TRINITY 2 – SUNDAY 13TH JUNE 2021
Here below we have an outline of our service for you to follow at home if you can’t be with us. Choose a quiet reflective space and to make it more meaningful have a cross, bible and candle to make your sacred space.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning everybody and I hope you are well and enjoying the summer. The team walk is coming up soon, everyone should have registered but we still need helpers and lifts to St. Peter’s, if you can help please contact Chris Sutcliffe or Dot Mitchell for St. Maxentius, or your Christian Aid representative for the other churches.
The grub tub is back in church if you would like to donate food etc. Many thanks to all who kept it going throughout the lockdown and to Ruth for taking it to Urban Outreach for us.
Today’s reflection is by Rev Peter and intercessions by Alison Greaves, many thanks to them both.
Jan B.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
God is spirit – Let us worship him in spirit and truth
The Lord is with us – Let us praise his name together
PRAYER OF PENITENCE
Almighty God our heavenly Father we have sinned against you and against our neighbour in thought word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.
COLLECT
Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, 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
2 CORINTHIANS, 5,6-17
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences.
We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
This is the word of the Lord, Thanks be to God
THE GOSPEL
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. Glory to you O Lord
MARK 4, 26-34
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you O Christ
REFLECTION
The Kingdom of God is like little seeds – Maybe we have heard this too often for its extraordinary and radical element to strike home.
On our news this weekend is the G& Summit where “kingdom” is seen with status, security and statements, not little seeds in the ground.
And the Kingdom of God is likened to growing seeds, not yet the full-grown plant, though that is what is promised. On this earth, God’s Kingdom is discovered and seen in the little signs of growing goodness. The disciples wanted to know from Jesus “Is this the time?” is this the time when you will bring in your Kingdom in its fulness? And Jesus batted it back each time, each time point them rather to the journey not the destination as it were. Find God in the now, ..
We want God’s Kingdom to be seen in the eradication of cancers, in the end of all wars, in the planet being back in good health, in poverty being a thing of the past, and all these things will be elements in the Kingdom in its fulness, but for now we are called to be those who
- see the Kingdom in the small things that grow, the projects that bring life and hope, in the breaking through of what is good, particularly where there is oppression and injustice
- work for the Kingdom in whatever way we can, working in prayer- and many of us like the disciples in Gethsemane fall asleep rather than pray, and working in action and giving, to help further those things that we know are good and challenge those that we know are bad. This is a costly and determined stance as the seed pushes on upwards, and it will appear fragile to the trampling boots, as did the life of Jesus when confronted by the Roman execution squad. And it is also an indicative stance, where we model Kingdom joys, in our generosity and our joyful living, enjoying the good things we are given, sharing them, and not becoming trapped in them at the expense of the work that needs doing and the wrongs that need righting.
- witness to the Kingdom – as we speak of what matters to us, as we share the hope that we have, as we keep to the values of God, grace, mercy and peace, even when around us others choose greed, hate and aggression.
The little seeds grow because there is the life of God in them. The mustard seed becomes a large bush in which the birds of the air can find rest – the Kingdom has provided rest and a home to others – who would have thought it? let alone for those birds which may have been the first to try and gobble up the little seeds!!
What an image or series of images! And what a contrast to the exhibition of worldly power in Cornwall! – but while we must challenge what is wrong, we must also pray for those in authority that they may make right decisions and be guided by God’s Spirit, for the sake of others, for the sake of our planet, for our future and our children’s future, that their decisions now, will lead to seeds growing into large bushes which will provide a home for those that need it, not a wasteland where none can live.
Rev Canon Peter.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
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 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; ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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.
Let us pray to the God of heaven and earth for the growth of the kingdom.
May the kingdom grow in clusters of Christians all over the world. May it grow as hearts are warmed by encounter with the living God, nourished by word encounter with the living God, nourished by word and sacrament, private prayer and public worship. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
May the kingdom grow in states and countries, all over the world, in crowded streets of cities and in scattered rural communities. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
May the kingdom grow in every human shelter and home every place of work and education, in each conversation and in our mutual care of one another.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
May the kingdom grow to bring peace and healing and wherever there is pain or sadness to bring reassurance, comfort, courage and hope.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
We pray for our world leaders and community leaders, for the Royal Family and our own clergy and communities – for peace and reconciliation. We pray for our children and young people as they come to the end of another academic year. Be with those who are beginning important exams at school and university. Help us through our Christian life to create a society where both young and old feel valued and a part of society. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Loving God we think of those in need in our community; the elderly, the housebound and those in care homes. We give thanks for all who care for the sick and for our NHS as it seeks to vaccinate our population.
We remember those departed and those with anniversaries we also remember at this time. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Lord may we wakeful at sunrise to begin a new day for you, cheerful at sunset for having done our work for you, thankful at moonrise for the beauty of your universe and may we add what little there may be in us to add to your great world.
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
Now may the Lord of peace himself give us peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with us all and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
