Worship at Home - By David Godfrey

Hello again everyone, it is good to be back from sabbatical and to share with you in worship.

I'm going to begin with a few verses from Psalm 103, beginning at verse 1

Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me. Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord O my soul. And do not forget all his benefits. 

We sing our opening hymn which is number 83 in Singing the faith or 13 in Hymns and Psalms. This is a hymn of praise.

Hymn:  StF 83, H&P 13,  “Praise my soul the king of heaven”  

Prayers:

Confession and words of assurance:   Loving God, you have known us from our mother’s womb.  You know when we struggle to hear your voice, and when we fail to acknowledge your love.  Help us to be assured of your presence and to see your love in action.  Guide us, heal us and free us, that we may recognise you at work in the world.  May we heed your call and celebrate your loving acceptance.  In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

In the gracious love of Christ, we are set free from our sin and sorrow.  We rejoice for Christ has rescued us all.  Thanks be to God.

Amen.

Reading:  Luke 13:10-21

Reflection:

Imagine what it must be like to spend your life bent double and unable to stand up straight.  When you walk around you cannot raise your head, so your horizon shrinks and you can only see a few feet ahead. When you speak to someone you either have to look at their shoes, or twist sideways to look them in the eye.  It would be a painful condition, hard on the joints and socially isolating too.  You would get used to being ignored and to conversation passing you by.  People want to talk face to face.  No one wants to talk to the top of your head.  Gradually as your condition persists, you begin to accommodate it.  Your expectations from life shrink as do your horizons.  If you struggle to imagine this day to day reality of life, then spare a thought for the woman in the synagogue.  A woman that Jesus spots in the crowd and calls over.  And then, unexpectedly, Jesus heals her.  Now she can stand tall.  Now she can turn her face to the sun and count the stars at night.  Now she can talk to people face to face and look them in the eye.  For the first time in many years she can actually belong and relate to the community in which she had lived for so long.

It is a wonderful story that reveals the healing, including and liberating work of God in the world.  It is also an important story.  We know this because Jesus feels the need to provide a commentary on it in the form of the two short parables which follow.  They are linked to the healing with the word ‘therefore’, so we know that the parables connect to what has just happened.  In the parables we learn that the kingdom of God, (that is God’s love and grace breaking in to this world), always exceeds expectations.  A mustard seed may seem an unpromising beginning, but it grows and stands tall and straight, rather like the woman in the healing story.  Similarly, yeast may seem smelly and useless, but it changes everything when mixed with a large quantity of flour.  Jesus simply wants to show us that when God works in human life, even in small ways, it changes everything.  Suddenly, our meagre expectations grow, our small horizons expand and personal and community life is transformed.  May we see this happen in our own lives and communities.

Hymn:  StF 655 “We cannot measure how you heal”

Prayers:  

Intercessions:   Lord Jesus, in the synagogue long ago you transformed the life of an unnamed woman by setting her free from her ailment.  We pray for many other unnamed women, men and children in parts of the world where there is no freedom.  We pray for those suffering the consequences of war and violence in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and in other parts of the world.  Usher into these places your kingdom of freedom, justice and peace.  Bring freedom and peace to our own communities too.  In the polarity of politics, bring new understanding between people and healing to our communities.  Abide also with those who are sick in body, mind and Spirit and with all who need you most.  We offer our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen. 

The Lords Prayer.  Our Father…

Hymn:  StF 686, H&P 759, “Jesus Lord we look to thee”.  

Blessing:

We rejoice in God’s presence, celebrate the good news of his love, and go to live as his people.  And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon us always. 

Amen.