‘From the heart’ – 29th August 2021 – 13th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on August 29, 2021August 29, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Deuteronomy 4.1-2, 6-9

So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.

Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
“This people honours me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’

Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’

Scripture quotations are taken from the 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 Alan Billings.

I can’t imagine what it must be like now to be living in Afghanistan.

After a couple of decades without the Taliban, people, especially younger people, had begun to make a distinction between things they thought were important in life and things that were merely conventions. Things that would always matter and things that came and went and could be different.

This was especially true for women and girls. They came to see that they didn’t have to be confined to the home. They didn’t have to look forward only to a life of child rearing and domestic work. They could go to school and college. They could get jobs. Decisions about how a community, a village, a town even a country was run, could be made by women as well as men. The conventions that had kept them subservient and in relative servitude, were only that: conventions. Things could be different.

And this wasn’t about abandoning Islam for western values. There was much about the west – its materialism, for example – that they did not all approve of. And the Quran didn’t say girls should not be educated. But it was about making a distinction between things that matter and things that are more a question of tradition and convention.

Something similar is going on in today’s gospel. I’m not saying that those Jews who were known as the Pharisees were like the Taliban – violent and brutal – but they too were keen to see the conventions and traditions upheld, and they had a powerful influence on society.

One of those conventions was washing your hands before eating. This wasn’t about hygiene. I doubt whether anyone in the first century had much idea about hygiene. It was a tradition, a convention, a ritual, that you washed your hands before having food. Which is all very well if you have servants who have been to the well and got a bowl of water ready for you. Not always so easy if you are a shepherd who has come back tired and hungry after a day on the hills.

Some of the disciples of Jesus don’t wash their hands before eating. The Pharisees notice and criticise. Jesus uses this as a moment for saying something important.

I don’t think he is saying, Don’t follow social conventions, traditions, rituals. After all, they surely have their place. They make it easier for us to live together if we have some agreed ways of behaving, especially in public. And Jesus is not himself accused of failing to observing the traditions.

ut what he is saying is, Learn to make a distinction between these traditions, and things that really matter. Get social conventions into perspective. Because sometimes they will change or need to change.

Now this can cause some confusion, and is probably one reason why we sometimes have periods of uncertainty as traditions change.

I was always taught, for instance, to open a door for a woman and to let her go through it first. When I do this these days – and that would be for my wife, my Chief Executive and the Chief Constable - I am never quite sure whether this is regarded as old-fashioned and quaint or patronising, or even offensive. When they give me a forgiving look I know its certainly one of those.

Social conventions, traditions, rituals, can change, sometimes slowly, sometimes more quickly. But what Jesus is insisting on today’s gospel is that we learn to recognise the difference between a convention and what really, really matters.

And what matters is what he calls the state of your heart. It’s what you have in your heart, what lies deep within you and makes you behave one way or another towards others, that matters most.

He lists some of the evil intentions we might harbour – such as avarice, slander, envy, and so on. And there is a flip side to them which he could also have listed – generosity, kindness, respect, humility, being careful with words, being content with what you have. These things matter more than whether you wash your hands before meals or not.

Conventions and traditions, says Jesus, come from outside – they are what society places on us. They are not to be just cast aside; they help to smooth our way through life if we all know how to behave in certain situations; but they could be different.

But what comes from your heart, these things really matter for good or ill. They mattered then, in the time of Jesus, they matter now. And they will go on mattering down the ages. Because where you have in your heart of hearts truth and goodness, you have within you the eternal values.

The eternal values that take you to the heart of the eternal God.

The Prayers
Prepared by Shirley R.

Father of all, we pray for your Church throughout the world, that great family of which we are a part. We pray for all those who are denied freedom and struggle against injustice. Here in the Sheffield Diocese we ask for help and blessings on our Bishops, Pete and Sophie, and all clergy and lay workers, especially those at St. John's, St. Mark's and St. Mary's.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Father of all, every human being in this world is your child and you love us all. Please be with all those suffering from natural disasters and situations caused by human weakness and indifference to the needs of others. Especially we pray for all the Afghan people, those trying to leave their country, those already refugees among strangers and those compelled to remain in Afghanistan. Help us to welcome any refugees who come to our city. Please be with family of the little boy who died so tragically here last week.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Father of all, we pray for the community of Walkley. Please be with all who live, work or visit our shops and businesses. As the new school year approaches we ask you to be with all teachers, support staff, pupils and governors in our local skills. Please be with them at this difficult time.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Father of all, Please be with all those who are sick in mind, body or spirit, and also with all health and care workers as they help those in need.
In silence we remember all those known to us.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Father of all, we remember those who have died recently or in the past.
In silence we remember those known to us.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Father of all, we do not know what today and this week will bring. Be with us when skies fall, agreements shatter and understanding runs out.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

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

‘Food for the journey’ – 22nd August 2021 – Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Posted on August 22, 2021August 21, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Joshua 24.1-2a, 14-18
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods.

‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’

Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

Psalm 34.15-22
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

John 6.56-69
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’

The Sermon
By the Revd. Captain Ian Maher

Chapter 6 of John’s gospel is a passage of scripture that includes the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, and the writer’s extended reflection on Jesus as the Bread from Heaven. In fact, including today, it has provided the gospel reading for the past five Sundays (Trinity 8 through to Trinity 12).

When Jesus fed the 5,000, it was an eye-catching miracle which resulted in many of the people wanting to seize Jesus and make him king by force. This was not what Jesus wanted so he withdrew to a mountain to be alone.

Next day, when the crowd found Jesus at Capernaum, he recognised their fascination with the multiplication miracle so challenged them not to focus their energy on food that will perish but on the food that endures for eternal life which the Son of Man – that is, Jesus – would give them.

The crowd then responded to Jesus with their own challenge, by asking for a sign of his authority, citing the story of manna in the wilderness while under the leadership of Moses as though it were a benchmark. Jesus reminded them that the Father, not Moses provided the bread from heaven and that the true bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. To the request for that bread, Jesus replies:

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

This led Jesus into some prolonged discussion about what that meant exactly and is picked up in the rest of John chapter 6, the final verses providing this morning’s gospel reading, and in which Jesus re-states the way in which he is the true bread from heaven:

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.

What is important to remember is that we, as readers of John’s gospel, have some insights into the profound theological claims about Jesus being made by the gospel writer that many of the crowd in the story were unlikely to have appreciated. That goes some way towards explaining why so many times in John’s gospel, the followers of Jesus never seem to get the point about the signs that he gives them. Embedded within the Jewish monotheistic tradition, it is just too much of a stretch for them to embrace the implications of Jesus’ claim to be the bread of life.

Through a Christian incarnational lens, however, the identification of Jesus with the bread of life still confronts us with a challenge: How are we to avail ourselves and be sustained continually by Jesus as that source of life which does not perish? How are we to draw strength from him? How are we to be fed and sustained by him in a world where so much is taking place to starve us of hope? Here are a few thoughts which I hope might be of use.

First, we need to be prayerful people. We must stay connected to the life of the risen Jesus; nourished by him daily as the bread of life. We can do this by pondering regularly on the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus as portrayed and reflected upon in the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, in order that we might align our lives more closely with the life of Christ.

In the Christian life, prayer and reflection on the Bible are too often casualties in the middle of the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with the result sooner or later we dry up spiritually. It might be a sobering exercise for each of us to reflect on how much time is spent in prayer and Bible study over the course of a week. If we are not listening, how, I wonder, are we to hear what God is saying to us in our lives?

While I agree absolutely with the dictum that those who are too heavenly minded are of no earthly good, there is an opposite danger. Activists – even radical ones – who neglect the life of prayer, run the risk both of burnout and of missing the bigger picture. To nurture the spiritual life, we must foster a sense of 'being' as well as a practice of 'doing'.

Second, we need to be the vehicles through which the life of Christ is made known to others. Acts of kindness, compassion, selflessness, and generosity, undertaken in Christ’s name are an extension of his life in the world: 'doing' as well as 'being'. We are together, after all, the body of Christ in the world. Through such practical acts of love, we manifest the life of God in our own lives and to the lives of those to whom we reach out; in that way we make present the bread of life.

Importantly, those whom we seek to serve will also be channels of God’s grace to us – a truth that we sometimes miss – because Christ is present in the poor, the sick, the hungry, the outcast, and refugee. It is often in such encounters that we find ourselves nourished spiritually by the presence of Jesus: the minister becoming the ministered-to. The Christ in them meets the Christ in us.

To partake of the bread of life is to align ourselves with the agenda of Christ in the world. It is about giving but also being open to receiving in the knowledge that God’s provision is sufficient for all when shared as intended – an important insight from the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.

Third, our participation in the Eucharist brings us into a sacramental encounter with Jesus, the bread of life and true bread from heaven. Each time we gather at the altar it is a declaration of our participation in his risen life and we are fed spiritually. In that sense, the Eucharist is our spiritual food for the journey through life.

It is a visible, experiential sign of the intimate relationship that God has made available to us through Jesus. In sharing in the bread of life we become one with that life. What greater sign can there be of us partaking in the very life of God that receiving the bread of which Jesus said: This is my body?

Summed up in three words: prayer, service, and sacrament. These are the things which connect us with an experience of the risen Christ, the living bread from heaven, in the here and now. This bread from heaven is God's sustaining gift to the world, for the benefit of all and to God's glory.

My sisters and brothers, through our faith and trust in Jesus Christ; in feeding our souls on his life and teaching; by fashioning our lives after the example of his own; and through sharing in his sacramental presence at the Eucharist, Jesus is for us – day by day – the bread of life. He is the one who sustains us through whatever challenges life’s journey places in our way. So, in all these ways let us feed always on Jesus, the bread of life, in our hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, you give us the body and blood of your Son as food and drink for our pilgrim journey. Grant that through our union with him we may be united with one another as members of his body, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by Catherine B

O God, following a week of relentless bad news,
we pray for our fallen world…
For Afghanistan...
...Haiti...
… and Burkina Faso.
For all those
living in fear of war and violence,
earthquake and storm
or fires raging out of control.
For all who have had to flee their homes,
For those who want to flee but cannot.
For women and girls.
For those who fought, suffered, even died,
as they hoped to bring about peace.
For their translators and security guards.
For their families and loved ones.
We pray for politicians and aid agencies
For wisdom and compassion
For resources that get quickly
to where they are most needed.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy.

We pray for our own country
For the people of Plymouth
For those killed or injured
in last weekend’s shootings.
For their loved ones.
We pray for our own city
For Mohammed, the little Afghan refugee child
killed in a tragic accident this week,
and for his grieving family.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy.

We pray for all who are in poor health
For those suffering stress and anxiety
For those caring for a sick relative
and those in a professional caring role.
In a time of silence
We bring to mind
those known personally to us.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy.

We remember those who have died
For those who have died very recently
or a while ago,
For all who grieve.
Thinking this week of the family of Liz
who died a year ago,
And of others known personally to us.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy.

O God, help us to take comfort from the words of the psalmist:
“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.”
And give thanks that you are always close to us
and bring hope
in times of great difficulty.
Help us as your church
to share that comfort and hope
with others.

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

‘Walking in the Way of Wisdom’ – 15th August 2021 – 11th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on August 15, 2021August 21, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Proverbs 9.1-6

Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
‘You that are simple, turn in here!’
To those without sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.’

John 6.51-58

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’

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 Siobhan H

Walking in the Way of Wisdom

This morning we hear two invitations in our scripture passages:
“Come leave your simple ways and walk in the way of insight and wisdom so you may have life.”

and

“Come and eat the bread of life so you may have life eternal.”

Both of these invitations reveal the infinite love of the Creator of all things, the source of life, who sustains us, and feeds us. Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives, the first step in response to God’s love. The words of the liturgy remind us that...
‘As children of God, we have a new dignity and God calls us to fullness of life’.

At communion we receive spiritual nourishment for the journey….
“The body of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Which was given for you,
Preserve your body and soul to everlasting life.
Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you,
And feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.”

After death at the funeral service, we hear the words ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ says the Lord. Those who believe in me, even though they die will live.’

How different would our existence look if we were to accept the invitation to leave our simple lives to walk in the way of insight and wisdom?
Wisdom in my experience is not sentimental. At times it has challenged me to face difficult truths about my life and relationships. It requires me to be honest in my thoughts and hold integrity. It utilises knowledge, experience, deep understanding and insight. By becoming curious, asking questions, reflecting more deeply we can allow the wisdom that lies just beneath the surface of our daily lives to emerge.

I’d like to share a personal example with you.
Recently, on retreat I visited a walled garden where I noticed three doorways.
The first doorway was blocked by bricks, the second had a mirror attached to it reflecting the roses in the garden, and the last had a gate ajar.
Initially, I was drawn to the mirrored door, the roses beautifully inviting. Then came the realisation there was a deception here because the reflected image of the roses was not real. It led me to consider that in life sometimes we can look at situations through rose tinted spectacles or events can look rosy in retrospect.
The doorway with the gate ajar somehow offered the invitation to seek God’s will, truth, and wisdom to embrace a fuller, yet more uncertain life. I sense that when we choose to seek wisdom it is then that our doors of perception open more fully, and we can begin to imagine and dream of new possibilities, allowing the seeds of life we carry within us the potential to germinate, grow, and flourish.

Returning to our context, how would it be if we were to seek God’s will, truth, and wisdom as a church, if we opened our doors of perception more fully, and began to imagine and dream of new possibilities?

Collectively as a church we are called to leave our simple ways, to discern, seek wisdom and sense where the new seeds of life lie. Wisdom for me is founded on the insight that we are all children of God, and the miracle that God who lies within and beyond us knows each of us by name and loves us. This leads me to tell you about a new course “Living in Love and Faith”, which the Church of England is inviting us to engage with, and in doing so to play our part in discovering what God is saying to the Church today. It invites us to engage in a listening process and have wisdom to discern how we can offer dignity and fullness of life to the whole children of God.

The course asks…

How do questions about identity, sexuality, relationships, and marriage fit within the bigger picture of the good news of Jesus Christ?
What does it mean to live in love and faith together as a church?
The church acknowledges that issues of gender and sexuality are intrinsic to people’s identity, their lives and the loving relationships that sustain and shape them.

The hope is that as we engage in listening to the people’s lived experiences, deeper relationships will be forged and the process of examining afresh our lives and shared learning will deepen our knowledge and understanding about what it means to be human in relationship with others in the face of difference and diversity, and each of us will grow in wisdom.

In today’s gospel passage we witness the Jews arguing amongst themselves, ‘How can this man give us flesh to eat?’ Jesus makes it clear later in this chapter that he is speaking metaphorically; ‘The spirit gives life, the flesh is nothing’ Yet those who misunderstood him were offended by his talk of eating flesh and blood because they were stuck in a physical mindset, ignoring the things of the Spirit. Sometimes, because we are human, we become stuck in a certain mindset, certain doctrines, or teachings.

Wisdom includes true listening, being present, open, and responsive. It is about being open to the Source of Mystery, the Spirit moving within us and the world.
Wisdom is inhibited when prejudice, silence, ignorance, fear, hypocrisy and power dominate. We can all have our bias, and prejudices that we need to be aware of and as I reflected earlier wisdom can challenge us. If we are to be a church of welcome and belonging, we need to take down barriers that divide us and do as Jesus does. He simply invites us to ‘Come and eat the bread of life’ that we may have eternal life. The table of the Lord is open and inclusive to all who believe in him. It is my belief the relationship we experience with the Risen Lord when we receive bread of life at communion is transformative both personally and as the body of Christ.

I invite you now to listen to these invitations.

Come leave your simple ways and walk in the way of insight and wisdom so you may have life.

Come and eat the bread of life so you may have life eternal.

Come and join one of our Living in Love Faith Groups so that we may discern how we truly embody the Good News of Jesus Christ and celebrate our shared humanity.

Amen

The Prayers
Prepared by Siobhan H

We pray for St Mary’s and our mission partnership churches. Help us, your people, to walk in the way of insight and wisdom that we may sense where the new seeds of life lay in our local community. Help us to make connections between faith and daily living. Help us to be passionate and prophetic about justice, equality and peace. Help us to respond to human need by loving service
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for those who in the past weeks have been affected by wildfires, particularly those who have lost homes and loved ones. We pray also for an understanding and acceptance by all nations that we must urgently commit to protect our endangered ecosystem which is at the centre of God’s wonderful creation.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for all children during the school holidays especially those who experience food poverty, for those who have received school exam results and for those making transitions. For those starting nursery or school for the first time give them a sense of belonging, for those moving classes the joy of growing relationships, for those moving schools a new founded independence and for those starting college or universities wisdom for a new season in their lives.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for those in any kind of need. For those who are troubled or distressed, isolated or lonely, bereaved, or unwell at this time. Remembering in a time of silence those known to us. May they be strengthened by your spirit and sense your healing loving presence, grace and comfort with them at this time. Let us show kindness and empathy as we travel beside them.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our Prayer

We pray for those who have recently departed from this life in this community and beyond,
In your boundless compassion console those who mourn and comfort them in their sorrow.
In remembrance of all those whom we love, but no longer see.
We thank you for giving them as companions on our pilgrimage on earth. May God, who calls each of us by name, bring all the departed to the dawn of new life.

Let us pray for a moment for our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers

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

‘Knocking off the corners’ – 8th August 2021 – 10th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on August 8, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

1 Kings 19.4-8

But Elijah himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

John 6.35, 41-51

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

The Sermon
By Kath, Reader at St Mary's.

In moments of frustration, when things are not going according to plan; as is often the case for me, I sometimes think that the epitaph on my tombstone will read “She tried. Dear Lord, she tried!” and it’s true. I seem to have spent my entire life trying with one thing or another and much of the time meeting with little or no success. It‘s often deeply disappointing and as I said, frustrating. I’m sure I’m not on my own in feeling this way; we all have our moments! Most of us set out with high ideals and standards for ourselves about the sort of person we would like to be, how we want to live, what we would like to achieve and so on. But then life with all its complexities and complications intervenes and has the disconcerting habit of knocking the corners off us. Our plans and aims are thwarted, our standards compromised, our ideals have to be reassessed, usually in a downward or more realistic and pragmatic direction, and this can leave us feeling a bit like failures sometimes.

This was the impression I got of how Elijah might be feeling in our reading from Kings. The phrase “It is enough, now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” really stood out for me because he seems so spent and demoralised that he is actually asking God to end his life. This is not something most people wish for lightly! In order to understand what has brought Elijah to this state of mind we have to back up a bit and hear the story so far, as they sometimes say on television.

Given that he is such a prominent character and mentioned in the Bible so often, I was surprised how little background information there is about Elijah but here is a short version of what I could find. He was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel in the time of King Ahab in the 9^th century before Christ. Ahab was married to Jezebel and they were followers of the Canaanite god Baal. Ahab regarded Elijah as troublesome because he persisted in defending the worship of the Hebrew God. Just before the events described in our reading, Elijah has very publicly put Baal to the test by having 450 of his prophets gathered together and telling them to call on their god to set light to a bull prepared as an offering. He gave them a long time and every opportunity to succeed in this endeavour but in the end nothing happened. In spite of their most earnest prayers and entreaties, Baal didn’t show up. Elijah himself then made a similar offering of a bull, but to make the comparison even more definitive, he had gallons of water poured over the wood pyre and filled a trench surrounding the alter with it before calling on God to set the offering alight. God answered his call and the bull, the alter, the water and everything were completely consumed by the fire. Elijah then had the prophets of Baal captured and he killed them all with a sword. This must have been pretty gruesome and terrible but he succeeded in turning the people away from Baal and back to belief in God. Following this event, Elijah tells King Ahab that the drought that has afflicted the land for a long time is ending and again he is affirmed as God’s prophet when the rains come. Ahab sees all this for himself and tells his wife but she isn’t swayed.

When Jezebel hears about the killing of Baal’s prophets she sends word to Elijah that she intends to kill him in the same way and he is afraid and escapes with his servant to Beer-sheba. From there he alone goes into the wilderness. He may have been safe there but it seems that things have taken their toll on him which is where our reading picked up the story. We are not given much detail about what Elijah was thinking and feeling. At the time he lived, violence and killing didn’t seem to be uncommon but I can’t imagine that he ever set out to be a mass executioner. Maybe this is why he says, “I am no better than my ancestors”. The events in his life have made him into the person he is, perhaps not the person he had wanted to be, we don’t know, but at this point he seems to be giving up. He lays down under a tree and asks God to take away his life. He goes to sleep; possibly he hopes that he just won’t wake up again. But God still has plans for Elijah and recognising his need for sustenance, both physical and spiritual; he sends an angel and provides food. Elijah eats and drinks but he still isn’t feeling revived and lays down again. So God sends his Angel a second time with more food and this time with a message that Elijah must take the sustenance offered or he will be unable to continue his journey. He does as the angel says and he is given what he needs to get up and to keep going. Indeed, he keeps going for forty days and forty nights and he makes it to God’s mountain, Horeb.

Amazing as it is, I wondered, what can we take from this story? How can it speak to us? After all, we’re not prophets or miracle workers! But if we look back on our lives, can we see God acting in similar ways for us when we were feeling overwhelmed or dispirited or defeated? It doesn’t have to be in such a dramatic situation as that faced by Elijah; in my experience it’s often in much smaller ways and in more mundane circumstances that we can see where God intervened for us. When I was young and lived with my mum & dad and my sisters; life was often hard because my dad was self-employed and work was uncertain so we had very little money. But I remember hearing him say “The Lord provides” and just as we came up against a problem that seemed insurmountable, like the van breaking down or we couldn’t afford the materials for a job or to pay the dinner money, the wherewithal appeared in some shape or form and we got by. I look back at all the difficulties and disappointments I’ve faced since then, some not so bad, some terrible and I can see how I have been given what I needed to keep going, especially spiritually. Last week in her sermon, Sue talked about our need for spiritual replenishment and how, by joining together in worship week by week we give ourselves the opportunity to be replenished. This made me think of something that happened many years ago here in church. I was in the vestry, probably getting ready for the service when a Church Army friend came in and said, “I’ve been thinking about you and a reading came to mind that I thought was just what you might need”. I think she must have somehow picked up that I was worried about something. The reading was from Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 6 verses 19-the end and it’s been my favourite reading ever since. I won’t quote all of it now, just the last four verses which seem most pertinent to what I’ve been saying but you might want to look it up for yourselves sometime.

“Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat? Or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Belief in God doesn’t mean that all our problems will be magically solved but he knows when we are in need and he knows what we need better than we do ourselves. It may not always be immediately obvious but He will provide.

Prayers
Prepared by Barbara.

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 those affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
We pray for those countries currently suffering from upsurges of the virus, thinking especially of those in the United States and in Indonesia: please help them to keep their most vulnerable citizens safe.
We pray for the worldwide success of vaccination campaigns, and that vaccines are made available to all countries, regardless of their wealth or lack thereof. We pray that those who are offered the opportunity to be vaccinated against covid19 have the wisdom to take the vaccine they are offered. We pray that all politicians stop using the pandemic to score political points and choose effective means of making sure that all the people they represent are safe and well.

We pray also for the climate summit Cop26 in Glasgow and for all those who will be attending. Please give all governments the political courage to resist further use of fossil fuels and to invest in sources of renewable energy instead. We pray particularly that the governments of China, Russia, Brazil and Australia revisit their climate plans to reduce their use of fossil fuels and choose to switch their reliance to renewable sources of energy that will not result in the continued overheating of our planet!
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 for all Christian communities in this country and around the world, as we strive to find new ways of being your family that do not put each other in danger during this pandemic. Please help us to reach those who most need your comfort and help.

We pray especially for our worshipping community of St. John’s Ranmoor, St. Mark’s Broomhill and St. Mary’s Walkley as we learn new ways of joining together in love for you. Please help us to feel your presence in a world turned upside down and to share that presence with others.

Today we continue to pray for your church in Canada, and especially for all those denominations involved in running the residential schools where indigenous families were forced to send their children. We pray for all the indigenous children who were abused and neglected while attending those institutions. Torn from their families, forbidden to speak their own languages, starved as a result of extreme and intentional underfunding by the federal government that failed these children by not acknowledging their worth, these children suffered beyond our comprehension and so very many of them died there alone, never returned to their families, even in death. Please help all Canadians to recognise the wrongs done these children, in which so many of us were unknowingly complicit, and to help the bereaved families to find their children’s bodies.

We pray that Canada’s new Governor General, Mary Simon, who is Inuk in origin, can help to increase recognition and understanding of our First Nations people throughout Canada so that we who are descended from settlers may stop being the problem and start being part of the solution to ensuring that all Canadians are treated equitably wherever they live and whatever their ethnic origin.
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 …

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, asking that you bring your comfort and healing to their families and friends at this time of grief.

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

‘Hungering for Justice, Joy and a Better World’ – 31st July 2021 – 9th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on August 1, 2021August 15, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Exodus 16.2-4, 9-15

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.

Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

John 6.24-35

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The Sermon
By Rev'd Sue Hammersley, St. Marks Church, Broomhill

Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand:
bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and ever more,
feed me now and ever more.

I wonder what it means to us to be hungry…
I wonder whether any of us has experienced acute hunger at some point in our lives; or whether any of us has been to a country where people experience poverty as part of their daily reality?

Food poverty is an increasing concern within our own country – it’s much closer to home than we might like to admit. Foodbanks have become an acceptable part of British society and church members are amongst the most generous in offering time and resources to help people who can’t make ends meet, people who often feed their children but go hungry themselves.
Alongside foodbanks there are many other community initiatives which help to empower those people whose self-respect is in danger so that, whilst they might need food in the short term they also learn to grow food on community allotments, or attend classes to share ideas for healthy, low-cost cooking.

But there’s a different kind of poverty within our communities, a poverty of spirit which has made us afraid of each other and less able to reach out to one another, in need or in plenty. In some cultures it would be unheard of to let someone in your neighbourhood go hungry and many of us have visited places where the stranger is fed before members of the family.

When the pandemic first emerged people were keen to look after their neighbours. Many mutual societies sprung up, some of which were run by church-goers but many by those who wouldn’t darken the church’s door.

We are in a season in the church’s lectionary which gives us plenty of opportunity to consider what it means to say that Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus offers food for the hungry, whether that hunger is physical or spiritual. But if we are to receive this sustenance we have to be able to acknowledge our need of God; and when we receive from God’s abundance we have to learn to be generous to others.

Some of us give out so much, to family members or in our work, or voluntary activities, including church, that by the time we reach Sunday we are depleted, maybe even exhausted. Coming to the Eucharist reminds us of our need of God and that God enriches our lives, recharges our batteries and refreshes us on our journeys. We leave church more able to face the challenges which haven’t gone away but which we don’t have to face alone.

Our first reading this morning, from Exodus, reminds us that the people of God have a chequered history when it comes to trusting that God will provide. These people have been released from slavery in Egypt and are now in the wilderness on their journey to a land of plenty.
God has promised them enough to feed their hunger but many of them are complaining because they are hungry. They had more to eat as slaves in Egypt. It would seem like oppression was a price worth paying for regular food.

God, we are told, hears their complaining and relents, giving them meat in the evening and bread in the morning.

This is not the experience of many hungry people. God does not seem to listen to their cries.

I caught a few moments of this morning’s Radio 4 Worship from Beirut. When they experienced appalling devastation from a huge bomb one of the ministers found herself asking, where is God? And then she began to see Jesus at work in the firefighters and people offering hospitality, in those who almost immediately joined the queue at the hospital to donate blood, in those who worked tirelessly in the hospitals and on the streets to care for the injured, in those who began to rebuild communities.

In our Gospel reading we heard Jesus chastising his disciples:
“Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.”

We gather together at the Eucharist not because we are somehow part of an elite but precisely because we know our need of God. We come because we are hungry.
And as we listen to God’s word, as we open our hearts in prayer and as we receive God’s blessing in the sacrament
we are reminded of God’s kingdom values – where all who are hungry are fed, where all have the opportunity to access clean water, where every person can feed their dependents, where everyone has the dignity of work or the support of a community where those who can’t work retain their dignity and self-respect.

Jesus says,
“…the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” The disciples said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

But we have a long way to go if we are to transform the values of this society so that we are not simply feeding hungry families but also asking why the inequality in this country is increasing. Churches have an important role to play in serving our communities but we also have a voice and a part to play in bringing about a different way of relating to each other.

As we come to the table today may we ask for courage to see the world as God sees it, to ask the questions which need to be asked, to play our part in becoming the people God is calling us to be so that each person may discover the promise of life, life in all its fullness…

The bread of heaven for which we hunger is readily available but it demands a great deal from us:
that we trust God;
that we act with justice and compassion;
that we speak out against inequality;
that we, as the church, offer hospitality to those who are outside our own community…

And this can be really tough.
We hunger for these virtues and, unless we turn to God, we are starved of the resources we need…
But, as we share this communion, we are reminded that we belong to one another profoundly and, together, we can respond to a world in need of Jesus, the bread of life.

Prayers
Prepared by Oliver G

Lord God, we thank you for the work of the international scientific community in the development and delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine. As we appreciate the nature of our globalised world during this pandemic, help us to advocate for vaccine equity to enable all nations to see hope for the future.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord God, we thank you for the rich flora and fauna we see in our gardens and parks during the summer season. As we see the effects of climate change nationally and internationally, we ask that you be with our neighbours in this world, the global village, who are experiencing devastating floods and uncontrolled wildfires. We pray significant steps will be made by our leaders at COP26 later in the year.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Thank you for our community and the people of Walkley. Help us at St. Mary’s to look outwardly, identifying what need there is locally and helping us to respond appropriately. Where we see hunger, help us to bring satiety. Help us to work with local organisations to provide both physical and spiritual food to those who need it most.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord God, we thank you for our families whom we have been able to see more of recently. We pray that you be with those who have no family, or are estranged. We pray they may find your unconditional love through their neighbours and friends.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

As we celebrate the end of restrictions, help us to be aware of those who still have anxieties and apprehensions, and encourage us to go at the pace of the slowest member. Be with those who are still struggling with the physical and psychological effects of the past 18 months. We take a moment of silence to think of those known to us personally who are suffering in mind, body or spirit, and pray that you will bring your healing hand.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

‘Christian Ambition’ – 25th July 2021 – The Feast of St James

Posted on July 25, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 11.27 - 12.2

At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.

Matthew 20.20 - 28

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’

When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

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 David, a Reader at St Mary's.

Today the church celebrates St James one of the 12 apostles, the first followers of Jesus. He should not be confused with the other St James also one of the 12 apostles whose feast day is the 1st of May and shared with Saint Philip.

To tell them apart the James we celebrate today is known as James the Great, whereas the other one is known as James the Less. The letter of James in the bible is ascribed to James the Less, which goes to show your writing can be included in the canon of scripture and you can still be considered the less of two James by the church.

But should he be bothered?

What does Christian ambition look like?

Today’s Gospel reading gives us an answer, one that is pretty straightforward and clear cut.

The mother of James and John has come to Jesus to ask a favour. How Matthew portrays this is telling. In the same account in Marks Gospel, which it is believed was written earlier and to which Matthew had access, it is James and John themselves who ask Jesus for the favour. In Lukes Gospel, also written after Mark the incident isn’t mentioned. In a few short years has the church moved from showing the very human, fallible actions of the disciples? Does it instead seek to present an idealised view of their actions and interactions with Jesus?

Maybe. A cautionary tale for us when dealing with events heading out of living memory. It’s very easy to rose tint our view of the past and the figures in it.

But back to the Gospel reading. Jesus has been asked for a favour. James and John would sit at the right and left of Jesus in his kingdom. In the ancient world, as now, these were positions of power and respect. To sit next to the king enabled advisers to speak at will and with relative privacy when engaged in matters of state. This could be for good or ill, think of the character Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings. He is King Théoden’s advisor and has poured the poison of Saruman into the King’s ear weakening Théoden until Gandalf removes him from the position of power. I’m sure we can recall less fantastical instances of this in our own lives, at work or in the life of the nation, where there are powers struggles and advisors to those in authority have used the position for their own ends.

The favour asked of Jesus falls into the trap of assuming that the kingdom will look like all the other kingdoms. That it will be a place of power games and hierarchy. This isn’t the only time this happens in the Gospels. Jesus was expected by many to boot out the occupying Romans and usher in a golden age for a politically independent kingdom of Israel, with him at its head.

Jesus knows this is not where he is headed. He knows the cup he is about to drink, he death on Good Friday, and is willing to share it. However he makes it clear that the places for the closest advisors are not for him to fill, but the Father.

James does go on to drink the cup that Jesus does and is the first of the apostles to be martyred. Killed by a sword thrust on the orders of Herod Agrippa as recounted by our reading from the Acts of the Apostles. John is said to have died of old age but spent most of his live exiled to the island of Patmos and so lived as a martyr rather than died as one. The other James, the less, is also martyred, reportedly beaten to death by order of the Sanhedrin so that can’t be used to tell them apart.

The other disciples’ reaction to this exchange with Jesus is predictable. They are unimpressed. Jesus, as he often does, uses the situation to teach them something about the kingdom of God. He completely flips the idea of authority and power on its head. In the kingdom those who wish to be considered great must be humble and serve, following the pattern of Jesus. Perhaps in this context being James “the less” is a higher accolade than the “the great”?

I’m sure many of us can think of times when those in authority, in the church, the life of the nation, or in business, have tried to live by different rules to everyone else, to lord it over others with arrogance and tyranny.

This is not to call for anarchy, to have no authorities no one who exercises power. Indeed, authority and power can effect change in the world and the Gospel of Jesus does call for change, justice for the oppressed. But it is to acknowledge that those who do have authority and power must exercise it with the needs of others in mind.

This is Christian ambition. A desire for change to bring about the justice and peace of God’s kingdom.

On Friday I received an email about elections to the General Synod of the Church of England. This body is the church’s parliament, debating issues of importance to the church and the world, and making decisions on the strategic direction of the church and the use of our resources. Its composition is fairly complicated but the majority of lay and clergy members are elected by members of Deanery synods across, of which I and Janet are reps for St Mary’s on the local one. These elections are held every five years and this is an real opportunity to effect change.

Don’t worry. I’m not, as our American brothers and sisters might say, about to declare my candidacy or deliver a stump speech. But I do encourage you to find out about General Synod, what it has debated recently and the issues it will discuss in the coming five years. Speak to me and Janet about the synods and think also if God is calling you to serve on one of them.

To those who are already thinking of standing, again or for the first time. I would say this.

‘whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica.

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

O God, the creator and preserver of us all, we pray for all your peoples in any kind of need. We pray for all those suffering from catastrophic floods and fires at this time and all still suffering as a result of the pandemic. We pray that all of us, in our daily lives, and all with responsibilities of leadership of their nations and groups of nations, will realise our part in creating this imbalance in the world you have entrusted to us, and take action to ensure that future generations will inherit the world you created which provided all that is necessary for all life.
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We pray for the church worldwide, that all who profess and call themselves Christians will work together to build up our common life in you. May we be like mustard seed in our communities, striving always to serve our fellow human beings, bringing help to all who need it, following the example of Christ and his apostles, like James, whom we remember today. Help us to support our fellow Christians, whether meeting in large groups or small, remembering that Christ taught that when two or three gather in his name, there He is in the midst of them. We thank you for all who assist us in our worship here at St Mary’s, both ordained and lay.
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are suffering in mind, body and spirit, those with Covid, those grieving for loved ones who have died, and all those professional workers under great stress in meeting the demands of the last year and a half, and still see no end. We pray also for the many people whose operations and treatment have been delayed, that their needs may soon be met. In a moment of quiet we remember all known personally to us who are in special need of your saving grace……..
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We remember those who have gone before us in the peace of Christ, particularly our former Bishop David Lunn, who died a few days ago in Scarborough. We give you thanks and praise for all your faithful servants. We remember those we loved and see no more…………..
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

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

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

‘Kindness and Compassion’ – 18th July 2021 – 7th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on July 18, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Jeremiah 23.1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Mark 6.30-34, 53-56

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

The Sermon
By Canon Julian Sullivan

The Kindness of Strangers

We were once wrestling with a wardrobe outside St Luke’s Hospice Shop in NetherEdge, trying to fit it in the back of our car. We tried every which way, but it just would not go in. Frustrating!!! A gentle voice said behind me, “Excuse me but if you can wait five minutes while I collect my daughter from school, I’ll come back and that cupboard will easily go into the back of my VW Microbus and I’ll take it home for you!”

True to her word, she returned with her daughter and the wardrobe came home with ease! A young mum on a busy school run, gave the time to help a couple of strangers solve a problem. She will always be in our memory. Kindness multiplies. We were so pleased to solve our problem and she was pleased to help us so we all felt good, even her daughter, who wondered who these new friends were. Never underestimate the power of an act of kindness.

Bees

A few years ago, I took up bee-keeping. In one of the classes attended, a life long bee keeper was asked to say a few words to this group of rookie apiarists about his life with bees. “Eugene, if you could say one thing to the group, what would it be?” He paused a moment: “Love your bees; love your bees. Get to know their ways and learn to understand them. They will be a constant source of delight and always have something new to teach you.” Someone who had seen Eugene working with his bees described it as “poetry in motion.” He treated them gently, did not stress them or crash around when opening the hive, and moved slowly and deliberately as he inspected them. Did they have enough food and space, how were the young, and most importantly how was the queen, who sets the tempo in the hive. You could say he was like a good shepherd, who cared for the creatures in his care with kindness.

From Iona to Lindisfarne

Kindness has always had a place in the well being of neighbourhoods and has played a vital part in the spreading of the gospel of Christ. When king Oswald of Northumbria wanted to introduce the Christian faith to his kingdom in the North East, he called on the monks of Iona, to send someone to tell his people about the christian faith. A monk named Corman was duly dispatched to the region and set about trying to make converts to the faith. After some time he had made no headway and returned to Iona. He complained that the people were a miserable lot who wouldn’t listen to a word he said! Up stood a fellow monk who asked him, “Did you get to know the people, listen to their worries, offer to help with their day to day problems? (These were
turbulent times, with the threat of violence from sea and land.) He replied that he had not. Well what did you expect then, said the monk. You should have taken time to get to know them, to win their confidence and if possible their affection. Then they would have listened to you.

Hearing this, the abbot decided to send this young monk in Corman’s stead. He travelled to the North East from the Inner Hebrides and spent time among the people, getting to know them, listening, making friends, engaging wherever possible in local life. In so doing he won their hearts and not only did they listen to his message but they came to Christ in large numbers and the faith flourished in that region. The monk in question was called Aidan, the place where he based his mission was Lindisfarne, or Holy Island as it is known today and the rest is history.

Our Gospel

Which brings us neatly to our gospel reading in Mark 6 where we find Jesus and the disciples in the thick of it. In the midst of a lot of coming and going, with no leisure even to eat properly, Jesus had heard of the death of John, his cousin and was mourning his loss. But he was also thinking of the welfare of his disciples who needed, some relief from the demands of their very public ministry with Jesus. He listened carefully as they told him all they had done and taught and wanted to cut them some slack. It is very easy to drive ourselves and others hard, when the need is great. During the 90’s we undertook a major refurbishment in down town Bramall Lane. Looking back it was at times relentless, but we could have looked after each-other better, because by completion, some of us were very poorly indeed. We might have taken more notice of this passage where Christ put his disciples first and invited them away to a deserted place to rest and recuperate. We should have built in more parties and spaces to relax.

When they arrive by boat at the deserted place, they find it overrun with people. It was like Scarborough beach in the holiday season (Remember that?). They were desperate to see Jesus, and as he looked out on them, he saw that they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he responded with compassion. Compassion embraces patience and wisdom; kindness and perseverance; warmth and resolve. Jesus showed all these qualities in abundance which meant that he did not try to hide from the crowd, or escape, like celebrities do, but realising their needs, he engaged with them, responded to their needs and gave them a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. No one in that crowd will have forgotten that encounter with Jesus as they came away healed, affirmed, encouraged and enriched being in the presence of the one who said “I have come that you might have life; life in all its fullness.

The DNA of the Church

We took the train to London recently after a long break from travel of any kind. I resorted to my habit when on a train, of gazing out of the window as towns, village and countryside speed by.

As I did so, I noticed something as if for the first time: the number of church towers and spires often surrounded by trees, rising above their surroundings. I wondered who they were dedicated to and thought of how each spire represented a distinctive Christian community, a parish church, engaged in the ongoing life of their neighbourhood, taking their cue from the one who shared our life, living and dying to create a new humanity, Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven. Who blessed those around him with those qualities of compassion and kindness, healing and forgiveness, reconciliation and the breaking down of barriers.

Ephesians

It is easy to under value the presence of a church in every community, woven into local history, playing a part in everyday life. Our reading from Ephesians contains what has been described as the new humanity of the people of God, modelling the quality of life of God’s kingdom. Speaking to Jews and Gentiles, Paul spells out the implications of what Christ has done:

“Christ is our peace ... breaking down the dividing wall, the hostility between us ... so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two (Jew and Gentile) thus making peace. He describes the life of the young emerging church as having access to God through Christ - no longer strangers and aliens but citizens with the saints and members of the household of God ... built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone ... joined together and growing into a holy temple in the lord ... in whom you are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.”

This is not directly talking about Gareth Southgate and the England football squad, although he almost could be, the confidence and respect they had in each other shone very brightly with such spirit within the squad: Solidarity, sportsmanship, a real sense of togetherness. But this is the DNA of the church to which we belong, of which we are the visible signs in this present age. We may be tempted to think that the church is a modern day irrelevance and it is true that much of what we do goes unnoticed and unreported, but hear what Ann Morisey said to us at one of our diocesan days:

“In every community, the church is likely to be the largest and most diverse membership organisation, the most significant generator of social capital, a significant source of adult education learning for daily life; the most grass root network of voluntary organisations; the most long lived, best able to tell the story of the neighbourhood. The most significant provider of community facilities. The parish is a tree of life and anchor for a complex ecology of community activity, a blessing to its neighbourhood and beyond. Adults and children can find their way within a living community of faith as part of the world wide church. It has a calling to be more than a gathered community of the faithful, to serve the need of all, work for the good of all and communicate the gospel to everyone.”

St Mary’s Walkley

We can set alongside Ann Morisy, the way in which you describe your own aspirations here at St Mary’s Walkley:

We see ourselves as a church that welcomes and includes everyone, in their uniqueness, lifting the lowly, feeding the hungry as only the body of Christ can. As Christ’s people, we aspire to be agents of God’s healing grace, offering the ‘balm of Jesus Christ’ to a wounded world, be it physical, emotional, relational, reconciling. St Mary’s is a eucharistic community giving thanks together in a shared meal in the presence of our crucified, risen, ascended Lord, at the heart of the people of God.

So be encouraged. Compassion and kindness provide the atmosphere in which we can make Christ known, enriching our communities with the encouragement, challenge and hope of the kingdom of God.

I leave you with this thought from Alan Turing: (Mathematician,Computer Scientist, Code Breaker)

“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of, who do the things no one can imagine.”

Amen

The Prayers
Prepared by Siobhan H

We pray for all those called to be shepherds in our Church and for those who have dedicated their lives to spreading the good news of the gospel. We pray for the spiritual growth of our mission area, as we seek to listen well to each other, engage with shared ministry and utilise our many gifts. May we reflect compassion and care in our communities and be agents of God’s presence in our world.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer

As Covid restrictions are eased, we pray for all in our country, that we show responsibility, consideration and care for ourselves and for others and abide strictly by the guidelines which our healthcare professionals recommend to defeat this very contagious virus for the good of all God’s children.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for those affected by natural disasters and from human violence. We particularly remember those affected by floods in Europe and fires in North America. May they find comfort and support from agencies seeking to support them.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for all teachers, school staff and children as they finish their last week at school. Help them to rest, recuperate, and to be restored, spending time with those close to them. Thank you God for your sustaining love which has helped them during this year of uncertainty.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We pray for those who are sick, in mind, body or spirit. Comfort and heal them and restore them to health and strength.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer

We remember all those we have loved who have died.
May the Lord of life raise them up and welcome them into their heavenly home.

In silence we bring before God our personal prayer petitions

Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your son
our saviour,
Jesus Christ,
Amen

‘The death of John the Baptist’ – 11th July 2021 – 6th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on July 11, 2021July 10, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings
Amos 7.7-15

This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb-line.’ Then the Lord said,
‘See, I am setting a plumb-line
in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass them by;
the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.’

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, ‘Amos has conspired against you in the very centre of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,
“Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.” ’
And Amaziah said to Amos, ‘O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.’

Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

Mark 6.14 -29

The Death of John the Baptist
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

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

The Sermon

By Catherine B, a Reader at St. Mary's

Today’s gospel story is as puzzling as it is gruesome. We’re told that John the Baptist has severely criticised Herod for his irregular marriage. So why has Herod not killed him earlier? Why has he put him in prison for protection? Why does he like to listen to a man he fears and finds perplexing?

When you look more closely at his situation, for someone who is supposed to be the ruler of the area, he doesn’t seem to have much agency. His wife has left her previous husband for him. It doesn’t sound as if it’s a love match – perhaps she thought that being married to Herod would bring her more prestige and power. But John the Baptist is a threat. He has pointed out that their marriage isn’t lawful in the eyes of the Jewish faith. You can imagine her nagging Herod to do something about John.

So Herod has John imprisoned. It’s a bit of a compromise. John is contained, but not killed. There is a part of Herod which recognises that John is a holy man. John has important, albeit difficult truths to tell and Herod wants to hear them. But for his wife, this spells danger. Herod could fall for John’s charms and her access to power and prestige could be felled in one blow. So she begins to plot.

Herod’s birthday arrives, with a big party attended by many influential men. The wine flows freely and everyone has a good time. Herod’s wife sends her daughter into the room to dance. It goes down splendidly. Herod promises the girl anything she wants – yes even half his kingdom! She immediately goes to ask her mother for advice. Who grabs her chance. Ask for the head of John the Baptist.

So she does. And Herod’s mood changes from joviality to despair. He’s been trapped. He can’t back down and refuse the girl his offer – it would be seen as weak. No one would ever take him seriously again. He’d be deposed, lose everything, most likely killed. So he gives in to the request. John is beheaded, and in a gruesome parody of the great banquet – his head is brought to the feast on a plate.

Why does the church set this powerful story about John’s death set for this week, bang in the middle of what the church calls “ordinary time”? Why not during Lent or Advent – the traditional times in the Christian year for focusing on John the Baptist?

Well, if we look at the start of the passage, it’s not directly about John the Baptist at all. John is already dead and buried.

The passage is about Jesus. He has been preaching his message of repentance, has been healing the sick, and has sent his disciples out to do the same. The mission is going well. People don’t know Jesus that well yet, and are asking who he might be. Is he John the Baptist? Is he Elijah? Is he another prophet from that great tradition of prophets?

The story is also about Herod’s reaction to hearing about Jesus. When news of Jesus reaches Herod, you can imagine his heart sinking, his guilt rising. This Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead! You cannot keep important, difficult truths down. It’s only then that we are told what had happened to John.

John the Baptist wasn’t raised from the dead. His disciples heard about his death, collected his body and buried it. And that is the end of John’s story.

But who was he? In other gospel passages John makes it quite clear that he is not the Messiah, not Elijah, not the prophet. He may be charismatic and have a message for the people. But ultimately his role is to point to someone greater.

And John’s death points too, to the way in which that someone greater would die. Jesus, too, would be arrested and imprisoned by a weak leader. Someone who found him intriguing, would have kept him alive, but who bowed to political pressure to have him executed. Today’s story is early in the gospel, but already points to the way in which the gospel story will end. Like John, Jesus will be put to death in a gruesome manner by a puppet leader.

But it’s not quite the end. John’s story ends with his burial. Jesus’ story continues - death, burial and then a mysterious empty tomb and the promise of new life. You cannot keep important truths down.

The Prayers

Prepared by Veronica H

In the power of the spirit and in union with Christ Let us pray to the Father.

Oh God, Creator and Preserver of us all, we pray for people in every kind of need, especially for those who have fled oppression and remain in refugee camps far from their homes, or who find themselves rejected when they seek a new life elsewhere. We remember how Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt when their baby’s life was in peril, and pray that the wealthier countries of the world will reach out to provide shelter and food, and welcome those in dire need. Grant to national leaders and to us all in our daily lives the wisdom to use the resources of the earth according to your will.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church worldwide, for the Church of England that it may continue to be in every place to minister to every community, with its churches open to all who wish to enter and join its fellowship. We pray for parish priests everywhere who lead our worship, visit the sick and all in any spiritual need, and help congregations understand their calling to build up our common life by reaching out and serving our whole community. We give you thanks for the clergy at St Mark’s and St John’s and all who take services here, our Readers, and the contribution of all our congregation.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all children and young people whose lives and education have been disrupted by the pandemic, and for the teachers and lecturers who have worked so hard to ensure that their pupils are not only supported in their learning, but have also ensured they are fed where families are in difficulties. We ask your blessing on staff and children at St Mary’s School.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time, especially those who are suffering long Covid or have long-term conditions and are apprehensive at the spread of the new variant during the forthcoming easing of restrictions. Help us to think of the needs of others as we are allowed greater freedom in our daily lives. We give you thanks for our NHS workers and carers, and the scientists who have developed vaccines in record time. In a moment of silence we remember by name those we know who are in special need of your healing grace…………..
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember before you all those who have died prematurely as a result of Covid, and all others who have died through other illness, accidents or have simply come to the end of their natural life- span. We remember before you all those we loved and see no more…………..

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

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

4th July 2021 – 5th Sunday after Trinity

Posted on July 4, 2021July 10, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Ezekiel 2.1-5

He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

Mark 6.1-13

He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Sermon
By Rev'd Shan Rush, St. Marks Church

If I were to ask you what is significant about July 4th, I expect that most of you would say it is Independence Day. That is true, but for me, July 4th is significant for another reason. 11 years ago today was the day I was ordained Deacon at Sheffield Cathedral, and to me marks the day I was sent out from here, St Mary’s Walkley to serve my curacy at St Mark’s. Having left, I did not imagine that I would be back, and I hope I don’t experience the rejection we are told Jesus was met with in the first 6 verses of the gospel reading!

On this, the first occasion I have both presided and preached at St Mary’s since I left, I’m going to focus on the mission of the twelve, and the themes of vocation and ministry.

It strikes me that all too often the focus of a sending church is put on the person being sent, whereas in reality it is not simply about those being ordained, it is about the whole people of God recognising God's call and affirming it, whether that call be theirs or someone else’s.

When we are introduced to the disciples by Mark, they are not painted in a very positive way - lacking in understanding and needing explanation, described by Jesus as being fearful and lacking faith, questioning Jesus so it makes you wonder whether they would have fit into a person spec for the job, met the criteria at interview and why Jesus would send them out to preach repentance, heal the sick and cast out demons. There’s a phrase, ‘God does not necessarily choose the qualified, but qualifies the chosen’ and it was the kind of encouragement I needed at the stage I felt called.

I’m not sure that many of you know the part members of this congregation played in helping me to recognise my calling. Recognition was key, because without it, I’d have carried on doing what I was doing. Each of us needs to be in tune with the Holy Spirit in order to recognise when God’s hand has been placed upon a certain individual to perform a certain task, whatever that task may be.

Let me tell you some of my story, how I find myself where I am today.

Although I didn’t recognise it, to me my faith journey began at conception. My name Shan, was given to me because my mum had heard it on a holiday in Wales and liked it. The English equivalent is Jane, the female version of John, and when I think of this I’m reminded of John the Baptist, whose calling began before his conception in the womb of Elizabeth. The angel Gabriel foretold his birth to his father, the old priest, Zechariah, at which point he was given the name of John, a name that means “the graciousness of GOD,” because he would announce GOD’s graciousness in the coming of the Messiah – Jesus.

Although not regular churchgoers, my parents chose to have me baptised in the Methodist Chapel in the village my dad had been born and brought up in when I was 3 months old.

As a family, we only attended church intermittently, usually when visiting relatives at Christmas and Easter. Sunday school and attendance with Brownies and Guides were the only other occasions until I joined a house church as a teenager. On leaving home, church attendance stopped until I purchased my home here in Walkley. At that point , a friend invited me to attend church with her and her husband. Little did we know where that simple invite would lead. Initially I was confirmed, then after a few years, the question of my role within church kept cropping up in conversation. I was happy reading the lesson, leading intercessions and assisting with administration of the chalice, but something kept prompting me that there was more for me to do. I’d started to explore things I could do as a lay person like reader training and pastoral care. Somehow, none of these felt right for me and I abandoned them, plodding steadily on doing the things I’d always done and felt safe doing. God doesn’t give up easily and prodded me through several different people from different contexts asking the same question - have you ever thought about becoming a priest? I hadn’t, and initially didn’t want to. My hesitancy was based on a number of things. Firstly, I already had a vocation as a nurse and was working at the Children’s Hospital in a job I loved and found fulfilling, so why would God call me to something different? Secondly, I didn’t feel I had the skills or knowledge needed to be a Priest, and thirdly and probably more importantly, I was afraid of the unknown.

“If you don't get out of the boat, you’ll never walk on water.” These words of challenge were spoken to me by a member of this congregation Edna, who had been baptised in her 80’s and who was not afraid to ask difficult questions as I continued to grapple with the idea that God might be calling me to ordained ministry, to become a priest, a calling that would mean me facing the discernment process which might lead to rejection, and if I were accepted, would mean undertaking training before leaving St Mary’s and moving on to a new place.

Could I remain within the safety of my current job or did I need to accept this invitation to step into the unknown like the disciples in today’s gospel.

I was referred to a vocations advisor. Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, a strategy that gave them support, companionship on the journey. St Mary’s gave me not only one companion, but a group of people to travel alongside me on my journey of discernment.

Jesus instructed the disciples to take nothing with them on their journey – no food, no extra clothing nor money. This meant that His disciples would have to depend on the generosity of others to meet their needs. I was gifted generous people who shared time, wisdom and hospitality.

The disciples left and began preaching and working miracles. These men were not learned. They were simple fishermen and workers. Yet, Jesus empowered them to give to heal others and to give them spiritual food. In the same way, you reached out and touched my life with your love, care and prayers, giving the gift of your interest, time and support, both in the journey of discernment and through training, and some of you continue to journey alongside me to this day, 11 years later, as I continue to discern what I’m called to do in life. Each of us called not only to reach out to those who gather in the building, but to reach out to those who are not seeking and have never encountered Jesus.

We live in a world not dissimilar to Jesus time, a world where some are hungry for faith and others are completely disinterested in learning about Jesus. Despite this, we are still called to share the good news of Gods love for us, to heal the sick and to reach out to those in need and you don’t have to be a priest to do this.

The disciples were not Priests. For each one of us, his call is present but may take shape very differently. I believe Lay ministers, each one of you, are the primary hands and feet of Christ in the world, in the workplace, the family, amongst friends, a belief borne out of my own experience.

All of us are called to identify the work that God is doing in our lives, and to build up God's people for works of service in the church and wider world. We are part of a diocese which seeks to encourage and affirm all ages, backgrounds and pathways as people seek to find out what God is calling them to. This is becoming clearer as clergy numbers are reduced and more of the ministry within the parish falls to laity who are told they are being liberated for the whole mission of God. The new model of oversight ministry is designed to mobilise the whole people of God. It’s a time of transition and it’s hard for everyone as we adapt to new ways of working, especially with the added complication of the pandemic. As things start to open up, there will be new needs within our Mission Area and opportunities to serve God in our communities. May we journey together, supporting, nurturing and encouraging one another as we discover who we are, work out how we want to live and try to accomplish the task of sharing what we learn through gathering, praying and eating together with the world outside these doors. Jesus deliberately sends us out with the minimum of resources so we can meet others from a position of need, vulnerability and humility, not from a position of power armed with multiple resources. We are called to recognise Gods presence in the ordinary encounters of our day, and to notice the ways in which we are nourished and given life, and to respond by offering love and hope in this broken and needy world.

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe P

We pray for God’s Church throughout the world. We pray for our Archbishops Justin and Stephen, for Bishop Pete and Bishop Sophie, all here who lead us in worship and prayer, and all those whose time and talents are given to St Mary’s and our sister Churches. We pray that we, and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world, continue to be aware of your presence in our lives.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all those in authority, and those who have influence in the world, that their power and voices be used compassionately for the good of all. We pray for peace in those parts of the world affected by violence, and pray for all those whose lives have been affected by extreme weather caused by climate change.

As both the United States and Canada remember their foundings, we pray that those countries can look back at their past relationships with indigenous peoples and find a just way forward, and pray that all modern countries can look at their history in an open and honest fashion.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. We pray for all those in the city involved in education and training at the end of a difficult year, and pray that the vaccines continue to successfully keep the rate of serious Covid related illness under control.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or spirit. We pray that God’s power and spirit will fill them and bring them the healing and peace that belong to Christ’s kingdom.
We also pray for those involved in delivering the vaccination programme throughout the world, and those clinicians and scientists who have made vaccination possible. We pray that steps are taken to ensure that the poor of the world are not forgotten at this time.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those close to death, and those accompanying them on this final part of their Earthly journey. We pray for those who have died, recently and in the past, and those who mourn. We pray for those who have died without the comfort of their family around them, that they were comforted by the presence of the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

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

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary 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

‘If it is a girl…’ – 27th June 2021 – Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Posted on June 27, 2021June 29, 2021 by St Mary's

The Readings

Wisdom 1.13-15, 2.23-24
Because God did not make death,
and he does not delight in the death of the living.
For he created all things so that they might exist;
the generative forces of the world are wholesome,
and there is no destructive poison in them,
and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.
For righteousness is immortal.

For God created us for incorruption,
and made us in the image of his own eternity,
but through the devil’s envy death entered the world,
and those who belong to his company experience it.

Mark 5.21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

The Sermon
By Canon Dr Alan Billings

Let me read you part of a letter. It was written rather a long time ago. In fact about the time of Jesus. But it has survived. It’s from a man, called Hilarion, a Roman, who is working away from home in the port of Alexandria, in Egypt.

Hilarion writes to Alis, his wife, who is not with him, but is at home with their child. And Alis is pregnant.

Hilarion writes home because some of the others he is working with may be returning ahead of him and he doesn’t want Alis to worry. Miraculously the letter has survived, and this is part of what he says – take your hankies out because it’s really so loving and tender:

Hilarion to Alis … Know that we are still in Alexandria. Do not be anxious; if they really go home, I will remain in Alexandria. I beg and entreat you, take care of the little one, and as soon as we receive our pay I will send it up to you.

Now put the hankie away and brace yourself, because he goes on to talk about the pregnancy.

If by chance you bear a child, and if it is a boy, let it be; if it is a girl, cast it out.

Hankies again for the last sentence. She had asked him not to forget her while away, and so he says:

How can I forget you? I beg you then, not to be anxious.

The first time I read that letter I had to re-read it to be sure I had read it aright. Such tenderness:
take care of our little one …

But then in the next breath, such callousness:
if it is a girl, cast it out.

How could someone capable of showing such affection and love towards his wife and child one moment, express such terrible sentiments towards the unborn child, should it be female, the next. The answer, of course, is that this is a society that does not rate females as highly as males.

But now contrast that with what we read in today’s gospel. Here is another man, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue – a sort of churchwarden – whose little girl is sick, very sick, in fact, dying. He could have shrugged his shoulders and taken the view that, though sad, it would be one less mouth to feed, one less who would always be a financial burden until he could marry her off to a man with a job – a Hilarion type, perhaps.

But Jairus is not like that at all. He clearly loves his twelve year old daughter and will do anything for her. He will even go begging for help from this probably rather dishevelled travelling preacher, Jesus, form the insignificant village of Nazareth.

So he seeks out Jesus and throws himself down in front of him and asks for help. All very undignified for a churchwarden; but he’s desperate because the little girl is at the point of death.

I quoted from that contemporary letter to draw out something that we, reading Mark’s gospel in 2021, might not fully appreciate. Namely, this loving attitude towards children who were female was not universally shared in the society in which Jesus lived. They could be regarded as a burden, literally more trouble than they were worth. It’s important that we recognise that this was not the view of Jesus. This is why he goes with Jairus to the house and heals the little girl.

But before he does that, Mark, who compiled this gospel adds another story. Again, I think we need to appreciate just what Like is doing here. Having told us through the story of Jairus and his daughter about the attitude of Jesus towards female children, he then wants to make it clear that this is not just Jesus being kind to a child, who happens to be a girl. This is the attitude of Jesus to all who are female, whether children or adult. The two stories are put together to make just this point.

And the point is strongly made.

The woman in the crowd who seeks out Jesus is anxious because her utterly debilitating medical condition – menstrual bleeding that never stops - is something that she would almost certainly be ashamed of.

The social conventions of the time required women to keep away from others during the times of their periods – something that for her would mean a permanent lock-down. So she approaches Jesus gingerly and fearfully.

And for that reason, when she touches his garments. he stops and speak to her: ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

Sometimes, when we hear the gospels, we don’t spend enough time just thinking about what they are saying to us. Sometimes it takes the church centuries before important truths that have always been there, jump out at us and we think them obvious.

The attitude of Jesus towards women was faithfully captured by the gospel writer 2000 years ago. To our eternal shame we have often not noticed.

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 those affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
We pray for those countries currently suffering from upsurges of the virus, thinking especially of those in South America and in the Indian subcontinent: please help them to keep their most vulnerable citizens safe.
We pray for the worldwide success of vaccination campaigns, and that vaccines are made available to all countries, regardless of their wealth or lack thereof. We pray that we can play our part in this!
We pray for those suffering from loneliness and isolation: please help us to be your agents in bringing them contact and comfort.
We pray for those affected by any sort of relationship breakdown at this loneliest of times: please help us to notice when people need help and to bring them the help they need.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Today we pray for your church in Canada, and especially for all those denominations involved in running the residential schools where indigenous families were forced to send their children. We pray for all the indigenous children who were abused and neglected while attending those institutions. Torn from their families, forbidden to speak their own languages, starved as a result of extreme and intentional underfunding by the federal government that failed these children by not acknowledging their worth, these children suffered beyond our comprehension and so very many of them died there alone, never returned to their families, even in death. Please help all Canadians to recognise the wrongs done these children, in which so many of us were unknowingly complicit, and to help the bereaved families to find their children’s bodies.
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, asking that you bring your comfort and healing to their families and friends at this time of grief.

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 included here is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000

St Marys Walkley

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

Category: Sermons

‘From the heart’ – 29th August 2021 – 13th Sunday after Trinity

‘Food for the journey’ – 22nd August 2021 – Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

‘Walking in the Way of Wisdom’ – 15th August 2021 – 11th Sunday after Trinity

‘Knocking off the corners’ – 8th August 2021 – 10th Sunday after Trinity

‘Hungering for Justice, Joy and a Better World’ – 31st July 2021 – 9th Sunday after Trinity

‘Christian Ambition’ – 25th July 2021 – The Feast of St James

‘Kindness and Compassion’ – 18th July 2021 – 7th Sunday after Trinity

‘The death of John the Baptist’ – 11th July 2021 – 6th Sunday after Trinity

4th July 2021 – 5th Sunday after Trinity

‘If it is a girl…’ – 27th June 2021 – Fourth Sunday after Trinity