INTRODUCTION
Good morning everyone and I hope you are well, we are now in the second week of Lent and the reading from the Gospel today is about the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus. I have had a very different week after starting my placement at St Mary’s at Prestwich, it has been very interesting seeing how they do things in their service. They have been very welcoming and I hope new people coming to us are the same, although I will not be at St Maxentius on Sundays for the next few weeks I will still be at the Tuesday and Wednesday services and continuing with the home communions, so hopefully you will still see me around.
Intercessions and the reflection are by myself today.
God bless, Jan B.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Be with us, Spirit of God. Nothing can separate us from your love
Breathe on us breath of God. Fill us with your saving power
Speak in us, wisdom of God. Bring strength, healing and peace.
The Lord is here. His Spirit is with us.
PRAYER OF PENITENCE
Almighty God, long suffering and of great goodness; I confess to you, I confess with my whole heart my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments, my wrong doing, thinking and speaking; the hurts I have done to others, and the good I have left undone. O God forgive me, for I have sinned against you; and raise me to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
KYRIE ELESION
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
THE COLLECT
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 for ever. Amen.
THE NEW TESTAMENT READING
ROMANS 1. 1-5, 13-17.
What are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’) – Abraham believed in the presence of the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you O Lord.
JOHN 3. 1-17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you O Christ.
REFLECTION
Nicodemus was a respected leader of the Jewish people, so it was good to hear that he was willing to listen to Jesus and not feel threatened by his teaching as others had been. He acknowledges that Jesus is a teacher that has come from God but is confused by the words he is speaking and certainly does not understand that they must be born again to reach the kingdom of God. He cannot understand the heavenly world and can only think of earthly science. Jesus tells him that as a Jewish leader he should know and understand about the Spirit of God and about the law and word of God. It would seem that he is getting a telling off from Jesus, but he explains that he has come to save the world and not condemn it. I wonder how Nicodemus felt, did he understand Jesus’ words and did Nicodemus believe he was the Son of God?
Tom Wright has some views of this second birth in that, it is not like your first physical birth where you have certificate to state when and where and who your parents are, you know you are born because you are physically here, but the second spiritual birth- the birth from above- some people see or feel it as a great event, but they are tempted to see this moment as the centre of their lives as a Christian, but it is like putting a certificate on the wall it does nothing just serves as a reminder for that moment. What matters is that you are alive now and spend your life wisely and life should be nurtured and fed.
What mattered in Nicodemus time was that a child was born of a Jewish mother and
born into the right family and being a child of Abraham, Jesus is now saying to the Jews that this isn’t enough, you have to be born from above, born all over again into God’s family. We need to keep our faith and our trust in God and the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us in the right way.
Jan B.
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.
INTERCESSIONS
During the intercessions, we pray for the church, our country, our government, people in difficulty and those who have died. You can use your own prayers or if you prefer here are some on today’s theme.
We rejoice that in Christ we know that light is stronger than darkness and life and is stronger than death. Give your church the courage to proclaim the Good News to all people. We remember all who are in doubt or who are struggling with their faith. We pray for those that have lost their faith and walk in darkness.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
Lord of all, we bring before you the troubles and dangers of people and nations especially those in Turkey and Syria in the earthquake disasters and the people in the Ukraine who are fearful of their lives and are now homeless, hungry and cold. We ask your blessing on communities around the world who have hard and troubled lives and are not supported by their governments and leaders, we ask for peace and hope and that they strive for justice and peace.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
Lord bless our homes with the light of your presence, we pray for our loved ones and friends, for our communities, our schools and our churches. May the light of Christ shine within us all and scatter any darkness that is around.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
We remember all who are struggling with their health. We ask for your blessing upon all who are in Hospital, hospices or at home that they might get relief from their suffering and feel the your love. We pray for all who are living in violence or are breaved or lonely, may they find peace.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
We remember all who are nearing death and those who care for them. May they trust in you and in eternal life. We commend all our loved ones departed to your love and kingdom and from our book of remembrance Susanna Humphreys.
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 for ever. Amen.
THE BLESSING
May the Father from whom every family in earth and heaven receives its name strengthen us with his Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, and that, knowing his love, broad and long, deep and high, beyond our knowledge, we may be filled with all the fullness of God, and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with us now and for ever more. Amen.
