We began the service with a Welcome and the Announcements which included information about the service on October 28 to which we are encouraging younger people to come and an invitation for anyone over 10 to join an Advent choir. Also Pat announced the success of our Operation Christmas Child project, which had drawn in 60 boxes, half of which were due to the efforts of Kim. Andrew, who was our minister today, gave the
Call to Worship, which took the form of excerpts from Psalm 104, such as:
O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honour and majesty,
Wrapped in light as with a garment.
Read it, it's more than worth your time and attention. It's not just an acknowledgement of God's greatness but also a guide for anyone trying to gain insight into the nature of our Lord God.
Hymn 80 "Immortal, invisible, God only wise." another chance for us to consider other facets of the Other, the "most glorious".
The Prayers of Invocation and Confession followed, asking God to enter into our midst, and to lay aside all that would divide us, pouring out His spirit upon us.
We offered up our knowledge that we can never deserve God's salvation and that it is only through God's Grace that we can hope at all.
We confessed our pride and ambition and our unwillingness to share our fellowship with all, clinging to our friends.
We confessed wanting to be supported rather than to support; to want to organize things our way rather than to be a servant.
We asked to be moulded to God's will and purpose, confessing our weakness.
Having done this we were assured that we should "Go in peace, restored in the life of Christ our Saviour."
That assurance is always good to hear.
The Young People's Talk focussed on a building of blocks and those blocks which were the most important to the structure. Having identified the important ones as the cornerstones, Andrew explained that God was the cornerstone of our lives and then prayed, giving thanks for young people and praying for blessing on them and their families in the coming week.
Hymn 569 "Praise and thanksgiving, Father, we offer, for all things living you have made good" Thanking God for his provision for our needs and our acknowledgement of our need for commitment to look to the needs of others.
Job 38: 1 - 7, 34 - 41;Hebrews 5: 1 - 10; Mark 10: 35 – 45
All these readings taken from vastly different contexts, spoke of the glory and power of God, beside whom man is nothing and of whom we no right to make demands. Rather we should look for God's will in the midst of all that is happening around us.
Andrew then delivered the Homily focussing on the reality of God, drawing from each of the three readings.
His background illustration was The 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, a group of Roman Soldiers from different backgrounds who refused to make a sacrifice because they were Christians.
When threatened with terrible punishment and even when that punishment was metred out to them they continued to refuse to make the sacrifice with the result that they were finally killed. There is more to the story than that, but that is enough to make the point. Why would they accept such suffering!
By way of explanation, Andrew pointed out that much has been said about the reality of God in recent years but today's scripture readings tell us three things:
God is the cornerstone of our existence.
God (through Christ) is the source of our salvation.
God's kingdom is prepared for us in our daily lives by Christ through the image and role of servanthood.
Andrew pointed out that that was why the martyrs accepted their suffering - for something something far more valuable.
As C. S. Lewis said, " If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, that does not prove the universe is a fraud - probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it but only to suggest the real thing. I must keep keep alive in myself the desire for my true country which I shall not find until after death."
That's what the martyrs knew.
They knew that trust in God would bring everlasting peace.
They knew that God through Christ is the source of eternal salvation.
They knew that service to God is the faithful path of a Christian.
Hymn 40 "I sing the almighty power of God," once again looking at more of the infinite aspects of God that it is possible to discern in our search for the truth about our Maker.
Offering and Prayer. Acknowledging our responsibility to share God's goodness to us with others.
This was followed by the Prayers of the People during which we asked or support for those in the community around us, especially those known to us personally.
Hymn 514 "O Jesus I have promised" reminding us that we have made the same commitment as those soldiers did, so long ago. Would we have the courage they had?
We were then sent out to live our Christian lives,
Benediction. May the blessing of God the Eternal Creator,
The peace of Christ, Incarnate Word
And the strength of the Spirit, our constant companion,
be with us now and evermore. Amen.
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