Worship at Home
Worship for the Week Beginning 13th March 2022
Second Sunday of Lent
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Sunday 13th March
Rev Romeo Pedro 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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Gathering Prayer:
Generous God,we come, individually and together, as your children to be resourced, inspired and blessed. For you are a God who cares, a God who calls, a God who honours his promises, and we praise you with all we are and all we have.
Amen
Come let us sing of a wonderful love (StF 443)
Come, let us sing of a wonderful love,
tender and true;
out of the heart of the Father above,
streaming to me and to you:
wonderful love
dwells in the heart of the Father above.
Jesus, the Saviour, this gospel to tell,
joyfully came;
came with the helpless and hopeless to dwell,
sharing their sorrow and shame;
seeking the lost,
saving, redeeming at measureless cost.
Jesus is seeking the wanderers yet;
why do they roam?
Love only waits to forgive and forget;
home, weary wanderer, home!
Wonderful love
dwells in the heart of the Father above.
Come to my heart, O thou wonderful love,
come and abide,
lifting my life, till it rises above
envy and falsehood and pride;
seeking to be
lowly and humble, a learner of thee.
Prayer Confession and Thanksgiving:
Forgive us, Loving God, when we break promises, when we let others down, when we are afraid of the consequences of doing the right thing.
Forgive us, and help us to be strong in your strength, that we might not be ashamed of our weakness, but faithful to our calling, with your help and with the help of others.
God of ages and all people,we give thanks that we can always trust you, we can always rely on you, we can always count on you, and know that you are always on our side; even when we are not trustworthy, even when we are not reliable, even when you cannot count on us.
We thank you and we praise you, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
A New Commandment (StF 242))
A new commandment I give unto you:
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.
By this the world shall know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.
By this the world shall know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.
Bible Readings
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
‘Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.’
2 But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ 3 And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’
4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’ 5 He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, ‘I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.’
8 But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I shall gain possession of it?’
9 So the Lord said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.’
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking brazier with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates –
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’
32 He replied, ‘Go and tell that fox, “I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”’
Time to Reflect
Most of us, when faced with people who reject our help and end up in trouble, would say they deserved it. We would feel justified in writing those people off and turning our attention to our own needs and concerns. But, this is not the way of Jesus.
Today’s reading is a strange one, which takes some careful thought to understand. It begins with a group of Pharisees warning Jesus of Herod’s intention to kill him. We are not sure why they would do this, but their words are significant: “Get away from here if you want to live!” What they didn’t realise is that living was not the first priority on Jesus’ agenda – loving was.
Jesus uses metaphors, in his response, that show where his commitment lay. To begin with he refers to Herod as “that fox” and the people of Jerusalem as “chicks.” Of course, foxes are predators for chickens, and so this is a clear warning of the danger Herod posed to the people of Israel at that time. Herod ruled as king under the authority of Rome, and was seen as a traitor to his people. Any resistance to his rule would be quickly and ruthlessly dealt with.
Jesus, on the other hand, seeks to be like a mother hen to the people – protecting them even with his own life. Yet, the people seem determined to avoid his way of peace and life, and embrace their own destruction.
Nevertheless, what is amazing here is the way Jesus, reading the signs of the situation very clearly, remained committed to love, knowing it would take him to his death.
In today’s reading, Jesus expresses his longing to protect and care for God’s people. But, he also recognises that the people are not interested in his offer. They prefer the ways of collaboration with power, or rebellion against power, to the way of peace and love. Jesus knows that the people will ultimately reject his message of simplicity, generosity, justice, and peace, and that they will reject him. He knows that if he continues on his way of love he will die, and that for most of the people of the city, his death will mean nothing. Yet, in spite of all this, he refuses to reject the people and protect himself. Not even the people’s rejection is enough to make him stop loving and serving them. When Jesus preached that love for God and for neighbour (including enemies) was God’s highest command, he meant it, and he lived it all the way to the cross and beyond.
It may not feel like it, but choosing to love others irrespective of their attitude or actions toward us is a tremendously liberating and healing thing. This is the way that Jesus demonstrated for us, and to which he calls us.
To what extent are we committed to love above all things? How can you practice this relentless love in your own life today?
Forgiveness often feels like weakness. It can seem like we’re allowing others to take advantage of us, and we’re failing to demand the justice we need. But, the truth is that failing to forgive is what makes us weak and unjust, and leaves us at the mercy of others. Today, whenever you are tempted to choose vengeance, or rejection over love, speak words of forgiveness, and cling to love even more. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Gracious God, we pray for those longing to draw their ‘children’ together like a mother hen…for those watching their countries being torn apart by civil war…
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those watching their villages diminish through poverty…
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those watching their babies die of starvation…
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those watching their families torn apart by bitterness…
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those watching their animals dying through drought…
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those watching their lives fall apart through addiction…
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayer and reveal your glory. 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.
I, the Lord of sea and sky (StF 663)
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain;
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?
I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts are satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?
Final Prayer of Blessing
Teach me, Loving God, to live out my faith; to show courage when things are tough, to show love to those in need, and to be forgiving even when I am hurt. Help me to follow Jesus.
Amen.
Service prepared by Rev Romeo Pedro
Webpage: Paul Deakin