9th Sunday after Trinity

Welcome to our online service of Holy Communion, we hope you find this accessible. If there are any difficulties worshipping in this format, but you value the ability to join an online community, we would love to know what could be improved. Please telephone or email the Vicar, Graeme.

In order to help with the setting at home, find somewhere unlikely to experience interruptions for the next 30 minutes. Light a candle, or a set a small lamp on a stand, something that brings to mind the idea of light shining in the world.

You may want to get a small piece of bread for later in the service… In St Bartholomew’s (9:15am) and St James (11:15am) we will be receiving communion in one kind only. At home, taking a small piece of bread and giving thanks to God for his goodness, eating it and knowing that there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God is perfectly acceptable. Eat: knowing that even in the wilderness, God fed his chosen people by sending manna from heaven.

The Bible is read for us today by Don Lodge and if you would like to read along they are here following this link, or you may prefer a different version in your own Bible: Genesis 37:1–4, 12–28 and Matthew 14:22–33

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

The Lord be with you
and also with you

Preparation

Let us pray,
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our 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

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven, and to bring us to eternal life. Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all.

We say together…
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and 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

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Gloria in Excelsis

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

Collect

Let us pray:
Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
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 Bible is read for us today by Don Lodge and if you would like to read along they are here following this link, or you may prefer a different version in your own Bible: Genesis 37:1–4, 12–28 and Matthew 14:22–33

Sermon for the 9th Sunday after Trinity

Last week we learned how Jesus was interrupted while seeking time alone for the grief of his cousin’s murder. Interrupted and interruptible; undermining expectations and blessing those who came to see him.

So the people have been fed and the thousands have been cured, and now the labour done, he sends the crowds away and sends his disciples away too: to the other side of the lake in a boat. Finally he is able to spend time in prayer, spend time in conversation with our Heavenly Father.

The wind picks up, the boat is battered by the winds and driven away from the shore. Experienced fishermen were struggling against the prevailing wind.

I’m sure you must have a memory of being caught in a storm, or looking out of the house as the air is think with rain on a hot summer stormy night.

What happened to Jesus, up the mountain, praying alone? If the wind down at the level of the lake was bad – can you imagine what it must have been like higher up? What conversation took place between God and Jesus that night?

Sometimes I find being outside when the weather turns unexpectedly dramatic can be inspirational. I was up near March Haigh Reservoir recently and I could see pitch black clouds eating up the countryside behind me as Marsden Moor disappeared into the gloom. Ahead of me was another cloudburst – the rain falling so thick I could barely make Marsden out at the bottom of the hill. The wind whipped about me and I felt fragile. But in my fragility, another image came to mind, that of being held in the palm of God’s hand. As the weather raged about me, I felt God’s reassuring presence.

Jesus had sent his disciples to the other side of the lake, and perhaps planned to meet them there. But if the evidence of Jesus’ willingness to be interrupted was present in the feeding of the five thousand, then again we see Jesus taking a different route to the one that we might have imagined when he sent them away. Whatever had been in Jesus mind, the disciples wouldn’t have been expecting Jesus to meet them until they landed.

So as the wind whipped up and they were driven further away from the shore. How alone would they have felt? How impotent in the face of an overwhelming world that makes us humans feel so small.

Even in the storm, Jesus speaks of peace, “take heart, do not be afraid”.

If this was the end of the story, it would be a nice neat metaphor for faith: God is with you in the storms of life. And for most of Jesus followers that is the story. But not for Peter. Peter wants to do what Jesus is doing. Jesus says, “come” … come on then, come and walk on the water with me!

Apparently, we don’t have a God who tells us to sit still in the boat while God rescues us from the scary world. Apparently, if we want to, we can ask God to let us come and walk on water too.

Now I am not advising anyone to go down the canal and try to walk on water: please don’t do that. What I’m talking about here is the variety of options God gives us in the midst of an overwhelming world.

Being a Christian is about having faith that God loves you. Being a Christian is about knowing that there are storms in this world and that God’s peace will be with us. This is not the same as pretending that the world will be bubbled wrapped for us, so we never once stub a toe, or get ill, or even die. These are the realities of the world we live in. Genetics, viruses, accidents and time: the way the world changes whether we like it or not, like the fact that I now have to take my glasses off to read. Change is constant.

But peace and reassurance in the face of change are not the only ways we can rely on God, for some people there is a burning desire to get out of the boat and do what Jesus is doing. To be part of the change.

Warning: Peter didn’t get out of the boat under his own authority, Peter asked Jesus first and waited for the answer… Jesus’s generosity was to say, “come”. This is not an either-or scenario. There are times in my life where I have needed to stay curled up in a ball and ask God to protect me in the storm, and there are times when I’ve asked to get fully involved. Notice that hopes and the fears are both blessed with God’s presence. Neither situation is successful through human endeavour; no matter how hard I try; I can’t calm a storm, and I can’t perform miracles. So:

• Relying on God when the world is falling apart? Jesus’ blesses you.
• Itching to walk on water? Jesus blesses you.

Truly, Jesus is the Son of God.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen

Prayers of Intercession

If it will help, light a candle to represent our prayers, to shine a light in the world: a light of hope and not despair. A light to witness before God that we know we are not alone, those we love are not alone, and that we know God is with them.

You can light a virtual candle here on the Church of England website

We hold before God the very real worries we have for those who are ill, with whatever condition, in mind body or spirit. We give thanks for all those who have dedicated themselves to helping others, and we remember those who we love but no longer see. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The Peace

Although many of us are gathered in our homes
this physical distance is no distance to God
We may be apart, but we are gathered together and the Lord said:
‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name,’
‘there am I in the midst of them.’
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you

The Eucharist

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.

When we turned away
you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.

In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened his arms of love upon the cross
and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin.

On the night he was betrayed,
at supper with his friends
he took bread, and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his body is the bread of life.

At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his blood is shed for all.

As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory,
send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine
may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.

With your whole Church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven, saying:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Lord’s Prayer

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.

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Agnus Dei

Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.

God’s holy gifts
for God’s holy people.
Jesus Christ is holy,
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

If you would like to eat a little bread at this point; reflect on the everlasting love of God, in Christ Jesus

Post Communion Prayer

Holy Father,
who gathered us here around the table of your Son
to share this meal with the whole household of God:
in that new world where you reveal the fullness of your peace,
gather people of every culture and language
to share in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out
in the power of your Spirit
to live and work
to your praise and glory.
Amen

The Blessing

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen

© The Archbishops’ Council (2000) Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) (including the Psalter as published with Common Worship)