St Clement Church
Easter Five Community Service
Good morning
Today, Jesus commands us to ‘love one another just as He has loved us.’
That is a huge commandment, isn’t it?
It’s a daily challenge to us all.
My love to you all
Liz
Heavenly Father, we gather today, in your name, seeking your presence and glory. Open our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name,
Amen
We say together:
Heavenly Father, we come before you with open hearts. Calm our minds and quiet our spirits so we may focus fully on the tasks ahead. Grant us your peace, which surpasses all understanding and help us approach today with clarity and purpose. Amen
Hymn: 137 Come down, O love divine
Our Prayer of Penitence:
Come, Holy Spirit of God,
and search our hearts with the light of Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Lord our God, in our sin we have avoided your call. Our love for you is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.
Have mercy on us; deliver us from judgement; bind up our wounds and revive us; in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring us pardon and peace, now and forever. Amen
The Collect for Easter Five
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Readings:
Acts 11. 1 - 18 Revelation 21. 1 - 6
Hymn: 285 For the beauty of the earth
Gospel: John 13. 31 - 35 (Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)
During the supper, when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’
(This is the Gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ)
Reflection
Initially, when I read today’s Gospel reading, I thought, why are we having this reading today, when it happened before Easter? This reading comes from Maundy Thursday. Then, I really thought about it.
A Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, said, ‘Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards.’
We are reading this story during the Easter season, after Jesus has died and been raised from the dead. But, this reading tells us of an event that took place before that first Easter. We are doing, in a sense, what the disciples did. We are looking back at what Jesus did in His life on earth, in the light of His death and resurrection.
Everything that Jesus did here on earth can be better understood looking back, after the events took place on Good Friday and Easter Day. That is what the disciples did, and that is what we are doing today. We live, as Jesus’ disciples, forwards; but we learn, sometimes, by looking backwards.
We are looking back at the night Jesus was betrayed and we’re doing this to think about Jesus’ teaching on love, but we’re doing it after the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
It’s important to remember when and where Jesus said things. Sometimes, when and where we say something is as important to the meaning as the actual words that we say. It’s true here. Jesus was in the upper room with all His disciples. Thomas, who will doubt the resurrection was there. Peter, who will deny knowing Jesus after He is arrested, was there. And Judas, who will betray Jesus and hand Him over to those wanting to kill Him, was there. And, Jesus, knowing all that is to come, washed each of their feet.
Washing a person’s feet in that culture was the appointed task of a servant. Jesus was humbling Himself, and doing the work of a servant. But, if we stop to think about what this means, looking back, Jesus washed Judas’ feet, knowing that he would betray Him. He washed Peter’s feet, knowing he would deny knowing Him. He washed Thomas’ feet knowing he would doubt Him. Jesus knew all this would happen; had predicted it. But He still got on His knees and washed their feet.
If we want a picture of love, picture Jesus on His knees, washing the feet of His betrayer. That’s love, isn’t it? And Jesus tells us that this is what we need to do for one another. Love one another, as He loved us.
In the Old Testament, the commandments ‘to love God’ and to ‘love our neighbour’ appear repeatedly, so what’s new?
What’s new is that we are commanded to love one another as Jesus has loved us. That means loving those who doubt us, and deny us and even those who betray us, because that’s what Jesus did for us. He loved us, and loves us, even when we doubt, deny, or betray Him. Now, He asks the same of us, to do the same for others.
Jesus teaches us to love without expecting anything in return. When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, it was not in the hope that they would return the favour. He washed their feet in the knowledge that they would abandon Him and that He would die alone on the cross. His love is unconditional, with no strings attached. He loves without any agenda, other than demonstrating God’s love for us, and showing us what that love looks like.
“Love one another,” Jesus said, “just as I have loved you.” Loving in this way has no agenda. It makes us vulnerable. The word ‘vulnerable’ literally means ‘able to be wounded.’ When we are vulnerable, we open ourselves up to the possibility of being wounded.
That’s what Jesus did. Jesus loved Judas who betrayed Him. He loved Peter, who denied knowing Him. He loved Thomas, who doubted Him. He loved those who abandoned Him, and even those who crucified Him. Jesus loved in a way that opened Him up to these wounds and He teaches us to do the same.
The Old Testament commandment is to love our neighbour as ourself. The new commandment, from Jesus, is to love even those who aren’t our neighbours. Jesus loved lepers, who were considered unclean and unloved by God. Jesus loved tax collectors, even calling one to be His disciple. Jesus loved Samaritans. He loved prostitutes. He loved the poor. He loved those that society didn’t even see. He considered them all our neighbours. All loved by God. All deserving of our love. Jesus completely redefined who our neighbour is. Our neighbour is now anyone and everyone who we have an opportunity to love.
Jesus taught us to love even our enemies – just as He did. This doesn’t mean that we accept or agree with what they are doing. Love according to Jesus doesn’t mean accepting actions that are wrong. Jesus met people where they were, but didn’t leave them there. He called them to repent. He loved them, forgave them, but also invited them to change their ways. Jesus never loved sin, but always loved the sinners. He still does and shows us how to do the same.
Jesus teaches us – that we should open ourselves up to one another in love, even if it opens us up to the possibility of being wounded. It leads us to love people who are not like us. Jesus loved people who were not like Him. He loved people who disagreed with Him. He loved people who looked at the world very differently to Him. There is no one that Jesus didn’t love. It was the one thing He was incapable of – He could not help but love everyone.
It doesn’t mean He didn’t challenge them, or get frustrated with them, or even occasionally rebuke them. He loved them no matter what, and teaches us to do the same.
But, here’s the good news: when we fail – and we will – Jesus will still love us. When we doubt Him, deny Him, even betray Him, He will still love us. That is what true love is. It looks like Jesus. Kneeling at our feet. Loving us. Asking us to do the same.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Amen
Let us affirm our faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God
Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we all 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 believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Hymn: 297 Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us
Our Intercessions by Daphne Hawkins
In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.
Heavenly Father, as we gather together this Spring morning with those in our beloved St Clement and those with us in mind and spirit, we pray you will be among us and hear our prayers.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Dear Lord, we pray for your Church world-wide. We pray for its strength and vision as it brings faith to a world that does not always want to hear or accept it. We pray for our bishops, priests and all who try to lead us forward, carrying out their tasks in a very troubled world.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for Reverend Diane and for our Worship Leader, Liz, who both serve our church and community selflessly. We pray for everyone else who works so hard behind the scenes to make St Clement run smoothly and efficiently. Let us never take for granted the love and care so freely given that makes the door of St Clement open to all – offering comfort, peace of mind and the hand of friendship.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord God, we pray for King Charles and Queen Camilla and all the royal family. May they find strength and satisfaction in carrying out the many duties and traditions daily asked of them.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Merciful Father, we continue to bring to you a world marred by pain and suffering inflicted on your people by evil terrorism and constant fighting. Lord, there is so much hatred, greed, and revenge in so many parts of your world. Please hear our prayer for peace. Please give wisdom to those who govern and a sense of justice to those who wield power. Open their eyes to the suffering they are inflicting on so many; the little ones, the elderly and the vulnerable. There is so little we can do but we can pray that all conflicts come to an end.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for those of our brothers and sisters in need: the homeless, those struggling to feed and clothe their children, the aged trying to find help and care to stay in their homes, people who are finding life difficult to cope with and all who need our help, often alone and forgotten. May those in authority ensure that they are reaching out to these vulnerable people providing the help and support they desperately need.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Merciful Father, we bring to you all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit. Help us remember them in the quietness of our hearts. We pray for our dear priest, Reverend Diane and Ken, always by her side, May, her dear mother and our dear friend, Susan, Lauren, Lynda, Dot, especially in our thoughts at this sad time, Maureen, Pam and David, Sandra, Roger, Michael and Patricia, Rob and Alison, Stella, Jeremy, Anita and Stephen, Callum and Elaine, Sue and Martin, Margaret and John, Dave and Jeanette, Carrie and John Paul, Felicity, Nan, Barry, and Paul.
Grant them courage; lift their burdens and renew their faith and may they find comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead.
Lord, we pray for all whose life’s journey has come to an end. We pray that they are with you in your eternal kingdom.
In our years’ mind we remember all we love but see no more.
May they rest in peace, out of pain and always remembered with love.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Let us bring our intercessions to a close with a prayer by Thomas Ken.
Dear Lord, make the door of this church wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship; narrow enough to shut out envy, pride, and strife; make it smooth enough to be no stumbling block to little children, nor to straying feet; strong and rugged enough to turn back the tempters power. Please make the door of our church the gateway to thine eternal kingdom. Amen
Rejoicing in the fellowship of St Clement, St Allen, St Andrew, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we commend ourselves and all who strive for truth, love, and peace to your unfailing love.
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. Amen
A New Commandment
A light shone forth, a word unheard,
A new command, a promise stirred.
“Love one another, as I have done,”
A beacon bright, for all begun.
No longer bound by earthly chains,
But lifted high on love’s soft rains.
A tapestry of hearts entwined,
A unity of souls, redefined.
By this, the world shall clearly see,
The proof of truth, eternally.
In every act, in every deed,
A love that grows, a vibrant seed.
So let us walk in love’s bright way,
And share this grace, come what may.
For in this love, our spirits soar,
And Christ’s new world, we shall explore.
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: 339 Be thou my vision
The Blessing
May the love of Jesus Christ, bring us wholeness the grace of God the Father, grant us peace the breath of the Holy Spirit, instil passion and the unity between them give us strength for this and every day.
Amen