Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession:
Christ died to sin once for all, and now lives to God. Let us renew our resolve to have done with all that is evil and confess our sins in penitence and faith.
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, +pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Let us pray
God our redeemer, you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your Son: grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy: through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spiriit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Acts 17: 22-31
Acts 17: 22-31
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
1 Peter 3: 13-end
1 Peter 3: 13-end
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John Glory to you, O Lord.
John 14: 15-21
John 14: 15-21
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon from Michael Tonkin
Sermon from Michael Tonkin
‘He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.’ Words taken from this morning’s reading from 1 Peter.
Today, if it had not been for the coronavirus, Father Peter would have been being Licensed into his new role as Team Rector in the Diocese of Worcester. As far as St. Luke’s and the Barn Churches are concerned, and I am sure beyond, we are all very fortunate to still have him with us, if but, for only a little longer.
Jesus, in our Gospel reading today from John, is preparing his disciples for the fact that he would be leaving them, in his bodily form once he had ascended to his Father, but would remain with them for ever as the Holy Spirit. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth,” “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” Of course, as with so much that Jesus tried to make his disciples understand, it would only be after his death on the cross and his resurrection, that they would fully come to understand. We will hear in two weeks time how they receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
It is never easy saying ‘good bye’ to friends and loved ones, and it is one of the greatest tragedies of this terrible Pandemic that so many have had loved ones die before their time and been unable to with them. We can only pray that they are now at peace with the one true God, who offers an eternal home to all who believe in Him.
It was while Paul was in Athens, as we heard from our reading from Acts that, in true Paul fashion, he went about teaching the Athenians about this one true God. I have always had a lot of time for Paul, although I am sure he was not the easiest of people to live with, being unquestionably fanatical in his desire to spread the good news of the risen Lord. Yet without his endless efforts, often against the greatest of odds, the roots of Christianity would, most likely, not have been spread so far and wide, and The New Testament would not, in a large part, have been written in the form we know it today. Without Paul’s letters and his travels as recounted by Luke in Acts the New Testament would be very short.
In Athens, as in many other places Paul visited, he began in the synagogues and market places, preaching the news of the risen Jesus. Athens at that time, as it had been for many years before, was a centre for philosophy and literature, and had a university even at that time. Paul was invited by, ‘A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers’, to speak to them, and having seen an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown God’, began to tell them about the God who made the world and everything in it, “In him we live and move and have our being”. Paul tells them they will be seen for who they truly are, and judged by God, and his Son, the risen Christ. But judgement was not what the Athenians were looking for, they wanted to bind their gods to them with gifts, and with the power and scope of their religious services, gods that they could control and use as they required.
It is, perhaps, something that we are all at times guilty of, holding on to our own personal God, who like the old advertisements for Bank Managers, were kept in a cupboard somewhere and brought out when needed. This was not Paul’s God; although for many, there and then, to believe that God might focus all truth and meaning in one man, Jesus Christ, was hard to understand or believe. We too often like the idea of controlling God more than the idea of giving God control over us. We need also to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus promised not only to his disciples, but to every one of us who is willing to travel His path, the path of our risen Lord. “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
So may we all in these troubled and uncertain times hold on to the fact that Jesus walks with us, and with the Holy Spirit lives within our very being, this day and always.
The Sick: Julia Holboro, Annie Kunz, Luci Mitchell-Fry, Joan Pritchard, Johanna Procter, Kevin Willoughby, Max Weston
RIP John Axell, Mary Smith, Revd Peter Holmes, Pattie Johnson, Norma Williams
Prayers – with thanks to Paul Gregorowski, recorded for us by Chris Lynch
Loving Lord, please bless every person in this world. We are all your children and you love each one of us utterly and unconditionally; be with us in this time of uncertainty and risk, and we pray especially for those who live always in misery and fear, who are permanently locked out of life: refugees, the homeless, the hungry, those broken in body or mind, all those without hope. Help us to use this crisis to come closer to them and to work for a better world when this is over. Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Lord of the nations, guide the rulers of the earth, give them wisdom, teach them mercy, inspire them with your love, Protect and bless all victims who live in states of injustice, cruelty and war. Bless your beloved home on earth, the Holy Land, and any country where people cry out to you for help in their despair. Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Living Lord, bless your family the Church; heal our destructive divisions that hinder your work and that cause you so much pain. Bless Christian Aid and all vital charities under threat during the epidemic. May we help to fill the gap so that your will may continue to be done. Please bless the Barn and St Luke’s and all in our parishes. May we bring them the light of Christ. Please bless Father Peter, Richard and Michael and all who serve you here, our churchwardens, administrators, musicians, volunteers and all who care for our children in Junior Church. And we celebrate with joy our links with Matabeleland and the Green Park School in Lusaka, for we are all one in Christ. Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Lord of giving and grace, we than you for all your blessings to us, for the beauty of this spring morning with all its colour and light, for the love that surrounds us, for the dedication of doctors, nurses, carers and encouragers, for our families and friends near or far away, and above all for your unfailing presence with us. Help us to use this slow time to draw closer to you and to learn all the lessons of love. Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Christ of the cross, please be with those who are sick or suffering in this time of crisis. Hold them in your healing arms and bring them peace. We pray especially in our community for: Alan Hay, Julia Holboro, Annie Kunz, Luci Mitchell-Fry, Joan Pritchard, Johanna Procter, Kevin Willoughby, Max Weston.
Risen Lord be with those who have died and those who mourn. Today we pray for: John Axell, Mary Smith, Joy Dyer, Revd Peter Holmes, Pattie Johnson, Norma Williams, for you are the resurrection and the life. Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
God of all hope and love, be with us in this crisis. Once it is over may we create a fairer, kinder world free from the ravages of climate change, discrimination and greed, and may our children have a better future on this precious earth.
God’s promised kingdom longing to be born,
the poor are fed first, the hurt are listened to,
the kind are in control, the cruel are cured;
our deepest hopes become tomorrow’s news;
broken bones and minds are mended, the lonely loved;
fear is a distant memory,
happiness has banished hatred,
peace has vanquished war;
hurt earth turns into Eden once again,
and everything is green and fresh and free.
This is the Kingdom Christ has promised us,
and so we know that it will surely come,
not all at once, perhaps, but bit by bit,
will come the moment that we learn to love.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
The Peace
The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, “Peace be with you.” Then they were glad when they saw the Lord, Alelluia. The peace of the Lord be always with you: and also with you.
Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ, Our risen high priest;
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, almighty and eternal Father, and in these days of Easter to celebrate with joyful hearts the memory of your wonderful works. For by the mystery of his passion, Jesus Christ, your risen Son, has conquered the powers of death and hell and restored to women and men the image of your glory. He has placed us once more in paradise and opened to us the gate of life eternal. And so, in the joy of this Passover, earth and heaven resound with gladness, while angels and archangels and the powers of all creation sing for ever the hymn of your glory.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. +Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
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.
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God almighty, + the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and those you love, today and always. Amen.
Parishes of St Philips and All Saints Kew with St Luke’s Kew
Where all God’s Children are Welcome
Bible Study for the seventh week of the Covid 19 church building closure
Section 1: Acts 17: 22-31
Prayer: Open our hearts, loving God, to the boundless possibilities of your presence in our world. Open our souls to the teaching of your word. Amen
Read the passage through twice:
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Background
Paul and Luke had been in Athens for a while. Paul had been preaching in the synagogue and in the market place, engaging with the different philosophical groups that dominated Athenian thought – Epicureans, Stoics and Academics. His message of one God and Christ risen from the dead brings him to the notice of the city authorities, and he is summoned to answer the charge of preaching about “unknown deities”, which was the charge that was levelled against Socrates, for which he was executed. So to go to the Areopagus was not simply a chance to argue philosophy and theology. Paul was actually defending himself against a potential death sentence.
Epicureans argued that the gods were distant and not interested in what human beings got up to, so enjoyment of this life was the greatest good.
Stoics held that the gods lived amongst us, but invisibly, so it was in our interest to behave and control ourselves as individuals and as a society for the common good – Paul quotes a Stoic poet, which suggests that possibly these philosophers were in the majority in the audience.
The Academics followed the teachings of Plato, and occupied a middle ground between the other two philosphies, where the gods were knowable, yet detached, involved with humanity yet above us.
Paul has to bring the notion of one God to people who believed in a pantheon of gods, and on top of that, to argue that this God cares so much about his creation that he came and lived in it, died, and rose again.
Greek and Roman history writers were expected to produce classic speeches for their readers. From Herodotus to Livy, great leaders’ orations were recorded according to rules of rhetoric as much as knowable content. Luke does the same for Paul here – he was certainly present with him, in the Areopagus, which is just down the hill from the Parthenon, but we can be fairly certain that this is a succinct summary of Paul’s speech, with plenty of rhetorical flourishes to embellish the finished product.
Some questions
Paul opens with a compliment on the levels of faith he has observed in Athens. He demonstrates that he knows the layout of the city and their religious practices. His example of the altar to “an unknown god” is his launching point for his introduction to the God of the universe. Does it work?
Ignorance is a major theme of this sermon – ignorance because the people of Athens had never been told about the God of the universe before, ignorance because they could not reach this God by themselves. Is ignorance an excuse?
Paul seeks to expand the notion of God into the all-encompassing God of the universe that is central to Jewish faith. How does he do this?
Is the creator God your starting point for faith, or is it God in the world, in the person of Christ? Can it be both?
Paul says that this God is not restrained to temples or altars, yet the Temple in Jerusalem still exists at this point, with all its ceremonies. What does Paul mean?
Who is the “one man” from whom all the nations spread out? And why mention him?
Paul suggests that the God of the universe has a plan for all creation, that history is controlled by him. Paul’s (very Jewish) God is forward-looking – does this still hold true?
Can we find this God of the universe, if we reach out for him as Paul suggests that God wants us to do? Or do we need some help?
What help does Paul offer these people to find the living God?
Would you take the repentance line that Paul offers? And ultimate judgement?
The time of excusable ignorance is over for Paul’s audience. Can we still argue a level of ignorance, that there are things that we don’t know, so God remains distant and unknown?
What do you think the reaction was to Pauls’s talk of “raising Christ from the dead”? Read on in chapter 17 – it’s an exciting story!
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
God?
Jesus Christ?
The Church?
Our current situation?
Prayer: Loving God, you have shown your grace and mercy throughout history. Enable us to walk with you in our current situation, and to cling on to your ultimate control of all things, despite our current problems.
Section 2: 1 Peter 3: 13-end
Prayer: AmenLoving God, sometimes your Word is difficult. May your Holy Spirit enable us to read and understand what you are saying to us, and help us to accept the challenge of complexity. Amen
Read the passage through twice:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Background
This general letter to churches in Northern Turkey continues with encouragement in the face of opposition and criticism. Physical persecution may be occurring, but it seems more likely that the surrounding population is taking exception to the standards which the churches are adopting, and feeling threatened by goodness – a curious facet of human nature, but very real.
The section about the risen Jesus preaching to the “imprisoned spirits” has been difficult from the moment it was penned, and has divided opinion down through the centuries. However, it does lead the writer on to a reflection on baptism, which must have provided real hope to his readers.
Some questions
We can all still remember occasions at school when we were singled out for punishment when we hadn’t been the offenders. We can still remember burning at the injustice of it all. What sort of circumstances might the writer be addressing for these Christians, in his day?
Does this sort of persecution for doing the right thing still go on today? Have we experienced it in our own lives recently? Or heard about it in the news? What is the answer given by the world today? What is the writer’s answer here?
Is a clear conscience sufficient for us to endure wrongful accusation?
The quotation is from Isaiah 8, during the early days of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry. He was telling the people of Israel hard truths from God, and suffering for speaking the truth. Isaiah prevailed – can we?
Do you know examples of unjust accusation being exposed, and the accusers feeling shame? How do we deal with these people after they have been proved wrong? What is Christ’s response to such treatment?
Can we really be expected to emulate Christ’s response to his accusers and those who crucified him?
We read this passag this week because it talks about the risen Christ – but not in a situation that we can remotely recognise. Time bats backwards and forwards in these sentences – back to the Ark, forward to the resurrection of Christ, forward again to our baptism. This is an insight into God’s timescale, which is clearly not our own. For God, time is not linear, as it is for us. Eternity works on every level, righting wrongs, bringing grace and healing, repentance and restoration, even to those who mocked God’s plans.
We finish the passage on a high note – Christ in glory. Is that a helpful image for you? Or would a more earthy Jesus be of more value? We will celebrate Ascension Day next week – we need to decide!
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
God?
Jesus Christ?
The Church?
Our current situation?
Prayer: Loving God, you have shown your grace and mercy throughout history. Enable us to walk with you in our current situation, and to cling on to your ultimate control of all things, despite our current problems. Amen
Section 3: John 14: 15-21
Prayer: As you spoke to your disciples in the upper room, speak to us today, as we read your word, loving God. Amen
Read the passage through twice:
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Background
This is a continuation of the conversation that Jesus has with his disciples in the upper room. We have moved on from the simple statement of God with us in response to Philip’s appeal, “show us the Father”, to practical ways in which Christ’s followers can live out his life in the world. Comfort is the watchword for this section, and hope provisioned by God’s love.
Some questions
Is the gift of the Holy Spirit contingent on our keeping Christ’s commands? What are those commands?
To love is to obey – is that true?
“another advocate” was originally translated “another comforter” – is the change a simple correction of language, or is something else going on? And what exactly did the 17th century translaters mean by “comforter” (hint, it is not what we use the word for today)
Do you want a divine advocate? And if so, what do you expect them to do?
Do you understand the Holy Spirit in terms of interceding for us/acting on our behalf , to use the legal metaphore? If so, how?
Jesus states that the Holy Spirit is a mystery to those outside the Church – is that still the case? Which is harder to talk about – God as Father, Jesus as one of us yet divine, or the Holy Spirit? Why?
Do we really know the Holy Spirit? Do we really believe that the Holy Spirit is with us and in us?
Why does Jesus use the word “orphans” of the disciples, even if they won’t be? Christ is much more than a parent figure to them, and to us. What is his purpose here?
How and when will Jesus come to us, seeing as he has promised not to leave us as orphans?
Jesus makes clear that he won’t be in this world in the same way for much longer, but promises that he will be visible to the disciples – how? And will he be the same as he was before?
At the end of the passage, the link between love and obedience is reiterated, so it cannot be ignored. Also, our love for Christ draws us into the love of the Father, and into the love of Christ, who through love will make himself plain to us. Does that still work today?
In what ways does Christ make himself visible to us today?
How are you coping without communion? Is shared bread and wine part of your “seeing” Christ?
Has working on this passage brought you any comfort?
Could you share that comfort with others, now that you have studied these words of Jesus?
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
God?
Jesus Christ?
The Church?
Our current situation?
Prayer: Fill us, good Lord, with your Holy Spirit, that we may live as you would direct us, and obey your loving, gracious commands
As Michael noted on Tuesday, our Zoom service on Sunday seemed to work very well. There was a good turnout of people and I got the impression that A lots of churches are very popular, often attracting far more people than would usually turn out on a Sunday morning. We have already talked about how we do not need to be in the Church building to be a church community, and the reality is proving that point.
But as Michael also noted, it looks like a form of lockdown will continue for quite a while. And how will our services look when, finally, we are allowed to get back into church? I was talking to a friend who is a Priest elsewhere the other day. He made a reference to the Revelation of St John perhaps having something to say on social distancing and the church during the Covid 19 crisis. I have to admit that I don’t often read the book of Revelation, but his comment made me turn to it and sure enough – Chapter 11 v 1 (New English Bible version):
I was given a long cane, a kind of measuring-rod and told ‘Now go and measure the temple of God, the altar, and the number of worshippers ‘.
So perhaps that is how we will need to start planning – mapping out the space in church so we can socially distance, courtesy of the Revelation! We will of course have to await guidance from the Diocese, but for a while at least church is going to continue to look very different, both now and when we are allowed back into our beloved buildings. But even if Church is different, God is not and his unchanging care and love for his people continue forever, through good times and challenging times – even if we have to hold ‘a long cane’s’ length between us when we finally do get back to the church building.
So, then I started thinking about my choice of hymn for today. I thought, rather flippantly, that perhaps it should be one that had “ruler” in its title, as a rather corny play on the long cane theme. I decided on John Rylands 1777 hymn “Sovereign Ruler of the Skies”, which is quite appropriate at the current time. Here are three verses:
The Queen in her broadcast for VE Day ended by saying, “our streets are not empty, they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other”.
I do not know if it is because we are an Island nation or because we belong to a generation of parents, grandparents and great grandparents, who lived and fought through two World Wars, but on the whole the people of these islands are amazingly resilient in the face of great adversity.
We have all hoped and prayed for an end to this Pandemic and the many restrictions and hardships it puts upon so many. To go freely about our daily lives again, to visit friends and families, cuddle our grandchildren, plan our outings and holidays, shop and travel without social distancing. We all realise now that these are not things that are going to happen ‘any time soon’, perhaps some never again as we have previously done them.
We enjoyed our first Zoom Service on Sunday morning which was a joyful occasion with a very good ‘virtual’ congregation, and it may well be the first of many with the Bishop of London warning that it maybe next year before some churches return to services as we used to know them. Yet as I have said before, and as Father Peter alluded to in his sermon on Sunday, we the people are the ‘living stones’ that build our church and where ever and how ever we come together, that is where ‘our church’ shall be, living and even growing.
It is that ability, whatever the situation, to make the best of it and to find the love and generosity of heart to do even more unto others than we would expect for ourselves. The examples over these last few months have been too many to count, with many making that greatest of sacrifices of putting down their lives for the sake of others. We as Christians, and that is not to belittle any other faith, have the greatest example of that true love and self sacrifice, in our Lord Jesus Christ, and I know that our Queen, as Head of our Church, sees that love reflected, directly and indirectly, in the love that she, and all of us, witness in our Island Country day by day through these difficult times.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession:
Christ died to sin once for all, and now lives to God. Let us renew our resolve to have done with all that is evil and confess our sins in penitence and faith.
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, +pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Let us pray
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect: through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Acts 7: 55-end
Acts 7: 55-end
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
1 Peter 2: 2-10
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’
and,
‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John Glory to you, O Lord.
John 1: 43-end
John 1: 43-end
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you.’ Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’ Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than that.’ He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on” the Son of Man.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
My head is buzzing, ideas are whizzing around inside my brain, and there isn’t enough time or space to get them all down on paper. Some weeks, the process of writing a sermon is slow and laborious, but not today. So much has moved on in just 7 days. On Thursday just gone we launched our telephone sermon option for people who cannot access the internet (020 8016 2474). After a successful Zoom Patronal get together last Sunday, we launch today our first Zoom act of worship. We have gone from a dry written sermon to a multiplicity of ways of sharing in worship, and it is very exciting. In addition, on Wednesday of last week, the House of Bishops allowed a slight relaxation of our churches’ closure, with permission to live stream acts of worship from inside our buildings, as long as only two people are present, and suitably distant from each other. The ways of keeping in touch with each other and of sharing worship together are increasing daily.
This is exactly what the writer of 1 Peter is talking about when he uses the image of “living stones”. Christ is that first, all-important living stone, the cornerpiece, the foundation of all that God is building in his Church, but we his people are also living stones, built up into an ever-expanding building for worship and for witness. However separated we are, we can come together to praise our God, to pray together and individually, and to share our joy in Christ. However separated we might be, we can still show in acts of love and generosity what Christ has done for us and how God’s world ought to be.
This building, so full of opportunity and challenge, does not get built without its tragedies. The death of Stephen is one such awful event, when stones are used not to build up, but to destroy. Just as the water of baptism talks of life and death, so stones were very much part of the Early Church’s suffering. Stephen was not the only martyr to be stoned and the apostle Paul and his companions on their missionary journies were frequently chased out of town by stone-throwing mobs. The writer to this group of churches in northern Turkey very deliberately uses this image to redeem those murderous stones that were used against Christians, stating that Christ himself was rejected as a useless part of the building of Israel, yet in resurrection he proves himself to be the most important part of God’s universe. What is so marvellous is that we are included in that living stone, part of the fabric, a piece of the whole. Resurrection includes us in God, totally, and that is wonderful.
However, our buildings are solidly locked this morning, and will remain so through this week. There will come a time when they will re-open for private prayer, but we may well have to sit tight for many more weeks before full congregational worship will restart. Therefore, this living building which offers prayer and worship to Almighty God will have to be active in different ways.
One positive part of the national lockdown has been the safe removal of 90% of rough sleepers from our streets, into the warmth and safety of unused hotel rooms across the country. The night shelter project was drawn rapidly to a close as this process happened, but the charity with which we work in providing these shelters continues to meet with these people, to support them into longterm accommodation, to restore their documentation and benefits or to get them back in contact with their families. The work of Glass Door, St Mungo’s, the Salvation Army and many more charities working with the homeless carries on, day by day, with case workers making remarkable progress, and food banks supplying meals and other practical support. In an article in Thursday’s Guardian, it was reported that of the over 500 homeless people now in hotels in London, many had tested positive for Corvid 19, but none had died – testimony surely to the skill and professionalism of their support teams.
Today is also the start of Christian Aid Week, when normally we would be out inviting people to share in the work of Christian Aid with disadvantaged people across the world, but this year we can ony do this online, via the Just Giving pages set up for our congregations (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/the-barn-kew & https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/st-lukes-kewor by phone: 02075232493 ) Please share this with your with your family and friends – many lives depend on our generosity.
The Kew Neighbourhood Association is providing much-needed support for vulnerable people here In Kew. They are blessed with a large number of volunteers, but they need our prayers for their continued efforts.
The Richmond FoodBank is continuing to operate, delivering hundreds of food parcels and frozen meals every week across the borough. If there is anyone you know who needs this service, which is free to anyone who cannot afford to buy food, please encourage them to ring 0808 2082138 Monday-Friday, or 8940 0274, and help will be arranged as soon as possible. Donations of food or of cash are always welcome: visit https://richmond.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-money or phone 8940 0274, and surround your generosity with prayer for all those involved in this critical work in our borough.
The one major difficulty we have during this time of lockdown is actually telling people what we are doing as God’s people and how they can get involved. We start with prayer, which must undergird all that we do, but the example of Philip in today’s Gospel reading is perhaps the most helpful in this. Nathanael responds as an old curmudgeon when Philip says that Jesus is from Nazareth – Nathanael was from the neighbouring village of Cana, and old rivalries run deep. “Come and see” says Philip, drawing Nathanael out of his aloof reticence and into the very presence of God. As Nathanael meets Jesus he sees immediately that this is the Messiah – and it was Philip who gently encouraged him to encounter Jesus. We are called to do the same today, but we cannot bring people with us to church on Sundays for the time being. So we have to be creative. Share sermons or acts of worship via email with your friends. Like and retweet or share our Facebook and Twitter pages. Make sure that people know that support is available and there are opportunities for worship for everybody – the glory of the internet is that anyone can access what we are providing from anywhere in the world. Just because our buildings are closed does not preclude us from inviting people to meet the risen Jesus – “come and see” can easily become “join us online” or “read this” or “listen to this”.
Living stones, alive to God, growing together, worshipping, prayerful and outward-looking – all of that is encompassed in what we have read this morning. May God give us grace this week, like Philip, gently to offer a meaningful encounter with the risen Jesus to all with whom we are in contact. And may almighty God keep us and bless us through these difficult and uncertain times. Amen
The Sick: Julia Holboro, Annie Kunz, Luci Mitchell-Fry,
Joan Pritchard, Johanna Procter, Kevin Willoughby, Max Weston
RIP Mary Smith, Revd Peter Holmes, Pattie Johnson, Norma Williams
Prayers – with thanks to Ben Worsley
Prayers
Dear Lord, we thank you for all the people who have risked and sacrificed much to provide us with all the privileges we have in Britain today. We pray for those still sacrificing, risking, and striving to make it better for everyone. We pray for clarity and reassurance in this time of uncertainty and we hope people use their power and privilege to help our communities to be safe and well. Our reflections go especially to those gone before us, for the lives of those we remembered this Friday gone.
They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.
I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
We pray for our local community. We confess our own failings and lack of compassion and love. We thank you that you forgive our failings and ask us to rise us up in your grace. Our community in this time is important. It brings us together, helps us and teaches us to care. We can see many great examples around us. Shopping for others. Stepping to the other side of the path. Talking over a hedge. Ringing someone for a chat. Help us to create a better community. We thank you for; Peter, Michael and Richard who are working hard at keeping us together when we are apart.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
At a time when people question the relevance of the church, give us the presence to be a witness in the world.
Prayer of Abandonment
By Charles de Foucauld
Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures – I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul: I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
We pray for the comfort and healing of those who suffer in body, mind and spirit;
Alan Hay, Julia Holboro, Annie Kunz, Luci Mitchell-Fry, Joan Pritchard, Johanna Procter, Kevin Willoughby, Max Weston. Give them courage and hope in their troubles. And we pray for the dead, Mary Smith, Revd Peter Holmes, Pattie Johnson, Norma Williams. Please bring peace to those left and help them remember the bright sparks of the life once lived.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
The Peace
The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, “Peace be with you.” Then they were glad when they saw the Lord, Alelluia. The peace of the Lord be always with you: and also with you.
Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ, Our risen high priest;
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, almighty and eternal Father, and in these days of Easter to celebrate with joyful hearts the memory of your wonderful works. For by the mystery of his passion, Jesus Christ, your risen Son, has conquered the powers of death and hell and restored to women and men the image of your glory. He has placed us once more in paradise and opened to us the gate of life eternal. And so, in the joy of this Passover, earth and heaven resound with gladness, while angels and archangels and the powers of all creation sing for ever the hymn of your glory.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. +Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
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.
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God almighty, + the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and those you love, today and always. Amen.
