‘It’s difficult to talk about death, it’s difficult to talk about dying’ – April 4th 2022 – Passion Sunday

Posted on April 3, 2022April 2, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 43.16-21

Thus says the Lord,

who makes a way in the sea,

a path in the mighty waters,

who brings out chariot and horse,

army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise,

they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

Do not remember the former things,

or consider the things of old.

I am about to do a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

The wild animals will honour me,

the jackals and the ostriches;

for I give water in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

the people whom I formed for myself

so that they might declare my praise.

Psalm 126

A Song of Ascents.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then it was said among the nations,

‘The Lord has done great things for them.’

The Lord has done great things for us,

and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like the watercourses in the Negeb.

May those who sow in tears

reap with shouts of joy.

Those who go out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

carrying their sheaves.

John 12.1-8

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’

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 Rev d Dr Beth Keith

This week as Passiontide begins, our church calendar shifts towards the events of Holy Week. We aren’t there yet, but our readings start to focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ death.

Like birth we have taken death and dying out of our homes, we may get through childhood knowing little of it, confined in hospitals, spoken of in hushed tones, and kept out of sight. In most cultures there are stories, ingrained in how we talk about death, which offer to keep death away from us. These tend to fall into one of four types.

The first type is the story of the elixir of life. In earlier times these were the stories of magical healing potions. Though we might laugh at these stories now, similar hopes are today placed in the discovery of a new medical cure, trials of new drugs, and of herbal remedies.

Many cultures have some kind of resurrection story, that death though occurring cannot hold us. This story of resurrection associated most strongly with Christianity is found in myths and other religions. And, if you’re looking for a more scientific resurrection story, perhaps cryonics may appeal.

Other options in defying death are to talk about the ongoing life of the soul beyond the death of the body. Whilst neuroscience has questioned this by locating the soul within the physicality of the brain, this view persists. The digital age offers us everlasting life in the potential to create avatars to carry on our existence after our physical bodies no longer exist.

And for those who find these three types too fanciful, there are stories of legacy. That we will live on in the lives of those who love us, in our children and the passing on of genes, or in the legacy of our work.

These death stories promise, to some degree, to keep death away, to protect us from death, to keep us from the inevitable. But in the last few years, death and dying has felt closer than ever before, as we have collectively faced covid. Our risks and vulnerabilities have become more apparent. The assumed safety of our daily lives questioned, and perhaps we have also lost loved ones.

During Holy Week we visit and replay the narratives of Jesus death. Whilst we cannot know the extent to which Jesus knew what was going to happen, the gospels suggest he knew about the inevitability of his death, that it would happen soon, and the manner in which it would occur. He seems to know he was dying, perhaps not that day, but that he was already on the path to his death.

Across the history of the church, as Christians have sought to understand Jesus’ death, different aspects or metaphors, referred to as atonement theories, have developed. One of these has been referred to as ransom theory, in which Jesus’ death is understood as an act of ransom or payment that bought the world its freedom from sin and death. Another is labelled the substitutionary or sacrificial victim model, in which Christ’s death is understood as the sacrifice necessary to atone for human guilt and sin. Moral influence theory, takes Jesus’ death as a model of moral behaviour, revealing to humanity how much God loves them. Aspects of each of these explanations and metaphors are found in the liturgies and hymns we will say and sing over the next couple of weeks.

Whilst each of these models are developed from scripture, the writings found in the Gospel of John do not fit easily into any of these. Metaphors of ransom or substitution are entirely absent from John’s gospel. And whilst the gospel talks of God’s love, unlike moral influence theories, John’s gospel emphasises human action to a much greater extent than the atonement theories suggest.

John’s gospel from start to end hangs in the tension of Jesus described as fully divine and fully human. In birth, life, death, and resurrection Jesus brings together as one, reconciles together humanity and God. Whilst other scriptures seek to explain how this reconciliation occurs and give metaphors and imagery for this. Jesus’ explanation of his death in John’s gospel is embedded in his body and in his being, in his humanity and divinity. In this drawing together as one, so God and humanity is drawn together as one. God and humanity inseparably joined, in birth, in living, in dying.

Rather than explaining this reconciliation between God and us, John’s gospel offers this connection embedded and embodied in the Jesus. Not in explanation or reason but in person. In the living and dying and living of Jesus. In these last events and moments, when Jesus knew his death was coming, in his actions and words, as he connects with those around him, we hear his words of comfort and his words of life.

A few years ago, I read a book called Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved, by Kate Bowler. Professor Bowler is one of the leading theologians writing about the influence of prosperity gospel theology in the church in America. This branch of Christianity that promises a cure for tragedy. At the age of thirty-five and having recently become a mother she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Her book charts her path.

She writes of her struggle in coming to accept her life and death and the unhelpfulness of the stories which try to protect us from death, in her case, the allure of magic gospel promises about faith and healing. She also writes about the how inevitability of death can open us to a brightness and beauty lost on us in normal life:

"When I was sure I was going to die, I didn’t feel angry. I felt loved. At a time when I should have felt abandoned by God I was not reduced to ashes, I felt like I was floating. The feeling stayed with me for months. And as I spoke to theologians, pastors and nuns they knew what I was talking about because they had either felt it themselves or read of it in great works of Christian theology. St Augustine called it ‘the sweetness’,

Thomas Aquinas ‘the prophetic light’. "

Her experience chimes with research on those who have near death experiences, that many describe the same odd thing: love. This was something I also felt, twenty years ago, when I was very ill with malaria, and it wasn’t clear I would recover. Though physically thousands of miles from home, and though my family had no idea I was ill, I felt held in their love, and held in God’s. In these moments somehow, we can be drawn further into God, further into love.

There has been lots of research done, particularly within the field of palliative medicine about dying well. These studies suggest that alongside the reduction of unnecessary pain, aspects of dying well include touch, connection, peace, and wonder. The importance of connecting through touch and the body’s other senses. To connect with others and feel the connection that lasts beyond death. To know you will be remembered. To feel peace, wonder and spirituality.

As I read Kate Bowler’s account alongside John’s gospel, I have been struck again by the humanity of Jesus facing his own death. As he allows Mary to wash and anoint his feet, as we heard in our reading today. As he draws together his friends and companions for one last meal, the familiar smells and tastes, the rituals of the meal. As he asks his friend to take care of his mother. As he asks them to keep meeting like this. As he asks them to remember him. As tragedy moves close, we see Jesus drawn further into connection and love with others and with God.

In John’s gospel we perhaps see this clearer than in other parts of scripture, that this inevitable tragedy is necessarily connected to the birth and life of Jesus. That in his birth, God is with us, that in his dying God is with us, and in his rising God is with us. There is so much in between that distracts and distorts that. That pulls us away from our connectedness to God. Things that break these bonds of love. In Jesus’ dying we are reminded of God’s promises, that there is no sin, darkness, or place, that God cannot find us in and love us back to life.

It cannot explain away the horror of tragedy or the depths of loneliness, the pain of grief, it cannot answer for the injustice, but that love persists, braves the horror of bodies broken and left undone. That somehow the world can become more beautiful when life is at its most bleak is the work of God. God with us, God present in our dying, present in our living.

The Prayers
Prepared by Lizzie I

God who listens

We pray for our church communities, particularly in our mission area of St Mary’s, St John’s and St Marks. We give thanks for the communities of friendship and love that have grown out of our Lent groups this year and the opportunity to pray, lament and reflect on the last two years. Help us look forward with hope and not give up on looking for your transforming presence in unexpected places and encounters. As Easter approaches may we continue to discern creative ways of sharing your extravagant and limitless Love.

Your Kingdom come

Your will be done

God who longs for justice

In the week of fuel costs doubling, we hold before you those who are making the stark and impossible decision between eating and heating, particularly in this community. Bring compassion to those who have the political power to support and help those struggling. Help those of us who can to discern how to give voice with those who lack agency or capacity to do so.

We continue to pray for and with organisations who give voice to the sin of food and fuel poverty, and which seek to give agency to those living it, particularly the Trussell Trust and Church Action on Poverty.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

God who feels suffering

We lament the loss of all life because of the violence of war. We hold before you the despair and desperation of those held captive because of the desire for control and power of others. We pray for those who are starving and dying in places that are besieged – Tigray in northern Ethiopia, Mariupol in Ukraine. As food and aid attempts to get to those places, be with and protect those who seek to provide help in the most dangerous of conditions.

We pray that we do not become numb to the horror of war – that we continue to bear witness to the suffering of others, even in places we do not know, and we pray for peace and reconciliation in all places of conflict.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done.

God who is present to the bereaved, the unwell, the dying,

We hold before you all those we know and don’t know who are sick at this time, and for those caring for them

We pray with the bereaved in this community and continue to hold before you the lives and families of

Sunita, Glenda, and Don

For all those we love, but no longer see.

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

Amen.

‘Manna for the World’ – 27th March 2022 – 4rd Sunday of Lent & Mothering Sunday

Posted on March 27, 2022March 27, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Joshua 5.9-12

The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.’ And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

While the Israelites were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Luke 15.1-3, 11b-end

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’

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.

The Sermon
By Kath, a Reader at St Marys.

It has been my practice, for pretty much as long as I’ve been preaching, to give my sermons titles. For one thing it helps me to find them in the computer files but from the point of view of writing them it also helps me to crystallise the theme and to develop it. Of the two readings we’ve heard today, it was the one from Joshua that spoke to me and I wondered what the concept of manna might mean for us today? I’m also aware that today is Mothering Sunday and I want to mark that too so I’ve been wondering how to combine these two seemingly very different themes. It’s been challenging to say the least.

My working title for this sermon was “Manna for Mamas” which sounds quite catchy but all along something about it just didn’t sit quite right. Much as I want to honour mothers and the role of mothering, particularly on this special day, I also wanted to include everyone else who plays a part in raising and nurturing the next generation because in reality, it is very much a team effort. Even lone parents; and I speak as someone who was a lone parent for a few years, don’t bring up their children single handedly. From family, friends and Godparents to the army of health & social care professionals and teachers and the wider community we all have a part to play. Whether we are directly involved or a little more distanced from it I’m sure we’re all aware that looking after children and bringing them up at whatever age can be demanding, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially and there are times when we need all the help we can get. This brings me to the subject of manna.

In our reading from Joshua we encounter the Israelites as they are for the first time in years eating the produce of land that is now their own and we are told that on that very day, the manna, that had sustained them throughout their years of wandering in the wilderness, ceased. This manna is described as miraculous food provided by God. It appeared each day as a white crystalline substance that the Israelites could gather and eat but they couldn’t store it. They had to rely on God to provide it each day. They had to trust that he would do this to keep them alive and he did so, in spite of their grumbling and ingratitude until they were able to grow their own crops as we have just heard in our story.

When we use the word manna nowadays it tends to be in the context of something good arriving or happening very unexpectedly, in other words when you get just what you need just when you need it. We use the expression “Manna from heaven” and it seems to me that many of these somethings may indeed be gifts from God. The purpose of manna, in whatever form it manifests itself, is to get people through their “difficult” circumstances until they can get to a better place or better times. For each of us those difficult times will be different. For new parents it can be trying to cope with the exhaustion of looking after a baby that doesn’t sleep much or doesn’t feed properly, a bit further on it might be problems with schooling or behaviour, it can be problems with relationships or work or money and for some, later in life, it can be the heartache and problems as roles reverse and we gradually become mothers to our own parents and have to watch them decline. I know there are all too many situations I haven’t been able to include here but God knows what they are and the needs of those concerned and while I can’t pretend that all our prayers will be answered in the ways we would wish, in his own way God does provide for us. He gets us through.

Manna isn’t necessarily exciting, as evidenced by the way the Israelites complained about it, but it is sustaining. It may be in the form of someone looking after baby so we can get some much needed sleep, or someone turning up with a meal when we haven’t had the time or energy or means to cook, or someone giving us a break from caring responsibilities or keeping us company when we’re lonely or scared or grieving, an opportunity to work coming up so that we can better our finances and so on. Helping each other is something that most of us naturally want to do if we can.

The world is always in need of manna but even more so right now and we pray and trust that in some shape or form God will provide it and bring us to better times. Bear in mind, it’s possible that we may have the opportunity to be that much needed manna for someone else or they for us if we let them.

And finally, on this, their special day, let us pray for manna for all mothers and those in mothering roles, especially those who are struggling and suffering.

It seems I did get to “manna for mamas” after all.

The Prayers

Adapted from Common Worship: Times and Seasons

With confidence and trust let us pray to the Father.

Give your Church the courage
to give up her preoccupation with herself
and to give more time to your mission in the world.
We pray for those in leadership that they may serve the needs of the church in the world.
We also pray for those preparing for baptism and confirmation at Easter.

May the blood and water flowing from the side of Jesus
bring forgiveness to your people
and help us to face the cost of proclaiming salvation.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Give your world the courage

to give up war, bitterness and hatred,
and to seek peace.
We pray for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia that peace may be reached and justice found

May the shoulders of the risen Jesus,
once scourged by soldiers,
bear the burden of political and military conflict in our world.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Give us the courage to give up quarrels, strife and jealousy
in our families, neighbourhoods and communities.
We pray for those we live and work alongside in our city.

May the presence of the risen Jesus,
his body once broken and now made whole,
bring peace and direction as we live with one another.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Give us the courage

to give up our selfishness as we live for others,
and to give time, care and comfort to the sick.
We pray for those know to us who are in need at this time. We offer them to God in the silence.

May the wounded hands of Jesus bring his healing touch,
and the light of his presence fill their rooms.

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Give us the courage to give up our fear of death
and to rejoice with those who have died in faith.
Especially we hold in our hearts those who have shaped our own lives.

May the feet of the risen Lord Jesus, once nailed to the cross,
walk alongside the dying and bereaved in their agony,
and walk with us and all your Church
through death to the gate of glory.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Merciful Father,

accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is used here, is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council

‘Bearing Good Fruit’ – 20th March 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 20, 2022March 19, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 55.1-9

Ho, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and you that have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labour for that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

listen, so that you may live.

I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

See, I made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander for the peoples.

See, you shall call nations that you do not know,

and nations that do not know you shall run to you,

because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,

for he has glorified you.

Seek the Lord while he may be found,

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake their way,

and the unrighteous their thoughts;

let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Psalm 63

A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God, I seek you,

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,

and my mouth praises you with joyful lips

when I think of you on my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

But those who seek to destroy my life

shall go down into the depths of the earth

Luke 13.1-9

At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’

Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’

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 Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes

In the past few weeks we have witnessed unimaginable suffering in Ukraine. Defenceless people attacked as they hide in their homes or try to flee the Russian onslaught. Though President Putin uses spurious excuses there is no justification for what is happening. The suffering of others raises big questions for us as human beings. It is as old as the hills and different cultures and different eras have found different answers to it. It’s probably the biggest challenge that we face as people of faith. The traditional Old Testament answer to that question is that suffering is a punishment for sin. Certainly, the sufferings that the Israelites endured in the wilderness were perceived as punishments for their immorality and faithlessness. Paul seems to have accepted this interpretation as he looked back on that time in his First Letter to the Corinthians. And it was this world view that Jesus had to work with in his ministry. People assumed that those who were ill or were suffering in some way had sinned, or their parents had sinned.

But when people come to ask him about it, Jesus confronts this view. It appears that Pilate had murdered some Galileans and many thought that they must have been particularly sinful. We do not exactly know what incident Jesus was referring to. The historian Josephus tells us that Pilate used funds from the Temple to build an aqueduct and when some Jews opposed this many were brutally killed by his soldiers. So the incident that Jesus is referring to doesn’t seem entirely out of character.

We don’t know anything about the tower of Siloam either but it seems that this was just an accident. A story in the news that would have made the front page when it happened but was soon forgotten about. In neither case, says Jesus, were those involved particularly sinful. His message is that we are all sinners and we all need to repent. By dying on a cross, Jesus showed us that God is not remote from our suffering but shares in it with us. By rising again, he showed us that suffering does not have the last word. It should not define us.

That does not mean, however, that we should take God’s grace for granted. The events that Jesus mentions, the war in Ukraine, these all remind us that life is fleeting and precarious. We cannot take it for granted. And we need to use it wisely. The prophet Isaiah reminds his people that God loves them and longs to refresh the thirsty. He longs to feed them with rich food. But he tells them that the time is now. The banquet is prepared. They need to listen to him, to seek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is near. The wicked need to abandon their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. They must return to the Lord so that they can know God’s mercy.

And having returned to God, they need to be fruitful. Returning to the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree. A man planted one in his vineyard but it failed to bear fruit. I had the same experience in my last house. My father gave me a fig tree which was an offshoot of his tree. But it never produced anything and I’m afraid I got rid of it. The man in the parable is inclined to do the same but the gardener begs for a stay of execution. He is more merciful than I was.

The gardener promises to take care of the fig tree. To dig around it and put manure on it. And I find this interesting because for fig trees to be fruitful you have to be quite tough with them. You have to plant them so that their root growth is restricted. You usually plant them next to a wall and you might create a box of paving slabs around the roots. And although a fig needs plenty of sun, it does pretty well on poor soil so it seems odd that the gardener wants to add lots of fertilizer. I wonder if Jesus’ hearers would have known that. Perhaps they would have interpreted this horticultural largesse as another sign of God’s abundant grace and love.

But even the gardener says there are limits. If the tree doesn’t bear fruit he says that the owner would be justified in cutting it down. It’s a phrase we hear a few times in the New Testament. Not just from Jesus but from John the Baptist too. And it leaves us with the question: are we bearing good fruit? Both as individuals and as a church? The past few weeks have reminded us how blessed we are in so many ways. We live in peace and security. We have access to healthcare. We have shelter, food and warmth, though these are becoming more and more expensive. And what do we do with these blessings? How do we spend our lives? How are we a blessing to others? All of us will have different answers to that question. My wife and I are fortunate to live in a five bedroomed vicarage. Our children have left home so we are thinking about hosting Ukrainian refugees. But there are so many other things we can do.

Today is our APCM. And it’s an opportunity for us to look back and give thanks for God’s faithfulness over the past year. It has been amazing to see the evolution of the worship here as we come through the pandemic. St Mary’s is hugely blessed with some very committed and gifted people who have given so much. It’s been lovely to see people coming back to church and people joining for the first time. And of course, that growth and change will continue. Hopefully, Covid restrictions can be further eased. We can resume things that we did before the pandemic but also start new things. Do things differently. St Mary’s Church is very well placed to serve this community of Walkley and we need to think about how we do that better in the future. We are thinking about this building and how it can be developed to be of greater service to people here. So as well as looking back we are also looking forward. Thinking about how we as a church can be more fruitful in the future. Perhaps some of us here are called to take on new responsibilities. God has given us so much. There is so much for us to be thankful for. How should we respond to that in the months to come? Amen.

The Prayers

Adapted from Common Worship: Times and Seasons

With confidence and trust let us pray to the Father.

For the one holy catholic and apostolic Church

For our own local churches – St. John’s, St. Mark’s and St. Mary’s,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

For the mission of the Church,

that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel

to the ends of the earth,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

For those preparing for baptism and confirmation

including those from our local churches …

and for their teachers and sponsors,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

For peace in the world

For Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and other areas of conflict…

that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow

among nations and peoples,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer

For those known personally to each of us…

for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger;

that, like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori,

they too may be relieved and protected,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

For those whom we have injured or offended,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

For grace to amend our lives and to further the reign of God,

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

In communion with all those who have walked in the way of holiness

including those known to us personally …

let us pray to the Father.

Lord of compassion,

in your mercy hear us.

God our Father,

in your love and goodness

you have taught us to come close to you in penitence

with prayer, fasting and generosity;

accept our Lenten discipline,

and when we fall by our weakness,

raise us up by your unfailing mercy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is used here, is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council

‘A Kingdom of Values’ – 13th March 2022 – 2nd Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 13, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Genesis 15.1-12, 17-18

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

Luke 13.31-end

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’

The Sermon

By Rev'd Dr. Alan Billings

Inevitably, and rightly, all our media this week have been dominated by stories and images from Ukraine. The one that has stayed in my mind most vividly was a brief interview with a young Ukrainian woman in a town in the east that had just been bombed. She stood, dazed, looking around at the smoking ruins of the block of flats where she lived.

Everything was destroyed. She had survived because she had been in a basement. The reporter – I suspect not quite knowing what question to put - asked her what she had lost in the bombing. I think he expected her to talk about material things – the destruction of her home and all her possessions. She paused for a moment and then said, ‘I have lost my future.’

I have lost my future.

She didn’t mean she has no future. But the future that beckons for her, if Russia takes over her country, is a future that will be determined by others and not her, by strangers and not her fellow citizens.

There’s been a lot of speculation about whether the Russian president is mentally unhinged. I don’t know about that; but what I do so see in him is a form of behaviour that we have become very familiar with in other contexts in recent years. We call it coercive control.

We see it, for example, in domestic situations where one partner, usually male, seeks to control his female partner. He must know where she is, what she is doing, who she is seeing. He may control the finances. He may insist on looking at her mobile phone. Psychological and sometimes physical abuse. The partner becomes an anxious or frightened victim, always on edge, always trying to please or at least not displease for fear of the consequences.

When a mother who is financially dependent on her male partner, is subjected to this coercive and controlling behaviour, she can feel hopelessly trapped. Her future is taken from her. To protect the children she suffers the abuse, fearful of what the consequences might be if she should try to challenge or leave. There is support available, but it is a big and brave decision to get it.

Coercive control and the feelings of fear and menace it produces. This is the atmosphere that tyrants generate around them.

And you can see it in today’s gospel. As Jesus gets closer to Jerusalem, those in power start to notice him, and don’t like it. The country is occupied by the Romans but they have installed a local ruler, a Jewish king, Herod, to act for them. He finds the teaching of Jesus threatening and seeks to control him by inducing feelings of fear and menace. Some of those around Herod, Pharisees, come to Jesus to tell him that his life is in danger. In other words, do as you are told, stop teaching, stop healing, otherwise you’ll be taken off the streets and done away with. Coercive control.

Jesus, however, takes the bold decision not to stop but to challenge. “Go and tell that fox”, he says, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow; and the third day I finish my course.”

He refuses to be controlled. But there will be a price. We know what that price will be, because we know the full story. But those around Jesus at this moment don’t. But the menacing words the Pharisees bring - “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you” - must have caused at least a frisson of fear to run through them.

What had they got themselves into? Do they stick with Jesus or get out now, while they can. And if they stick with Jesus, do they arm themselves? You’ll remember that at least one of the disciples did just that, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus was being arrested, struck a servant of the High Priest and cut off his ear.

What tyrants – whether political or domestic - in the end fear most is challenge that robs them of their power. We know that right to the end, those in power in Jerusalem think that Jesus is after worldly power. Later on Jesus will say to Pontius Pilate ‘My kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants fight’.

Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual one. A kingdom of values, if you like. But values which can’t be imposed on us. We must freely commit to them – to be loving, to be kind, to be open-hearted, to be generous, to be forgiving.

This is the kingdom Jesus seeks to bring, the kingdom of God. It is not a kingdom of this world but it is threatening to those who rule by coercion because it introduces a quite different power dynamic.

King Herod and Pontius Pilate want coercive control. They have power. They can break human bodies. And that is a fearful thing. The power that Jesus has is nothing like that. It is the power to influence human hearts. To show us a better way of living – better for all and not just a few. But it has to be freely chosen.

And that free choosing is what disturbs the tyrant.

The Prayers
Prepared by Lizzie Ilsley

God, who is Compassion
We come to you as bewildered children, trying to make sense of the world we find ourselves in, asking questions about our place, our role, our complicity and our purpose.
Gather us, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, in our bewilderment.
Help us to turn to your Love as a source of strength and clarity; to fasten our hearts to the truth and to inform our decisions and responses to unfolding crises, near and far.
Help us to speak truth to power.
We pray for those who hold responsibility for decisions which have the power to change peoples’ lives – may they discern what is right, and reject that which is harmful to others.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

God, who is Mercy
We hold before you all in acute shock and suffering today.
We pray for healing for the families of those killed recently in ongoing ethnic violence in western Ethiopia.
We pray for all people who are suffering the effects of individuals’ thirst for power and control, particularly in Yemen and Ukraine.
We pray for mothers who are giving birth in war zones – particularly the women of Mariopol maternity hospital, bombed earlier this week.
We call to mind families who are grieving the sudden or unexpected death of loved ones – in road traffic accidents, through murder or suicide. We particularly call to mind the family of the 19 year old man stabbed in Bury on Friday. May his family know your love through the care and support of his community.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

God, who is Justice
In the week of a formal apology at Stormant for historical abuse, we hold in our prayers all those who are living through abuse, and for survivors. We pray for those who do not speak out, and suffer daily, for fear of not being believed. We hold those who have spoken out, and were not believed.
We pray that the Church, and those who are in authority within it continue to be open and accountable for past and present abuses. Help us to acknowledge and understand that forgiveness is not the opposite of justice and that forgiveness does not remove the need to protect the vulnerable.
We pray for all those working in safeguarding. May the Church be known as a safe and nurturing place to be, where your grace and compassion is not earnt, but encountered freely and lavishly.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

God whose love is all
We pray for those who are mourning, unwell, and those recovering from illness or accident, particularly those in this congregation and their families
We pray for those who have died, in this community and beyond, and for all those who mourn their loss, including Sunita
Remembering those whom we love, but no longer see
God of justice, truth and love
Inspire us with your Spirit to let your Kingdom come.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

6th March 2022 – 1st Sunday of Lent

Posted on March 6, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Deuteronomy 26.1-11

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

Luke 4.1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

‘We can help’ – 27th February 2022 – The Sunday before Lent

Posted on February 27, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

2 Corinthians 3.12-4.2

Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

Luke 9.28-43a

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples,

The Sermon
By David C, Lay Reader

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I’m going to begin this morning by reading the pastoral letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on the current situation in Ukraine. Some printed copies are available at the back of church if you would like one.

It opens with a verse from scripture, John 14.27.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.

And it continues as follows:

Many of us will have troubled hearts as we watch with horror the attack by Russia on Ukraine. As we have already said, this attack is an act of evil, imperilling as it does the relative peace and security that Europe has enjoyed for so long. The attack by one nation on a free, democratic country has rightly provoked outrage, sanctions and condemnation.

We lament with the people of Ukraine, and we pray for the innocent, the frightened and those who have lost loved ones, homes, and family.

We continue to call for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces as well as wide-ranging efforts to ensure peace, stability and security.

These events remind us powerfully that peace is precious and it is fragile. In Chapter 14 of John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples at the Last Supper and he leaves them his peace. This is not a mere greeting, but rather something deep and abiding. This peace is something that only Jesus gives; for it is a gratuitous gift, a way of living, something to be received for the gift of peace is the gift of Jesus himself. That is why the Lord is able to offer reassurance to our hearts, why those who receive the gift of the peace of Jesus Christ at the deepest of levels should not be afraid.

Peace, therefore, is so much more than the absence of war. It is a gift, and it is also a decision, a gift that must be received. It is a choice we make that shapes the way we live well alongside each other. It characterises our relationship with God. It comes into being by seeking justice.

In these days of uncertainty and fear, we pray that each of us might again turn to the Lord and receive God’s gift of peace, work for God’s justice, know God’s reconciliation and love, and choose paths not of hatred or destruction, of violence or retribution, but God’s way of justice, mercy and peace.

As Christians, our response to a crisis must always be rooted in prayer. And so we invite you to join with us in praying most earnestly for an outpouring of the Spirit of God, that the world may once again choose peace, strengthening those international bodies that enable us to work and live together as one humanity inhabiting one world.

We pray for those in Ukraine who suffer grievously, for all who take decisions around the world, and for the people and leaders of Russia too.

In practical terms we invite you:

to make this Sunday, 27 February, a day of prayer for peace;
on Tuesday 1 March at 6pm (GMT) to pray with the Diocese in Europe for the chaplaincy in Kyiv and the churches that serve Ukraine; and
to participate with the wider church in Pope Francis’s call to make Ash Wednesday, 2 March, a day of prayer and fasting for peace.

You can find liturgical resources on the Church of England website

However and whenever you pray, pray that the world may choose peace, and be assured of our prayers for you.

With every blessing, Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Stephen

We are using some of the resources mentioned by the Archbishops’ in our service this morning, including the reading from the letter of James, alongside the Gospel set for today the Transfiguration.

I spoke on the feast of the Baptism of Christ in January about three turning points in Jesus’ life, where he prays and receives divine revelation in response. They point to who Jesus is, his nature. The Transfiguration is the second of these. Jesus is praying, as he often is in Luke before major change. His face changes and clothes become dazzling white. Finally the voice of God is heard from heaven ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ Jesus then turns his face towards Jerusalem and his coming passion. Jesus will lay down his life for the world.

Given how much of a mess humanity seems to make of the world, it would be easy to wonder why Jesus does this. In theory he could have opted to be the kind of Messiah that was expected. One who would fight the Roman Empire. One who would accept the temptation of the devil in Luke 4 verses 5 to 7.

But that isn’t who Jesus is.

He doesn’t have those qualities James describes in his letter as earthly and devilish. He doesn’t have bitter envy or selfish ambition in his heart, nor is he boastful and false to the truth.

We have seen a lot of these qualities aired in the last week, and worse, and sadly we may see more over the coming months.

These are not Jesus’ qualities. His are the ones of peace, gentleness, mercy and good fruits mentioned in James. But also those of justice, righteousness and freedom from oppression.

These are the antidote to bitter envy and selfish ambition. We have seen these qualities on display in the last week as well.

It’s hard for us as individuals to effect change in the world for better. This applies to all sorts of different areas of life, social justice, climate change, war and conflict, the list of injustices is long.

We can pray, as the Archbishops’ have asked, and we can watch for where we can make little differences in the world. The kind word, the petition signed, the MP written to.

We will be able to help those suffering in Ukraine, even if we don’t know how just yet.

Amen.

The Prayers

Prepared by Lizzie Ilsley

God, you hold all people in the palm of your hand
We pray for the people of Ukraine in this time of intense shock, fear and uncertainty.
We pray for ordinary Russians who do not want this war. We hold before you the courageous people protesting against the invasion, risking detention.
Be present to the families of all people who have died, who can not grieve fully or give their loved one a dignified funeral.
We pray for all people – all over the world, who are displaced by conflict.
We pray for ourselves – that through prayer and action we can show compassion and solidarity with all your people, and strive for justice and peace.
Help us not to give up on peace.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

God, whose love does not discriminate
We pray for church and all faith communities, here in Sheffield, in the UK and beyond.
We hold those who are working for collaboration between churches and faiths, who may have differing perspectives but who hold in common a desire to see your kingdom come – where the first is last and the last is first – where love triumphs over hate.
Help leaders to discern ways of realising and communicating what we might positively do to pursue justice and peace, including in our own churches.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

God, who holds up the poor first
On poverty action Sunday, we hold in our prayers those, particularly in this community, who are, right now forced to make impossible decisions – whether to buy food or heat their homes.
We pray for the children in this community who are going to school without eating breakfast, or going through a weekend and holidays without a hot meal.
May we embrace righteous anger for ambivalence towards and acceptance of poverty. May we find the courage to name and challenge the systems and policies that perpetuate it.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We hold before you all who are unwell at this time, and those who have died.
Be present to all those who are grieving and lamenting.
We pray for all those we love, but no longer see.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We end our prayers today with a prayer from the Corrymeela community:
God who sees the weakness
in acts of naked aggression;
God who feels the fear
in moments of acute helplessness:
cure this warring madness,
and shield all who fall in harm’s way.
Leach the poison from the mind
that thinks strength is shown
in a bullying force.
And may an equal strength in solidarity
give resolve to those
whose aim is to protect, and respect,
not just the ones we call our own,
but all with whom we can share
a better, more peaceful world.
Amen.

20th February 2022 – 2nd Sunday before Lent

Posted on February 20, 2022February 20, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Revelation 4

After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy,
the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.’
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’

Luke 8.22-25

One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’

The Prayers
Prepared by Oli G.

Lord of hope, as we experience this unsettled weather, we pray that you be with those who have suffered damage to their homes over the past few days, and that they are able to rebuild quickly and in partnership with one another. Help us to be mindful of climate change and the effects that it has, and will have, on the poorest in our globalised world. We pray that you will help us to work together locally, nationally and internationally to limit the effects of global warming.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of peace, we pray you are with the peoples and communities of eastern europe as political tensions run high and the possibility of bloodshed is present. We pray you will be with the leaders of these nations, helping them to resolve disputes without violence and to seek reconciliation and mutual understanding.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of love, we pray that you are with all those who find refuge in your church. May your loving presence be felt by all who enter sacred spaces kept in your name. We pray that all can feel accepted into our christian community regardless of background, sexual orientation or theology. May you help us to speak out against all those who reject the premise of your all encompassing unconditional love,
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of light, as we look toward the start of Lent next month, help us to reflect on what has felt like a period of lenten living, with restrictions; times of grief, and often anxiety, thus making celebration difficult. Help us to approach this period of fasting with a gentle heart, helping us do what we can but giving ourselves permission to do what we need to make it through the current hardships.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of resurrection, we pray for our community. We pray you will be with those who feel lonely or isolated and for those who are grieving or feel lost. We pray you are with those who cannot currently carry out their livelihoods or are struggling with different ways of working. We pray you will be with community leaders as we rebuild after the pandemic subsides, helping us to make our community a rejuvenated space for healthy living and spiritual growth.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord of joy, as the days get longer and lighter, remind us of your never ending and all-encompassing light. Allow us to open up and empty ourselves in order to be filled with your unconditional love. We thank you for the simple things we can enjoy - the early spring flowers, the cheerful birdsong and our green spaces.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

‘The Sermon on the Plain’ – 13th February 2022 – 3rd Sunday before Lent

Posted on February 13, 2022February 19, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

1 Corinthians 15.12-20

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

Luke 6.17-26

He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

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.

The Sermon
By Joe P

May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit – Amen. Please be seated.

This morning’s reading from Luke is part of what is called ‘The Sermon on the Plain’, and describes the experiences of Jesus and his ‘newly minted’ Apostles after He has chosen them. They’ve spent time on a mountain, and on descending to the plain they find themselves surrounded by a large crowd of people wishing to hear from Jesus and also be healed; we hear that “power was coming from him and healing them all."

Luke described the crowd as being made up of disciples and a large group of people from all over the region. News must have travelled about the new teacher who, as well as being wise was a great healer and could cast out evil spirits. It’s worth noting that we now have a distinction between the Twelve – the Apostles who will follow Jesus to the end – and His disciples – who are people who’re following his teachings.

There is some debate whether the sermon described here by Luke is the same event as that described by Matthew in ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. There is a clear link with between this part of the Sermon on the Plain – also known as ‘Blessings and Woes’ and the Beatitudes that are in the Gospel according to Matthew. Other aspects of the Sermon on the Mount do turn up in the Gospel according to Luke, but in different places. Luke has more of an emphasis on teaching that would mean something to Gentiles, where Matthew brings in more links between the New Covenant of Jesus and the Old Covenant represented by Mosaic teachings. The plain answer is ‘No one is sure’ – after all, like all good preachers, it’s likely that Jesus would teach the same things in different places.

Looking at what we can gain from the teachings, does it matter?

Not really.

At first glance the core message from today’s reading is pretty black and white and will make most of us in this congregation a little uncomfortable when we read it. After doing some healing, and casting out of demons, Jesus sets out His list of where God’s blessings will fall.

I saw it rather well paraphrased by another preacher, Debie Thomas as:

“Blessed are you who are poor, hungry, sad, and expendable. Woe to you who are rich, full, happy, and popular.”

It’s a sort of mike-drop moment. In a moment the world view of any self-aware and open-minded listeners and readers would be changed. Anyone with a shred of integrity and personal honesty is forced to immediately question themselves. I have to say, I loosened my collar and made the odd nervous cough at this point.

And then we recover ourselves, and our literal, 20th Century, world-weary brains start rallying for a counter-attack….

“Surely, Jesus isn’t romanticising poverty? Is He somehow attempting to make the poor feel better about themselves by calling them blessed? Surely it can’t be good to be considered as expendable? There’s nothing good or blessed about being sad. And what’s wrong with being happy and popular…come on….this turns the whole of our lives upside-down!”

Well, that’s the intention.

Let’s take a look at the pairs of contrasts here. Poor versus Rich, hungry or full, sad or happy, expendable or popular. There’s an old saying ‘I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor, and rich is more fun.’ It’s true; I’ve had my ups and downs and can find very little good to say about trying to decide whether to eat, heat the house or buy cat food. And if we look into ourselves honestly, I think that we’d all come down on the side of rich, full, happy and popular to define our lives.

And looking at our day to day lives on Earth, that’s how we define success.

However, if we look at things from the point of view of the Kingdom of Heaven, that way of living and thinking constitutes the most abject failure imaginable.

And we can tell that Jesus is talking about the Kingdom because of the way that He links both the lists – of blessings and woes – to prophets – a link that would be clear to his audience.

Jesus blesses the poor, the hungry, the sad and the outcasts and tells them:
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”

Those people are to be blessed because they are exhibiting the same state of life, the same situation and condition, that were experienced by the true prophets in history.

And similarly, the other traits of those who are not blessed, he associates with false prophets – something that in these post-truth days where we are exposed to ‘alternative facts’ at every turn we can probably empathise with!

The achievement of wealth, power, a full belly and popularity would often be associated with corruption, lying, playing a bit ‘fast and loose’ with the rules. Jesus is reminding those who are fat, wealthy and happy to consider their situation, and how they got there. Basically, are you working for the Kingdom of God, because if you’re not, all these worldly good things will be a weight around your soul. It's not just a matter of wealth and happiness; it’s how you apply those gifts, how you align yourself with the Kingdom. After all, there are many wealthy people who become followers of Christ – such as Joseph of Arimathea, Zacchaeus, and the members of wealthy families who become disciples of Christ as described in the Book of Acts.

It's probably easier for the underdogs in worldly society to follow God; their world is a raw, hard place with none of the cushions provided by wealth. But wealthy people can still be moved by grace to behave in such ways that makes them blessed.
Today is Racial Justice Sunday – we are asked to reflect on the importance of racial justice, to give thanks for the gifts and beauty of human diversity, and to commit to end racism and acts of discrimination. The ranks of the poor, the hungry, and the excluded and abused are full of those whose place in society is set very much by how society sees their race, creed or colour. As disciples of Christ, we are expected to stand with these people, to move ourselves in our lives to a place where we too can be blessed rather than pitied in the Kingdom.

In the 1970s, Johnny Cash summed this up in a song called ‘The Man in Black’, which featured the words:
Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there ought to be a Man In Black
We can all be that man or women in black, living the Christian Gospel as a reminder to ourselves and others that there are still those left behind; and that is unacceptable in God’s Kingdom.
Amen

The Prayers
Prepared by Barbara W

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

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we pray for people in every kind of need; make your ways known
on earth, your saving health among all nations …

We pray for all of our world, as nation after nation reduces their anticovid measures. Please help nations
to continue surveillance for new and more dangerous variants and to institute prompt actions when they
are identified. Please help us all to continue to take precautions around those who are clinically
vulnerable, remembering that that could be any one of us and those individuals want to be able to return
to a more normal world too.

Help us to understand how the vulnerable feel so that we can understand the
protection they need. Help us to understand that the cost to us of continued wearing of masks and socially
distancing is nothing compared to the suffering of immune-compromised if we don’t do so.

We pray for all those who live in the Ukraine, currently facing the possibility of invasion by Russia, and all
those in other countries likely to be affected by this, including the UK as one of the Ukraine’s allies. Please
give all leaders involved the wisdom to back off from invasion.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for your Church throughout the world; guide and govern us by your good Spirit, that all who
profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of
spirit, in the bond of peace and in righteousness of life …

We pray especially for our worshipping community of St. John’s Ranmoor, St. Mark’s Broomhill and St.
Mary’s Walkley as we continue to work out how to keep all of us safe. Help us to bring your comfort and
our help where it is needed. Please help us find ways to reach all of our parish, both those who do have
access to the internet and those who do not.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed, in mind, body
or estate; comfort and relieve them in their need, give them patience in their sufferings, and bring good
out of their troubles …

We pray for all those personally affected by covid, either because they are suffering from it or someone
dear to them is suffering from it. Please bring them healing and future good health.

We pray for all those struggling to get medical treatment that they need, as the omicron epidemic
threatens to overwhelm our NHS. We pray also for all those working in the NHS. Please help us to make
their lives easier, as they struggle to make our lives safer.

In moments of peace and contemplation, we name to you all those known to us who are suffering. Please
care for them and for all those of whose suffering we are unaware.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We remember those who have gone before us in the peace of Christ, and we give you praise for all your
faithful ones, with whom we rejoice in the communion of saints …
We name to you in our hearts all those known to us both near and far who are suffering the loss of friends
and loved ones, asking that you bring your comfort and healing to them at this time of grief.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

‘Called by God together’ – 6th February 2022 – Fourth Sunday before Lent

Posted on February 6, 2022February 6, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 6.1-13
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ And he said, ‘Go and say to this people:
“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.”
Make the mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed.’
Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And he said:
‘Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly desolate;
until the Lord sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.
Even if a tenth part remains in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled.’
The holy seed is its stump.

Luke 5.1-11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of
Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Scripture Quotations are from: The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Sermon
By Revd. Sue Hammersley

I love the story of the miraculous catch of fish because, notwithstanding the miraculous outcome, it is so human and so helpful for weary disciples.

How often do we approach our faith with a sigh…
What’s the point? I pray but nothing seems to change… I ask God for guidance but remain in the dark… I look at everything the world is going through and wonder why God seems so remote…

The seemingly innocent request from Jesus to “let down your nets for a catch” must have been galling…
Simon was a fisherman, Jesus was a carpenter…
Simon had spent all night fishing and was exhausted. He’d already started cleaning the nets and putting them away – it wasn’t quite as straightforward as Jesus might have made out, what he was asking of Simon was costly.

I can imagine a certain “tone of voice” in Simon’s response…
We know these waters and we’ve worked them hard all night – what do you know? Oh, but you say “let down your nets” and everything will be OK – let’s see about that – watch and learn – carpenter boy…

So, when Simon can hardly manage the catch of fish the whole scenario turns on its head – from scarcity to abundance, from cynicism to possibilities, from exhaustion to delight…
What we’ve all been going through has been exhausting at so many levels.
The idea that God might be asking something particular of us might feel overwhelming at the moment. But God’s view of the world is different from ours.

One of the things we sometimes overlook in this story is that Simon was not able to fish alone – it would have taken a team of fishermen to do this work. We are not called to serve God on our own but to use the many resources which are around us to make a difference.

Simon Peter’s revelation, on seeing the enormous number of fish was to fall to his knees and apologise… His shortcomings hit him like a slap with a wet fish. Like Isaiah he could have called out, “Woe is me! I am lost!”
But far from chastising Simon, Jesus sees this as the opportunity to ask more of him. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they know their need of God and with God all things are possible, so put down your nets now – I need your boat to help me teach the crowds about the abundance of God’s love – abundance which is even greater than this catch of fish.

Moving from despair to delight is the message of today’s Gospel reading and, in order to make that move we might have to change something in our own lives. Change can be threatening and difficult but Jesus is constantly calling us away from that which separates us from God’s liberating love and towards that which is life-giving – not just for us but for those around us.

Today we remember the extraordinary call upon Princess Elizabeth, aged just 25, in 1952. She knew that she would follow her father but how could anyone be ready or imagine that her call would continue for 70 years, at least?

Fear is a common response to being called by God. Isaiah narrates the terror that, having seen God, this man of unclean lips would surely die – and yet his call is affirmed and he states, “Here am I, send me!”

When Simon Peter falls to his knees in shame, Jesus reassures him by saying, “Do not be afraid”.

Fear paralyses where love liberates, but our freedom is not permission to withdraw, it is the authority we need to be the people we are called to be, to use the resources which have been given to us to let God’s kingdom break into the world and turn it round.

I don’t think I am talking this morning to a group of fisherfolk but, as a church, maybe we are being called upon to approach things from a different perspective? Perhaps there are different ways in which we are being called upon to serve the people of Walkley? Please pray for the recruitment of a parish administrator, we have received some very strong applications and will be holding the interviews in a couple of weeks. The person who is appointed will help us to look at what we are doing from a different angle, to offer some support to the existing team and release them to be able to develop aspects of their role which they might not have been able to focus on for a while. But we’re not appointing someone who is going to miraculously draw new members to our church, all of us together are responsible for helping people find their way to the church and all of us are responsible for bringing the teachings of the church to life in the ways in which we live our lives.

I hope that together we can discover and relish in the delight of our faith, a delight which can be more infectious and more long-lasting than any virus.

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe P

With thankful hearts we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father

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 that we may hold firmly to the teachings of the Gospel, so that we may follow in the footsteps of the Apostles.
Lord of glory,
Hear our prayer.

As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth 2nd to her throne, we thank you for the long and loyal service that Her Majesty has given to this country.
Lord of glory,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for world leaders at this time, that they can come together in a spirit of peace and willingness to resolve tensions in Ukraine. We pray that all leaders value truth, justice and compassion above personal power and influence.
Lord of glory,
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 those who have health worries and financial concerns at this time. We pray for those with responsibility in local government, that they make the best decisions for our city.
Lord of glory,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or spirit, those that need your grace and blessing. We pray that God’s power and spirit will strengthen them and bring them the healing and peace that belong to Christ’s kingdom.
Lord of glory,
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. We pray for those who mourn. We particularly hold Catherine and her family in our prayers at this time.
Lord of glory,
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 of glory,
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.

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

‘Candlemas Carol Service’ – 30th January 2022 6:30pm – Candlemas

Posted on January 30, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Hebrews 2.14-end

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Luke 2.22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe.

Let us pray to the Father through Christ who is our light and life.

Father, your Christ is acclaimed as the glory of Israel:
look in mercy on your Church, sharing his light.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Father, your Christ in his temple brings judgement on the world:
look in mercy on the nations, who long for his justice.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Father, your Christ, who was rich, for our sakes became poor:
look in mercy on the needy, suffering with him.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Father, your Christ is the one in whom faithful servants find their peace:
look in mercy on the departed, that they may see your salvation.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Father, your Christ is revealed as the one destined to be rejected:
look in mercy on us who now turn towards his passion.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord God, you kept faith with Simeon and Anna,
and showed them the infant King.
Give us grace to put all our trust in your promises,
and the patience to wait for their fulfilment;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

St Marys Walkley

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

Category: Sermons

‘It’s difficult to talk about death, it’s difficult to talk about dying’ – April 4th 2022 – Passion Sunday

‘Manna for the World’ – 27th March 2022 – 4rd Sunday of Lent & Mothering Sunday

‘Bearing Good Fruit’ – 20th March 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Lent

‘A Kingdom of Values’ – 13th March 2022 – 2nd Sunday of Lent

6th March 2022 – 1st Sunday of Lent

‘We can help’ – 27th February 2022 – The Sunday before Lent

20th February 2022 – 2nd Sunday before Lent

‘The Sermon on the Plain’ – 13th February 2022 – 3rd Sunday before Lent

‘Called by God together’ – 6th February 2022 – Fourth Sunday before Lent

‘Candlemas Carol Service’ – 30th January 2022 6:30pm – Candlemas