Invitation to Worship:
Wait for the Lord, like those who hope in God’s mercy.
Watch for God, like those who eagerly await the morning.
Attend to God’s hopeful word, like those who long for pardon.
Sing praise to God and rejoice in God’s love.
Song: StF 89 Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our strong deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary
Brenton Brown and Ken Riley, © 2005 Thankyou Music
Prayers of approach
We come to you now, Lord, in the certain knowledge
that we are the children of the Christ who loved us
and gave himself up for us,
A fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Thank you, Lord.
Lord God, we thank you that you are not a distant God,
who can only be worshipped from afar.
We thank you that we are your dearly loved children.
Through Jesus you came close to us, so that we can truly know you.
Thank you, dear God,
that in Christ we are part of your great plan.
Lord God, we know we are not perfect.
We know there are many things in life we need to change.
We need to learn not to be influenced
by the celebrities of our time –
or even peers – if they don’t measure up to you.
We need you at the centre of life if we are truly to imitate you,
and live out your wonderful love.
Please forgive us for the times when we let things go,
when we take the easy route,
instead of really asking what would Jesus do.
And help us to learn to forgive ourselves as Christ forgives us.
Amen.
Reading: Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Hymn: StF 242 A new commandment I give unto you
A new commandment I give unto you,
That you love one another as I have loved you,
That you love one another as I have loved you.
By this shall all know that you are My disciples,
If you have love one for another.
By this shall all know that you are My disciples,
If you have love one for another.
Reflection
Sometimes it’s reassuring to realise that the first Christians had much the same problems as we do. Paul writes to the community in Ephesus about new life in Christ and the wonder of having a new identity, created in God’s likeness. These beautiful words evoke a vision of a Spirit-filled community rejoicing in Jesus’ presence.
But it turns out that the goal of perfection begins with much more basic changes to life. Stop lying to each other! Stop holding grudges against each other! Stop sharing harmful gossip about each other! Paul’s teaching brings the community in Ephesus into sharp focus and shows us that they shared many of the flaws and failings that still beset Christian communities today.
As anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will know, it’s easier to say ‘Stop!’ than to do it. There are many ways of behaving that we know will harm us and our community – and yet it’s difficult to move away from habits that have become deeply part of who we are. One tried and tested approach is to focus attention away from our shortcomings towards alternatives that are more attractive and appealing. This is where Paul also directs his teaching. Imagine what life could be like! he says. Imagine a life where everyone is kind to each other. Imagine a life where mistakes and failings lead to forgiveness, not condemnation. Imagine a life where God’s love comes to life within us as beloved children.
Perhaps we are able to take cautious steps from imagination towards life-changing reality, but it can feel like a slow and frustrating process as we stumble along. Paul reminds us that we have help. We have each other – we are not alone in our struggles but we support each other and build each other up. The Holy Spirit is part of our life, stamped on us like a tattoo on our heart. Jesus is part of our life, his self-giving love constantly reshaping who we are. In our Christian family, there is support as we grow into the people God calls us to be.
God needs us to grow into communities filled with the love of the Lord Jesus, because that is the best way for Christian communities to flourish. But we must also recognise that when we live this way, we bear witness to the wider community that it is possible to live with kindness, respect and honour for one another. And how much this witness is needed in our society at this time! We have seen unrest on the streets in recent days, police officers attacked, the holy buildings of other faith communities under siege, asylum seekers’ homes set on fire. The church has rightly been strong in saying that this is not acceptable, but our actions often speak even louder than our words. Here in the city, we have the opportunity to demonstrate what it means to be a community centred on kindness and respect. We have the privilege of worshipping within God’s diverse family, where people from across the world can worship, work and grow into God’s likeness together. This is our calling – to learn to live together in the power of God’s love – so that we may grow into God’s likeness and so that the world can see that hope is stronger than fear and love is stronger than hate in Jesus Christ, who loves us and gives us life forever.
Questions to think about
- What changes would you like to ask God to help you with in the ways you live?
- How could your church share God’s ways of living with your wider community?
Prayers for our need
Lord God, there are so many people who need the difference in their lives
that only you can bring.
Lord, sometimes we feel so useless
when faced with all the needs of our world.
We forget the important part we play just by opening our lives to you,
bringing you our prayer, and being your hands and feet.
O God with us,
We pray today for all in our congregation and community
who are ill, who are afraid, who are in despair.
May the daily nourishment of Jesus, His peace and reconciliation
be experienced in every life.
O God with us,
We pray for all in leadership – in our church, in our country and across the world.
May our leaders keep their eyes on Jesus and increase in compassion, wisdom and love.
May they use their power for the good of all, particularly those on the margins,
for whom Jesus had a special love
and for the wellbeing and restoration of this planet.
O God with us,
We pray for our world, so in need of the peace, healing and reconciliation
that Your presence brings.
May we each have the courage to be people of hope in these troubled times –
may we walk into conflict, may we walk into fear, may we walk into despair,
and bring Your spirit of peace, hope and love.
The 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.
Hymn: StF 615 Let love be real, in giving and receiving
Let love be real, in giving and receiving,
Without the need to manage and to own;
A haven free from posing and pretending,
Where every weakness may be safely known.
Give me your hand, along the desert pathway,
Give me your love wherever we may go.
As God loves us, so let us love each other;
With no demands, just open hands and space to grow.
Let love be real, not grasping or confining,
That strange embrace that holds yet sets us free;
That helps us face the risk of truly living,
And makes us brave to be what we might be.
Give me your strength when all my words are weakness;
Give me your love in spite of all you know.
As God loves us, so let us love each other;
With no demands, just open hands and space to grow.
Let love be real, with no manipulation,
No secret wish to harness or control;
Let us accept each other’s incompleteness,
And share the joy of learning to be whole.
Give me your hope through dreams and disappointments
Give me your trust when all my failings show.
As God loves us, so let us love each other;
With no demands, just open hands and space to grow.
Words © 1995 Kevin Mayhew
A prayer of blessing
May God our Father, strengthen us,
May Christ Jesus show us the way to serve,
May the Holy Spirit make us fruitful in all we do.
And may the peace and love of our God be always with us. Amen.
Resources from re:worship, the Church of Scotland and rootsontheweb, reproduced under CCLI licence 263530.
