Good morning hope you are all well, we had an excellent quiz evening with the mission community churches last week and good fun was had by all. Thank you to all who were involved in the organisation and also Mandy for the delicious supper. Next week is the team service at Canon Slade at 10am ( breakfast 9.15-9.45) and we hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us.
At St.Maxentius this morning we are having our youth service and this afternoon our annual memorial service at 3pm. If you would like to join us and have your loved ones name included please contact one of us.
Today’s Gospel is from the sermon on the mount and is the salt, light and city lesson, Rev Peter has done the reflection and the intercessions are by myself.
Jan B.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
God is good, all the time
All the time, God is good.
Loving God, we have come to worship you.
Help us to pray to you in faith, to sing your praise with gratitude, and to read your word with eagerness; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER OF PENITENCE
Father of all, we have sinned against heaven and against you. We are not worthyto be called your children. We turn back to you again. Have mercy on us, bring us back to yourself as those who were dead but now have life, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us. You are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT
Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; 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.
THE NEW TESTAMENT READING
1 CORINTHIANS 2. 1-12
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’ – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you O Lord.
MATTHEW 5. 13-20
Jesus went up the mountain and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to teach them: 13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you O Christ.
REFLECTION
There is so much in this short section of the Sermon on the Mount – vivid images, of salt, cities and lamps, and then a challenge as to what righteousness looks like.
First salt in those days was used as a preservative – not pure, mixed in probably with grit so if the salt has gone from the mix, then the grit is only worth being thrown out on the path; so, if our spiritual life as eked away, there is nothing left of value. We are called to be preserving salt.
We are called to live our faith visibly – not tucked away in private or avoiding the challenges. We are called to shine light out for others not just ourselves.
Some want us to be more verbal in talking about Jesus; some say our actions should speak louder than words. Jesus challenges us that our good works should lead others not just to admire them or be grateful or whatever, but that they might be drawn to give glory to God. Our good works are sometimes done without sufficient “pride” in our faith.
But it is a fine line between sharing our faith and boasting about how good we are! And Jesus I think draws two challenges as he speaks about the Law and about righteousness. He came to fulfil the Law not to say it does not matter – but the Law in those days was not a settled piece of dogma but a subject that the Rabbis debated with vigour and concern for the truth. Jesus does challenge interpretations of the Law, he claims authority – “You have heard .. but I say to you”, and he calls us to a proper righteousness, an inner righteousness (salt) with an outer impact (light). If we are going to comment on the hypocrisy or hollowness of the scribes and Pharisees then our own righteousness must exceed theirs. Jesus will go on to say that our acts of giving should be in secret, our times of prayer, in the quiet of our room not in the centre of the synagogue or temple, so this is a tension we have to keep checking – the twin dangers – drawing attention to ourselves / thinking we are better, or failing to shine as light, failing to be preserving salt to protect what is good. No simple answer but much to take away and think about.
Rev Peter.
THE CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by 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, and is seated on the right hand of the Father; he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
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.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Here we for the church, for the world, those in need and those who have died, you can follow your own prayers or these below on today’s theme
As we give thanks for the light of Jesus Christ, we ask that it will shine in our lives and in our churches. We ask your blessing on all who proclaim the Gospel and who teach the word. We pray for those that are seeking to revive and promote faith in you and your love. May the church grow in love, in witness and in number.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We ask your blessing on rulers and leaders who have difficult decisions to make concerning the world and are often not sure in which direction to go. We pray for all who work to bring freedom and justice to all people, those who seek to relevie the poor and care for the oppressed. We pray for those who feel that they are working in the dark and unable to find their way.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord we ask that all darkness be dispersed from our hearts and our communities. May we help to bring your light and life to our homes and to all our relationships. We ask your blessing upon our families and friends and upon all with whom we work and play.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember today all who walk in darkness and in the shadow of fear or death. We ask your blessing upon the fearful, the anxious and the troubled. We pray for all who are in the darkness of doubt or despair. We bring before you friends and loved ones who are ill or who are finding it hard to cope with life. From our parish we hole in our prayers; Mildred Gerrad, Kevin Maguire, Thomas Causton and Stanley Schofield .
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the fullness of eternal life. We ask your blessing upon our loved ones who have entered into the fullness of your kingdom and all the faithful now departed and from our book of remembrance; Lily Fisher. We pray for the day when we may all see you more clearly and walk without fear in your light.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
THE BLESSING
May God himself, the God of peace, make us perfect and holy, keep us safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body and strengthen us in his presence. And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with us all this day and for ever more. Amen.
