30th October 2022 – All Saints Sunday Eucharist Service

Posted on October 30, 2022October 28, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Daniel 7.1-3, 15-18

In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: ‘As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever—for ever and ever.’

Luke 6.20-31

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.

‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Scripture Quotations are from: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The Sermon
By Catherine, a Reader at St Mary's.

Were any of you a little underwhelmed by Daniel’s dream, as portrayed by today’s Old
Testament reading? The four winds of heaven stir up the great sea. Four great beasts
come up out of the sea. Well it’s a promising start, but are you terrified yet? I can’t say I
am! So it seems a bit surprising that Daniel’s spirit is troubled within him and he’s terrified
by his visions. The attendant’s explanation is equally brief. “Oh yes, four kings will rise
up. But don’t worry, the holy ones of God will triumph in the end.”

We usually follow the lectionary – the scheme which allocates suitable readings from
different parts of the Bible to fit each Sunday of the year. And, for one reason or another
sometimes a huge chunk is missing from the Bible passage selected. That has happened
with today’s reading. We didn’t get the lengthy and detailed passages about Daniel’s
actually very weird and scary dream. We got the edited summary, indeed so
enthusiastically edited that the dream has become somewhat tame.

If the whole dream had been left in, there would have been no doubt of why Daniel was so
distressed. It’s one of those dramatic visions that appear in some Old Testament
passages and in the book of Revelation. Passages that have fascinated people
throughout the ages because of their peculiar and bizarre imagery. Passages beloved of
the old preachers of hellfire and damnation. Passages that must be read with care so as
not to distort the Christian message of love and hope.

Stories about the saints have fascinated people in the same way. Many focus not so much
on what the particular saints did during their lives, but go into great detail into how they
died. At times, it has seemed that the more gruesome the death, the more highly valued
the saint. These stories of martyrdom have inspired plays, paintings, pilgrimages and, in
the case of my namesake, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, fireworks.
Although today, we don’t tend to focus on stories about saints, we are still fascinated by
stories about the great and the good, or the infamous and the bad. When someone in the
public eye dies, their lives are described on TV, the internet or in newspaper obituary
columns. We hear about the person’s achievements, but also about any scandals,
tragedies and problems that have been associated with them. Often, the more tragic the
story, the more time or space devoted to it. So perhaps we’re not that much different from
our ancestors who enjoyed gory stories about the saints.

At least one newspaper, however, invites brief obituaries of more ordinary people, in a
column called “Other Lives”. These people won’t be household names, but their lives have
nevertheless made an impact on those who knew them. The writers are usually family
members, friends or colleagues of the person who has died. Unsung heroes for the main
part, but often with interesting stories.

All Saints Day is not interested in the detailed stories of the well known saints. Instead it’s
more like the “Other Lives” column. All Saints celebrates the ordinary, everyday people of
faith. People who, for generations have gone about practising their faith without a fuss.
People whose names and stories have largely been forgotten within a generation or two.
People who have, nevertheless, have kept the faith alive, shared it with others,
accompanying the next generation of believers along the Christian Way. Ordinary,
everyday people.

The book of Daniel is concerned with the ultimate coming of God’s kingdom. Its detailed
imagery may be enthralling and even entertaining, but we don’t need to focus on it to
celebrate the feast of All Saints. The important news was in the summary – “The holy
ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever –
forever and ever.” And this is echoed in our Gospel reading, where Jesus says to his
disciples that whatever happens to them, “Yours is the kingdom of God”. Those first
disciples, ordinary people, went on to share that good news with others, who shared it with
others, who shared it with others… and so on down the generations and across the world.
Generations and generations of ordinary saints, living as lights in the world reflecting
glimpses of God’s kingdom that is here and is to come. Ordinary, everyday people.
People like you and me.

The Prayers
Prepared by Kath

United in the company of all the faithful
and looking for the coming of the kingdom,
let us offer our prayers to God,
the source of all life and holiness.

Merciful Lord,
strengthen all Christian people by your Holy Spirit,
that we may live as a royal priesthood and a holy nation
to the praise of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Lord, in your mercy
All hear our prayer.

Bless Pete and Sophie our bishops and all ministers of your Church,
that by faithful proclamation of your word
we may be built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
into a holy temple in the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy
All hear our prayer.

Empower us by the gift of your holy and life-giving Spirit,
that we may be transformed into the likeness of Christ
from glory to glory.
Lord, in your mercy
All hear our prayer.

Give to the world and its peoples
the peace that comes from above,
that they may find Christ’s way of freedom and life.
Lord, in your mercy
All hear our prayer.

Hold in your embrace all who witness to your love in the
service of the poor and needy;
all who minister to the sick and dying;
and all who bring light to those in darkness.
Lord, in your mercy
All hear our prayer.

Touch and heal all those whose lives are scarred by sin
or disfigured by pain,
that, raised from death to life in Christ,
their sorrow may be turned to eternal joy.
Lord, in your mercy
All hear our prayer.

Remember in your mercy all those gone before us
who have been well-pleasing to you from eternity;
preserve in your faith your servants on earth,
guide us to your kingdom
and grant us your peace at all times.
Lord in your mercy
All Hear our prayer.

Hasten the day when many will come
from east and west, from north and south,
and sit at table in your kingdom.
Lord in your mercy
All Hear our prayer.
We give you thanks
for the whole company of your saints in glory,
with whom in fellowship we join our prayers and praises;
by your grace may we, like them, be made perfect in your love.
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
thanksgiving and honour and power,
be to our God for ever and ever.

All Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is used here is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000

23rd October 2022 – Last Sunday after Trinity Eucharist

Posted on October 23, 2022October 22, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Joel 2.23-end

O children of Zion, be glad
and rejoice in the Lord your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the later rain, as before.
The threshing-floors shall be full of grain,
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent against you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again
be put to shame.

Then afterwards
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female slaves,
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Luke 18.9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

The Prayers
Prepared by Catherine.

Let us pray...

We pray for the Church. May we truly be the Spirit-filled people of God who dream dreams of a world
where none go hungry and wars have ceased. May we do all we can to help make these dreams a reality.
We pray for our world and all its people. We think especially of those affected by flood, drought, fire, war,
poverty or oppression.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our nation. We continue to pray for our government in this time of instability and change, for
wisdom for those in positions of authority and for compassionate decision making. We pray for those who
collect and use our taxes, that our contributions may be used effectively and wisely for the benefit of all.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our city and local neighbourhood. We remember especially all schoolchildren and teachers,
that this week’s half term might be a time of rest and refreshment. We think of those struggling to heat
their homes or provide enough food for themselves or their families.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are suffering in any way. This week we pray for those who struggle with speech
or other forms of communication. In a few moments of quiet, we remember any known personally to us
who need our prayers.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember those who have died and all who mourn. We pray for all who have experienced
bereavement this past year, and especially for those known locally, asking that God’s Spirit provide
strength and comfort in their loss.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Merciful Father
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

‘Protest, Prayer and Justice’ – 16th October 2022 – Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity – Eucharist

Posted on October 16, 2022October 15, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Jeremiah 31. 27 - 34

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days they shall no longer say:
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Luke 18. 1 - 8

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

The Sermon
By Rev Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes

One of the news stories I’ve been following recently has been the protests in Iran. These began with
the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, in police custody. She had been accused by
Iran’s morality police of failing to wear her hijab properly. Since then, other young women have died.
Iran is a country dear to the heart of my wife’s family. My in-laws were missionaries there until the
revolution and they long for greater freedoms for the people there.

One of the things that strikes me about the protests is the bravery of so many women and girls who
have come out on the streets to protest. Some of burned their hijabs. Others have cut their hair in
public. School girls have berated government officials and thrown water bottles at them. Though
woman and girls in Iran have often been taught to be seen and not heard, many have raised their
voices in opposition to the regime. Although the Iranian government shows no sign of compromise at
the moment, it must be fearful of the power of so many women.

I see a similar power in the widow who comes to the judge seeking justice in our Gospel today.
Widows in the Bible are often seen as particularly vulnerable and deserving of care. Exodus 22.22
says ‘You shall not abuse any widow or orphan.’ Deuteronomy tells us that God has a preferential
option for the widow and the orphan and says that they should be supported economically. Widows in
the Bible certainly have challenging lives. But they are not just victims. They are often the most
unconventional of conventional figures. Expected to be weak, they move mountains; expected to be
exploited, they make the most of their opportunities. We think of Tamar, Naomi, Ruth and Orpah,
Abigail and the widow of Zarephath. All these women all defy the convention of the poor and
dependent widow. And the widow in our Gospel today is no exception.

Luke’s Gospel has more women in it than any other. More stories about women and more words
spoken by them. But he does have a habit of domesticating the women he writes about. Of trying to
keep them under control. Jesus, on the other hand, gave women agency. He didn’t try to control
them. We think of women like Mary and Martha, the Samaritan woman at the well or the woman who
anointed him.

Luke introduces today’s parable by telling us what it is about, which is a pity because parables are
rarely about just one thing. They stand on their own and can be read in all sorts of different ways.
Parables are like onions. They have lots of layers. And they deserve to be unpeeled.
The widow in our parable seems at first glance to be a victim. She has been denied justice. We root
for her because we have been told that the judge is a bad man. He has neither fear of God nor
respect for other people. And if the judge is bad then the widow has to be our hero.
But we may be missing something here. Our English translation tells us that the woman is seeking
justice. But the Greek word we translate as justice is ekdikeo. And ekdikeo actually means
vengeance. It’s the same word used in Greek versions which describe the vengeance executed on
the first born of Egypt in Exodus. Or Samson’s vengeance on the Philistines. Equally, when the judge
says that the widow might wear him out, the Greek word that we translate as wear out actually comes
from the world of boxing. The judge is concerned that the widow might beat him up, hit him in the face
or give him a black eye. The word appears in 1 Corinthians 9.27 and gets translated as punish, as in
‘punish the body’. It seems unlikely that the widow would punch the judge in the face but this
suggests that this is not just some sweet old lady who is the victim of circumstance. This is a woman
who is not to be messed with and her cause is not necessarily any more righteous than the judge is
just. It may be that there are no heroes in this story.

And perhaps that’s significant. Because in spite of the fact that we have two imperfect human beings,
the widow and the judge. In spite of the fact that this justice system may be far from ideal. There is a
result. A breakthrough. Change. The widow is given what she seeks. And that should give us all
hope. Because if things can happen at that very imperfect human level then how much more might
they be possible with God. He who loves us. Who wants the best for us. He who is just. Jesus isn’t
suggesting that we try to give God a black eye but he is suggesting that we bother him in the way that
the widow bothered the judge. That we are persistent and hopeful. That we don’t give up. We don’t
have to be perfect. We just have to pray.

And prayer changes us. That daily discipline of placing ourselves in God’s hands. Bringing our needs
and the needs of the world to him. It allows God to do his work in and through us, imperfect though
we are.

The more we pray, the more we align ourselves with God’s priorities. We learn to fear the Lord to use
an old-fashioned phrase. And we grow in respect and love for others. And that can cause our prayers
to change. We find ourselves praying for different things to the ones we started with. And we may
also discover that we are not just helpless widows but people with agency. Sometimes the answers to
our prayers lie with us. Perhaps we are being called to give a particular problem a black eye. Perhaps
we are being called to grant justice in a situation that keeps bothering us. Prayer may not always take
us where we think we want to go but it rarely leaves us where we were. So, just as we should not
underestimate widows, we should not underestimate the power of prayer. Pray always. Be persistent.
Never lose heart. Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by Oli and Catherine

Lord God, we pray for our world. We pray for all those living in war zones and places of conflict. We pray for all those working in dangerous conditions, thinking of those killed or injured in this week’s mining disaster in Turkey, and of their loved ones. We ask that your resurrective hope is made known to those in these hellish situations.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord God, we pray for our planet. As many world leaders remain apathetic while the climate crisis continues, help us to do what we can on a personal and local scale. Help us to use the car less, to use less plastic, to eat less meat, to buy locally and to reuse what we can.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord God, we pray for our country. As our current political leaders struggle to address the core issues affecting the most vulnerable in society, we pray that all who hold your values of equity, restorative justice and unconditional love may be enabled to make a difference where they can. We pray for the work of the law courts, for judges, magistrates, barristers, solicitors and juries, that justice is upheld. We pray for those who cannot afford legal representation. We pray for all who are in prison and for their families.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord God, we pray for our community. We pray you be with: our neighbours who selflessly give their time to make our streets safer and quieter from traffic; our neighbours who give generously to the food bank; our neighbours who look out for the elderly and disadvantaged; and all those who want to make Walkley a friendlier and fairer place to live.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord God, we pray for our families. We pray as many of us face financial hardship over the next few months, having an impact on the choices we make about food and leisure. We pray that your presence is made know to those in our families who are processing recent separation or loss. We pray for parents who must juggle work commitments and spending quality time with their children.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for ourselves, We pray that you give us energy and inner light as the evenings get darker and we turn to introspection and the time for remembrance. We pray that we can find holy rest on days spent with loved ones as the trees turn red and the sun sits lower in the sky. We pray you are with us when we suffer with physical and mental health issues.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We now enter a period of silence for our own intercessions.

…

Merciful Father:

Accept these prayers

For the sake of your son,

Our Saviour,

Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is used here is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000

9th October 2022 – Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity – Eucharist

Posted on October 9, 2022October 8, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Jeremiah 29.1, 4-7

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Luke 17.11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe.

We pray for the Church of Christ, for Bishop Pete and Bishop Sophie,
our Archbishops Justin and Stephen, all here who lead us in worship
and prayer, and all those whose time and talents are given to St
Mary’s, St John’s and St Mark’s.

We thank those who organised and participated in the recent
Diocesan Development Day for their service to the Kingdom in this
Diocese.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of Ukraine and hope for a peaceful resolution
to that conflict. We pray for families on both sides of the conflict who
have seen their members go to war. We pray for our sister city of
Donetsk.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of
Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. We pray for all those
affected by the increases in food and energy prices. We pray for
those who have taken in refugees, and those who are working with
food banks and warm spaces to mitigate the effects of the cost of
living crisis.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or
spirit, and those who find life especially difficult at this time. We pray
that you strengthen them and bring them the healing and peace that
belong to Christ’s kingdom. In a few moments of silence, we bring to
mind those we know who need your healing presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those currently close to death, and those accompanying
them on this final part of their Earthly journey. We pray for those
who have died, recently and in the past, and those who mourn.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Finally, Lord, we silently bring before you those special to us, and also
those issues and concerns that we have in our own lives.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary, Mark, John and of all the Saints,
let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to God.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

2nd October 2022 – Harvest Festival Eucharist

Posted on October 2, 2022October 1, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Leviticus 23. 9 - 14

The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall raise the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may find acceptance; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall raise it. On the day when you raise the sheaf, you shall offer a lamb a year old, without blemish, as a burnt-offering to the Lord. And the grain-offering with it shall be two-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire of pleasing odour to the Lord; and the drink-offering with it shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your settlements.

John 4. 31 - 38

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica.

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.

Lord our God, we meet today to thank You for the wonderful world You have created for us,
supplying all our needs, perfectly balanced to provide all that is necessary for life. We thank You for
the gift of Harvests, year after year, and ask that we may be given grace to share them fairly. We ask
your forgiveness for our over-exploitation of your gifts to us, and that we may learn to use them
sensibly and equitably. Above all, we pray for peace and goodwill in your world, that all nations will
agree to live within their boundaries and support and help their neighbours in need.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church worldwide, that all Christians will work together to ensure that all your
people will share in your bounty, whatever their faith. We pray for all church leaders, our
Archbishops, our diocesan bishops Pete and Sophie, all the clergy serving St Mary’s, St John’s and St
Mark’s, and all who help to maintain our presence here in Walkley as wardens, lay preachers, and in
other roles such as hosting the Wool Fair yesterday. We give you thanks for all their work.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all those in our community who are struggling to survive in present circumstances, and
for all who try to help them, like the S6 Foodbank, Langsett Advice Centre, and the Cathedral Archer
Project to which our gifts today are to be taken. We hope to be able to join with the Library, the
Community Centre and other venues to provide a warm refuge on different days for those who
cannot afford heating, and pray we shall be able to achieve this.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill or suffering in any other way at this time. We pray for all who care for
them, as family members or as Health or Care professionals. In a moment of quiet we remember all
those we know to be in need of your healing grace…………
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your tender mercy all who have died recently, or long ago. We pray for those who
have recently lost a loved one, including our own Royal Family. We remember all we have lost
recently or many years ago……….
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of Mary, John, Mark and all your saints, we thank you again for all your
goodness to us, and commend ourselves to your unfailing love.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
Our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

25th September 2022 -The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity Eucharist

Posted on September 25, 2022September 24, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Jeremiah 32. 1 - 3a, 6 - 15

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him. Zedekiah had said, ‘Why do you prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.
And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

Luke 16.19-31

Jesus said, ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’

The Sermon
By Rev Canon Dr Alan Billings

Sometimes people treat the Bible as if it were a textbook of morality. As if the answer to every moral question is there, somewhere, if only we could find it. As if it told us in detail how to live our lives now. The key words here are ‘in detail’.

But how we live in detail is something we have to work out for ourselves. We have to do that because the world in which we live changes all the time. New situations arise, situations that have never occurred before in history, let alone in biblical times.

Take the world of modern technology. How do we balance the freedom the internet brings to communicate with our family and friends across the world with the need to prevent our children gaining access to harmful material. These detailed moral questions can’t be solved by looking up verses of scripture.

So if the Bible is not a highway code of morality, what role does it play?

The reason we read passages from the scriptures in our services is because what we hear and read, influences how we live when we go out from this place.

They don’t tell us things in detail, but they do shape the way we look at the world around us, the way we react and respond, what we decide to do or not do, in the detailed circumstances of our own individual and different lives.

Take today’s gospel, the story of the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus. Imagine the first time Jesus told that story - in a society where it was strongly believed that the rich deserved their wealth because they had lived well and the poor deserved their poverty.

This story was like a kick in the teeth. The rich man ends up in hell and the poor man in heaven. We are not told why the rich man is rewarded in this way, or the poor man. But the story provokes us into thinking about why that might be so.

It doesn’t say the rich man was a bad man or the poor man a good man. But it does suggest that the rich man chooses not to notice the plight of Lazarus, and that determines his fate hereafter.

And it does suggest that Lazarus can’t help being poor because he is physically run down. He is so weak he can’t stop the dogs licking his sores; this is why he can’t earn a living.

But each day, the rich man walks past Lazarus and does nothing, even though he eats sumptuously every day.

If the Bible were a textbook, this story would only work if our society and our situation now was exactly the same as then. But it isn’t. We live in a society where there is a welfare state and an NHS. But it makes us think, just as much as it made the first hearers think.

Could it be that we are rich when we compare ourselves with some others? Do we choose to walk by? Who is our Lazarus?

The stories Jesus tells haunt our imaginations as Christians and make us think about our lives now. They don’t tell us in detail what to do. But as they work on us, they influence us.

This was a point the Archbishop of Canterbury made in the sermon he gave at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey. Throughout her reign she had allowed the Christian gospel to influence how she lived. She had worked out in her particular circumstances what a life of service to others should look like if you are called to do the job she did. And the Archbishop rather boldly and very pointedly, challenged many world leaders who were present at the funeral to do the same. He quoted words of Jesus:

You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve...

The words don’t tell the rulers in detail what to do, but they would bring them up sharply and make them think about how they were living out their form of leadership.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus doesn’t tell us in detail what to do. But it ought to make us stop and think about how we should respond to the Lazarus of our day. How we respond as a man or woman in the street or as someone who rules. A government, perhaps.

The Prayers
Prepared by Catherine

We pray for our church:
That we may live out the hope of new life in Jesus Christ by our words and actions.
We pray for Sheffield diocese and its upcoming Development Day
For the churches at local level in Walkley and our partner churches of St. John’s and St. Mark’s
For the work of the Forest Church and Garden Church.
We pray for our church.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for our world:
For leaders and governments.
That their words and actions may show care for people and planet.
For all those caught up in war, disaster, or famine
For the people of Pakistan, Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Yemen.
We pray for our world
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for our community:
For the staff and children in our local schools.
For children whose needs cannot be met in mainstream education,
for their families, and all those working to find them the right school place.
For students starting or returning to University and College
especially those living away from home for the first time,
And those who have come here from abroad to study.
For the shops and businesses in Walkley
And for all who use our Community Hall during the week.
We pray for our community
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for those in need:
For the unwell, the lonely, the sad, the bereaved.
For all who are worried about heating their homes
or feeding their families.
For the work of the Archer Project and the S6 Foodbank.
For any known personally to us.
We pray for those in need.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We remember those who have died and all who mourn:
Continuing to remember our late Queen Elizabeth, and her family.
Thinking of those known personally to us who have died or who mourn a loved one.
We remember those who have died
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

Merciful Father
Accept these prayers
For the sake of your Son,
Our Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.

18th September 2022 – A Eucharist of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for the life of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second

Posted on September 18, 2022September 21, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Lamentations 3.22-26, 31-33

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
For the Lord will not
reject for ever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone.

John 6.35-40

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The Sermon
By Rev Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes

Eve of the Queen’s funeral

It has been an extraordinary ten days. There have been so many touching moments. Even those who would not call themselves great supporters of the monarchy have been affected by the things we have witnessed. So many tributes of love and affection. So many anecdotes. Some of them amusing. Some very moving.

It has been incredible to recognise how many aspects of life that Her Majesty touched. I was listening to a farming programme early one morning. And heard about how, after the foot and mouth disaster, Her Majesty gave cattle from her own herds to farmers who had lost animals. It’s been extraordinary too to hear how wide was the affection for Queen Elizabeth. This week I had to go to Cyprus for a charity of which I am a trustee. Even there, there were commemorative services for the Queen and I attended a concert by a Danish choir. In Denmark they had been following events in this country and dedicated their performance to the Queen’s memory.

This week we have not only learned a lot about the Queen, we have also learned something about death and loss. The preparation that has gone into this time is staggering. We seem to have a particular knack for this sort of thing and I’m sure the Queen’s funeral tomorrow will be no exception. And I think all events have really helped us to deal with the surprisingly powerful emotions that some of us have experienced during this time. And although the Queen was probably unaware of some of the details of these arrangements, I expect she knew quite a bit about what was planned. Even in her dying she seems to have continued to serve the needs of her people. To show care for them in a time of loss and change.

Although the rest of us are unlikely to lie in state or receive gun salutes, the past ten days perhaps remind us that deaths should be properly marked. They are an important part of life and when we are bereaved we need the time and rituals that will help us come to terms with our loss. We need to be able to reminisce. To express our emotions. To confront our own mortality. We are sometimes too quick to sanitise death. To move on from it. The great mystery that is death deserves respect.

As I have been thinking about today, I’ve been rereading a sermon given by Henry Scott Holland. It was preached at St Paul’s Cathedral shortly before the funeral of King Edward VII in 1910. You may be familiar with a well known passage from it which begins ‘Death is nothing at all’. It is sometimes read at funerals. But I’ll come back to that.

Edward VII was the son of Queen Victoria. Like our own King Charles, he was Prince of Wales for a very long time and that wasn’t always an easy role to fulfil. But in his relatively short reign, King Edward became a very popular king. His death was sudden and for most of the population, unexpected. It happened at a time of political turmoil. There was a crisis between the House of Lords and the House of Commons in the aftermath of Lloyd George’s People’s Budget of 1909. But all this was halted by the sense of national unity which followed the King’s death. And it was in this context that Scott Holland preached his sermon entitled The King of Terrors.

In his sermon, Scott Holland was anxious to help people with their feelings around the death of the late King and around death in general. He acknowledged the contradictory emotions around the loss of someone we care about. The shock. The feeling of emptiness. The finality. The sense of sadness. The scriptures give vigorous expression to these emotions and they are not to be denied or brushed over. To be fully human is to dwell in our Good Fridays sometimes. To really express our sense of bereavement. God is with us in those moments. He too bore the loss of his son and shares in our grief. And we need to express it thoroughly. This part of Scott Holland’s sermon tends to be ignored.

But then Scott Holland recognises something else. As a Victorian and then an Edwardian he was used to being much closer to death than we are. He was used to being around those who had died. And he sometimes detected in the faces of the departed the suggestion that in dying they had discovered the secret. That somehow they knew it all. What lay beyond. Some seemed to have a faint smile playing on their lips. And it was from these observations that Scott Holland wrote his famous passage, ‘Death is nothing at all.’

Death is nothing at all. It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.
All is well.

On their own these words can sound trite. Scott Holland went to recognise that that sense of continuity that they speak of wavers. We fluctuate in grief between hope and despair. But the hope is real. And he suggests that it is a reasonable act of faith to stand by it and assert its validity even in the darkest times. As he put it, ‘Though we may return to the twilight of the valleys, yet we will ever recall the moment when we stood upon the sunlit heights and saw the far horizon.’

This is the vision glimpsed in our readings today. That though grief is real, God’s love, compassion and mercy never come to an end. It is the will of the Father that all who believe in the Son may have eternal life and be raised up on the last day.
It is trusting in this greater reality, this hope, that we commend her Majesty to God on the eve of her funeral. Having acknowledged our grief, our sense of loss we can discover again that peace which passes all understanding. We can renew our trust in God, who in life and in death is always with us. Her Majesty the Queen shared in that deep trust herself. She knew where here ultimate home lay. And I’m sure she would want us to reaffirm our trust in God’s promises. To rediscover that resurrection hope and to look forward to the new things that God seeks to make real in our world. Today we give thanks for Her Majesty’s example of faithfulness and we pray that she may rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe

We pray for the Church of Christ, for Bishop Pete and Bishop Sophie, our Archbishops Justin and Stephen, all here who lead us in worship and prayer, and all those whose time and talents are given to St Mary’s, St John’s and St Mark’s.

We pray for His Majesty the King and his family as they prepare for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth 2nd tomorrow. We pray for all those who are involved in that service, and for those who have stood vigil and paid their respects in the last week.

We pray for the nation and the Commonwealth.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We are told in our Gospel reading; “‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Queen Elizabeth was trusted with much, and was a good and faithful servant to you, Lord, and to this country. May we also show that we can be trusted in things in our lives, both big and small.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of Ukraine that the war may soon come to an end and a just and lasting peace can be created between Russia and its neighbours. We pray for all those affected by conflicts and international tension; civilians, soldiers, those trapped in war-zones and those who are refugees.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. At this time of uncertainty in the governance of this country, of increasing inflation and cost of living, of energy price rises, we pray that all that can be done for those in need is being done, and we pray that you will show us what WE can do to help others less fortunate than ourselves.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or spirit, and those who life has proven difficult for. We pray that you strengthen them and bring them the healing and peace that belong to Christ’s kingdom. In a few moments of silence, we bring to mind those we know who need your healing presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those currently close to death, and those accompanying them on this final part of their Earthly journey. We pray for those who have died, recently and in the past, and those who mourn.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Finally, Lord, we silently bring before you those special to us, and also those issues and concerns that we have in our own lives.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary, Mark, John and of all the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to God.

Merciful Father:

accept these prayers

for the sake of your Son,

our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

‘St. Mary; Death of Queen Elizabeth II’ – 11th September 2022

Posted on September 11, 2022September 18, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

2 Corinthians 4.16-5.4

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Luke 1.39-47

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
Mary’s Song of Praise
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour'

The Sermon

By Canon Dr Alan Billings

Our service today has more than one focus and as a result it produces in us a mix of emotions.

In the normal course of things, this would simply have been our patronal festival. We would be celebrating and giving thanks for the one to whom our church is dedicated – Mary, the mother of our Lord. But this week our Queen died and we have a new King. So celebration, but sorrow too. Let’s try and bring these emotions and themes together – reflecting on two lives and two mothers, starting with Blessed Mary.

The gospel reading this morning speaks of a young woman who is pregnant, Mary. She has just been told by the angel that she will give birth to the Son of God. She now goes to visit her much older cousin, Elizabeth, who is also pregnant.

So the life of Jesus Christ begins and ends with this young woman, Mary, his mother.

And Mary learns very early on what it means to be a mother, a parent – which is that the more you love your children, the more vulnerable you make yourself if they come to grief.

Shortly after Jesus is born, she goes with her husband, Joseph, from Nazareth to Jerusalem to present the young child to God in the Temple. They are met there by an old man, of deep faith, Simeon. He tells Mary that her son will grow up to have a significant impact on many people’s lives.

I think Mary would have heard those words with some nervousness, but mainly with pride. What mother wouldn’t be pleased to hear that her son’s life would be meaningful and worthwhile?

But then Simeon says: But a sword will pierce your own heart.

A sword will pierce your own heart. Why? Because the more she loves him, the more she can be hurt by him and what happens to him. His life will bring her joy, yes, but grief also. This is the vocation of parenthood, of motherhood. Vulnerability.

We can only guess at what those moments of anxiety might have been as the child grows up. Though we are given a glimpse of one such. We are told, you’ll remember, that Mary and Joseph return home from a visit to Jerusalem on one occasion and realise that Jesus, now twelve years old, is not with their friends and neighbours. I expect many of us have experienced one of those heart stopping moments when we have looked around for our child – on the beach, at the shops - and they seem not to be there.

But the final piercing of Mary’s heart will come at the end of her son’s life. He will die before her. And she will have to stand helplessly by as he is put to death publicly and in the most cruel and barbaric way.

The more you love, the more you can be hurt. A sword will pierce your own heart.

I have found those words popping into my head several times over the last couple of days as we have all been coming to terms with the death of Queen Elizabeth, and reflecting on her life.

For years we have been sharing her life – not only as head of state but also as a wife and mother – because she was the first monarch of the television age and the age of the mobile phone... and that has brought her into our homes in a way that never happened before.

We have watched how she has borne the ups and downs of family life - as we all do – though she has had to do all that publicly. And some of the griefs and sorrows have been particularly painful. A sword will pierce your own heart.

We have also realised something else in these last few days. When she dedicated her life – ‘whether it be long or short’ as she said - to one of service to us, we became, as it were, her extended family.

So that what happened to us, her extended family, also affected her deeply – whether that was the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Grenfell Tower fire or the Manchester arena bombing. A sword will pierce your own heart.

And she made her concern clear by visiting people and places in times of tragedy or broadcasting to us in times of anxiety, offering reassurance.

As Anglicans, we know that each Sunday our late Queen, the Supreme Governor of our Church, was in church listening to the same passages of scripture as us, drinking from the same spiritual well as us. What shapes our character as Anglicans, as members of a parish church, also shaped the way she understood her role as Queen – to look away from ourselves, to be of service to others.

But these roles – parent, mother, monarch, church member – require an emotional investment. And that make us vulnerable to that sword that pierces the heart.

This is what we saw in our queen and this is what we remember and thank her for today.

The Prayers

Prepared by David.

As we pray to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we say with Mary:
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

Your prophet of old foretold a day when a virgin would conceive
and bear a son who would be called God-with-us.
Help us to look forward to your deliverance
and to seek the fullness of your kingdom.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

Your angel declared to Mary that she was to be
the mother of the Saviour.
Help us all to be open to your word
and obedient to your will.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

Mary rejoiced with her cousin Elizabeth and sang your praise,
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.’
Help us to live joyful lives that sing your praise.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

Mary bore a son of David’s line,
a king whose reign would never end.
Bless all the nations of the world with Christ’s gift of peace.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

The child Jesus grew in wisdom and stature
in the home of Mary and Joseph.
Strengthen our homes and families,
and keep under your protection all those whom we love.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

The apostle John saw a vision of a woman in heaven,
robed with the sun.
Bring us with Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Shaun and all those who have died in the faith of Christ
to share the joy of heaven with Mary and all the saints.
We give you thanks:
for her love of family and her gift of friendship;
for her devotion to this nation and the nations of the Commonwealth;
for her grace, dignity and courtesy;
and for her generosity and love of life.
We praise you for:
the courage that she showed in testing times;
the depth and of her Christian faith;
and the witness she bore to it in word and deed.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

At the foot of the cross of Christ stood his mother,
and from the cross she received his lifeless body in her arms.
Give comfort and healing to all who suffer
and all who watch the suffering of those they love.
We pray for our Sovereign Lord the King
and all the Royal Family,
that you might reassure them of your continuing love
and lift them from the depths of grief
into the peace and light of your presence.
Lord, have mercy on those who fear you.
Holy is your name.

Almighty and everlasting God,
your handmaid Mary magnified your name
and rejoiced in your saving love:
trusting in that same love,
we ask all these our prayers
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

4th September 2022 – Twelfth Sunday after Trinity – ‘Out of the Impossible’

Posted on September 4, 2022September 24, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Jeremiah 18. 1 - 11

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

Luke 14. 1, 7 - 14

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’

The Sermon
By Beth

Out of the impossible, the possibility of new life begins.

Jeremiah is sometimes, unfairly l think, known as the moaning prophet, the prophet who weeps and mourns. The prophet who see disaster coming, warns of the impending doom, and then is there to remind people just exactly why it happened, when it did, and who was to blame. Definitely a cup half empty kind of a guy.

Certainly the book of Jeremiah, as we find it in our bibles, does contain all that. It begins before the great exile into Babylon with warnings of impending doom. But then the book of prophecy travels with those into exile and explores how faith continues in a foreign land. And then moves, to look to a future, when the people of God are restored.

The book of Jeremiah that we have inherited is one of the more contested books of the bible. Thousands of hours have been given to the study of Jeremiah, and thousands of pages of commentaries set out the case for who this eccentric prophet was. When did he live, where did he live, can we actually know who he was prophesying to?

Now the trouble with the book of Jeremiah, as we find it in our bibles, is that it seems to be a collection of manuscripts from different ages and places. For all the study, and there has been a huge amount, for all this study, theologians and biblical scholars have not come to any clear agreement about who Jeremiah was because, it seems like either Jeremiah was not actually one individual, or he had the ability to travel across time, or wrote texts in such a weird and disparate way so as to make it look as though they were not written in remotely the same location or time frame.

In the place of these disagreement, scholars have moved on from asking, who was this one person Jeremiah, and where and when did he live? To instead asking the question, what is this book of prophecy telling us? Why have these seemingly disparate texts been brought together to form one book under the name Jeremiah?

Perhaps, there is something about Jeremiah, something perhaps in the words of his calling, and the words of prophecy God gives him, that meant later manuscripts, which followed the same were gathered and edited together under the book of his name.

Almost as though the later history of God’s work, during the exile and beyond, was understood through the words of the original Jeremiah, who had seen and told, and prophesied what would happen all those years earlier. And so, scholars have moved to read the book of Jeremiah, not as a story of that one single prophet, but as a story of God’s word to his people through exile and beyond.

And so, we need to turn to the beginning. The book of Jeremiah begins with a dramatic telling of Jeremiah’s calling to be a prophet. In chapter 1 it says
9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’

This is Jeremiah’s call. If you want to sum up the prophetic ministry that God gave Jeremiah this is it. This is the word given to Jeremiah as a child, and this is the word repeated throughout his ministry. You can see these words repeated throughout the book and as we just heard they appeared in our reading today.

Jeremiah’s call at the start of the book is constructed from six infinitives, set out in pairs:
to pluck up (lintosh) and to pull down (lintots),
to destroy (leha’abid) and to overthrow (laharos),
to build (libnot) and to plant (lintoa).

Four of these six Hebrew words, the ones translated as, to pluck up and pull down to build and to plant sound similar in Hebrew. They create a kind of rhyme, a wordplay, a memorable phrase. These four verbs are then repeated throughout the book of Jeremiah, in different contexts and times, to reinforce and remind the people of God about the Jeremiah prophecy; to pluck up and pull down to build and to plant.

Let’s be clear, the image here is not one of digging up a plant and moving it to a different or better position. This is not about transplantation, if it had been about transplantation different Hebrew words would have been used.

It is the image of something ending and something else beginning. Interestingly, although this prophecy is repeated throughout the book, only repetitions of pluck up and pull down, build and plant are included. The verbs ‘to destroy and to overthrow’ are not echoed throughout the book in the same way. Leading some scholars to believe that later editors may have added these verbs later on. Perhaps they saw the need to reinforce that something was definitely ending and not just moving or being transplanted elsewhere.

Whether they did this, or why they did this, we cannot know. Perhaps they felt the extra words were needed as an antidote to our human compulsion to move on too quickly to the building and planting phase. The temptation to focus our attention and energy there, whereas this word of prophecy, properly understood, was always as much about endings as it was about beginnings. It was never about struggling to hold on to what was and rebuild as soon as possible. Rather it spoke of a God who works newness out of nothingness.

Out of the impossible, the possibility of new life begins.
In our reading this morning the image of breaking down and remaking is depicted in the image of the potter at his wheel, taking the spoiled vessel, breaking it down and reworking it into a new vessel.

Some of the language in our reading can seem troubling. The voice of God appears to state that God is the primary mover, actively bringing judgement and destruction, or turning back and instead choosing to bring blessing. To our ears it can sound like a whimsical God, unconcerned with the plight of humans, a mythical God turning his power to annihilate without care. Do the sins of the people deserve this treatment? And is this judgement the cause on the oncoming doom.

Throughout the book of Jeremiah this phrase, to pluck up and pull down, to build and to plant, is repeated. It is returned to and grappled with and understood in different ways in different places and with different people.
These repetitions act as reminders within the text, as the people try to make sense of what is happening and where God is in that.

We can see this phrase repeated chapter 12, then in chapter 17, in chapter 18 (which we just read) then in chapter 24, 31, 42 and finally in chapter 45. In most cases these sections offer images and descriptions of what is ending, and what possibility lies open for the future. What is also clear in each of these passages, is that in all that is ending, and in all that may come to pass, God is present.

Present in difficulty, present whether they had brought the difficulty on themselves or not, present even when their wrongdoing had left them in the wrong place, present in exile, present in hoping and longing for something different, present in restoration and future growth.

Out of the impossible, the possibility of new life begins.

How hard it was for them to hear that. And so they reminded themselves what Jeremiah had said. That God would pluck up and pull down, and that God would build and plant. It was not one or the other, it was both.

How hard it is for us to hear that.
Much has changed in our culture over the last 40 years. Various Christian commentators have talked about our post Christian, post Christendom culture being akin to the experience of exile.

Across our country we see communities divided, our politics are in turmoil, hate crimes figures are on the increase, and climate change threatens to have devastating effects on the world in coming years.

On top of this perhaps things in our own lives, with illness and unexpected events, have also left us feeling out of control.

What would Jeremiah want to say to us?
Out of the impossible the possibility of new life begins

How hard it is for us to hear that.
And yet we hear this same pattern again and again not just in Jeremiah but across the stories of our faith.
Out of chaos God creates
After flood God renews
In slavery God builds a nation
In exile God forms new communities of faith
Jesus jokes that we must die and be born again, and it is a joke, because even if it was possible, no adult would choose to make themselves that powerless, taking on the nature of a fetus, putting themselves in the control of others.
New life comes from God, and God alone. We cannot make new life happen ourselves. Only God brings life from death and creates out of nothing.

Our faith has always been as much about endings as beginnings. Christ calls us to remember him in the breaking of bread, his body broken. And as we gather around Christ’s table today, we gather around the one who shows us that however impossible it seems, this is the place where new life begins.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.

Lord our God, we pray for all people in need at this time, remembering especially the people of Ukraine still under attack, and those in Pakistan suffering horrendous floods. We pray that international organisations and national governments will do everything possible to support and help them at this time. We have also become aware that many of our fellow citizens are suffering great hardship at this time, and ask that their basic needs will be met by all those helping to run Foodbanks and Clothing banks, as well as help from our government.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church worldwide that all Christians may work together to show your love and care for all your people. We give you thanks for our partnership with St John’s and St Mark’s, and for all who assist with our worship and work to maintain St Mary’s as a living active church, serving our community.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our City and community of Walkley, giving you thanks for the resumption of the annual Horticultural Show held in our hall yesterday, bringing many people together to show off their produce and other skills. We pray for the work of Regather who will be distributing the fruit, vegetables and other food to those in need.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time or drawing close to death, also for those caring for them, whether family members, care workers or hospital staff. We give you thanks for their devoted work. In a moment of silence we remember those known to us in special need of our prayers and entrust them to your comfort and healing grace…………….

Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your tender mercy all who have died, those we have known and loved many years ago, and those who have died recently. We pray for all who mourn the loss of family and other close friends, and in silence remember those we have lost and continue to miss………..

Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of Mary, John, Mark and all your saints, we dedicate ourselves to your service and commend ourselves to your unfailing love.

Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

28th August 2022 – Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Posted on August 28, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Hebrews 13.1-8, 15-16

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence,
‘The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?’

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Luke 14.1, 7-14

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

The Sermon
By the Revd Dr Alan Billings

Surely, everyone in the country was utterly shocked last week when we heard about the shooting of nine year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.

You’ll remember the circumstances.

On Monday evening, Olivia’s mother, Cheryl, heard a commotion in the street outside and went to the front door to see what was happening. Her daughter followed her into the hall. In the street, a man, called Joseph Nee, who was out of prison on licence, was being chased by a gunman.

Nee saw Cheryl opening her front door and made a dash for it, pushing his way inside the house. The gunman followed and fired fairly indiscriminately. One bullet struck Olivia’s mother in the wrist, passed through her and went into Olivia’s chest.

The man whom the gunman was trying to assassinate was wounded and, shortly after, two of his friends took him by car to hospital, ignoring Olivia and her mother. The little girl died later from her wounds at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

That was last Monday.

The following day the chief constable of Merseyside, Serena Kennedy, spoke at a press conference and her words captured very well, I think, the shock, disbelief, distress and sheer revulsion everyone was feeling.

She made a direct appeal to the community to tell the police what they knew and do the right thing. And she included in that members of the criminal community – gang members – and those close to them. Someone, knew something – so do the right thing.

If you think about it, this seems rather strange. The chief constable was making a moral appeal to people whose whole way of life revolves all the time around violence. The most likely explanation of what happened is that this is some sort of dispute between rival organised drug gangs. They have no inhibitions when it comes to the use of force, including lethal force, as they seek to defend their markets or settle some score or other.

So why did the chief constable think for one moment that her appeal to the criminal community, and those who mix with them, to do the right thing, would work?

I’ll come back to Liverpool in a moment, but you’ll have noticed that doing the right thing has been the theme of almost all our gospel readings over the last few weeks. We have followed Jesus round the towns and villages of Galilee as he has set out for a believing people what doing the right thing, the morally right thing, means for them in the circumstances of their lives. We have it illustrated again today.

There is first a piece about good manners and not making a fool of yourself – which is not particularly a moral issue. If you are invited to a smart dinner party, says Jesus, don’t take the best seat in case someone more important than you arrives and you get asked to move. Then Jesus says but if you give a dinner, think about those who are struggling, the poor and sick, and invite them. That would be a morally right thing to do.

Now we don’t go in for this kind of social, villagey entertaining in this country, so perhaps the moral equivalent now might be something like this: when you go to the supermarket for the weekly shop, spare a thought for those who are struggling in our society and buy an extra tin of beans for the S6 food bank. Do the right thing.

But when the chief constable told the criminal community of Liverpool to do the right thing, she was raising the moral stakes to an altogether different level. She said that the wanton murder of this little girl ‘crossed all boundaries’. In other words, even among people who would be untouched by normal moral standards, who lie and cheat and thieve, could still be affected by a moral appeal in certain circumstances.

However brutal and brutish their way of life, however self-regarding and selfish they might be, something could penetrate their hearts however hard, something could make them feel, think and even act differently - and that was the death of an innocent child.

In a way, what the chief constable was doing was pointing to what Christianity has always understood about how a heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh. The whole basis of our faith lies here: that in the end, what can penetrate our hard shell of selfishness, snap us out of our bad and evil ways, is when we see the endpoint of human sinfulness.

Jesus Christ crucified. The victim of human rage and spite. There we see it. A nine year old girl. Victim of someone’s wanton and reckless behaviour. There we see it. Heart-breaking, innocent suffering.

Is this ultimately then the only way we can be jerked out of our destructive ways of living and do the right thing?

The Prayers
Prepared by David

We come boldly to the throne of grace,
praying to the almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
for mercy and grace.

Father of heaven, whose love profound
a ransom for our souls has found:
We pray for the world, created by your love,
for its nations and governments …
Extend to them your peace, pardoning love, mercy and grace.
Lord, hear us,
Lord graciously hear us.

Almighty Son, incarnate Word,
our Prophet, Priest, Redeemer, Lord:
We pray for the Church, created for your glory,
for its ministry to reflect those works of yours …
Extend to us your salvation, growth, mercy and grace.
Lord, hear us,
Lord graciously hear us.

Eternal Spirit, by whose breath
the soul is raised from sin and death:
We pray for families and individuals, created in your image,
for the lonely, the bereaved, the sick and the dying …
Breathe on them the breath of life
and bring them to your mercy and grace.
Lord, hear us,
Lord graciously hear us.

Thrice holy! Father, Spirit, Son,
Mysterious Godhead, Three in One:
We pray for ourselves,
for your Church, for all whom we remember before you …
Bring us all to bow before your throne in heaven,
to receive life and pardon, mercy and grace for all eternity,
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is used here is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000.

St Marys Walkley

The Church on the Road: inclusive, eucharistic, a safe place to be with God

Category: Sermons

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28th August 2022 – Eleventh Sunday after Trinity