Sunday 27th June 2021

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

with Nottingham North East Circuit

  

Sunday 27th June 2021 

This act of worship was prepared by Rev Yanyan Case

Adapted by Phil Colbourn. 

Hymns from Songs of Fellowship (SoF) 

Call to worship Psalm 147 

How good it is to worship our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up his kingdom; he gathers the exiles of his people. He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 

Opening prayer 

Merciful Father, the faithful One. To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to those with integrity, you show integrity, to the pure you show yourself pure. In your love, you rescued us from fear and troubles, with your strength we stand and live. Lord Jesus, light up our darkness with your true light and kindle in us new passion for you as your way is perfect and your promises are true. You are a shield to all those who look to you for refuge. May you be enthroned in our heart and delight in our worship. May you surround all those who are worshipping you by reading this home service with your intimate presence wherever they are. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

SoF 147: 

Great is Thy faithfulness 

Bible reading 

Nehemiah 5:1-13 

SoF 72: 

Come, let us sing of a wonderful love 

Reflection “Strength comes from unity” 

I’ve got two cats. When we moved to this manse in July last year, I loved everything, but I was a bit concerned about the foxes living next door. Some of you have been here and know what I mean. There is a piece of wild land next to the house reserved for foxes. I thought, oh dear, my cats will be become the fox’s dinner! But surprisingly, the foxes have not been a threat at all. Once I saw a fox having a nap in our back garden and one of my cats came out and scared him away! What has been a problem is our neighbour’s cat! Both of my cats got injured by him, and of course he got some pay back from my cats as well. So, it got me thinking - why don’t the cats join together to fight against the foxes instead of fighting each other! Sadly, this phenomenon does not just happen to cats, but to humans as well.

From today’s reading we can tell that the Jewish people were experiencing a lot of problems among themselves. The previous chapter is about the external opposition they faced when they were trying to rebuild the city wall at Jerusalem, whereas this chapter is about the internal conflicts among the Jewish community, such as selling their sons and daughters for slavey to their own Jewish people, and charging interests to their own Jewish people. So instead of fighting against their common enemies, they were mistreating each other.

You would think all Christians should work together to build the kingdom of God, but the reality is far from it. The religious conflicts within Christianity in history are beyond words. I am sure we are not unfamiliar with denominational conflicts, theological conflicts and constitutional conflicts. Jesus says in Matthew 12:25 “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand”. Considering all the divisions and conflicts we have it is a miracle that the Church is still standing. It is not the way that God intends us to be. 

After all, we are now brothers and sisters in Christ as we have the same Father in heaven. Jesus asked in Matthew 12:48-50 “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” In John 13:35 Jesus also says “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” As Ephesians 6:12 tells us “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” So, we should be joining together in love to fight our common enemies in the unseen world. Together, we are stronger than being alone. 

I came into ministry during the pandemic last year and I have not had the chance to preach in the church building yet. I have not been able to fellowship with you all and to know the congregations in our Circuit. But I have a dream, that when we go back to our church building, I will see a congregation that is bound in love; I have a dream that our yearning for fellowship will be demonstrated in understanding and support; I have a dream that when we invite the “outsiders” to come and see, they will see peace, harmony, love, warmth which will make them want to belong; I have a dream that this group of people that God gathered together at this corner of the earth, have made God proud in words and deeds; I have a dream that the people of God at Nottingham North East Circuit are holding hands together building the Kingdom with walls of peace and gates of joy. You are all in my dream, including myself. I have put up the following verse in my kitchen just to remind myself. Ephesians 4:2 “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.” 

However, I understand that unity is easier said than done because many issues in church can cause conflicts and divisions because we just cannot all agree on everything. Unity does not mean uniformity or compromise, and loving one another does not mean we have to agree with each other on absolutely everything. 

Finally, let us all be reminded by Apostle Paul’s teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Amen.

SoF 54: 

Brother, sister let me serve you 

Intercession  Blessed are you, Lord our God, for you have created us all out of love

and for your love. Even when in our sin and foolishness we strayed away from you, you are there seeking us out with open arms. Loving God, we ask forgiveness for the sin and arrogance that divides us and creates barriers between Christ-followers and among all peoples.  Silence  Loving God, may your Church throughout the world demonstrate your love for all peoples and nations. Bless all who seek to heal divisions and to do away with prejudice. Give courage to all who reach out to those in need and who seek to welcome the outcast.  Silence  Loving God, we pray for the world you created, especially for those areas that have been devasted by bombing, greed, and exploitation.

Send your help and provide for all those who are simply trying to survive due to illness, trauma, poverty or war. Bless the work of those who bring unity and reconciliation into people’s lives.  Silence  Loving God, as you reveal your love to us, help us to show that love towards each person we meet day by day. We ask your blessing upon

all those who seek to live out your grace in obedience to your will. 

Silence 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Hymn SoF 386: 

Master speak

Closing prayers

Father God, lead us in goodness and mercy so that we may embrace obedience towards you. 

Christ Jesus, enlighten our darkness with your truth so that we may find ourselves standing on firm ground. 

Holy Spirit, bind us in your perfect love so that we can join together as brothers and sisters in unity for your kingdom. Amen.

Blessing 

May our love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Amen.

Sunday 20th June 2021

BURTON JOYCE
COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 20 June 2021 

 

with Nottingham North East Circuit 

This short act of worship has been prepared for you by Deacon Helen Snowball to use at home. Spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you 

Psalm 133 A Song of Ascents.
1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life for evermore. 

Hymn SoF 1157: 

All glory, laud and honour

Let’s pray: 

Calm me Lord, as you calmed the storm. Still me, Lord, keep me from harm. Let all the tumult within me cease. Uphold me, Lord, in your peace. [David Adam]

For those who seek you, Lord, you are a refuge, a stronghold, when circumstances conspire against us and we have nowhere else to turn. 

For those who seek you, Lord, you are the word of truth, your Spirit gives wisdom when faith is tested so we can witness to your name. 

For those who seek you, Lord, you are the source of life; your love, like living water, pours into our hearts, and brings us to you in praise. 

When anything we say or do causes one of your dear ones to stumble, please, Lord, forgive us. Sometimes we fail to see the damage our words and actions can cause. Help us to always only have you at the centre of all we do, forgive us when we say things or act in a way that causes hurt. Forgive us, too, when we cause pain by our inaction. 

In your grace and mercy, we live knowing we are forgiven by your love for us, our saving Lord, Jesus Christ, and we thank you.

It’s good to know in stormy days that wind and waves obey your word, and in the midst of our stress your calling voice can still be heard. Amen 

[© John Birch Act of Prayer adapted.]

Today’s Bible reading: 

Mark 4:35-41

Let’s sing again. SoF 902: 

Lord of all Hopefulness

Reflection 

This is a story about power and trust, and perhaps knowing who God is through Jesus Christ.

Here we have Jesus, in a boat with his disciples, after spending some time teaching using his familiar way of parables. He has spoken about the Kingdom of God being like a mustard seed, it starts off tiny, but when it is sown in good soil it grows and becomes strong, so strong in fact that birds can nest in its powerful branches. This is the first extension of his Jesus’ ministry into Gentile territory, which the writer Mark sees as especially important. This is the spread of Jesus’ teaching to a much wider audience and Jesus has been preaching and teaching, healing and generally being out and about with the public, he probably needed a bit of peace and sleep. And so, he curls up in the bottom of the boat and nods off. 

Whilst he is asleep, a storm gathers pace and threatens to sink the boat. From what we read in the gospels this is no ordinary storm. It isn’t just strong winds and rain blowing the boat about, causing some waves – no this is a tremendous storm, waves casting the boat from side to side, rain pouring down on the frightened disciples. Maybe thunder and lightning, howling wind no doubt making the boat hard to handle. The disciples are terrified, and yet Jesus remains asleep in the bottom of the boat. I think the fact that the disciples are so afraid tells us how much of a storm this must have been. These are hardened fishermen, they are used to the weather out on the open water, used to a certain amount of danger when fishing, but this particular storm sees them terrified for their lives. 

The disciples think Jesus doesn’t care about them, why isn’t he bothered that we’re all going to die they wonder. How can he sleep through all this? However, at the same time, the disciples are fully aware that Jesus can do something about this, otherwise what would it matter whether he was asleep or awake? They expect him to be able to do something to somehow fix this. And of course, he does fix it. The same way he heals the sick and casts out demons, he orders the storm to desist. He rebukes the wind. ‘Peace.’ He says. ‘Be still!’ and immediately the wind ceases, and all is calm. Jesus asks the disciples why are they scared? He is completely in control, Jesus shows his power, over all things, he has previously shown power over demons, over disease, and now he even has authority and power over the weather, the very forces of nature. 

It’s interesting that Jesus asks the question – ‘why are you afraid?’ Surely, he would realise they are afraid of drowning in a ferocious storm? They have not yet come to realise the power of the man, that he can control these waves with a simple command. And yet... they know that he can do something about this, they realise that here is the man asleep who can save them. Jesus sleeps, they panic, he sleeps the sleep of the content, the man with trust in a higher power – he knows that God has got this, Jesus himself has complete trust in God. 

It's interesting that this incident comes just after Jesus has talked about faith, when he has mentioned the tiny mustard seed growing into something remarkable and powerful. The disciples have Jesus in their actual boat, and yet they still don’t have the faith in him that they need. Jesus, even though asleep, still has faith that God can deal with this, he isn’t worried, but the disciples see the rain, the wind and the way the boat is tossed about, isn’t it understandable they’d be afraid? And, even being with Jesus and seeing what he can do, isn’t it a natural reaction to be scared by such a storm? Jesus, as ever, is calm and thoughtful. He knows what he has to do, and he knows what he will be up against. 

Today is World Refugee Day, a day to think of the people who have travelled sometimes thousands of miles, to find a safe haven, a better life. We’ve all seen pictures in the newspapers and on TV of boats – little more than dinghies – packed with men, women and children, all desperately seeking a new place to live, crossing storm tossed seas in desperation. Often, these voyages end in tragedy, and we can wonder why people have taken such a risk. Perhaps they are seeking refuge because of persecution, because of economic strife or famine and disease. People are searching for a better life, a safer life with their families, living without fear. Covid 19 has of course caused much greater danger for people, there are many, many countries that do not have the health service like the NHS that we are blessed with. It’s easy to see the people on the news coming to the UK, and for people to feel negativity towards them, perhaps by not understanding their reasons for seeking help in the west. And we may not understand the reasons behind people making these perilous journeys, but what we can understand is that Jesus is the source of all compassion and love. 

Jesus saved the disciples by calming the storm, has he calmed storms for you recently? We all go through turbulent times in our lives, and it’s important to remember that we can rely on Jesus to help us, to support us and to renew our faith. That doesn’t mean all will be perfect, we know that - things go wrong, we have hard times and tragedies, but Christ is alongside us, when our lives and filled with storms, we remember that Jesus is with us, he is in the boat being rocked by storms, alongside us. Amen

Prayers of intercession 

On this, World Refugee Day, we pray for people fleeing danger, disease and war, bringing families to find a safer place to live. Help us to be compassionate, to find space in our hearts for those who need somewhere safe to lay their heads. 

For all those who are dealing with storms of life, at home or abroad. We think of the situation in India, fighting Covid 19, and of Israel / Palestine, the fighting and the unjust systems. Give those in power, Lord, compassion, wisdom and the grace to listen to the other side. 

For the NHS and its continuing work, whether Covid related or other needs, we pray for those working so hard to care for the sick. 

For the Methodist Church, as it prepares for Conference, that the business of the church will be undertaken safely and graciously, and that decisions are made peacefully for all the members of the church. 

For ourselves, for families and friends we are not able to see, miss and worry about; ill or worried, lonely or anxious, grieving or sad. 

We bring all these prayers to you, Lord out God, through the name of your Son, our Saving Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Lord’s Prayer 

Our final hymn is SoF 238: 

In heavenly love abiding

Blessing 

May the love of the Father, the tenderness of the Son, and the presence of the Spirit, gladden your heart and bring peace to your soul, this day and all days. Amen.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, In the name of Christ. Amen

A Service of Reconciliation; Sunday 13th June 2021

 

Nottingham North East Circuit 

Sunday 13th June 2021 

This act of worship has been prepared by Revd Moses Agyam and adapted for Burton Joyce Community Church by Phil Colbourn.

Hymns from Songs of Fellowship (SoF)

A Service of Healing and Reconciliation 

Welcome to this service of healing and reconciliation which focuses on St. Paul’s message of reconciliation and healing in Christ. 

Healing (and reconciliation) was central to the ministry of Jesus. There is an opportunity in this service to anoint yourself with oil, if you wish, to seek healing or pray for someone you know in need of healing. 

Gathering 

Jesus said: 

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ 

And:

‘I have come that you may have life, and may have it in all its fullness.’ 

Let us worship

Our first hymn:

SoF 27 

As the deer

Let us pray 

God beyond us: we turn to you, we are made by you, our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you. God beside us: we listen for you, we yearn for you, we seek your healing touch. God within us: we are waiting for you, we are open to you, as you waken us with promise of new life. 

Silence 

Living God: make us confident in prayer, joyful in praise and responsive to your word, that we may know your peace in our hearts and healing in our lives. In silence we ask you to lift from us all that weighs us down or spoils our relationships or separates us from you. 

Silent confession 

A broken and a contrite heart you do not despise. 

Jesus says: Your sins are forgiven. Christ has set us free. 

Amen. Thanks be to God. 

We sing again:

SoF 469 

Praise to the Holiest in the height 

Reading: 

2 Corinthians 5: 6-10 (11-13) 14-17 

Sermon 

When the restrictions on care homes were recently eased, there were feelings of reunion, and for some, a sense of being reconciled to loved ones. One woman said, ‘Today feels like a red-letter day. It’s been hard for families to be separated. This is the day many have longed for – to be reunited with their families’. 

Reconciliation – the ways we use the word may miss its meaning: 

‘I’ve reconciled myself to the inevitable’ he says, throwing up his hands, lamenting a broken marriage. 

Reconciled = Resigned. 

‘We’ve reconciled the books at last’, she says, wiping her face in relief. 

Reconciled = Balanced; accounts equal on both sides. 

‘We’ve reconciled our differences for the good of the country’ after the Brexit negotiations. 

Reconciled = Compromised. 

Do you sense the underlying message in all of these? The lowest common denominator?’ It’s relief. ‘No need to struggle any more' (at least no point in trying). We’ve found a way to stand down. As Rodney King put it (the black man whose battering by police sparked the Los Angeles riots in 1991), ‘Can’t we all just get along?’ 

But is that the message of reconciliation Paul is charged to bring? If so, it isn’t good news. Maybe reconciliation – true reconciliation – requires a way of seeing, speaking, acting that is, in fact, radically different from a ‘human point of view’ (2 Cor. 5:16). 

Many of you may remember, among all the other tragedies of the war in Iraq, the bombing of the United Nations headquarters, and the death of Sergio de Mello, the UN representative. As he lay dying, pinned by the rubble, he was heard to say, ‘Whatever you do, don’t let the UN pull out of Iraq! What we are doing here may be the only hope for peace’. 

This is close to the reconciliation Paul has in mind: a feisty forgiveness and mutual commitment towards healing and peace. Not ‘forgive and forget’; ‘It’s alright; it didn’t really hurt’; ‘I won’t hold it against you; but don’t let it happen again!’ But: ‘Your hate is hereby countered with my love! Your fear is taken up into my trust’. Not that the past no longer matters or is deleted from history, but responded to with different language; no longer from a human point of view – but ‘that which humanity was made for, and can be recreated into’. 

Paul is convinced that reconciliation is a journey from hurt to healing. It is what happens beyond feisty forgiveness, namely, the mutual walking together toward healing, wholeness and peace. This radical path towards healing, already begun in Jesus’ death and resurrection, set forgiveness and healing loose upon the world. The heart of Paul’s message is captured by these words found on the prayer cards from Southwell minster: 

• Reconciliation - healing the rifts between ourselves and God. We do not have to earn God’s forgiveness. It is a gift. The self-giving love of God, seen in Jesus, is what changes us and draws us into faith. 

• Reconciliation – healing the division between people. Reaching out to build bridges (relationships) between people is at the heart of Christian life whether the gaps are racial, social, ethnic or religious. 

• Reconciliation – healing our damaged planet. We acknowledge our shared responsibility to care for our fragile and beautiful earth, its creatures and its resources. 

Paul says, this vision of healing is now the goal and the commitment of all Christians (2 Cor 5:18). May we know ourselves reconciled to God. And may God give to each of us a candle of the Spirit to help us work toward this vision of healing of all things in Christ. Amen. 

Response 

Prayers for healing, caring and reconciliation. 

Let us bring before God those who are on our hearts and minds. 

Loving God, long ago people brought their friends to Jesus, or came to him on behalf of others. So now we bring to you those who need your help. God of compassion and love, we offer you all our suffering and pain. Give us strength to bear our weakness, healing even when there is no cure. Amen. 

If you wish to, you may anoint your forehead with oil here or sit in silence holding in prayer yourself or any in need of healing.

‘Do not be afraid – I will save you. I have called you by name – you are mine. When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you’. 

Come to God with your fears and hopes, sadness and regrets, pain and doubt, with whatever faith you have. Whether the storm is around you or within, the Saviour holds you; you are not alone. 

Silence 

Compassionate God, encircle us as we reach out in love. Wounded Christ, touch us in our weakness and our strength. Life-giving Spirit, breath through us, channels of your peace. 

This prayer is said as you sign yourself with the oil: 

Healing Spirit of God, at work in Jesus, present here and now, fill my whole being, free me of all harm, heal me of all my diseases, and give me peace. Amen. 

We say together the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father . . . 

Our final hymn:

SoF 381 

Make me a channel of your peace 

Dismissal and Blessing 

‘This life is not righteousness but growth in righteousness; not health but healing; not being but becoming; not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be but we are growing towards it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified’. (Martin Luther) 

May the Christ of all that has been and all that is to come stand by our side through daylight and darkness, heal us of the wounds of the past, and welcome us into the future. 

Go in peace, protected by God, befriended by Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and held by the prayers of the people. And the blessing of the sacred Trinity of love go with you now and always.

Amen. 

Notes: Some of the prayers are adapted from The Methodist Worship Book © TMCP, 1999. Other prayers from Worship from The United Reformed Church © URC, 2003. 

A short service for Sunday 6th June 2021

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 6 June 2021 

Prepared this week by Phil Colbourn

Hymns from Songs of Fellowship

It’s Summer and the days are long, the sun rises early and sets late, flooding the northern hemisphere with light & warmth. But even in summer, the nights can be dark and cold. Last week, our grandsons went camping with their dad and wanted to sleep in their own tent so Dad bought a small tent for them to use. One of them lasted half an hour before coming into the big tent but the older boy, braver, lasted until it was pitch black before he too came to find his dad.

Call to worship 

Psalm 139, 1-18 

Even the darkness is light to you

Hymn: SoF:234 

Immortal, invisible, God only wise

Let's pray 

We come to find you, O Lord. Meet us as we pray. 

Sometimes it feels as though we are alone in dark but thank you for being there. Thank you for each new day, for the sun & the rain. Your love is new every morning. Like the sun, you are hidden by the light of your own glory. 

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, accept our worship in your love.

We come to you. Jesus says: “You are forgiven, go and sin no more.” 

Hymn: SoF:830 

I the Lord of sea and sky

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4, 5-12 Let the light shine

Reflection 

Fragments of light 

There is a story of an old Jewish rabbi who, asked to describe his ministry, said: “I'm searching in the rubble for fragments of light”. 

There are parts of the world where the rubble is all too real and it is difficult to see any light but the relief organisations like Christian Aid, Médecins sans Frontières and others, still search through the rubble.

In the Old Testament reading set for today (1 Samuel chapter 3), the boy Samuel is called by God. It is a story about finding fragments of light in the rubble. Twice. First, Samuel’s mother Hannah conceives a child even though she was barren and now, that child, given to God, is about to receive his call to restore light to God’s people.

In the gospel reading (Mark 2, 23-36), Jesus gets into trouble for, as some people allege, not observing the Sabbath. Who is the light and who is the rubble in this situation?! 

In our reading, Paul tells the Corinthians they contain God’s light even though they are rough and ready, ordinary people. God’s light shines best from them because they are ordinary. Like Hannah, like Samuel, like Jesus, they shed light on the situation and show God’s true and living way. This is our calling: to be containers of God’s light in our world today.

However dark our circumstances may be, God speaks light into them; repeating over & over again, in our lives, that original act of creation: 

“Let there be light!” 

Let’s listen, hear & respond to God today. Amen

Hymn SoF:386 

Master, speak

Prayers of Intercession 

Thank you, Lord, for your light. We need your help 

Thank you for our world. Please help 

·  world leaders, Covid19

·  the planet

Thank you for our neighbourhood. Please help

·  schools and colleges, hospitals and clinics

·  local businesses and organisations

Thank you for our church family and friends. Please help

·  the lonely, sick and dying; the anxious 

·  those joyful and full of celebration 

Thank you, Lord, for your light. We need your help 

In your mercy Lord: hear the cries of our hearts. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer 

Hymn: SoF:557 

Thou whose almighty word 

Blessing 

May we know the One who says “Let there be light!” and be filled with the peace and presence of God and with the grace, truth and love of our living Lord, who is the Light of the world. Amen.

Go in peace, to love & serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Sunday 30th May, Trinity Sunday

  

Trinity Sunday 

Nottingham North East Circuit 

Home Service, 30th May 2021 

This act of worship has been prepared by Revd Moses Agyam for you to use at home. If you are well enough, why not spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you. Hymns are taken from Songs of Fellowship

 

CALL TO WORSHIP 

Let all the earth praise God. Sing to the glory of God’s holy name. Come to see what God has done. Let the sound of his praise be heard. Blessed is God who has not withdrawn from us God’s love and care. Psalm 66:1, 2, 5, 8, 20 

Let us worship God. 

HYMN: SoF 183 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! 

PRAYER OF ADORATION 

Worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature, is your glorious name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God for ever. You created the world in your grace, and by your compassion you redeemed it in Jesus. Heaven and earth are full of your praises: glory be to you, loving God. Angels and archangels and all the hosts of heaven worship you. We are not worthy to praise you; but, for your mercy’s sake, accept the praises of all your people, from our homes and throughout the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Gracious Father your love is all-embracing, your wisdom beyond knowledge, mercy beyond all telling. You have put eternity into our hearts, and made us hunger and thirst for you. Satisfy the longings you have implanted that we may find you in life, and find life in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION 

As we have sung, God is holy. We are not. In humility let’s confess our sins together. 

Holy God, made in your image, with a mind to know you, a heart to love you, and a will to serve you, our knowledge is imperfect, our love inconstant, our obedience incomplete. Day by day we fail to grow into your likeness; yet you are slow to anger. For the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour, do not hold our sins against us but, in love, forgive. 

Silence 

Almighty & merciful Lord, grant pardon and remission of all our sins, time for amendment of life, & the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. In Christ our sins are forgiven. 

Amen. Thanks be to God. 

FIRST READING Romans 8:12-17  

FIRST REFLECTION

How not to explain the Trinity! 

In one of my favourite of Graham Greene’s novels, Monsignor Quixote, there is a scene where we find Father Quixote attempting to explain to the Mayor of El Toboso, an avowed atheist, the meaning of the Trinity. Their conversation goes like this: 

“What puzzles me, my friend” says the Mayor, “is how you can believe in so many incompatible ideas. For example, the Trinity. It’s worse than higher mathematics. Can you explain the Trinity to me? It was more than they could do in Salamanca”. 

“I can try”. “Try then”. “You see these bottles?” “Of course.” 

“Two bottles equal in size. The wine they contained was of the same substance and it was born at the same time. There you have God the Father and God the Son and there, in the half bottle, God the Holy Ghost. Same substance. Same birth. They’re inseparable. Whoever partakes of one partakes of all three”. “I was never able to see the point of the Holy Ghost. He has always seemed to me a bit redundant”. 

“We were not satisfied with two bottles, were we? That half bottle gave us the extra spark of life we both needed. We wouldn’t have been so happy without it. Perhaps we wouldn’t have had the courage to continue our journey. Even our friendship might have ceased without the Holy Spirit”. “You are very ingenious friend. I begin at least to understand what you mean by the Trinity. Not to believe in it, mind you. That will never do”. 

Father Quixote sat in silence looking at the bottles. When the Mayor struck a match to light a cigarette, he saw the bowed heard of his companion. It was as though he had been deserted by the Spirit he had praised. “What is the matter, father?” he asked. “May God forgive me,” Father Quixote said, “for I have sinned.” 

“It was only a joke, Father, surely your God can understand a joke.” 

“I have been guilty of heresy,” Father Quixote replied. “I think – perhaps – I am unworthy to be a priest”. “What have you done?” 

“I have given wrong instruction. The Holy Ghost is equal in all respects to the Father and the Son. I have represented Him by this half bottle”. “Is that a serious error?” 

“It is anathema. It was condemned expressly at I forget which Council: very early Council. Perhaps it was Nicaea”. “Don’t worry, Father. The matter is easily put right. We will throw away this half bottle and I will bring a whole bottle from the car”. 

“I have drunk more than I should. If I hadn’t drunk so much I would never, never have made that mistake. There is no sin worse than the sin against the Holy Ghost”. “Forget it. We will put the matter right at once”. So it was, they drank another bottle. Father Quixote felt comforted and he was touched too by the sympathy of his companion. 

HYMN: SoF 205 I cannot tell

GOSPEL READING– John 3:1-17  

SECOND REFLECTION

How to explain the Trinity! 

The words of the Mayor resonate with we often think of the Trinity. It is a puzzle, a riddle, “worse than higher mathematics”. Though we don’t quite understand or see the point of it to our faith, we feel obliged to hold on to it because it is part of our faith and tradition. We find that like Father Quixote we need to come up with ingenious ways to explain it, only to end up in difficulty with the Spirit coming up short as a half-bottle of wine, not co-equal with the Father and the Son. This is the heresy of subordinationism and therefore an anathema! 

You will be glad to know that I’m not going to go down that route. The picture we get from our readings today about the Trinity is not “higher mathematics” or mental gymnastics but something down to earth and transforming. If only we keep close to the New Testament, our understanding of the Trinity would be far simpler and richer. 

The more I learn about the Trinity, the more I have come to appreciate it as everything to my faith as a Christian. Jürgen Moltmann helps me to see why this is. He says that the story of the gospel is “the great love story of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, a divine love story in which we are all involved together with heaven and earth” (Humanity in God, p. 88). 

You will have noticed from our readings today that both Paul’s and Jesus’ teaching of this divine love story involving the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit comes in the context of prayer, worship, and confession, not as theological speculation! This is where all our talk about the Trinity must begin and end – in prayer, worship and confession. Jesus’ beautiful image in John 3 is of the Spirit together with the Father and the Son creating a new birth in us, a birth from above forming the basis of faith. But I want to reflect briefly on the epistle reading from Romans because Paul teaches how the divine love story affects and works in us. 

You could say that our reading from Romans is all about learning to breathe well. This is because Paul uses a word for the Spirit which can be translated as “breath”. We could pause here and reflect on how “breath” has become an important symbol in recent times in the wake of the pandemic, of images of people struggling to breathe and for breath. Or, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the images of #icantbreathe. 

In our reading today, you get the sense that “S/spirit” or breath is very important to Paul. I did a slow reading of Romans 8 counting how many times the word spirit appears. It appears 21 times and, in our passage, it is used 5 times. What I find most striking is that it’s not always clear whose “spirit” Paul is talking about (hence why I’m using small ‘s’ instead of big ‘S’ for the spirit): God’s spirit? Christ’s? Ours? The answer, it seems to me, is all of the above. Paul seems to say that the spirit is the divine breath that merges with our breath so that we might, as John says, “have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). This spirit, Paul wants us to grasp, is God’s antidote for our spiritual breathing problems today. But how might the spirit (“divine love story” in Moltmann’s apt term for the Trinity) become a remedy for our spiritual breathing problems today? How do we indwell the inner life of God – the Trinity? 

Let’s note, first of all, the way Paul says the divine spirit operates. First, the spirit leads us (Rom. 8:14). The late Jimmy Dunn, a Methodist, says: when we’re led by the Spirit, we’re “constrained by a compelling force . . .surrendering to an overpowering compulsion”; like an addiction. Imagine being as overwhelmed this compulsion as we are to check our devices these days or to tend our gardens or eat fish and chips or whatever passions we have. 

The second thing Paul says is that we receive this breath (Rom. 8:15) as a gift. God won’t force it on us. Only by receiving it do we avail ourselves of a gift that’s already ours: the mingling of our breath with the breath of God. For Paul, the divine spirit comes in alongside our spirit (Rom. 8:16) to impart spiritual life and newness in us. 

But then, thirdly, Paul says something amazing happens when the divine spirit mingles with our spirit: we become full- fledged members of the divine household. We don’t have space to talk about the rich background behind Paul’s language of “heirs” or inheritance. But in effect, Paul is saying that our status has changed; we’ve been incorporated into the divine love story; the distinction between us and Christ has elided: we are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:17). As Christ is God’s “son”, so are we. God’s “estate” will be split evenly among us. Isn’t this mind-blowing? I think this ought to give us pause for thought! We have been incorporated into the Trinity – into the divine life and love in Christ through the spirit. 

In conclusion, the next time someone asks you to explain the Trinity to them, don’t do it Father Quixote’s way. Do it Paul’s way. Talk about the Trinity as the opening of God’s relational love to include us so that we and all people may become children and heirs of God. So that we might “have life, and have it abundantly” for ever (John 10:10). 

When all is said and done, the Trinity is deeply about life of prayer. And so: May we, as individuals and as God’s people, learn again to breathe well spiritually. Filled with and led by God’s breath, may we show the world, especially as we re-emerge from the pandemic, what God’s life- giving love and power looks like. And, animated by God’s breath, may we live in our sure hope that death and life, pains and worries, have been defeated by God in Christ through the Spirit, in the trinitarian life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION 

Inspired by the Spirit, we now offer our prayers to God in the name of the Jesus Christ, saying, in Christ, we are all heirs of God. 

We pray for all who have not known love. For children who have been neglected and abused, especially during these stressful times of the pandemic. For all who have been abandoned and rejected. For all who live with a sense of feeling unwanted: 

(Silence)

In Christ, we are all heirs of God. 

We pray for all who feel lonely, isolated or cut off from others. For those living with depression or other mental illness. For all our members and others who are either housebound or becoming housebound through disability or ageing: 

(Silence)

In Christ, we are all heirs of God. 

We pray for all who are struggling right now, especially those known to us on our pastoral lists, with illness, and those who care for other. For all who are in chronic pain, or waiting for treatment. For all who are facing the end of their life: 

(Silence)

In Christ, we are all heirs of God. 

We pray for us ourselves, for our own liberation as the heirs of God from the bandage of fear. For renewed witness to share the good news of God’s redeeming and life-transforming love in Christ through the Spirit to be known and experience by all in our communities: 

(Silence)

In Christ, we are all heirs of God. 

Finally, we let us remember in prayer, all who have died, all whom we have known and loved. For those who seemed to have no one to mourn their death or have little or no time to grieve and mourn because of the pandemic. 

(Silence)

In Christ, we are all heirs of God. 

God of grace, may we all know that we are held in the heart of your triune love. May we all realize that we are cherished and belong, that there is nothing we need to do to earn our place in the divine love story but simply to open ourselves to you and receive the gift of your breathing Spirit; to see the new perspectives and possibilities before us. Give us your deep confidence now to live from that place of grace, love and peace, in Christ and through the Spirit. Amen. 

Let us unite our prayers together in prayer Jesus taught us, in the language or version must familiar and natural to you. 

Our Father who art heaven . . . 

HYMN: SoF 31 As with gladness men of old

THE BLESSING 

God the Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Spirit,
hold us now in the place where we belong, in your heart of divine love. Blessing us now as we open our eyes, to see one another as beloved children, heirs and joint heirs with Christ, to see your image set in each one of us, to know that we are loved. Amen. 

 

Notes words for adoration and confession are adapted from Common Order © Panel on Worship of the Church of Scotland, 2015.