St Clement Church Community 2nd Sunday of Lent Service

St Clement Church

Second Sunday in Lent Community Service

Good morning to you all

Lent brings us more challenging readings, well to me, anyway.

Today’s Gospel Reading from Luke, though short, really made me think!

This is what Lent should be, isn’t it? A time of challenge, a time of preparation, a time to walk with our Lord on His most challenging journey.

My love to you all

Liz

Amen

Lord God, in a universe that seems so immense it is easy to feel insignificant as we stand here today.

Yet we know that we are precious in your sight – unique individuals loved and blessed in so many ways.

We stand in awe of the one who has created all things and dedicate this time and all our days to your service.

Accept this offering we pray, our sacrifice of praise and worship. Amen

We say together:

Bless us as we meet together, dear Lord, we pray.

Bless the singing of your praise,

the reading of your Word,

the sharing of our fellowship,

the prayers that will be heard.

Bless us as we meet together,

dear Lord, we pray. Amen

Hymn: 439 Praise to the holiest in the height (omit verses 3 & 4)

Our Prayer of Penitence:

Most merciful God, whose Son Jesus Christ was tempted in every way, yet without sin, we confess before you that we have sinned; we have hungered after that which does not satisfy; we have compromised with evil; we have doubted you’re your power to protect us.

Forgive our lack of faith; have mercy on our weakness.

Restore in us such love and trust that we may walk in your ways and delight in doing your will.

Amen

The Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Readings:

Genesis 15: 1 – 12, 17 - 18

Philippians 3. 17 – 4. 1

Hymn: 353 All my hope on God is founded

Gospel: Luke 13. 31 - 35 (Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’

He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.

Yet today, tomorrow and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.”

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills prophets and stones those who are sent to it!

How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

See, your house is left to you.

And I will tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”’

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

Reflection

Today’s gospel reading is very short compared to many that we have but, it is a challenging one, and it seems, in some ways, not to make sense, well to me, anyway.

Why would the Pharisees (who are so anti Jesus) warn him that Herod wants to kill him; especially as later, when he has the opportunity, Herod hands him over to Pilate?

Whether Herod has sent the Pharisees or not, Jesus hears the warning and immediately sends a message back to him.

‘I have a mission, a job to do, casting out demons and healing people. I will go to Jerusalem when I am ready not when you want me to.’

Since the beginning of His ministry, the core of Jesus’ work has been this deliverance and healing people.

Jesus knows that He must go to Jerusalem because it is the historic seat of both secular and religious Jewish power.

Prophetic ministry in the face of power is a dangerous activity that jeopardises the lives of those who would speak the truth of God’s kingdom to the powers that be. Jesus is no exception. But what is surprising is Jesus’ reaction. He characterises the city as killing prophets and apostles but his response is the compassion of a mother. Jesus longs to gather Jerusalem under his wings. Jesus longs to comfort those who would reject Him. He envisions Jerusalem as a brood of vulnerable chicks in need of their mother’s protection and longs to offer the same protection, salvation, to the very city where He will die. Unfortunately, Jerusalem also has a longing. The city doesn’t want to be gathered under the salvation of Jesus.

Jerusalem’s refusal to be gathered by Jesus is not without consequences. The city is described as abandoned and unable to see Jesus until the day they receive ‘the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’

Those who reject Jesus’ compassionate offer of salvation, deliverance, and healing, find their city rejected, abandoned, and left to its own devices. In this season of Lent, as we contemplate the ministry and passion of Jesus, we must also remember that rejection of His ministry comes with consequences of our own choosing. Jesus’ longing is to have compassion, but His longing must be met by our own longing for salvation, deliverance, and healing.

I wonder, when was the last time that you went to bed so thankful and indeed amazed, at what the day had given you, a day that had produced something totally unplanned or foreseen. Maybe it was a conversation, a chance meeting with someone, a moment of hope or beauty, a truth or insight that changed you, an experience that made you feel truly alive. Life felt larger or more real than when you got out of bed that morning. When has life taken you completely by surprise, given you something you hadn’t expected, and you were really glad about it?

Do you remember a night when you were too excited to sleep and you just couldn’t wait to get the new day started?

I’m not talking about being energised and enthused about a particular activity you’ve planned for the following day. I’m talking about an expectancy, an attitude of wonder, an openness to - come what may - a feeling that the new day holds something for you and you can’t wait to see what it is.

When have you been absolutely sure that you are standing in the presence of God? Some would describe it as their moment closest to Christ. Some might say that they see the face of Jesus in another person. Some would say that they see the Holy Spirit at work in a particular situation. Others might talk about an answered prayer, the beauty of nature, the first time they hold their child or grandchild.

It is these situations, these times, these experiences that are the promise of life and more life. Life always comes to us in unknown, unexpected, and unplanned ways. It’s the promise that life is breaking in on us in big ways and little ways. And when it does, we can’t explain how or why it happens but we know it does, and we know it’s real.

It's in these moments that we are open and available to the promise and the coming life.

Last week Di talked about Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. He is struggling with and learning how to remain open to his future, to his coming life. And aren’t we all? Haven’t there been times in our lives when we have struggled to stay open to the future, to what life is bringing us.

That openness to life is the call of Jesus in each of our lives and what the gospel is about.

“I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly,” he says.

It’s why he “set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

It’s why there are so many stories about Jesus healing the blind and deaf. He is opening eyes and ears to the promise, to the future, to the coming of life and life abundant. It’s why, so many times, he tells us to stay awake, to be watchful, and to not fall asleep.

He’s telling us to keep open to our future, to our coming life. And that’s what Jerusalem in today’s gospel has failed to do.

Jerusalem has killed the prophets, the ones who were calling it into a future. It has stoned those sent to bring it life and more life. Surely, Jerusalem here is a metaphor for the ways in which we are blind and deaf to the promise, the ways in which we do not keep open to our future.

When Jesus finally sees Jerusalem, ‘He wept over it.’ He is sorrowing and protesting the end, the death, the narrowness, and shortsightedness, of Jerusalem. And yet, He continues coming to Jerusalem. He is always coming to the Jerusalem of our lives, always calling us to life, to more life, to new life. The promise never goes away, even when we don’t respond.

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

These are not just words to be spoken. They describe one whose eyes, ears, and heart are open to what is coming; a promise, a future, a life. What if it is all coming in the name of the Lord? Blessed is the promise that comes to us in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the future that comes to us in the name of the Lord.

Blessed is the life that comes to us in the name of the Lord.

In what way are yours and my eyes, ears, or heart closed today?

What needs to happen, to change, to be let go of, for them to begin opening?

What would it take for you and me to bless an unknown promise, an unforeseeable future, an uncertain life? It won’t change what is coming, but it will change us.

I know it’s asking a lot and there’s a risk in all this blessing. That’s not the way we usually live, and that’s the point. But this is a chance for life, more life, new life. And that’s a risk worth taking, isn’t it?

Amen

Let us affirm our faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God

Though he was divine, he did not cling to equality with God, but made himself nothing.

Taking the form of a slave, he was born in human likeness.

He humbled himself and was obedient to death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore, God has raised him on high, and given him the name above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every name proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen

Hymn: 339 Be thou my vision

Our Intercessions by Helen Dunbar

Humankind has been brought into life by God.

We owe our very existence to him.

Let us pray to him now.

We pray for each living person inhabiting our world with us, with all the needs, emotions and experiences we share. We pray that we may recognise one another as brothers and sisters sharing in the same heavenly Father.

Dear Lord, we pray for the Christian Church throughout the world and also our own communities and churches. We thank you for our families and friends and pray especially for those in particular need today. We pray that your peace and love will surround them bringing them comfort and strength.