St Clement Church Sixth Sunday after Trinity Community Service
Good morning
What a week it’s been – sunshine, greyness, rain, hot, cold – it’s been difficult to know what to be at – a bit like life!
Rejection – what does it feel like? We’ve all experienced it at some time and in some way and we’re in the best company, but how can we avoid being the one who rejects?
With love to you all
Liz
Let us pray
Let us be still for a moment as we draw near to worship God … Take just a few seconds to remind ourselves why we are gathered-together today.
Listen … God speaks even through the background noise of the world around us.
Lord God, in this short time together, open our ears and our eyes to see Your vision for this place and our part within it. Teach us, hear our prayers, and enable us for service wherever You may take us, to Your praise and glory. Amen
We say together
Lord of all, as we gather to worship You, we ask for hearts open to Your presence. Fill this place with Your Spirit and our souls with Your peace. Let every song, prayer and word spoken glorify You and draw us closer in communion with You and each other. In Your holy name, we worship. Amen
Hymn: 408 Love divine, all loves excelling
Prayer of Penitence
Lord God,
we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation. through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Collect for Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Merciful God, you have prepared for those that love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
Readings:
Ezekiel 2. 1 - 5
2 Corinthians 12. 2 – 10
Hymn: 336 Angel voices ever singing
Gospel: Mark 6. 1 - 13
(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord’)
Jesus came to his home town, and his disciples followed him.
On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded.
They said, ‘Where did this man get all this?
What is this wisdom that has been given to him?
What deeds of power have been done by his hand!
Is not this the carpenter, son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’
And they took offence at him.
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’
And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.
And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Then he went about the villages teaching.
He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.
He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house. Stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’
So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.
They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
(This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.)
Reflection
It’s strange isn’t it, how where you come from and who you are, so often defines what it’s assumed you can achieve and how you should behave.
Jesus, comes back to His home town and initially, His teaching in the synagogue amazes and impresses people, until, they realise that He is Mary’s son, a carpenter.
In a social system where status is understood as fixed (your status at birth defines who you would always be) and honour and shame considerations are important, did they simply regard it as impossible for Jesus to amount to anything? The people of Nazareth indicate this negative perception when they identify Jesus as a ‘carpenter, ‘ (a low-status manual labourer) and as the ‘son of Mary’ (hinting at a questionable fatherhood.)
Suddenly, because of who He is, they ‘take offence.’ They question and cannot accept His learning and wisdom, or indeed Him! Not only that, Jesus can do no miracles in His home-town. He lays His hands on one or two people but the miracles He has done elsewhere – no, not here. Why not? Well, it’s a matter of faith – a matter of believing. A miracle is not just an event, it is an interpreted event. If Jesus isn’t regarded as being capable of healing, any healing that does happen won’t be attributed to Him so, there is nothing here – time to move on. Jesus’ experience isn’t unique. How often do we hear of someone’s achievements being questioned because he or she came from such a place or family? Nothing good can come from there.
It isn’t just that – how quickly people judge without having any knowledge of the what or why.
I, when I first came back to Truro, was stopped in the main street by a woman who pointed a finger at me and said, ‘That an Eddy should do what you have done!’ and with that she turned and stomped away. I had only been home ten days … I could have been on holiday but the tongues wagged and judgement had been made. What had I done? I’d come home with three young children, at my father’s insistence, (and it must have cost him dear to say it) because, ‘You might be willing to put up with what is happening, my love, but you have no right to make the children do so.’
It’s so easy to make judgement in our own ‘self-righteous’ bubble because we assume we know what’s what, when of course, we don’t … and sadly, we’re all guilty of it at some time or another.
You know, one way or another, we all experience rejection by people that matter, and that hurts.
If what we do is rejected, what is our response? Do we sulk or cower? Do we stop doing what we’re doing? Do we stop being who we are? Do we retreat from showing our love for our neighbour?
Jesus doesn’t. Having been ‘judged,’ Jesus doesn’t stop being Himself, He doesn’t stop His ministry. Instead, He leaves His home-town and goes out into the surrounding villages and continues His teaching. He isn’t running away but going to places where He is accepted. He continues to do His work sending His disciples to the world.
So, to the second part of our Gospel reading. Jesus sends out his disciples in pairs to minister to the people. Why in pairs? So each of them can support the other. But, He gives them specific instructions. They are only permitted to take a staff or walking stick and must wear sandals. They are not allowed to take what we might well consider necessities – a bag with bread and money – nor are they to wear two tunics … if they are out at night, it gets very cold so an extra tunic helps to keep them warm.
Gosh – it’s a ‘baptism of fire’ isn’t it – well a ‘baptism of hunger, out in the cold and no support … apart from each other.’ But it’s a lesson in faith – that all will be provided.
The instructions continue … The disciples are told to stay in one house until they move to another town and, if any place doesn’t welcome them or won’t listen to them, to leave, shaking the dust off their feet as a ‘testimony’ against them. This reflects Jesus’ human side. He must be hurt from the rejection of his own people. So, hurt by this experience, Jesus reminds His disciples that if people reject them, they should not take it personally. This is Jesus’ self-care, a coping mechanism He wants to share with His disciples so that they don’t feel the resentment and hurt that He feels.
Surely this is a message for us all. If people reject our acts of love for our neighbours, let us shake off the dust of disappointments on our feet: their rejection of our actions is ‘testimony’ against them. Let us not retreat into our little corners, but move forward to places where our actions and identities will be accepted.
Like Jesus and His disciples, rejection should drive us to continue ministering to the world and to show God’s love to everyone and everything that God created.
Amen
Let us declare our faith in God
Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist?
We believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?
We believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world?
We believe and trust in him.
This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We trust in one God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Hymn: 334 All people that on earth do dwell
Intercessions
No prayer is made on earth alone; the Holy Spirit pleads; and Jesus on His eternal throne, for sinners intercedes.
Gracious God, we are gathered here to offer our praise and thanks to you. You are the Creator for you made us, our world and everything in it and so we pray with one voice, proclaiming your presence to all the earth.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Almighty God, as a Church we daily pray that ‘Your Kingdom Come,’ but most of the time we live in ways that prevent its coming. We spend too much of our time trying to build our own human kingdom, putting ourselves, rather than you, at the centre of our lives. Send your Spirit to remind us that You are ‘First,’ others are ‘Second, and we are ‘Third.’
Holy God, we pray for your Church, for Archbishops Justin and Stephen and our Bishop Hugh. We pray that they may be strengthened and protected by the Holy Spirit in all they do and say. We pray for the work of the General Synod of the Church of England meeting in Edinburgh this weekend.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Creator God, we pray for the leaders of the world carrying responsibilities for the lives of their people.
We pray for our Royal Family – for the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal and all other members of the family carrying out royal duties.
We pray for our new parliament that it will take seriously the concerns of the people of this country and work for their common good.
We pray for all victims of recent terrorism and for a new determination to end the spiral of violence which brings with it so much fear, heartache, and suffering.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Gracious God, we pray for the people of Cornwall especially for those who feel excluded, exploited, or ignored. Help us, your people, to work together to build a community which is as open and generous as your love, shown to us in the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Father God, we worship you as the one who has given us this life and we ask that you will help us live it to the full. At home may we be the friends and neighbours that we really want to be. Help us to spread the warmth of your love to everyone we meet.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Loving God, we pray for the sick and the troubled, for the fearful and the alone, for those in pain and those who have lost their way. We pray that all who suffer may feel the Spirit’s healing presence.
We especially bring to you: Reverend Diane and Ken, May, Susan, Lauren, Lynda, Barrie and Sandra, Pam and David, Terry and Dot, Margaret, Maureen, Alison and Rob, Jan, Anita and Stephen, Michael and Patricia, Jeremy, Stella, William, Callum and Elaine, Jay, Ann, Julie, Andy and those who have no one to pray for them.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Merciful God, we bring before you all those whose earthly journey has come to and end. Please welcome them into your heavenly kingdom; grant them forgiveness and eternal rest and peace.
We also bring before you all those mourning the loss of their loved ones – be with them and bring them comfort.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
God of heaven and earth, companion in life, Spirit of Truth, to you alone we turn our eyes and lift our hearts. Be with us and guide us as we go out into the world to keep your commandments and to love one another as you love us.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Gathering our prayers and praise into one, let us pray with confidence as our risen Lord has taught us.
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
Rejection by Bobbie Isabel
I wish I didn’t care
that words rolled off my back
that I didn’t read questions
in every statement made
that I didn’t question
each statement I make
that fear of rejection
didn’t manifest in a retort
that I could resort
to quiet understanding first.
Second guessing everything
hoping it will all come out right
or turn out right
or turn around
and right itself
once it’s fallen over.
But the cart keeps rolling
perpetual topsy turvy
until I’m dizzy
nauseated and flushed
overheated and anxious
hating that I care so much
that I can’t just let it go
that I can’t just be normal
aloof and unfeeling
or able to pretend.
But pretence is unreasonable
and unforgiveable.
So, I’m honest when I say
I forgive you
and not myself.
The Peace
Jesus said: ‘Love one another.
As I have loved you, so are you to love one another.’
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
Hymn: 415 O for a thousand tongues to sing
Blessing
Loving God, we thank you for hearing our prayers, feeding us with your word, and encouraging us in our worship together.
Take us and use us
to love and serve you, and all people,
in the power of your Spirit
and in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen