St Clement Church Community Sunday Service
Good morning to you all as we celebrate our Sunday service, whether in your own home or our church building. This Sunday, the 13th after Trinity, we shall hold our Eucharist in church. If you’re unable to be there I hope you join us in worship with this service of the Word. May Christ’s love sustain you always.
With much love and prayers,
Rev Di and family xx
Let us pray;
Almighty God, you search us and know us: may we rely on your strength and rest on you in weakness, now and in all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: ‘I Danced in the Morning’
Our prayers of Penitence
Let us confess our failings to the Lord:
When our deeds do not match our words:
Lord, have mercy.
When we let evil go unchallenged, and are afraid to speak the truth: Christ, have mercy.
When we are preoccupied with ourselves, and give little attention to others:
Lord, have mercy.
When we trust in earthly treasures more than in God’s unfailing care:
Christ, have mercy.
May our almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon and forgiveness of all our failings, time for amendment of our lives and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Let us pray our Collect for the 13th Sunday after Trinity
Almighty God, you search us and know us: may we rely on you in strength and rest on you in weakness, now and in all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Readings:
Joshua 24.1-2a, 14-18
Ephesians 6.10-20
Hymn; ‘Dear Lord & Father of Mankind’
Gospel (John 6.56-69)
(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you?
Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
(This is the Gospel of the Lord. Response: ‘Praise to you, O, Christ’)
Reflection
Over the last few Sundays, we have been making our way through chapter 6 of St John's gospel, and it was just my luck that last week at St Agnes there was a baptism during the service, and I had to preach on the rather difficult verses about eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ. I mean, trying to understand the nature of these readings is hard enough for the church family to understand, let alone those who visit us for occasional services. Thankfully the children and their Dad attend church occasionally so I think they were able to follow the story, well, they didn’t fall asleep anyway!
And again on this Sunday, we’re still working through the story where Jesus strives to reveal who he is to the people.
At the beginning of the chapter Jesus is feeding the five thousand with bread that will feed their bodies, physical food that brings nourishment and energy to the crowd that is following Him. Then Jesus goes on to try and explain the significance of the bread to his followers. He seeks to move the crowds understanding from the significance of bread as food for the physical body, to one that gives an understanding of himself. Whilst the people are willing to receive bread to eat, they find what he has to say unpalatable, and what begins as a scene where people are fed with real bread ends in a situation where the people are scandalised.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is teaching in the Capernaum synagogue, but his listeners become offended by his words, and many disciples leave and no longer associate with him.
But the response of those disciples known as the twelve is different.
Jesus asks them if they too want to leave him, and speaking for the group, Peter answers, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
All heard the same teaching by Jesus, but there were opposite reactions.
Some rejected what Jesus said and deserted him, others welcomed his words. The same man, the same message, but opposite reactions. Why is that we might wonder?
The disciples who left heard what Jesus said as a threat to their way of life, their accepted ideas, or even their grip on reality.
Those disciples who continued faithful heard what Jesus said as a challenge to their way of life, their accepted ideas and reality. And although they didn’t completely understand or feel comfortable about what he said, they were intrigued by his words and by him.
“Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Peter says this as spokesman for the twelve disciples and I don’t imagine him saying it in an over-eager way, or in a voice that’s too serious.
I think he says it with a gentle sense of irony, with a slight smile on his lips, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
It’s as though Peter says to Jesus, “You’re not exactly what we pictured as the Messiah, but that’s all right, because we recognise you’re far more than that.”
But perhaps it’s no wonder that those other disciples dropped out and went home when Jesus asked folk not simply to listen to his words, or follow his example, but to also eat his flesh and drink his blood.
Well, it does sound a bit like cannibalism, doesn’t it?
Down through the ages attempts have been made to tame the words of Jesus about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. But none of these attempts have ever enjoyed lasting success.
The fact is, that what Jesus says is amongst his bluntest and most shocking statements, hence some of his disciples were scandalised.
Consider, for example, what he says about eating his flesh. Most of our English translations grow fainthearted at this point, and it’s certainly not a good thought for us vegetarians…….
But to accept what Jesus said and to act on it, meant that his disciples had to die to their old way of life, so of course they’re all scared stiff, and many of them pull back and no longer have anything to do with him.
Of course, Jesus never asks of his disciples, or any of us, what he hasn’t already done himself. After all, something in him died when he chose to come and live among us in our mortal lives, committing himself to us forever.
And this unbreakable commitment has its echo in our commitment to him. Other options have been rejected; we are dead to them because we have no place else to go. Christ is one with us forever.
There’s always something specific about a commitment, and when we talk about commitment to people, we mean committing ourselves to people of flesh and blood, which is how Christ demonstrates such commitment to us. He takes for his own our flesh and blood, through human birth he is born, and through human death he dies. He accepts for himself our condition, thereby entering into a new relationship with us, and I think it’s not too much to say that in Christ, God marries humanity, and the two become one flesh.
When we break bread and (albeit by intinction at the moment) share the wine of the Eucharist in our church at St Clement, the mystery of Christ’s flesh and blood is revealed to us by our faith.
But the Eucharist is more than a moment out of the week that’s set aside as holy, it’s meant to be our model for how we live our lives every day. We should go beyond the celebration of the Eucharist and see the flesh of Christ in the poor and the marginalised and seek justice for them. We should see the flesh of Christ in the rich and pray that wealth does not destroy them. We should see the flesh of Christ when we look in the mirror at ourselves and say that this is the flesh that God has married, we are one with him. And we should certainly see the flesh of Christ in each other as we come together as a united family today. Amen.
Hymn; ‘Lord Jesus Christ, You have Come to Us’
Affirmation of our faith
Let us declare our faith in God.
We believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist.
We believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature,
died for us and rose again.
We believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world.
This is the faith of the Church. This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Intercessions this week are written by Liz Davies
Heavenly Father, who created us to be brothers and sisters in Christ, hear us as we lift our hearts in thanksgiving and praise and hear our prayers and intercessions for all those in need.
We thank you for the fellowship of the church family around us and as we gather once more in this house of prayer, may our worship not only honour you with our lips, but also with our hearts and minds.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Holy Father, we bring before you your Church across the world; the many and varied styles of worship in great cathedrals, in churches, in chapels, in homes of all sorts and in the open air; in countries where Christian worship is forbidden; in places where faith seems to be ‘old hat’ and where the love of money and power seems to have superseded it. We give thanks for the Church in this country and county; for Archbishop Justin, Bishop Hugh and our own much – loved Reverend Di … give her extra strength in all that she does for this parish, for the many families she comes into contact when they are bereaved and all that she does at Culdrose.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Creator God, we pray for peace in the world. We pray for a time when the weapons of war will be replaced by your protection; when oppression will be overcome by justice; when lies and deceit will be replaced by truth and integrity; when hatred and cruelty will be no more and your Spirit of grace and love will be both present and apparent throughout the world.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Gracious God, thank you for our friends and neighbours and those around us with whom we work and share our daily lives. We thank you for all the joys and blessings of family life. Help us when we quarrel or fall out to quickly put things right and forgive one another.
We bring before you all those who do not have the love and support of a good family around them; those who are neglected, marginalised, outcast, or alone. May we, who are so fortunate, always be ready to offer a smile, a kind word, or a helping hand to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Loving Lord, we bring before you all those who suffer in body, mind or spirit; those who are in constant pain; those for whom each day is a constant black cloud with no light to be seen; those in turmoil with no sense of calm; those for whom being alone is being lonely with no comfort or love. Be with all who find their lives and themselves wanting; enfold them in your loving arms and healing hands. We especially bring before you: Ken and Reverend Di, May, Susan, Lauren, Lynda, Terry and Dot, Margaret, Maureen, Pam and David, Barrie and Sandra, Michael and Patricia, Rob and Alison, Stella, Jeremy, William, Jane, Anita and Stephen, Callum and Elaine, Andy, Ann, Sue and Martin, everyone known to each of us and those who have no one to pray for them.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Merciful God, we pray for those whose hearts have been saddened by the death of someone close and dear to them; for members of our families who have died and whose anniversary we recall. Help us all to experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit within us, and the fellowship of the church family around us, until we are reunited once more in your heavenly kingdom. We especially bring before you all those who died when a sudden waterspout overturned the luxury yacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily. Welcome those who died into your eternal kingdom and comfort their grieving families and friends.
We remember those whose year’s mind occurs at this time.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Dear Lord, You are the eternal spirit and life. Be with us as we leave this place today. Guide our footsteps; channel our thoughts; help us to think before we speak so we never say anything that is hurtful; constantly endow us with awareness of the needs of others and fill us with the will and the love to help them.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray with confidence as Jesus 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.
Hymn; ‘Love Divine, all Loves Excelling’
The Peace
We are the body of Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body. Let us then pursue all that makes for peace and build up our common life. May the peace of God be always with us.
Amen.
Blessing
May God the Holy Trinity make us strong in faith and love, defend us on every side and guide us in truth and peace. And may the presence of God watch over us, the power of God protect us, those whom we love, and may we never forget that wherever we are, God is with us always.
Amen.