Worship at Home
Worship for 13th September 2020
The Gift of Forgiveness
Genesis 50:15-21 & Matthew 18:21-35
Try our dial-in service to listen to the sermon and a hymn – 01604 266000.
Sunday 13th September 10:30 AM
(or whenever you wish)
This week’s message has been prepared by Rev Romeo Pedro.
This short act of worship is for use from home. Pause to settle yourself in God’s presence, knowing that other people are sharing in worship with you.
Opening Prayer
Our desire, our need, our yearning draws us together to worship God. Unexplainable, unimaginable, unbelievable, incomprehensible love, pulls at our heart strings, tugs at our emotions, turns our eyes beyond the seeing.
All-encompassing God, just as we are, we come.
Amen.
Hymn: Come on and Celebrate (StF 44)
Come on and celebrate
His gift of love, we will celebrate
The Son of God who loved us
And gave us life.
We’ll shout Your praise, O King,
You give us joy nothing else can bring,
We’ll give to You our offering
In celebration praise.
Come on and celebrate, celebrate
Celebrate and sing,
Celebrate and sing to the King.
Come on and celebrate, celebrate
Celebrate and sing,
Celebrate and sing to the King.
Prayer of Praise and Confession
God of love and grace beyond our telling,
we bring our thankful hearts to you, acknowledging that without you we are nothing and with you we can be so much more…
thankful that you care for us, and love us beyond measure; that you have endless patience with us; that you teach us time and time again what it is to be committed to you and your way…
thankful that you reveal yourself to us in myriad ways, to inspire us and evoke within us a heartfelt response…
thankful that while all this is for everyone who will come to you and accept you, it is for me – for me! – and may I know it deep within. With overflowing hearts, hear our prayer.
Forgiving God,
more willing to forgive than often we are to confess, help us to see our failings, to see where we fall short, to see where we deceive ourselves, where we close our eyes and ears to the ripples of our wrongdoing.
May we breathe in the reality of our actions,
the need to change,
the depth of our unworthiness.
We come before you, seeking forgiveness. (keep silence)
Now let us breathe in the power of your forgiveness, and breathe out the need to live and love in the shadow of your forgiveness of us, that we may forgive as you have forgiven us.
Amen.
Hymn: Only by grace (StF 565)
Only by grace can we enter,
Only by grace can we stand:
Not by our human endeavour,
But by the blood of the Lamb.
Into Your presence You call us,
You call us to come.
Into Your presence You draw us,
And now by Your grace we come,
now by Your grace we come.
Chorus
Lord, if You marked our transgressions
who would stand?
Thanks to Your grace we are cleansed
by the blood of the Lamb.
Lord, if You marked our transgressions
who would stand?
Thanks to Your grace we are cleansed
by the blood of the Lamb.
Only by grace can we enter…
Genesis 50:15-21
Joseph reassures his brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’ 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 “This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.” Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.’ When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Matthew 18:21-35
The parable of the unmerciful servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’
22 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 ‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 ‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
28 ‘But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded.
29 ‘His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.”
30 ‘But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 ‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Dear friends,
when Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive another person seven times, he was going well beyond the requirements of the law. But Jesus moved forgiveness beyond any attempt to measure and keep score. He called his disciples to forgive seventy-seven times (or seventy times seven) – which is not about a specific number, but is a call to never give up on forgiving.
The parable in today’s reading really drives the point home. The servant who is forgiven by the king should have been eager to extend grace to the neighbour who owed him so much less. But his only concern was for himself. His inability to forgive those around him meant that even though he may have been released from his debt, he remained imprisoned by his need to keep score. This parable makes a connection between forgiveness and financial debt. In our materialist, consumerist world, we often imprison ourselves in financial disputes, and in our addiction to more.
But the parable also applies to debts that are not financial. When anyone hurts us, we view this as a debt of justice, and we want retribution in order to feel honoured, respected, and powerful again. However, in the process of fighting for justice, we often lose our souls and destroy more than the ones who hurt us ever did.
The gift of forgiveness is that it frees us from destructive patterns and releases us to live without constant reference to what has hurt us – it lets us, more than others, off the hook.
Where do you need to choose forgiveness this week? I choose this week to forgive you – if you have intended to cause me harm. Would you forgive me if I have caused you any pain?
Friends, whenever we bring our confessions to God in worship, we hear the words of absolution in response. This is to remind us that God always chooses forgiveness and restoration over retribution. Then, as we allow this to teach and change us, we learn to make forgiveness our habitual choice.
Today, practice choosing forgiveness and let it set you free.
Recommended Reading – The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World (Desmond M Tutu)
Amen.
A prayer for others:
Cup your hands. Now imagine, holding these people and situations before Jesus.
Jesus, your parables inspire us to pray for those who forgive us, for big things and small…
for those who do not forgive, no matter what…
for those who do not know how to forgive…
for those who do not want to forgive…
for those who have not been forgiven.
God of forgiveness, for them all, we pray.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
(please pray in your mother tongue).
Spanish
Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos
Santificado sea tu Nombre
Venga tu reino
Hágase tu voluntad
En la tierra como en el cielo
Danos hoy el pan de este día
y perdona nuestras deudas
como nosotros perdonamos nuestros deudores
y no nos dejes caer en al tentación
sino que líbranos del malo.
Tuyo es el Reino el Poder y la Gloria por Siempre Señor.
Amen.
English
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Welsh
Ein Tad yn y nefoedd,
sancteiddier dy enw;
deled dy deyrnas;
gwneler dy ewyllys,
ar y ddaear fel yn y nef.
Dyro inni heddiw ein bara beunyddiol,
a maddau inni ein troseddau,
fel yr ym ni wedi maddau i’r rhai a droseddodd yn
ein herbyn;
a phaid â’n dwyn i brawf,
ond gwared ni rhag yr Un drwg.
Oherwydd eiddot ti yw’r deyrnas a’r gallu a’r
gogoniant am byth.
Amen.
German
Vater unser im Himmel,
geheiligt werde dein Name;
dein Reich komme;
dein Wille geschehe,
wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern;
und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,
sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.
Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft
und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.
Amen.
Italian
Padre nostro che sei nei cieli,
sia santificato il tuo nome;
venga il tuo regno,
sia fatta la tua volontà,
come in cielo così in terra.
Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano,
rimetti a noi i nostri debiti,
come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori
e non ci indurre in tentazione,
ma liberaci dal male.
Amen.
French
Notre Père, qui es aux cieux,
Que ton nom soit sanctifié,
Que ton règne vienne,
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal,
car c’est à toi qu’appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles.
Amen.
Shona
Baba vedu vari kudenga,
Zita renyu rinoera ngarikudzwe.
Umambo hwenyu ngahuve muvanhu,
Kuda kwenyu ngakuitwe pasi pano sezvinoitwa kudenga, Tipei nhasi uno zvokudya zvedu zvinotikwanira, Tiregererei pane zvatinokutadzirai,
Sezvatinoregererawo vaya vanotitadzira,
Musatirega tichiedzwa,
Asi tinunurei pane zvakaipa,
Nokuti umambo ndohwenyu,
namasimba ndeenyu,
nembiri ndeyenyu,
Kusvikira rini narini.
Ameni.
Swahili
Baba yetu uliye mbinguni,
Jina lako litukuzwe,
Ufalme wako uje,
Mapenzi yako yatimizwe,
hapa duniani kama huko mbinguni.
Utupe leo riziki yetu.
Utusamehe deni zetu,
kama sisi nasi tuwasamehevyo wadeni wetu.
Na usitutie majaribuni,
lakini utuokoe na yule mwovu.
Kwa kuwa ufalme ni wako, na nguvu, na utukufu, hata milele.
Amina.
Polish
Ojcze nasz, któryś jest w niebie
święć się imię Twoje;
przyjdź królestwo Twoje;
bądź wola Twoja jako w niebie tak i na ziemi;
chleba naszego powszedniego daj nam dzisiaj;
i odpuść nam nasze winy,
jako i my odpuszczamy naszym winowajcom;
i nie wódź nas na pokuszenie;
ale nas zbaw od złego.
Albowiem Twoje jest Królestwo i moc, i chwała
na wieki wieków.
Amen.
Dutch
Onze Vader in de hemel,
laat uw naam hierin geheiligd worden,
laat uw koninkrijk komen
en uw wil gedaan worden
op aarde zoals in de hemel.
Geef ons vandaag het brood
dat wij nodig hebben.
Vergeef ons onze schulden,
zoals ook wij hebben vergeven
wie ons iets schuldig was.
En breng ons niet in beproeving,
maar red ons uit de greep van het kwaad.
Want aan u behoort het koningschap,
de macht en de majesteit tot in eeuwigheid.
Amen.
Afrikaans
Onse Vader wat in die hemele is,
laat u naam geheilig word.
Laat u koninkryk kom,
laat u wil geskied,
soos in die hemel net so ook op die aarde.
Gee ons vandag ons daaglikse brood,
en vergeef ons ons skulde,
soos ons ook ons skuldenaars vergewe.
En lei ons nie in versoeking nie,
maar verlos ons van die bose.
Want aan U behoort die koninkryk en die krag
en die heerlikheid tot in ewigheid.
Amen
Listen to Romeo say The Lord’s Prayer in Afrikaans (originally from a worship at home service in May)
Greek
Πάτερ ημών ο εν τοις ουρανοίς,
αγιασθήτω το όνομά Σου,
ελθέτω η Βασιλεία Σου,
γεννηθήτω το θέλημά Σου ως εν ουρανώ και επί της γης.
Τον άρτον ημών τον επιούσιον δος ημίν σήμερον,
και άφες ημίν τα οφειλήματα ημών, ως και ημείς αφίεμεν τοις οφειλέταις ημών.
Και μη εισενέγκης ημάς εις πειρασμόν, αλλά ρύσαι ημάς από του πονηρού.
Ότι σου εστί η βασιλεία και η δύναμις και η δόξα
Αμήν
Brother, sister, let me serve you (StF 611)
Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.
Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
A Prayer of Blessing
Help us, Loving God, to always remember to forgive as you forgive us. Again, and again and for ever.
Amen.
In his sermon Romeo recommends
The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World
by Desmond Tutu.
If you are interested in buying a copy it is available from Amazon for £6.95.
Message and Worship sheet by Rev Romeo Pedro
Some material from Roots resources.
Webpage: Paul Deakin