The Readings

Genesis 25.19-end

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is to be this way, why do I live?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,
‘Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger.’
When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. Afterwards his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!’ (Therefore he was called Edom.) Jacob said, ‘First sell me your birthright.’ Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’ Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’

‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

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

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

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

Being literate is a great boon, being literal can be something of a mixed blessing. We’re probably all aware of the ‘Biblical Literalists’ who take everything in the Bible literally, whereas it’s likely that whilst some scripture is historically factual, there is also much that is metaphorical, or dealing with symbols and ways of expression that people of the time when it was written would understand.

It's a bit like when my mum used to tell me ‘I’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail’; lamb’s do indeed shake their tails vigorously, and there was no way that my mother would get from wherever she was to me in such a short length of time. But the meaning, whilst not literally true, was meaningful enough for me to know that she would be with me quickly.
In the New Testament the teaching form that we know as the Parable is used to good effect. This would be something that the Jewish people would be aware of and expect from their teachers; teaching would be done through stories, and the mixture of literal truth and symbolic meaning would be pored over by the students and other teachers to extract the points that the teacher was trying to make. Jesus does much of his teaching in the form of parables. And occasionally – like in ‘The Parable of the sower’ – He enlightens us with the meaning.

Which, you would be perfectly right to say, means that my job as a preacher becomes a little easier when I preach on this parable. After all, the heavy lifting – the ‘exegesis’, the process of drawing meaning from the parable – has been done.

Or has it?

Like many of Christ’s parables, I get slightly sweaty and paranoid when I read this. Am I stony ground? Am I a briar patch? Am I shallow soil? Am I – please God, let me be this - good soil that will return a harvest to the sower? Go on, admit it; how many of you feel the same?

And that is something to consider – part of our personal learning process from listening to the parable. But, when we read Jesus’s explanation, we realise that if this were all there was to be gotten from it, it would be called ‘The parable of the soils’ or something similar.

It isn’t; it’s called the parable of the sower.

So let’s shift our mental model a bit; let’s stop getting nervous and paranoid and worrying about what sort of agricultural growth medium we are, and let’s focus on ‘The sower’.

Who is the sower? Good question. To get the answer we need to look at what is being sowed. What is the seed that is sown – that grows or fails to thrive?

The seeds are the Word of God – the Gospel, the teachings of Christ. Look what is said in Verse 19 – the first line of the explanation:

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it….”

The sower is casting the word of the kingdom in to the hearts and minds of all who are within earshot. The comparison of the hearts of those hearing the Word to different types of land would be something that people from an agrarian economy could get their heads around. They’d know how difficult it is to grow crops in certain types of soil, and so as a teaching model it’s a good one for Jesus to use.

You can imagine that if you had valuable seed that you wished to grow in to a good crop, with as high a return on your efforts as possible, you’d make some preparations. You’d plough up those brambles and briars to start with. Where the soil’s a bit thin you might spend time preparing it. The really rough areas of your land – well, you’d just leave them to the wild animals. And the good soil – well, you’d certainly be focusing your efforts on the parts of your land you know to be fertile. There the stakes are high – anywhere between 30 and 100 fold return! I’m pretty sure that most of us would focus our efforts there, and especially on that high yielding corner.

But this Sower takes a rather different approach to most farmers.

This Sower – our Lord – takes the most valuable seed there is – the Word of God – and casts it with no concern for where the seed landed. He throws it out generously, showering abundant opportunity for growth on all these soils – on every circumstance of human heart and mind, knowing that in some cases there will be little or no return. But the Word has been generously and openly given; it’s not something available to only the ‘good of heart and mind’ or those with special knowledge and gifts to make the Word of God grow and be fruitful within them. It’s available to everyone.

Of course – not everyone is in a place where the seed can actually take root and grow.

And this maybe for a lifetime, or a season in our lives.

But the generosity of the Sower is such that the seed will always be cast. The Word of God is always open to us – wherever we are, whatever our state of mind. Whether we’re in a barren period of our lives, or whether we’re so buried under concerns that we don’t have time for it. But the seed is there; the sower has cast it; it has not been with-held because you’re unworthy, that the seed wouldn’t grow in you. The seed falls, and when a season comes when you will be able to provide a place of growth for the Word of God, the seed will be there for you.

And if the seed takes root and grows strong, what then?

You’re blessed with the Word and all that goes with it.

And there is a return expected of you; remember what was said?

“But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

What’s done with all that seed that is returned?

It can be gathered up, and sown.

Perhaps some of it may be sown by you. In recent months I’ve found myself wondering whether I am serving God properly? Am I bringing the word to people who need to hear it? I have a little seed of my own, given by God, to sow. I need to be generous with it – as do we all. We need to do what we can to spread the Word – we don’t know where the seed will land, who will respond, who will not respond.

But we know the Sower who has taught us. We know that we should sow the Word of God generously, with no thought of what the return will be. That is not our job; our job is to sow. There is a saying, usually mis-attributed to St Francis – “Preach the Gospel; use words only when necessary”. We can sow the seed of the Word of God by our words, our deeds, our generosity of spirit and our love for all creation at this time.

Get sowing.

Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by Siobhan Hoyes adapted from acireland - https://acireland.ie/

In today’s gospel we are reminded that God is a generous sower of seeds in our lives. We pray that the seeds of love and wisdom bestowed on us will fall on fertile ground and that our lives are fruitful. We pray for your church throughout the world, especially our mission partnership. May the clergy and worship teams be gifted with wisdom as they discern the best to proceed safely to welcome people back into the church. We pray seeds be sown which will strengthen working together, so we might deepen our relationship with God, each other and our communities.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for Governments and decision makers here and across the world. May they be mindful of their responsibilities for the poor, marginalised, homeless and those who are in most need. We pray for everyone experiencing job insecurity and an uncertain future at this time, that in their difficulties they may receive a share of the bounties of the earth gifted by our creator God. We remember the many charities, who depend on fund raising activities to continue their valuable work. May they find new and fruitful ways of generating much needed funds.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We thank a God for our health service, our hospices, nursing homes and for all those who work in the community to care for the sick. Bless all the doctors, nurses, hospital and community staff who have supported people during these challenging times. Thank you for the flexibility and adaptability many staff have shown as they have stepped into new roles to provide holistic care. Help them to feel affirmed in their work, to celebrate close team work and new skills acquired. May staff be offered appropriate psychological support in the coming months, so they can reflect on, and process any difficult experiences they have encountered.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are sick at this time both at home and in hospital. May they be strengthened and sustained by your loving presence and grace. We remember those affected by Covid, who after the acute phase of illness continue to experience a range of symptoms, breathlessness, fatigue, and emotional distress. May therapeutic and rehabilitation input be recognised as important, so people receive the ongoing support they need.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for families that are bereaved. Let us remember their loss and show genuine empathy for their broken hearts. Let us show kindness and compassion to their needs and travel beside them on their journey through grief.

We remember those known to us who have died, may they rest in peace and rise in glory.

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

Gracious God, grant us the grace to nurture the seeds of wisdom you grant us that we might be fruitful servants in this earthly harvest.
Amen.

The Readings

Genesis 24.34-38, 42-49, 58-67

So he said, ‘I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, “You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.”

‘I came today to the spring, and said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, ‘Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,’ and who will say to me, ‘Drink, and I will draw for your camels also’—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.”

‘Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water-jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, “Please let me drink.” She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, “Drink, and I will also water your camels.” So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her, “Whose daughter are you?” She said, “The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.” So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.’ And they called Rebekah, and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ She said, ‘I will.’ So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
‘May you, our sister, become
thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
of the gates of their foes.’
Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, and said to the servant, ‘Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?’ The servant said, ‘It is my master.’ So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30

‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’

At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

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

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

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

In a normal year, this weekend would have marked the end of the annual Walkley Festival. But this is not a normal year and our festival had to be cancelled.

In a normal year at St. Mary’s we would have created our annual well dressing. A picture would have been designed, pricked out into clay and lovingly created from petals and seeds. We would have had our doors open and people from the church and the wider community would have dropped by to watch, to chat or to join in. The finished picture would have then been displayed outside the church alongside an improvised well. People would have stopped by to look, maybe even take a photo. Conversations would have happened as they paused to look. The act of creating and displaying the well-dressing would have enabled it to become a place of encounter.

Wells are places of life-giving water. Without wells people would die of thirst. But they are also places of encounter.

A man approaches a well. A man charged with a serious task, who has travelled a long way from a far-off land. With his 10 camels laden with gifts, he hopes to find a bride for the son of his master, Abraham. He’s mulling over things in his mind. He has some doubts about the success of his mission. Isaac is a troubled young man. How will the servant know he’s found the right woman for him? Will she consent to the marriage and return to Canaan with him? The servant is tired and thirsty. His camels are flagging too. He reaches the well and halts, exhausted. And then he prays.

“Please God, let the young woman who I ask for a drink freely offer to water my camels too. Let that be a sign that this woman will be the right bride for Isaac.”

A young woman approaches the well. The man makes his request for water and, joy of all joys, she does indeed offer to provide water for the camels too! The servant learns that she is Rebekah, the daughter of Abraham’s nephew, Bethuel. He adorns her with jewellery and she offers him and his camels hospitality. So he travels on with her to meet her family.

Before he will accept any food, he insists on explaining why he has come. After some discussion, the family, and more importantly, Rebekah herself, agree to the match. And so the next morning when Abraham’s servant sets back off home, Rebekah is with him. Rebekah, the generous young woman who provided replenishing water, quenching the thirst of a stranger. Rebekah, whose generosity extended to watering the 10 thirsty camels too, and to providing them all with rest and lodging for the night. And Rebekah is accompanied by her nurse. Later in Genesis we learn the nurse’s name – Deborah – which means “Bee – provider of nourishing honey”. Her presence ensures the best possible start for any children Rebekah will have with Isaac.

A man returns from a well. A man whose father has sent his servant to find him a wife. This man’s name is Isaac. For a man whose name means “laughter” there hasn’t been much to laugh about. As an infant, his half-brother and playmate, Ishmael, has been sent away. As an adolescent, he’s gone through the trauma of being bound to an altar as a sacrifice by his own father, only to be saved by God at the last minute. And as a young man he has suffered the bereavement of his mother. We can barely begin to comprehend the potential emotional damage caused by all this. Not a stable start for married life.

But before Isaac meets his new bride we find him returning from Beer-lahai-roi. This is not just some random place. It’s another well. This is the place to which the pregnant Hagar fled when Sarah had mistreated her. It’s the place where she had an encounter with God. It’s the place where she saw God and lived. Where she named God El-roi, which means “God who sees” or “God hears”. Where God saw her anguish and gave her the strength to return to Abraham’s household to give birth to Ishmael. This place became known as Beer-lahai-roi, which means “Well of the living one who sees me”. And this is where Isaac has now been. We don’t know what he experienced at this well. But we do know that when he meets Rebekah, he is able to welcome her into his home as his wife. And we know that she provides solace from his bereavement. She enables him to live again.

Wells are places of life-giving water. Without wells people would die of thirst. But they are also places of encounter. They are places where people meet each other. But they are also places where people encounter the life-giving Spirit of God.

This is not a normal year. But that does not mean that we have been unable to encounter each other. We couldn’t have our well dressing, nor many other of our usual festival activities. But we have been able to share in each other’s creativity, through displays of artwork, messages or plants in our windows and gardens. And in our festival week, there have been a number of impressive scarecrows to enjoy too. We have encountered each other over the phone or online, over our fences or through our windows. As the lock-down restrictions have eased, we have begun to meet in person again at a distance.

This is not a normal year. Many people have found to their surprise that the life giving Spirit of God has sprung up in unexpected ways throughout the crisis. And if like, Abraham’s servant, Rebekah or Isaac, we reach out in trust to God, with an open heart and mind, we will surely find him there ready and waiting for an encounter with us.

The Prayers
Prepared by Anne.

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

Lord we pray for our world in these difficult days that we may find your kingdom arising in unexpected places as we open our eyes to see you at work in our world.

Lord we pray for those who find themselves waiting at this time, for ordination, to be married, for medical appointments or treatments, for the results of “exams” that have never been sat, for schools or workplaces to reopen. Hear their anxious longings, their frustrations and fears, their pain and their hopes. Grant them patience and fortitude as they wait and peace in their hearts.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Lord we pray for those who feel overwhelmed by the circumstances and changes of these times, for those whose income has dried up, whose jobs have been cut, whose lives feel as if they have been turned inside out and upside down and those struggling to cope with new ways of doing what were familiar routines. We pray for those who daily juggle the challenges of working from home, home-schooling children and caring for others and those who feel utterly isolated and alone. Ease the burdens of, and bring comfort to those who feel stretched to breaking point or buffeted by storms they could never have foreseen.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Lord we pray for young people and children whose education is disrupted and who feel anxious about their future in both the short and long term. Breathe hope into their hearts and vision into their thoughts that they may see beyond the current crisis to a time of stability and adventure.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Lord we pray for those who are ill or infirm at this time, in body or mind, and for those who care for them. May they know the sustaining grace of your presence with them. Bless those who have sacrificed their own home life to care for others. Bless all those who have striven to keep us all provided with food, with water and power and who have continued to collect refuse or process waste throughout these days of pandemic and whose dedication has carried us through these times.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Lord we pray for all who are grappling with new regulations and restrictions as they try to reopen businesses, premises and even churches. Help us as we work out how we can safely be the welcoming and worshipping people of God in these changing days. Guide us as we weigh up risks and responsibilities, longings for normality and concerns for safety.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Lord we pray, bless those who mourn, especially those whose hearts were broken when they were unable to see or touch loved ones in their last days. We pray for all whose hearts are heavy with grief and loss. Surround them with your gracious love and hold them close to your heart, we pray.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Lord, we remember in your presence all those have died in these difficult days, from whatever cause. We know that no-one has died without your knowledge and loving presence. We pray that you receive them into your presence, according to your promises.
Living Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Walk with us on the way.

Hear our prayers. Surround us with your love. Guide our feet on unfamiliar paths and bring us with joy into your kingdom of justice, truth, peace and everlasting love.
Amen.

The Readings

Genesis 22.1-14

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' He said ,'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.' So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.' Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, 'Father!' And he said , 'Here I am, my son.' He said, 'The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?' Abraham said, 'God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.' So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.' And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place 'The Lord will provide'; as it is said to this day, 'On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.'

Matthew 10.40-42

‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright (c) 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Sermon

By Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes, Vicar of St John's Ranmoor

I’m rather glad that we didn’t have our first reading on last Sunday on Fathers’ Day. The sacrifice of Isaac is in many ways a horrific story and one which today would result in a call to social services. Its main point of course is to underline the faithfulness of Abraham. Over many years God had told him that he would be the father of a great nation and Abraham had trusted God even though he and his wife Sarah showed no signs of having children. And then finally, in their old age, they had had a son, Isaac, a miraculous baby, and it seemed that at last all the promises, all of Abraham’s hopes and dreams were coming true. And then extraordinarily, God told him to kill Isaac. To sacrifice this precious child. And Abraham was obedient. It’s an incredible story and it reminds us of the need to put God first. It reminds us too that nothing we have, not even our children, belong to us. However much we love them, we sometimes have to let them go.

As Christians, we read this story in the light of Jesus. It is often read on Good Friday as it has strong parallels with the crucifixion of Jesus. God so loved the world that he allowed his son to be the sacrifice for our sin. He is the ram caught in the thicket, the ultimate sacrifice who takes away the sins of the world. Despite this, too often, we somehow manage to sacrifice our children for the sins of our world.

Too often, institutions like the church have put their own survival ahead of the need to protect children from abuse. We have been slow to address climate change, blighting the future for generations to come. We have saddled our children with debt rather than address fundamental problems in our economy. And now with the coronavirus pandemic, many of children are missing out on education. Many do not have access to the internet and are lacking food and exercise. We don’t really know what effects this will have on their mental health and future prospects.

It has been heartening to see young people questioning these things. Like Isaac, they have asked what is going on. And unlike Isaac they have not been prepared to go like lambs to the slaughter. They have demanded real change. Young people like Greta Thunberg who has played a leading role in Extinction Rebellion. Young people in the Black Lives Matter movement who will no longer put up with institutional racism. Who question things that we have grown too used to and refuse to accept more George Floyds in the future. We have seen young people questioning old attitudes to gender and sexuality. They are no longer willing to put up with past hypocrisies and prejudice. As it says in the Books of Joel and Acts, our sons and daughters are prophesying and seeing visions of a better world. And the time for those visions to be fulfilled is now. They want change.

As we look back at the story of the near sacrifice of Isaac through the lens of the crucifixion, we are reminded that we don’t have to sacrifice our children. The whole point of Jesus dying on a cross once for all was so that we don’t have to do it again. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He set us free from that cycle of sin and sacrifice and his resurrection pointed to the fact that there is always another way. A better way. A more life-giving way. We just need to have the faith and imagination to see it.

Jesus put the poor and the marginalised first in the kingdom of God. And with them he put children. If we want to enter the kingdom of heaven we need to become like a child, he said. In our Gospel, Jesus says that whoever gives even a cup of cold water to a little one will not lose their reward. Children are at the heart of the good news. They are not things to be sacrificed but those who are closest to God’s heart. Not objects but subjects of God’s kingdom. Often, they know the secrets of the kingdom and we need to listen to them more.
Amen.

The Prayers 
Prepared by Veronica

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

We bring before You Father the needs of our world at this troubled time, when many thousands in countries all over the world are becoming ill or dying from coronavirus, and millions face great economic hardship. There is also much political tension and uncertainty as many national leaders jostle for power and influence rather than working for peace, justice and the alleviation of suffering. We pray for all in positions of responsibility at national or international level, that they may heed the cries of those suffering disease, the hungry and the refugees. We give you thanks for the work of charities and international organisations working to bring help to all in need, and ask Your blessing on them.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church worldwide, and all those of other faiths, also unable to come together for worship in their own building to prevent further spread of corona virus. Help us to work together to show your love to humankind by our support to those in need, whether by providing food or a friendly voice on the telephone. We give you thanks for modern technology which enables us to link in with our partner churches, St John’s and St Mark’s, and join with them in worship from home. Bless all their clergy and the Wardens and Readers at St Mary’s who are maintaining regular worship materials for St Mary’s congregation and beyond. When this crisis is over, may we meet together strengthened in our faith in you, and appreciating even more strongly the fellowship we share.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all key workers, in our Health Service, Care Homes, those keeping gas, water and electricity on tap, transport workers, shop workers and school staff, giving thanks that their dedication has enabled life to continue, even when their own lives have been at risk. We ask your blessing on children and young people uncertain about their future, particularly those for whom isolation has been very difficult, often in very cramped accommodation, and their teachers who will have the task of rebuilding their confidence.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time, including all those unable to get the treatment they need because of the pressure on hospitals and fear of spreading corona virus further. We ask that you be with them all and strengthen them as they recover from their illness. Bless also all doctors, nurses, other hospital staff, care workers and family members as they support people through these difficult days.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We pray for all who have died, remembering those we have known and loved, and all others whose lives have been cut short. We ask your blessing on all who mourn, and they may know their loved ones are in your tender care. We hope that soon it will again be possible to come together at funerals and hug our relatives and friends as we say our final farewells.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our Prayer

Rejoicing in the fellowship of Mary and all your saints, we commend ourselves and all 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 included in this service, is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000.

The Readings

Genesis 21.8-21

The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named after you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Matthew 10.24-39

‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

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.

The Sermon

By Kath, a Reader at St Mary's

Growth from Adversity (or doing the best we can with what we’ve got)

This may not be the easiest message to contemplate at the moment given that we are still in the throes of the COVID 19 pandemic with all the pain and loss and disruption that it has caused to so many people, but sometimes it is the adversities we face and the things that go wrong in our lives that can cause or enable us to grow in ways that wouldn’t otherwise have happened.

In our story from Genesis we hear of a situation where there is obvious pain and distress and sadness for all the people mentioned in it. Having been childless until his late nineties, Abraham is now the father of two sons. With the encouragement of his wife Sarah, he had Ishmael with Hagar, one of his household slaves and sometime later, in answer to long and heartfelt prayer, he and Sarah had Isaac. This might appear wonderful but it seems that following the birth of her own son, Sarah has a change of heart about the presence of Ishmael; she doesn’t want Ishmael to inherit from Abraham and tells him to send the boy and his mother away. I don’t know how this would have been viewed by people at the time but to me it seems hard hearted and unjust, especially given that it was Sarah who suggested that her husband try to have a child with her slave girl who she offered to him. Who knows how Hagar felt about that part of the arrangement but having provided a longed for child, who Sarah initially regarded as her own, she and her child are being sent away with nothing but some bread and water for a journey to who knows where. So Sarah is unhappy about the presence of Hagar and Ishmael, who she sees as a threat, Abraham, we are told, is very distressed by Sarah telling him to cast them out, (what loving father would want to do such a thing), Hagar has lost her home and security and is in despair at the prospect of seeing her son starve to death in the wilderness and Ishmael has lost his home, his father, his possible inheritance and his brother & playmate. Isaac seems to be the only one probably too young to have an opinion on all this loss and unhappiness. How on earth, you may wonder, does good come out of this complicated and unhappy state of affairs?

Well if it had been purely an earthly situation then at the very least Hagar and Ishmael probably would have starved to death and Abraham’s distress would have been compounded. But God is at work here. Much as he is upset at the prospect of sending Ishmael and his mother away, Abraham trusts in God when he tells him to obey Sarah’s wish and that with regard to Ishmael he says “I will make a nation of him also”. We then hear that when Hagar has run out of food and water and puts her son under a bush so that she won’t have to watch him die, she is visited by an angel telling her too that God will make a nation of him, and water is provided to sustain them. By the end of the passage we are told that they both survived, that Ishmael lived in the wilderness and eventually married. In time he does indeed become the founder of a nation. Had he stayed in Abraham’s household he would probably not have done this and likely have remained resented by Sarah and of lesser status than his brother Isaac. Growth came out of adversity!

Life was complex in Abrahams’s day and it still is for us here and now, it probably always will be. There are seldom, if ever, any concrete answers or solutions to the problems we face and rarely only one absolutely right way to do something or one clearly right path to follow; most of the time they are complicated by multiple factors and what ifs and maybes and if onlys. We may not want to be the one who has to sort out some particular problem or situation, especially if it’s not of our making, but instead of automatically feeling fearful or resentful or negative about it we can view it as an opportunity to serve and in so doing we can learn and grow.

Last week I was listening to the autobiography of a police officer who said that in the early part of his career, domestic violence was seen as an area of policing that nobody, including himself, wanted to deal with because it was so complicated and difficult. However, he was put in charge of a unit where he had to face this and he described how over time he had learned to understand a great deal, particularly about the psychology of victims and the circumstances and attitudes that made them into victims and kept them there. He went on to have a long career as a police officer where he witnessed some of the worst effects and consequences of violent crimes, which along the way took a serious toll on his own mental health, but ultimately he described how police attitudes to these crimes have changed over the years and while there is still a very long way to go, they have improved. He had not shied away from a difficult job that no one wanted; he had stepped up and made a difference. I never cease to be amazed and heartened by the stories I hear of other people who have done likewise.

It’s tempting to assume that such people are extraordinary, and in some ways they are, but not because they are uniquely qualified or skilled or confident in the knowledge that they can do whatever task has come to them. They are extraordinary because they take it on regardless and do the best they can with what they’ve got. Jobs or tasks or services or whatever we see them as don’t have to big or spectacular to be of worth. Indeed, it’s often seemingly small things that can make a big difference to those on the receiving end, kindness, patience, listening respectfully, believing someone or believing in them. Using our own experience of adversity to help others see a way through theirs can be both encouraging and empowering for them and us.

Only this week we have seen how Marcus Rashford has used his own experience of going hungry when he was a young boy to persuade the government to make free school dinners available throughout the summer holidays. This will make a big difference to a lot of people’s wellbeing in more ways than just filling their stomachs. Something good has grown out of adversity.

One of the things I’m learning (very slowly) is to stop expecting that there is any such thing as a once and for all answer to problems. In the past I’ve thought that if I looked hard enough and tried hard enough and for long enough I would find these answers and in finding them, all would be well and I’d have arrived at a place of safety and security. Of course it didn’t happen. Instead, for much of the time, life felt like a long, complicated, often painful, winding road that was nearly all uphill. Each time I got to a bend in the road and | could see round it, instead of the hoped for easy bit or respite or desired result for all the effort, there would be just be more uphill. Depressing, or so I thought!!!

I’m now learning to see things differently. I’m slowly realising that the adversities and mistakes, the disappointments and losses that I have experienced, just as many people do, and sad and awful as some of them have been, they have caused me to grow and to become far more capable than I otherwise might have been and enabled me to be there for others with greater understanding and empathy when needed. I really do believe that God is always there for us and with us, especially in the difficult times, helping us to bring growth from adversity if we are open to it.

One final thing, just in case you thought I’d forgotten. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, granddads, Godfathers and father figures out there, especially those of you who have brought good things out of difficulties in your own childhoods and those of you doing your best with difficult situations now and teaching those in your care how to do the same. Enjoy your special day.

The Prayers
Prepared by Hope

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 and your saving health among all nations. Be with us as we pray in faith for the lessening of the grip of the coronavirus, on our country, and all around the world. Grant wisdom to all those who are carrying heavy responsibility for safely reducing the lock-down in the UK.

We think especially today of the children who have lost so much schooling since March, especially those who are being most damaged of all by lack of education, basic nutrition, and peer group fun and company. We know that every child matters to our Father in Heaven. Our reading from Genesis reminds us that Ishmael as well as Isaac was within God’s care. So, grant wisdom Lord to those who are working hard to make the best use of all funds available, to implement the great national Catch Up, in every way, for our children and young people. We remember locally those at St.Mary’s Primary School in Walkley.

Grant wisdom and skill to all those who are starting to work to implement the outcomes of the many reviews, studying the injustices suffered over the years, by black and ethnic minority (BAME) members of our society. Bless all creative initiatives at grass-roots level, including the start to teaching ‘Black History’ in a school curriculum in Leeds. We pray especially at this time that all that has been learnt about the causes of BAME people’s increased likelihood of severe illness and death during the pandemic, will lead urgently to preventing avoidable suffering and death.

Grant wisdom and inspiration to us all in our daily lives, so that we may be able to protect others, by our behaviour, and support our families, neighbours and communities as best we can and as you would have us do.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for your church throughout the world; guide and govern us by your Holy 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 righteousness of life. We ask your blessings, Lord, on all those who are working harder than ever for their churches, in order to provide spiritual support and opportunities for shared worship in this time of social distancing.

Bless all the members of St. Mary’s own worship and leadership teams, and our wider worshipping communities of St. Mark’s Broomhill and St. John’s Ranmoor. Bless the churches of all denominations and around the world, especially their leaders, as they cope with the struggles of living and with the virus, and leading communities in worship. Send your Holy Spirit to be with us all, especially to those in settings more isolated, more risky or simply less equipped with digital technology. We thank you Lord, that we and our families are not alone in this time of sadness: that you are with us always.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body or estate: comfort and relieve them in their need, give them patience in their sufferings and bring good out of their troubles. We ask your blessing on all those thousands of people who are suffering from the coronavirus itself or from dangerous illnesses that are made even more dangerous, due to delays in care.

We pray for all those known to each of us who are suffering from financial pressures, illness, bereavement or simply fear, for their families and future. Be close to us all at this strange time. Help us to grow in grace and understanding.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember those who have gone before us in the Peace of Christ. We give you praise for all your faithful ones, with whom we rejoice in the Communion of Saints, thinking especially of Kath Gratton and John Browning and their grieving families and friends.
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 in this service, is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000.

The Readings

Genesis 18.1-15 and 21.1-7

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, ‘My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as you have said.’ And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.’ Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’

The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, ‘God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’

Matthew 9.35 - 10.23

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.

‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

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

The Sermon
By Anne, a Reader at St Mary's

Every Sparrow

This week the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated his 99th birthday and, in the picture of him with the Queen that was published for the occasion, he looks remarkably well and although he has now retired from public duties he keeps himself busy. Yesterday it was the Queen's Official birthday, marked in somewhat unusual style by a special version of the Trooping of the Colour at Windsor Castle. At 94, the Queen this week took part in her first video conference with members of a carers' charity. She has in the last months made two televised addresses to the nation, one about the pandemic crisis and one on the anniversary of VE day, speaking to encourage the nation to work together in this time of crisis. Even in her 90s our Queen maintains a formidable workload, tackles new challenges and enjoys going riding. There could be no clearer examples of age being no barrier to living a full and valuable life.

However, the current crisis in our society has highlighted how many older people's lives have been held to be of little worth. There have been thousands of deaths and yet there have been only relatively muted expressions of concern. The elderly and vulnerable in have suffered disproportionately in this pandemic, many lives have been cut short because of the way infection has been allowed to gain entry to and take hold in care homes where the most vulnerable would have expected to be as safe as possible.

From the outset of this crisis there have been indications that the lives of the elderly needing care and the most vulnerable might not be valued as highly as other groups. In the very early days when the debate was about the numbers of ventilators available there were suggestions reported in the press that these scarce resources should be used first and foremost for younger patients. There may be valid medical reasons why invasive treatment on a ventilator is not appropriate for all people but that is not how the argument was framed. The implication appeared to be that younger lives were more valuable, more useful than older ones which could be said to have had had their day.

As the weeks have gone by we have seen a situation develop where the care home sector has seen huge loss of life as many older, vulnerable people in care have fallen victim to the virus or to other conditions which have been less well managed than in normal times as other areas of the health system have been temporarily closed down.

There are many questions to be answered about how elderly patients were discharged from hospitals into care homes without testing or even after testing positive for the virus, in order to free up beds, or about how care homes were equipped or supported to deal with the pandemic.

It is not just the elderly in the care sector who have been disproportionately affected – adults with learning disabilities have too. As a society it would seem that in this time of crisis we have not treated the lives of the elderly and vulnerable as it they are valued as much as anyone else.

As a church community at St Mary's we have lost, in the last few weeks, three long-standing and loved members who were living in care homes. While there is no suggestion that these deaths were all virus related or that the care homes where they lived did not do everything they could to care for them, this is a large cluster for a relatively small community and especially at this time of year. And they have happened at a time of lockdown when relatives and friends have not been able to visit and share in the last days of their loved ones.

Care for the elderly, the vulnerable and those suffering with conditions other than the Covid virus has suffered during these days in many ways and there are already many questions about the legacy of this pandemic on the care and treatment of, for instance, the mentally ill, those with cancer, those waiting for transplants and those living with dementia. So many treatments have been stopped or never started because of the virus and so many care centres have had to close their doors.

There are, in the months and years ahead, going to be many questions to answer about how we have valued lives and how some lives have been deemed to be less important or less useful than others, less precious.

In God's economy, every life is precious. All are created, all are known intimately through every cell and every fibre of their being. All are loved and cherished. None falls through the cracks of God's loving. None is overlooked or forgotten or missed off a list. No one is prioritised as more deserving or more useful than anyone else.

Our Genesis reading is about a very elderly couple – aged 100 and 90 according to the text. Abraham and Sarah are certainly well past the normal age for parenthood and yet God has promised them that their offspring will be a great nation, as numerous as the stars in the sky. Surely this is an impossibility? But here at their camp at Mamre three strangers appear and during their stopover they say that the time has come for this promise to be fulfilled. Sarah finds the idea so ludicrous that she cannot help laughing, but God's promises are fulfilled and, old as they are, Abraham and Sarah become parents to Isaac and the rest, as they say, is history. God does not see as we see. He chose this elderly couple who had doubtless long ago been written off by their peers as barren and of little use, to be the parents of a great nation and God was as good as his word.

We do not have a right as children of God to belittle, dismiss or cease to value any other person, any other life. All life is precious in God's creation and even when we cannot see the value, it is there. We do not know how God might plan to use that person, that life in his purposes now or in the future.

Our Gospel reading for today speaks of Jesus preaching and teaching in Galilee and curing and healing the sick along the way. He calls and sends out his disciples to go among the towns and villages with a remit to proclaim the Good News, to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons. Jesus sends them out to look for and minister to those whom others would shun, dismiss, sideline or overlook.

A few verses later in Matthew Chapter 10, Jesus reminds the disciples that God sees every sparrow (every small, seemingly worthless bird) as it falls and knows and has counted every hair on the disciples' heads. God knows his creation intimately. He values what he has made. He has a care for the seemingly worthless and insignificant. God values those on the margins, those overlooked by others, those dismissed as of no value.

As God's church, we have a calling to go out to those society values least and help them realise their true worth, so that they can stand up and be heard and recognised and know that every life is precious in God's sight.

Whatever the background, whatever the age, whatever the ability, infirmity or condition, all lives are precious to God. All can be used by him in unexpected and creative ways to open up knowledge of the Kingdom, to show and spread love, mercy, wisdom and kindness and to enrich the lives of others. Any life can be the catalyst for some new initiative or insight.

Every person, important or unknown, in the public eye or as unseen as the smallest sparrow has value and is known and counted by God. Everyone can have a purpose we may not currently be able to perceive. May we know and celebrate that now and always. May we stand by the weakest and help their voices to be heard. May we praise God together, forever, for his rich and diverse creation and for his loving kindness that embraces even the most insignificant and overlooked of his children whatever their age.

The 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.

At this time, we pray especially for all those severely affected by the global pandemic and the resultant lockdowns. We remember that it affects those who are black, of Asian descent, or poor far more seriously than it affects others.
We pray for those plunged into poverty, who are struggling to get enough to eat or to keep a roof over their heads. Help us to be generous in helping them.

We pray for all those who are suffering from Covid-19 themselves and especially for those who need or have needed hospital treatment for their illness. We pray for the families and friends of Covid-19 victims, who are unable to help or even see those in hospitals, in care homes, or living elsewhere.
We pray for those experiencing extreme isolation, either because they are ill or because they are shielding.
We pray for all families separated from their loved ones by lockdown.

Please help all of us to help each other in this time of crisis and through the recession which will follow.
Please help us also to take note of how much kinder we have been to our environment during this crisis that we may learn from this experience ways to decrease our contributions to climate change, both as individuals and as a nation.
Please help all governments around the world to find the best way through the crises of pandemic and climate change for all their people and all their neighbours throughout the world.
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 your church both here in Sheffield and around the world. Please help us to continue to be your family at a time when we cannot meet as congregations.
Please help us here in the congregation of St Mary’s Walkley to learn how best to include everyone in our local church family in our efforts, including those without internet access.

Please help us as we consider the loosening of restrictions as they affect churches and work out how best to put these into practice in our churches. We remember that you are with us wherever we worship and that we should not rush back to our church buildings before it is safe to do so.

We pray especially for our mission area, the churches of St. Mary’s Walkley, St. Mark’s Broomhill and St. John’s Ranmoor, as we forge closer links following the retirement of Melanie FitzGerald. Please help us to get to know one another better and to learn how best to be your people over a wider geographical area than we are used to.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body or estate; comfort and relieve them in their need, give them patience in their sufferings, and bring good out of their troubles. We remember to you in our hearts those we know who need the comfort of your presence at this time.
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 remember Kath Gratton, Jim Eckford, Malcolm Reaney and John Browning, who have recently gone to join you. Please comfort their families and friends.
All this we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake.

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 in these prayers, is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000.

The Readings

Isaiah 40.12-17, 27-end

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
or as his counsellor has instructed him?
Whom did he consult for his enlightenment,
and who taught him the path of justice?
Who taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as dust on the scales;
see, he takes up the isles like fine dust.
Lebanon would not provide fuel enough,
nor are its animals enough for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him;
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God’?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

Matthew 28.16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
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.

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

Imagine you are someone from Israel or Judah a few centuries before the time of Jesus. Your land has been taken over, first by the Assyrians and then by the Babylonians. The Babylonians have destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and have carted anyone from the higher classes of society off to Babylon. Perhaps you are one of those now in Babylon. Or perhaps your group managed to escape and you are one of the many scattered peoples hiding throughout the Middle East. Either way, your situation is one of exile. You are far from home, your home has gone. Your life is dictated by the whims of nations and peoples stronger than yours. Perhaps it feels as though your God has deserted you and that the gods of the surrounding nations have the upper hand. You despair that life will never improve. This is the situation that Chapter 40 of Isaiah is addressing.

How does Isaiah do this?

He uses poetry. Beautiful poetry. In the first poem that forms today’s reading, he asks rhetorical questions: Who measured the waters in his hand and marked off the heavens? Who weighed the mountains and hills? Who directed his spirit and taught him wisdom and understanding? It’s a poem of respect and awe for God the creator. It notes just how tiny each individual nation is, how tiny their worship efforts. God is great. Humanity is small in the grand scheme of things.

Then the second of today’s poems addresses the suffering Hebrew people directly – why do they think God can’t see them? Have they forgotten that God is everlasting, the creator of everything, to the ends of the earth? God doesn’t get tired or weak, and he gives power to all who are powerless. The people are encouraged to have faith, keep waiting for God and they shall be renewed.

Imagine now that you are one of the earliest Jewish Christians, living, maybe in Antioch, Syria, about 40 years after Jesus died. Everywhere in the region has been taken over by the Romans. Things are politically volatile, and indeed the Jerusalem temple will soon be destroyed by the Romans. You have come into conflict with the religious authorities, and have become estranged from non-Messianic Judaism. You are trying to preach the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and the Kingdom of Heaven, but are meeting dangerous opposition. Some of your number are being imprisoned or even killed for their faith. Perhaps you are beginning to wonder if God has deserted you. You despair of life ever improving. This is the situation Matthew’s Gospel is addressing.

How does Matthew do this?

He tells stories. Stories about Jesus and his disciples. And in his final story, he tells of when Jesus met physically with his disciples one last time. Matthew reminds readers that there are now 11 of them – Judas’ betrayal means that they are no longer the ideal 12 that started out. He also notes that they are far from perfect in their faith. Their faith has been turned upside down by the events of Holy Week and Easter. They worship Jesus on the mountain, but some doubt. A very human reaction. But Matthew tells that despite all this, Jesus instructs this imperfect and wobbly group of disciples that they are to go out into the world. They are to share the good news everywhere, baptise new believers in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teach them how to life as his disciples. And he then reminds them that he is with them always to the very end of time. Matthew tells this story of how Jesus encouraged his first disciples. And in doing so, he encourages the disciples of his own, slightly later, community to keep going with the task, however difficult they may find it. Jesus is with them too, until the end of time.

Imagine, finally, that you are someone from today’s world. Perhaps you’re one of many protesters following the appalling death of George Floyd, always on the alert yourself because you too experience frequent racism. Perhaps you’re in Hong Kong, worried about the increasing powers being exercised by China. Perhaps you’re in Brazil, alarmed at the spread of the coronavirus. Perhaps you’re in one of the world’s many refugee camps or war-stricken areas, struggling to get by even before the virus reaches your community. Perhaps you are a British MP, worried about the risks of meeting to vote in person. Perhaps you are a parent or teacher worried about re-opening schools too quickly. In the face of any one of these situations, it is easy to feel powerless; threatened by the actions of others who have control. Those with a faith might start to ask “Where is God?” Just some of the situations God’s people need to address today.

How might we do this? Can we gain any insights from Isaiah and Matthew?

Note that Isaiah and Matthew respond creatively. Isaiah writes poems and Matthew tells stories. They use creativity to catch their audience’s imagination and attention. But creativity doesn’t stop there. The past few weeks have shown a myriad of different ways in which ordinary people have acted creatively, through art, comedy, video, music and sheer determination to support each other and build up community.

Secondly, Isaiah and Matthew acknowledge that people, even people of faith, are imperfect. They sometimes have doubts about God’s power. They sometimes doubt if he is even there. That is just as true now. But God loves and accepts us anyway, and calls us to continue to serve him.

Finally Isaiah and Matthew stress that God is indeed there, with his people always, giving them the strength to go on, and the job of continuing his work throughout the world and to the end of time. And that message holds just as strongly for us today.

The Prayers
Adapted from Common Worship: Times and Seasons, copyright The Archbishops' Council 2006

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

Father of heaven, whose love profound
a ransom for our souls has found:
We pray for the world, created by your love,
for its nations and governments, remembering especially at this time
the people of the United States of America and Hong Kong
Extend to them your peace, love, mercy and grace.
We intercede before your throne in heaven.

Almighty Son, incarnate Word,
our Prophet, Priest, Redeemer, Lord:
We pray for the Church, created for your glory,
for its ministry to reflect those works of yours,
We pray especially as it seeks to be your Church
in this time of change.
Extend to us your salvation, growth, mercy and grace.
We intercede before your throne in heaven.

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

Thrice holy! Father, Spirit, Son,
Mysterious Godhead, Three in One:
We pray for ourselves,
for your Church, for all whom we remember before you.
Bring us all to bow before your throne in heaven,
to receive life and pardon, mercy and grace for all eternity,
as we worship you, saying,
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Amen.

The Readings

Acts 1.6-14

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

1 Peter 4.12-14 and 5.6-11

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

John 17.1-11

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

The Sermon
By Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes, Vicar of St John's Ranmoor

I’m sure a lot of us can identify with the disciples in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. When the disciples ask ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ What’s the timetable? We ask ourselves, when will we get back to normal? When can things be like they used to be? And they’re good questions. But they get a similar answer. ‘It is not for you to know.’ For the moment we have to live with uncertainty and take every day as it comes.

Our second reading from the First Letter of Peter speaks to that anxiety. He is writing to a community that is experiencing suffering. And not surprisingly, some in that community seem to be asking why. If they are God’s people, why are they experiencing suffering? Again, it’s a good question and one that people will be asking now in the midst of the pandemic. It’s probably the biggest theological question that we have. But there are no easy answers and even if we had them they would not stop the suffering. Peter reminds his readers that Jesus shares in our suffering but by rising again, he showed us that suffering never has the last word. There is always life and hope beyond it. And it’s this that we need to hold on to as Christians. We should cast our anxiety on God. We should be disciplined and keep alert. A familiar phrase at the moment.

Each night, some of us at St John’s have been gathering for Compline on Zoom at 8pm. It’s a very simple service with just a small choice of short readings. One of them comes from today’s passage ‘Be disciplined or be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in the faith.’ For us, that roaring lion is corona virus, Covid 19, and we must do what we can to resist it. And also pray for our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. Again, the Letter promises that this too will pass. After we have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory will restore, support, strengthen, and establish us. This is our Easter hope. This is what we must hold on to.

Jesus has been appearing and disappearing ever since the resurrection. But in our reading from Acts he is lifted up and hidden by a cloud. It echoes the transfiguration, the cloud that filled the Temple and the pillar of cloud that guided God’s people to the promised land. It marks a decisive change in the disciples relationship with Jesus. Now it is over to them. And to reinforce that point two men in white robes appear to ask the disciples why they are standing around staring at the sky. Jesus who has been taken up to heaven will return one day. And the implication is that he will want to know what they and we have been doing. Or to put it more simply, Jesus is coming. Get busy. Stop asking questions and get on with being Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We may have lots of questions but we also have lots to do. There are huge needs in our world at the moment and we can all do something to respond to them. And some of that is at the local level. As neighbours, volunteers and as people of prayer. The disciples and some of the women who followed Jesus devoted themselves to prayer as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit.

The coming of the Spirit which we celebrate next weekend at Pentecost, or Whitsun, completes the Holy Trinity which we will think more about in a fortnight’s time. But this week’s Gospel gives us a wonderful glimpse of its common life. Of the mutual indwelling of this community of perfect love. Each person of the Trinity glorifies the other. But it is much more than a mutual appreciation society. It draws us into its life to share in that glory, that love. And we are called to reflect that life to the world. Obviously we have a long way to go but I’ve been having glimpses of it recently. Even though we are physically distant more of us seem to have time and space to glorify others. To like each other’s cooking or dodgy haircuts or pictures on social media. To clap for the NHS and key workers. To celebrate each other’s little triumphs. In our own small way we seem to be loving each other more and for that I am profoundly grateful. For me it is a sign of God at work. And hopefully, when all this is over, whenever that may be, will retain something of that love and mutual care. Amen.

The Readings

Acts 1.6-14

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

John 17.1-11

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

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

Have you noticed that television news programmes seem to be full of graphs these days? Graphs showing the numbers of Covid-19 cases over time. Graphs showing the rise and fall in deaths from the virus. Graphs comparing our country’s profile with those of other countries. And then graphs showing how the economy is falling, or how unemployment is rising. Graphs which show things as they are, and graphs projecting how things might be should our country act this way, or that way.

What all these graphs have in common is either an ever increasing rise, followed by a slower fall, or a dramatic fall, followed by what is (or is projected to be) a slower rise.

It struck me that these graphs look very much like a mountain. The upward slope of the mountain is steep, the downward slope much more gradual. And anyone who climbs mountains, or navigates Sheffield’s hills with dodgy knees knows that it’s actually the downward slope that’s the more difficult bit. You may have conquered the summit of Everest, but you’ve still got to get back down to base camp again. You may have managed to climb Fir Street up to the Bole Hills, but your knees are decidedly wobbly coming back to Walkley.

In the Bible stories, mountains are places of Divine encounter. Think of Moses on Mount Sinai or Elijah on Mount Horeb. Think of Jesus’ transfiguration. Think of today’s story from Acts. Jesus and his disciples are on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem.

Luke’s story of Jesus and the early church comes in two volumes – Luke and Acts. So the mountain-top account of the Ascension actually comes in the centre of Luke’s story. Luke’s story is a bit like the mountain itself – his gospel tells of the life of Jesus and his disciples, culminating in the peak experiences of his death, resurrection and ascension. Acts then picks up where the gospel leaves off – at the peak of the mountain and the ascension.

It is here that they have their final conversation together about the coming of God’s kingdom. It is here that Jesus reminds the disciples that they won’t know exactly when the kingdom will be fully restored. It is here that he commissions them to be his witnesses throughout Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world. It is here that he promises them they will receive the Holy Spirit who will equip them for mission. And it is here that they see him in bodily form for the final time before he is taken up by the clouds. And now they must come down the mountain. This is the difficult bit.

Jesus is no longer with them physically to lead them. Their job now is to continue his work in a new and more difficult way – taking up his mantle of leadership themselves. There will be many challenges to be faced – conflict with the religious authorities, disagreements between each other, and conflicts between the different ethnic and cultural groups within the church that emerges. The rest of Acts describes the different challenges the disciples encounter. And since then, the church has continued to be challenged to find its way down the mountain and onwards into whatever lies ahead.

The rates of infection and deaths are thankfully now reducing. And as our country takes its first steps towards easing the restrictions, we have a very cautious climb down our metaphorical mountain. There are many questions to be considered, and no easy answers. When is it safe enough to open our schools, and how should we go about this? How do we educate the children that do return in a way which keeps them safe, but promotes social and emotional development? How do we balance the need to keep our most vulnerable people safe, without starving them of much needed social interaction? When will a vaccine or effective treatment be available? What is the best way to monitor the whereabouts of the virus? How do we find new work for so many whose old jobs may no longer exist?

And there has been a positive peak as a result of the world’s lock-down measures – the environment has become cleaner and healthier. Animals and birds have been thriving. People have been uplifted by the cleaner air, the clearer birdsong, the heady fragrance of blossom, the unexpected sight of wild animals. How do we prevent the decrease in the abundance of nature whilst gradually increasing our usual activities? Many have argued that now is the time for a complete rethink of how we organise our roads, our modes of transport, the way we work. Coming down the coronavirus mountain is going to be a long and rocky road.

So what is the role of God’s people in all this? Well whatever we do, let’s remember that new life is just that – new life. It is necessarily different from the old life. So there will be changes. We need to live our new lives in such a way that God’s kingdom of peace and justice can be brought about on earth, just as it is in heaven.

And let’s remember that like the disciples, we are not alone. For God’s Spirit continues to be with us, guiding us as we make our way down the mountain and into the new life ahead.

The Prayers
By Irving

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we pray for people of every race and in every kind of need: make your ways known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

Almighty God, as we look back to Ascension Day, may our prayers ascend to you just as Jesus Christ, your Son, was taken up to heaven. As we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus let it inspire in us feelings of joy and hope as we look forward to Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

We pray for the peace, stability and unity of the world as we respond to Covid-19. In words from Christian Aid, we pray for all health workers tending the ill, for all scientists working on a vaccination, for researchers analysing data and identifying trends, for media outlets working to communicate objectively, for supermarket and shop workers, hygiene and sanitation providers. We pray for teachers, delivery drivers, postmen, milkmen and refuse collectors and all others upon whose services we rely. We pray too for proper recognition of the value of all those key workers that have helped to keep our country running under such difficult circumstances.

We pray for all who are planning our country’s path out of lock down, that they may they respond to the challenges of this pandemic with fairness, prudence and sound judgement. May their planning alleviate economic burdens, compensate fairly for losses, protect employment and ensure ample food and protection for the poor and isolated.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for your Church throughout the world: guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led in 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 Primates, Bishops, Clergy and Laity of the Anglican Communion around the world. We pray for the Anglican Consultative Council and for the Anglican Communion Office in London. We pray for all in Sheffield Diocese and particularly the Area Deanery of Snaith and Hatfield. We pray for and give thanks to all at St Mary’s who have kept our church alive by their newsletters, electronic ‘virtual’ worship and meetings and in so many other ways.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all that are anxious or distressed in mind or body; comfort and relieve them in their need; give them patience in their sufferings, and bring good out of their troubles.

Especially we pray for all affected by the Corona virus, both physically and emotionally. We pray for all who feel isolated and lonely. Keep us all, good Lord under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful and lift up all who are brought low, that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And in a few moments of reflection, we bring before God our own prayers and concerns.

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

The Bible readings

Acts 17.22-31

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’

John 14.15-21

Jesus said 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

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

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

And as we’re still in lockdown, get your favourite beverage and make yourself comfy…

Back in the days when this country had fairly strict obscenity laws, a judge reputedly made the comment that whilst he couldn’t necessarily define pornography, he knew it when he saw it.

And I think that we Christians sometimes have similar thoughts about two words that we all use, often without too much thought; Gospel and Evangelism.

Now, for many years when I heard the word ‘Evangelism’ my mind was transported to a sweaty tent in the Bible Belt of the USA, where a flashy looking chap would be preaching up a storm whilst passing a bucket around for contributions…not terribly helpful, I know, and not what I think now. But old thought patterns persist, so I want to start by putting a couple of ‘working definitions’ on the table.

“The word gospel comes from the Old English god meaning "good" and spel meaning "news, a story." In Christianity, the term "good news" refers to the story of Jesus Christ's birth, death, and resurrection.”

“In Christianity, evangelism is the commitment to or act of publicly preaching (ministry) of the Gospel with the intention to share the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.”

Having got that out of the way – you’ll see why later – let’s take a look at the reading from the book of Acts, in which Paul finds himself speaking to the Athenian ruling council – the Areopagus – and shares with them some thoughts on God.

For once, Paul is not in front of the local authorities having breached local laws. He’s in Athens awaiting the arrival of Silas and Timothy, spending time whilst the situation in Thessalonica and Berea calms down. Earlier in Chapter 17 we read how Paul had been in both those places and had been received as an agitator and a general nuisance. In Athens, the locals have invited him before the ruling council so that they can hear the new ideas that Paul has to offer. Athens is something of an intellectual hotbed, and the people are at least willing to hear Paul out.

Now Paul’s not here to preach; but given the opportunity he’s not one to turn down any opportunity to evangelise and spread the Gospel. See? I told you those definitions would come in useful! But how will he tackle this opportunity?

Taking an audience-appropriate approach to evangelism is essential, and Paul knows this. He’s seen how religious the Athenians are, and he knows they are proud of their cultural heritage. This is not a place where sermons that work in Judea or Israel will work, and Paul knows that. And there is a really big difference between the religious beliefs of the pagans – the Greeks and Romans – and the Jewish people. They are polytheists – they believe in multiple gods, each god or goddess being worshipped for different reasons and in different ways, unlike the monotheistic God of the Jews and Christians.

Paul has clearly been around the city. He remarks how he came across an altar intended for the worship of an unknown god. He then tells the Athenians that it is this ‘unknown god’ of which he will speak:

“The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us”

And in doing so gives a very brief summary of the Jewish / Christian belief that the listeners would find little to object to. He even backs up his words by quoting a couple of Greek poets in support of his statement.

So – a first piece of guidance for all preachers and evangelists. When you are in a new place, with new people, know your audience. Look around, find out about their beliefs and their culture. Bring in whatever areas of commonality you can find, build the bridges to make it easier for your audience to listen to you. Don’t mis-represent your beliefs or the beliefs of your audience; look for the points of similarity to allow you to build up a sense of discussion and dialogue, not one of confrontation.

In Verse 29 Paul makes a comment that might be provocative to some of his audience; he makes comments about idolatry – God is not “an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals”. Interestingly enough, the temples and sacred spaces dedicated to most of the gods have statues and images that are objects of worship and veneration. But the ‘altar to an unknown god’ probably has nothing like that; after all – if it’s unknown, by definition it would be hard to create an image of that god.

It would have been interesting to have been a member of the audience at this stage; how would they be reacting? It’s likely that the audience wouldn’t have had too much to grumble about with these comments. The Greeks had a respect for their gods, after all.

So far, Paul has been an engaging speaker; he’s explored a few new ideas, but he has not been an evangelist. A second thing to remember for all of us preachers; we’re preaching and ministering to bring the Gospel to people, not impress folks with our rhetorical skills.

Back to those definitions; Paul has spoken of God, but he has not spoken of the Gospel – the story of Jesus Christ’s birth, death, and – most importantly – resurrection.

Paul has taken his audience with him in ways that respect their beliefs, that place God in a context that they can understand – at least intellectually. But in Verse 30 he takes things to a place that many of his audience might find uncomfortable.

God has “ fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Paul has finally hit the core message of the Gospel – still without mentioning Jesus’s name – but he talks of the resurrection from the dead of a man, who will be judge.

The part that would freak out the Greeks would be talk of resurrection of the body. Greek beliefs had a place for the immortal soul, but not for raising bodies from the dead. Paul has taken his audience to the core of the Gospel story, and, he will lose some of them.

In the next verse after tonight’s reading, we hear:

“When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed.”

A final lesson for preachers; it is at the point where you bring the core message of the Gospel to people – the story of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – that you may lose some of your audience; and it is at that moment that you are truly an evangelist. You are bringing the Gospel message to the people, and the people must choose whether they wish to follow Christ.

The role of the evangelist is not to brow-beat or convert; it is to lay the Gospel – honestly, fully - before the people so that, God willing, they may choose the path of Christ for themselves.

Amen.

The prayers
Written by Catherine:

God of the whole world,
we give thanks that you are not unknown,
but make yourself known to all who seek you.
Draw close to all seeking you anew,
or seeking you for the first time
in this time of crisis.
Guide your worldwide church
so that we may show your love for all.
Loving God…
Help us to be loving too.

God of all nations
we pray for your world and all people
as we continue to face this pandemic together.
Guide the leaders of the nations
that they may act
with wisdom and compassion
so that the vulnerable are protected,
resources shared equitably
and all may thrive.
Loving God…
Help us to be loving too.

God of love and truth
we pray for our own nation:
for people anxious or confused
by what this week’s changes to regulations do or do not permit,
for workplaces trying to adapt
to keep colleagues safe,
for those worried about returning to work.
We continue to pray for all
who still cannot leave home
or meet friends or relatives,
and give continued thanks
for the work of volunteers
and mutual aid groups.
Loving God…
Help us to be loving too.

Healing God
we pray for all who are unwell
or troubled in any way.
We continue to pray for those suffering from Covid-19
or any other illness.
We pray for all who work
in the health and caring professions
and for those who support them,
We remember all families
distressed because they can’t visit a loved one in hospital.
We think of anyone known personally to us
who is ill
or in particular need….
Loving God…
Help us to be loving too.

God of the dying and the bereaved
we give thanks
for your promise not to leave us orphaned.
We pray for those who have died
or lost loved ones this week:
for the victims of the maternity hospital massacre in Afghanistan
for those who died due to Covid-19
for all who died alone.
We ask that you be especially close
to all who mourn.
May they know your love.
We think of anyone known personally to us
who has died recently….
Loving God…
Help us to be loving too.

The post-communion prayer for this Sunday, the 6th Sunday of Easter:

God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever
Amen.

Post-communion prayer © Archbishops’ Council 2000