Worship at Home - By David Godfrey

Hello everyone and welcome to worship.

I'll begin with some words from Psalm 16. The psalmist writes of God. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy. In your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

So, we turn to our opening hymn, it is number 455 in singing the faith, or number 63 in Hymns and Psalms. All My Hope on God is founded, he does still my trust renew. 

Hymn: StF 455, StF 63, ‘All my hope on God is founded’  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsMaRQTTpEE

Prayers:

Confession and words of assurance:   Faithful God, we are sorry for the times when we have deepened the sorrows of others.  We confess that we are more likely to be irritated by the lives of others than to be provoked into loving them.  When we are offered lives of peace and hope we too often wander around in anxiety and despair.  Forgive us Holy one, and keep us on the path of faithfulness.  May we be humble enough to understand that we are saved not by our own actions, but by the saving love of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.  

This is the good news:  God gives us hope, God gives us peace, God gives us joy so we may share these gifts with everyone we meet.

Amen,

Thanks be to God.

Reading:  Mark 13:1-8

Reflection:

‘Look teacher!’  Said one of the disciples to Jesus, ‘What massive stones!  What magnificent buildings!’  We can’t blame the disciples for being a little overwhelmed in Jerusalem.  The Roman historian Tacitus, described the temple complex as a mountain of white marble adorned with gold.  ‘A ‘temple of immense wealth’. And the disciples are really only country boys from the North, visiting the capital for the first time.  It must have pained Jesus to prick their bubble of awe and wonder and yet it had to be done.  Jesus warned the disciples not to put their faith in stones and monumental architecture.  However beautiful and precious these things are, a pile of stones does not bring salvation in times of distress.  And he knew that a time of distress was coming, when there would be war and ‘not one stone will be left upon another.’

These words of Jesus resonate quite strongly with us today.  So much of our faith and hopes for the church are tied up in buildings.  Our buildings carry so many memories, so many prayers and so much of us.  Yet somehow we know it is true, that our faith does not reside in bricks, and wood and stone.  Our buildings point to a reality of God that lies beyond their boundaries.  Jesus message to his disciples was to stay faithful to a God to resides in the world beyond the wood and stone of the temple.  He says that God’s salvation and rescue are sure.  Things made with human hands may fail, but God never will.

And so we take that same message away with us today.  Certainly we see God’s kingdom in the ordered worship of the Church.  But we also see his kingdom in the fight for justice in our world, in the work of peacemakers, and in individual acts of human love in a broken and divided world.  May God make his temple in human hearts and may we carry the light of his love out into the world.

Hymn:  StF 134, H&P 457, ‘Christ whose glory fills the skies’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MqSASr_Lqk

Prayers: 

Intercessions:    Loving God as the nights draw in and winter approaches, keep us in the light.  We remember those who long for freedom and peace in our world and we pray for places of war, remembering: Ukraine, Sudan, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel and the entire middle east region.  We remember those whose lands are devastated by war, who have lost homes and loved ones.  We also remember victims of natural disaster and pray for those seeking to act on climate change.  Give them courage to make difficult and life changing decisions.  We pray for those who are suffering remembering especially those known to us who are ill, or grieving.  Bring healing and peace to your world and to those we love.  We ask these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   Our Father…

Hymn:  StF 639  ‘Through the Love of God our Saviour’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQSNZ92NV7o

 God who is faithful, sends us forth to be a blessing to the world.  Go in love, remembering a Saviour’s trust in God, a trust that revealed the promise of eternal life.

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you this day and always.

  Amen.