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St Clement Church Community Twentieth Sunday after Trinity Service

Good morning to you all

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus’ words “You lack one thing” is the challenge to the man who came to him, and to us – well, certainly to me. I think I lack a lot of things … and I don’t mean possessions. But, if it is just one thing, how do I find it, what do I have to do to get it?

What about your life? What is the one thing that you lack?

My love to you all

Liz

Let us pray:

Dear God, we thank you for everyone gathered here today and those sharing this time with us at home. We ask that you surround us with your powerful, life-changing presence. Thank you for loving each of us and for calling us to walk with you. We come before you as we meet and declare our dependence on you. Be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Amen

We say together:

We pray that your Holy Spirit will move among us as we gather together across the country in your name. Open our hearts and minds to receive your word, to hear your voice, and to experience your presence. Fill us with joy as we meet with you. Show us your glory and splendour.

Amen

Hymn: 431 O thou who camest from above

We say together our Prayer of Penitence:

O God, most merciful Father, like the Prodigal Son, I turn to you and say: I have sinned against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your child.

O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, like the thief to whom you opened the gates of paradise, I beg you: Lord, remember me in your kingdom.

O Holy Spirit, fount of love, with trust I call upon you: Purify me; make me walk as a child of the light.

Amen

The Collect for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

God, the giver of life, whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church: by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will, that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life; 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 for ever. Amen

Readings:

Amos 5. 6 – 7, 10 – 15

Hebrews4. 12 - 16

Hymn: 362 Glorious things of thee are spoken

Gospel: Mark 10. 17 - 31

(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good?

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.”’

He said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’

When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’

And the disciples were perplexed at these words.

But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is top enter the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’

Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible,’

Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we left everything and followed you.’

Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age – houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields – but with persecutions – and in this age to come eternal life. But many who are first will come last, and the last will be first.’

(This is the Gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ)

Reflection

‘Do you want to be something or do you want to do something?’

I wonder what that question makes you think of in your life, today. How would you answer it? What matters more to you – being something or doing something?

Let’s be honest, it’s the story of the man in today’s Gospel reading. He’s done all the right things. He’s been obedient and faithful. He’s kept all the commandments since he was a child. He’s been successful in life and has ‘many possessions.’ He’s got power, position, prestige, possessions and wealth. He’s done something with his life. But, he knows that something is missing. He wants to know, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s not a question about getting to heaven. It’s about meaning. It’s about being something. It’s about a quality of life.

He's right in asking the question but he’s asking the wrong question. He wants to know what he must do, as if the life he wants is something to be acquired, possessed, and gained by expenditure. He’s seeking the missing piece of his life but by the only means he knows. But the life he wants, the life in our hearts we all want, is not about doing and purpose, it’s about being and meaning. It’s not outside us, it’s already within us.

I wonder whether too often we become so preoccupied with purpose and doing something that we’ve lost or forgotten about meaning and being something.

Is the meaning of your life and my life only what we’ve accomplished? We tend to mark and measure our lives, and the lives of others (look at obituaries in newspapers) by what we or they have done, but is that the sum of who you or they are, or who I am?

I wonder if this is why the man goes to Jesus with his question.

It’s ironic that Jesus says to this ‘very rich’ man who has ‘many possessions.’ “You lack one thing.”

I don’t know about you, but I can easily imagine the man saying to himself, in genuine puzzlement, ‘One thing? What’s the one thing I don’t have?’ I can imagine him making a mental inventory of his life, his accomplishments and possessions trying to figure out what one thing he still lacks. I imagine him picturing in his mind every item he owns, recalling everything that he’s done, and then wondering what he should do or get next.

But Jesus isn’t talking about any of that, He is talking about ‘one thing’ NOT one more thing.

What if you were the man in today’s Gospel? What if Jesus said to you, ‘You lack one thing?’ How would you respond?

Try this – take a mental inventory of your life, accomplishments, and possessions. What’s on the list? Be careful - just because the things on your list may not be the ‘one thing’ doesn’t mean that they are the wrong thing. They’re just not the ‘one thing.’

Picture in your mind each item you own, all the stuff. Recall all that you’ve done and everywhere you’ve been. What do you see? What comes to mind?

What’s the one thing you lack?

What would offer you more meaning in your life today? In what ways might you make a difference in the life of another, not so much by what you do but by who you are? What would you need to let go of to become more fully and authentically yourself?

What is the trace of yourself that you want to leave behind in this world when you are no longer here? My guess is, that whatever that trace is, it just might be or point to the ‘one thing’ for you while you are in the world.

“You lack one thing.” It’s not a criticism. It’s not a judgement. It’s not a deficiency. It’s a door opening to a new life. It’s an opportunity with the God for whom nothing is impossible.

Amen

Let us declare our faith in God

We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven is named.

We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Hymn: 461 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy

Our Intercessions by Daphne Hawkins

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.

Merciful Father, as we gather together in this our spiritual home, we thank you for the gift of life and the ability to enjoy it. May we be grateful for all your gifts and help us to use them for your glory.