St Clement Church
Luke the Evangelist Community Service
Good morning
St Luke was a Christian physician, an evangelist, a historian and is traditionally believed to be the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Born in Antioch in Roman Syria somewhere between 1 – 16AD, he is traditionally believed to be a Greek Gentile convert and companion to St Paul. He emphasizes Jesus’ compassion for the poor, outcasts and Gentiles, as well as the role of women and prayer.
He is the patron saint of physicians, surgeons, artists and painters. Today 18th October is his Feast Day.
My love to you all
Liz
We worship a God of Promise, whose saving Grace brought a people from captivity into a land of promise, whose enduring love still leads us from places of captivity into a promise of peace, forgiveness and eternal life. The promises of God endure forever. The promises of God will be fulfilled. Amen
We say together:
We meet as a family in the presence of our heavenly Father. We meet as brothers and sisters in Christ, accepting the responsibility this places upon us – to love one another as you have loved us. We meet as your lights in this dark world, and pray that through our words and our lives others might be drawn into your family, and accept you as their Saviour and Lord. Amen
Hymn: Let us praise the God of glory (on printed sheet)
Prayer of Confession
We confess our sin, and the sins of society, in the misuse of God’s creation.
God our Father, we are sorry for the times when we have used your gifts carelessly, and acted ungratefully.
Hear our prayer, and in your mercy: forgive us and help us.
We enjoy the fruits of the harvest, but sometimes forget that you have given them to us.
Father, in your mercy: forgive us and help us.
We belong to a people who are full and satisfied, but ignore the cry of the hungry.
Father, in your mercy: forgive us and help us.
We are thoughtless, and do not care enough for the world you have made.
Father, in your mercy: forgive us and help us.
We store up goods for ourselves alone, as if there were no God and no heaven.
Father, in your mercy: forgive us and help us.
Amen
The Collect
Almighty God, you called Luke the physician, whose praise is in the gospel, to be an evangelist and physician of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal; 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:
Isaiah 35. 3 – 6
2 Timothy 4. 5 - 17
Hymn: 359 Fight the good fight
Gospel: Luke 10. 1 - 9
(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)
The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs int the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest upon that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”
(This is the Gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ)
Reflection
‘Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house.”’
As we look at, or hear the news, it seems as though there is a constant saga of murders, violence, deceit, unprovoked attacks, mistreatment, unfairness … the list is endless. News of kindness, support, friendliness, love and peace is sadly, unexpected and rare. There are occasional ‘good’ stories and some become major stories because they are so rare.
I don’t know about you, but when I see just how much ‘tragedy,’ in all its forms, is going on in the world, it breaks my heart … why can’t we live together without all this falling out, unkindness, power-grabbing violence? If it upsets me, imagine what God must be seeing and feeling; God, the Creator who entrusts us with his creation, with one another’s lives, and with his own life. Today, the Creator and the created once again stand together broken-hearted.
If you think about it, there is no point in seeing these tragedies as problems to be fixed or behaviours to be corrected … that approach hasn’t got us very far. Rather, they are symptoms pointing to a deeper issue. Until we are willing to deal with the deeper issue things aren’t likely to change, and the deeper issue is the human heart. Whether by a terrorist attack, through prejudice and discrimination against a minority group, in our political campaigns, or in our personal relationships, the violence and mistreatment we perpetuate on each other arise first from an inner violence that poisons and fragments the human heart. We need a change of heart. We need a heart of peace.
I can’t help but ask, where is the peace of God today? I think that is a question many of us are asking. It’s a question I suspect God must also be asking.
Mind you – while we wrestle with this question let’s not project our failings and human imperfections onto God waiting for and expecting him to fill the void and fix the problems. This is not about God’s failings or imperfections. It is ours and the blood of the victims, the tears of the mourners and the pain of the world crying and begging for a different answer. Let’s not give the same old answers. Let’s not use the same old excuses. Let’s not offer the same old solutions. Let’s not meet the world with the same old beliefs.
Instead, let’s number ourselves among the seventy sent to every town and place where Christ goes. Let’s enter every house, first saying, “Peace to this house.” Let’s become people with hearts at peace, not war. Isn’t that what we want for ourselves, for our children and our grandchildren, for the world? It’s certainly what I want. I think we all do. But I think we also struggle with what peace means, what it looks like and how we attain and keep it. If the events of today’s world offer us anything it’s the opportunity to rethink what peace means and reorient our hearts.
What does peace mean to you? What comes to mind when you think of peace? What does it look like?
Long ago there lived a young man in Istanbul, Turkey. Because he was poor, he had only a single room, sparsely furnished with a few books and a small cot for a bed. One night the young man had a dream – a vision really. In it, he saw himself walking on a street in what he came to realise was the city of Cairo in Egypt, a place he had never been. He could clearly see the name of the street and the houses that lined the road.
In the vision, he walked up to one particular house, noting the address. He entered into a tiled courtyard and then into the main house. An open door drew him into a particular room within the house. In this room sat an old man surrounded by treasures beyond anything the young man had ever imagined. Diamonds, emeralds and rubies were piled high in pyramid shapes. Gold and silver bars lined the walls. Exquisite carpets and artifacts from around the world lay at his feet.
The young man stared at the treasures and then at the old man in amazement, for in that moment he somehow knew that these treasures belonged to himself. He didn’t know how he knew (it was a vision, after all,) but he was certain that all of it was rightfully his.
The young man bolted awake from the dream. So confident was he of its veracity that he set off that very day on the long journey from Istanbul to Cairo in order to claim his treasure. In those days, travel was slow and the young man, being poor, had to work along the way to pay for food and lodging. After several months, he eventually arrived in Cairo. Upon making enquiries he found the very street he had seen in his dream.
As he set foot upon it, everything seemed extremely familiar. The houses were exactly as he had seen them in his vision. And, sure enough, the house that had contained the old man and his treasure were precisely where the young man expected it to be. Knowing his way, he entered into the tiled courtyard and then into the room of treasures where he planned to make his claim.
There sat the old man, but there were no jewels, no gold or silver, no carpets or artifacts. The young man, undeterred by the absence of the treasures recounted his vision to the old man and concluded by saying, “Since everything else in my vision has been accurate, I assume that the riches are hidden here somewhere. Please hand them over to me.”
The old man was silent for some time, looking intently at the young man, his eyes glistening. After a while he spoke, “It’s strange,” he said, “I too had a dream. I dreamed of a young man in Istanbul who looked exactly like you.”
“Yes, go on,” implored the young man, certain that this information would lead to his treasure.
The old man proceeded to describe the street on which the young man lived in Istanbul. He described the young man’s mother and father, his siblings, his friends at work and the books on the wall of his simple room. “In my vision,” said the old man, “the greatest treasure, more precious than all the shiny rocks and metals of the world, was there on a small cot in that room.”
The young man suddenly realised what the old man meant. In that moment, he saw that his existence, his very being, was all the treasure that he would ever want or need. A profound peace overcame him. He bowed to the wise man, and taking his leave, returned home to Istanbul where he lived out his quiet days.
Is it possible that our hunger for finding treasures or any other circumstances that we think will bring us peace inhibits our resting in the peace we are?
Jesus didn’t send the seventy out to change the towns and places they would go to but to simply offer His peace. How often does Jesus instruct us to go and change other people? He doesn’t. That may be our way but it’s not His way. Jesus does, however, spend a lot of time teaching us to change ourselves and our way of being toward another. That’s the change of heart that is at the core of peace.
Let’s not forget that when Jesus sent the seventy, they went without a purse, a bag or sandals. Now don’t literalize that. It’s a metaphor for the baggage we carry, the baggage that continues to trip us up and deny us a heart at peace. It’s the baggage of our past experiences, fears and wounds, grudges and resentments, pre-judgements and assumptions about others, old solutions and beliefs, our need to be right or better than the other, and sometimes our desire to play the victim.
So, let me ask you one last question. What baggage might you need to leave behind to go into the world fully equipped with a heart at peace?
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.”’
Amen
Let us declare our Faith in God
Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
Hymn: 294 Just as I am, without one plea
Our Intercessions by Helen Dunbar
Let us pray for the Church and for the world and let us thank God for his goodness.
St Luke, Saintly Physician was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write an account for us of the life of Jesus and the beginnings of our Church. In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus, he also demonstrated his divinity and his genuine compassion of all human beings.
Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
We pray for the worldwide Church and all who minister in it; Also, for our church family whether they are here in Church or at home this morning. We ask for your blessing on all those in need in our community, the elderly, the housebound and those in care homes, and hospices and for those who with skill and compassion, look after them. For all those who spend their lives trying to make ours better – for those in public service, for all people who commit themselves to charitable works, and for all those who help others to find you.
We pray for all clergy and in our own parish and we ask God’s blessing on our own hard working Reverend Diane, Ken and family. We also give thanks for the work and commitment of Father David, our Reader Liz, and the PCC.
Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
Lord, help us to show kindness and compassion to all we meet. We pray for our world, for all those who are in need, all those who are suffering in the destruction caused by war, all who face poverty and famine, for all who feel that the world is a dark place where no light shines. We pray that there will be a solution to the war between Russia and Ukraine that peace will prevail and there will be an end to the terrible loss of life, and destruction of towns and communities.
Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
Bless and guide King Charles and Queen Camilla and all working members of the royal family, as they go about their duties.
We pray for those who are sick or struggling at this time whether in body, mind or spirit. We take time to think of those we know who are in need of your comforting presence and know that in your hands they are safe and loved and we bring before you those known to us: Ken and Reverend Di, Sabie, Brian, Susan, Jan, Daphne and David, Dot, Pam and David, Mary, Michael and Patricia, Sandra, Alison and Rob, Jeremy, Anita and Stephen, Callum and Elaine, Barbara, Roger, Lorrie, Jeanette and Dave, Kate, Katharine, Margaret, Sue and Martin, Fiona, those known to each of us and those with no one to pray for them.
Lord, in your mercy; hear our prayer
We remember all those who have died in the faith of Christ, please God, surround them with your loving arms and give them peace and everlasting joy in your heavenly kingdom.
We remember the recently departed, and we especially remember our much loved May, whose funeral took place here on Friday. Our thoughts and prayers go to her loving family.
We pray for all those whose anniversary falls at this time and we especially remember: Pat Brown, Terry Gill and Don Thompson
Rejoicing in the fellowship of St Clement, St Andrew, St Allen and all the Saints.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
We say together:
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.
Luke by Malcolm Guite
His gospel is itself a living creature A ground and glory round the throne of God,
Where earth and heaven breathe through human nature
And One upon the throne sees it is good.
Luke is the living pillar of our healing,
A lowly ox, the servant of the four,
We turn his page to find his face revealing
The wonder, and the welcome of the poor.
He breathes good news to all who bear a burden
Good news to all who turn and try again,
The meek rejoice and prodigals find pardon,
A lost thief reaches paradise through pain,
The voiceless find their voice in every word
And, with our Lady, magnify our Lord.
The Peace
Jesus said: ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you are to love one another.’
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
Hymn: 235 Forth in thy name, O Lord I go
The Blessing
As we take our worship, praise and prayer from this place and into our daily lives, may our lives be sustained through the love of our Heavenly Father. May we feel the presence of our Saviour walking beside us, and know the power of the Spirit in both our actions and our words. Amen