This morning we are going to be thinking about the welcome that was extended to the prophets over the centuries, and how important it is to give a warm welcome to strangers who might have a message for us. Do we know who we are welcoming?
Psalm 5:11-12 The Message (MSG)
11-12 But you’ll welcome us with open arms
when we run for cover to you.
Let the party last all night!
Stand guard over our celebration.
You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
for decking us out in delight.
Hymn – Lord, your church on earth is seeking www.youtube.com/watch?v=iujyEnur7M4
1 Lord, your Church on earth is seeking
your renewal from above;
teach us all the art of speaking
with the accent of your love.
We would heed your great commission:
sending us to every place —
preach, baptise, fulfil my mission,
serve with love and share my grace.
2 Freedom give to those in bondage,
lift the burdens caused by sin.
Give new hope, new strength and courage,
grant release from fears within:
light for darkness; joy for sorrow;
love for hatred; peace for strife.
These and countless blessings follow
as the Spirit gives new life.
3 In the streets of every city
where the bruised and lonely dwell,
let us show the Saviour's pity,
let us of his mercy tell.
In all lands and with all races
let us serve, and seek to bring
all the world to render praises,
Christ, to you, Redeemer, King.
Hugh Sherlock (1905–1998)
Prayer
It has been a while since we welcomed each other to worship, and for many people, being welcomed by others is the very thing that is being missed during lockdown. Remember how it felt to be greeted with a smile, to be asked how you are, to share what you had been doing in the previous week.
Imagine how lovely it will be to welcome our friends back into our churches, how lovely to catch up on news and events.
Now imagine you are a stranger entering the church for the first time. How does it feel entering a place where you don’t know anyone. Will you be welcomed or ignored?
Let us pray
Loving God, we gather in response to your invitation, welcomed by you. May the warmth of your welcome inspire and enhance this time of worship as we share together, separated by space, but united in love.
May we too offer that same welcome to all who cross our path today, friends and strangers alike. Help us always to be welcoming to others and ready to share the love we have from you.
We are sorry, loving God, for the times we judge others and find them lacking. Forgive us when we turn away from others in need, thinking we are too busy, or giving a welcome that is lukewarm at best, and ignoring them at worst.
Forgive us, and help us to remember the warmth of your welcome, and to be inspired to share that warmth with all people. Amen
Readings
Jeremiah had been told by God to make a yoke for himself, and to put it round his neck. But another prophet, Hananiah, prophesied that God would break the yoke. Jeremiah would love his words to be true, but the proof would be revealed in what happened next.
Jeremiah 28: 5-9
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfil the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.’
And Matthew confirms that those who welcome the disciples, also welcome Jesus, and the importance of offering hospitality.
Matthew 10: 40-42
Rewards
40 ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
Hymn – Father, hear the prayer we offer www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOuwNSaxV1Q
1 Father, hear the prayer we offer:
not for ease that prayer shall be,
but for strength that we may ever
live our lives courageously.
2 Not for ever in green pastures
do we ask our way to be;
but the steep and rugged pathway
may we tread rejoicingly.
3 Not for ever by still waters
would we idly rest and stay;
but would strike the living fountains
from the rocks along our way.
4 Be our strength in hours of weakness,
in our wanderings be our guide;
through endeavour, failure, danger,
Father, be there at our side.
Love Maria Willis (1824–1908)
Reflection
Will you forgive me if I share another story from the Slocombe family archive of holidays in France?
We had booked a gite in rural France. After a number of travelling challenges (which might be the subject of another sermon) we arrived at the gite, in the middle of nowhere. We were greeted by the owner, who couldn’t speak English, but we gradually got the gist of what he was saying.
We had no food and the village shop was closed, so I went to ask Pierre(!!) if there was a restaurant nearby. With the help of Google Translate on my mobile we managed to work out that it was a bank holiday and all the restaurants were also closed! But … the village were holding a festival, and we were invited to go with him and join in. The whole village turned out for a barbeque and dancing, and we were the only English-speaking people there. But we were warmly welcomed and we had a wonderful meal and authentic evening … and we were sat next to the Mayor!
A good welcome is so important isn’t, especially when you are feeling a bit uncertain or out of place. Even when we were completely out of our depth in rural France, we were put at our ease and made to feel welcome by everyone there, and we had a wonderful time.
When we meet strangers, we have no idea who they are, or whether what they are saying to us is true. The argument between Jeremiah and Hananiah, both prophets, comes to an end as Jeremiah wishes that Hananiah’s words were true, but is sceptical, and waits for them to actually happen. We might say, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”. As we seek to spread God’s word, we too will probably be faced by scepticism, and may have to rely on the wisdom of our words being proved true in the fullness of time. But that should not stop us from offering those words in the first place. How they are received is not under our control, but is the responsibility of those who hear them, to decide whether to accept or reject.
In France, we had no idea where Pierre was taking us, but we put our trust in him, accepted his welcome, and received a great blessing which remains with us still as we recall that holiday. Conversely, he graciously welcomed us and introduced us to his friends, without knowing who we were, and put his trust in us.
Matthew’s gospel reminds us of the importance of a good welcome, for in so doing we not only welcome the unknown visitor, but also the one who sent him. Earlier in Chapter 10, Matthew has warned that those who reject Jesus’ followers will also reject Jesus himself, and the consequences of their actions will be dire. Here we are told that equally, those who welcome disciples, perhaps ourselves in the current age, will also welcome Jesus and receive a suitable reward.
But with great blessing, also comes great responsibility. If we reflect Jesus to those we meet, we must be careful that our character and actions should be such that they can be identified as belonging to Jesus, and so our motivations need to reflect Jesus’ teachings. Whilst the welcome into a home had a far stronger cultural significance in Jesus’ time than perhaps it does today, nonetheless our interactions with other people will bring Jesus into the encounter. We also need to be reminded that sometimes we are to be a blessing to others by allowing them to care for us, by being gracious in receiving hospitality and kindness from others, as well as offering it. We were graciously welcomed into the village celebrations in France, but we also had to graciously accept and allow the generosity of our hosts to be offered.
The coronavirus lockdown means that we are severely restricted in who we can meet, although that is slowly changing, and by the time you read this service, another two weeks will have passed, and who knows what the rules will be by then.
How can we offer a welcome to people if we cannot meet them?
As Jeremiah understood, it is in our actions that the truth of our words are revealed. So when we do begin to meet others again, let us remember to choose our words carefully, and our actions even more so, as we reveal the love of Jesus to them.
Amen
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
We pray for those on the fringes of society;
for those who feel rejected;
for those who are overlooked;
for those whom others avoid.
May they know they are welcome in your kingdom.
May they know the welcome of your love.
We pray for those who are lonely, especially those who have been parted from their loved ones for many weeks now.
May they know they are welcome in your kingdom.
May they know the welcome of your love.
We pray for those in prison; especially those kept in isolation.
May they know they are welcome in your kingdom.
May they know the welcome of your love.
We pray for those who feel they have been excluded; due to race or religion, gender or sexual orientation.
May they know they are welcome in your kingdom.
May they know the welcome of your love.
We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time:-
Silence
We pray for the churches in our Circuit, this week for Horizon and the Southdown project, and their ministers, Jan and Annie
Loving God, as you welcome us, may we welcome others with warmth and steadfast love.
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.
Hymn – Let us build a house where love can dwell www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8RtT0mJpc
1 Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome,
all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
2 Let us build a house where prophets speak,
and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek
to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness
and as symbol of God’s grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
3 Let us build a house where love is found
in water, wine and wheat:
a banquet hall on holy ground
where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus,
is revealed in time and space;
as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
4 Let us build a house where hands will reach
beyond the wood and stone
to heal and strengthen, serve and teach,
and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger
bear the image of God’s face;
let us bring an end to fear and danger:
5 Let us a build a house where all are named,
their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed
as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
Marty Haugen (b. 1950)
Blessing
Go in the name of Jesus, to follow the way of Jesus, to love with the love of Jesus, and to be sustained by the peace of Jesus.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you, now and forever more. Amen
Rev. Martin Slocombe
CCLI Licence 354889