Worship at Home
Worship for the week beginning 5th September 2021
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Sunday 5th September
Rev Francis M’Itiiri has prepared this week’s message
This short act of worship is for use from home. Please use this service whenever you like during the week.
Pause to settle yourself in God’s presence, knowing that other people are sharing in worship with you.
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Call to Worship:
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
(Psalm 125:1-2-NIV)
Let us Pray
Heavenly father, we praise and thank you for your faithfulness to us and to your church which is Christ’s body built upon a strong secure foundation. Thank you, lord, for your grace towards us and your hedge of protection around us in every situation of life may we live to your praise and glory in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
STF 640-We turn to God when we are sorely pressed
We turn to God when we are sorely pressed;
we pray for help, and ask for peace and bread;
we seek release from illness, guilt, and death: all people do, in faith or unbelief.
We turn to God when he is sorely pressed,
and find him poor, scorned, without roof and bread
bowed under weight of weakness, sin, and death:
faith stands by God in his dark hour of grief.
God turns to us when we are sorely pressed and feeds our souls and bodies with his bread; for one and all Christ gives himself in death; through his forgiveness sin will find relief.
Copyright Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
Prayer of Adoration:
Thank you that as we draw near in worship,
we can put aside, the uncertainties of this world and rest upon the certainties of your kingdom and promises as we meet in worship, we are transported from a world of concerns and fears to a place where we can be at peace in your presence, and find healing, wholeness, and refreshment.
Amen.
Jesus honours a Syro-Phoenician woman’s faith
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 ‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’
28 ‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’
29 Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’
30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Jesus heals a deaf and mute man
31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Time to Reflect:
It is quite difficult to understand the meaning of this dialogue between Jesus and the Gentile woman. In Mark 7:24-30 it talks in a metaphorical language about her demon possessed daughter and something else about not giving food to dogs. The society had already judged her, and she was no body in their eyes. Well, she was set for a tough battle to have that discrimination mentality challenged and changed. Her respect and dignity for a child was paramount.
In Matthew’s Gospel chapter 15, the parallel account, the disciples urge Jesus to send her away. But she’s pleading with Jesus, she had no clue on the protocols for approaching a Jewish rabbi (but she won’t take no for an answer)!!
This Text of Mark 7: 24-37– draws attention to the Theme of Uncovering Grace to Flow into Direction
So, it’s not all that surprising that this desperate mother is willing to push past all the barriers. She responds to the challenge: “Okay, I understand. I am not from your tribe Israel, I do not worship your God, and so does that mean then that I don’t have a place at the table? Okay! I accept that.”… “All right.
‘’I may not have a place at the table, but there’s more than enough on that table for everyone in the world,’’ the mother argues, as I envision that. The contention of the gentile mother is for the Lord to give her what she deserves, and not based on the society definition of goodness, but based on God’s goodness!!
Well, in this present world, we’re caught up in situations when many voices have been silenced. Many have forgotten their faith stories and now caught up in the current popular culture of the day.
Mark’s gospel writer reminds us… God has called us all like he called John the Baptist, as the lone voice in the wilderness…
(Mark 1:3) …’’ “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him), the contextual reality of this verse in Mark’s gospel is a call for justice, respect, love, and dignity for all!!
Christ encourages us all to say who we really are. To speak once more the ancient language of our faith, “That I am made in the image and likeness of God; that I count; and that someone truly loves me unconditionally with no strings attached. And that none judges me discriminately because of my gender, ethnicity, or social standing, but just looks at me in the heart and soul and loves me unconditionally.” This is what the Gentile woman was demanding from Jesus.
In simple language, this woman is saying to us there is more meaning to life, and it is found in loving God and neighbour.
That value in is demonstrated by Jesus in the breaking of bread, that true love is that that overcomes all things.
Prayers of intercessions and other prayers
Let Grace uncover, and flow into your direction.
Let us pray together. God of all creation, you hold the depths of the earth in your hands.
You are closer to us than the air we breathe.
Fill our souls with your wonderful love and light.
Let Grace uncover, and flow into your direction
Hear us today as we pray for a world too often darkened by hatred, evil, power and greed. Within our darkest night, God of power and might, your broken world cries out from the depths, a world dominated by the darkness of war, terror, pain, and suffering.
We think of countries around the world torn by deepening conflict and war.
Let Grace uncover, and flow into your direction
We share the pain and anguish of those who have had to flee from their home countries and those who risk their lives and are desperate crossing borders to have a new start of life free from fear and war. God of compassion and grace, we share with you our love and concern for people in a dark place today.
We have on our heart’s friends and loved ones of the victims of violence and hatred. We pray that they will find your strength in the compassion and love of those around them.
Let Grace uncover, and flow into your direction
We pray for tolerance in our society.
We pray for all those suffering from hate crimes. Let your light shine through the darkness of all their pain and their suffering, within our darkest night.
Let Grace uncover, and flow into your direction. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
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.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
StF 249 Jesu, Jesu
Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,
show us how to serve
the neighbours we have from you.
Kneels at the feet of his friends,
silently washes their feet,
master who acts as a slave to them.
Neighbours are rich folk and poor,
neighbours are black, brown, and white,
neighbours are nearby and far away.
These are the ones we should serve,
these are the ones we should love.
All these are neighbours to us and you.
Kneel at the feet of our friends,
silently washing their feet,
this is the way we should live with you.
Final blessings
The Grace of Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of our God the father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and always.
Amen
A Creed Without Borders
You might like to watch this video by Dave Wood and Performing Arts Mission. PAM is a new initiative of the Plymouth and Devonport Methodist Circuit, bringing churches together for creative mission and community.
A Creed Without Borders is a Statement of faith. It is a declaration of the belief in a God who loves unconditionally and without borders or prejudice. It is a declaration that we, as the Church determine to love like Jesus loves and live to become more like Him.
Service prepared by Rev Francis M’Itiiri
Webpage: Paul Deakin