and for courage to respond to the challenges that now face us.

We remember our friends who are no longer with us.  We give thanks for those who now rest in your fold, and pray for their families.  We pray for members who have resigned their membership and who have found a home in a new flock.

And we pray for this church as it explores new ways of serving the people of Paulton, and being a light to guide the lost sheep back to you.

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 Midsomer Norton, and for Stephen Robinson their minister,

We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time:-

And we pray for ourselves …

We lay all of these prayers at the foot of your cross, knowing that you are already at work in each situation, and we pray that your will be done.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

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 – StF 364 - O for a thousand tongues to sing

Blessing

Whatever today may hold, whatever tomorrow may bring, the future is secure, for Christ is with us, the same yesterday, today and for ever. 

May we be guided by his light, and walk in his way, always.

Amen