Worship at Home - By John Hinton

A gathering prayer: Jesus said, ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened.’ So, let us come to him now with the weariness of our return to everyday life after the busy-ness and excitement of Christmas, and let us come to him with our concerns for the year ahead. Let us put them and ourselves into the hands of God. 

Amen.

StF 248: I heard the voice of Jesus say (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74kyfROS4q8)

Prayer of approach: Epiphany God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we come to you.

Parent God, you care for us, tend to our wounds and swaddle us with love: we come to you.

Lord Jesus Christ, you were born for us, lived for us, suffered for us, died for us, was raised for us: we come to you

Holy Spirit, you were poured out upon us for our blessing and for our faith: we come to you.

Epiphany God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we come to you. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Message: Just a few weeks ago, on the 3rd Sunday of advent, we focussed on John the Baptist’s role in the Christmas story. Today we fast forward some 30 years and reflect on John’s role in Christ’s baptism

Reading: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

All three versions of the film "A star is born" tell the story of a fading star set against a bright, new rising talent.  The response of the fading star is altogether human.  They fight the situation, fight to keep their popularity and their fame.  It's a fight that they are bound to lose but they fight it any way. It could not be more different to the story of John the Baptist.

John was the son of the aged priest, Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth. He grew to live an austere life, modelling himself on the prophet Elijah and attracted many followers to his words and to his baptisms and gathered around himself a number of disciples. He has been described as the last "great prophet, but there were many prophets, each claiming to speak God’s word, each having their own followers. They were often in conflict, fighting each other to keep the ears of the people and patronage of the powerful. In many ways we can see in them the entirely human characteristics of the fading stars in the film, characteristics of ego & of fame. But not John! He said “I am not the messiah, but have been sent ahead of him”. He likens himself to the best man, the supporting role to “Christ the Bridegroom. He acknowledges that “He (Christ) must increase and I must decrease”. Compare that to the sentiments of the fading celebrities in “A star is born”

We live in an increasingly secular world where people need to be given reasons to believe in Christ. So perhaps the best way to evangelise is to explain the reasons we have faith in Jesus. And one of the reasons that I have faith in him is not directly through the stories of Jesus himself, but through the stories of those people who’s lives he touched and changed. People in whom we can believe in and relate to. People like

    • A little man who was so unpopular he hid in a tree rather than stand alongside others in the crowd, but who’s life was changed forever when Christ showed him friendship.

    • A prostitute whose self-destructive lifestyle was turned around when Christ told her that her sins were forgiven and by doing so enabled her to forgive herself and find a new path.

    • A friend who, when the going got tough, betrayed Jesus.

    • A friend who, when the going got tough, denied he had ever known Jesus.

    • The disciples who, when hiding and terrified after the crucifixion, were given confidence and purpose after encountering the risen Lord. Not to “live happily ever after” but mostly to go onto face persecution and death with the words of Christ on their lips.

    • And John the Baptist. The fiery old-style prophet who, surrounded with his followers, was prepared to see himself decrease so that Jesus, the Messiah, could increase. 

All are people who we can believe in. All are people in who’s lives we can see characteristics which are mirrored in our own life experience. All are people who’s lives were touched and challenged and changed by Christ, a person in whom they were totally convinced they had met God. All are people who point the way to Christ for us. 

StF 233: When Jesus came to Jordon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koQKCfXkrKE)

Prayer of intercession:

Lord, we thank you for the love which you have shown us through your creation.

We pray for those who work to combat climate change; for scientists researching new ways to fuel our needs;

for politicians to respond to the situation and to keep the pledges they have made; for us that we may seek ways to live that help preserve the wonderful world that you have given us to care for.  

As we celebrate your love for us, May we love in return.

Loving God of all the world, we thank you for the love you have shown us which gives us a sense of identity. We pray for those who live in fear of war and civil strife; for those who are threatened by oppression and violence; for those who are driven to seek refuge and asylum in other nations or states; for us that we may value our common humanity and share your love with others. As we celebrate your love for us, May we love in return.

Loving God of wholeness and health, we thank you for your love shown to us through the care of healthcare workers and the National Health Service. We pray for those who are ill; for hospitals struggling under the pressures of winter; for those who care for others each and every day. As we celebrate your love for us, May we love in return.

Loving God of friends and family, we thank you for those who enrich our lives by their kindness and love. We pray for those who are separated from family and friends and for those whose homes are places of neglect or abuse; for those who feel isolated and alone; As we celebrate your love for us, May we love in return.

We rejoice that we are loved, and pray that-refreshed by that love-we may seek ways to share your empowering and refreshing love with those who do not know that they are loved. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

StF 103: God is love, let heaven adore him (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqqBu1VVHqM)