Welcome
The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Jesus calls us to serve and follow him,
and promises that if we do, we shall be with him.
Come, be with him now.
Serve him, follow him, and give glory to God. Amen.
Hymn: StF 20 “Be still for the presence of the Lord”
1 Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here;
come bow before him now
with reverence and fear:
in him no sin is found —
we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here.
2 Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
he burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned:
how awesome is the sight —
our radiant King of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
3 Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
he comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace:
no work too hard for him —
in faith receive from him.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
Prayers
The hour has come to let go of our normal concerns, and to set aside the hopes and expectations we have for the week to come.
The hour has come to stop in the midst of the everyday, and to focus on this day and this moment, a time to consider life beyond ourselves.
Let us give this time back to God.
Amen.
God of awe and wonder,
as your Son turned his face towards Jerusalem,
and prepared himself for trials and agony,
crucifixion and death,
help us in this season of Lent,
at the beginning of Passiontide,
to turn our hearts towards you,
that we may become part of his story
of change and transformation,
forever mindful of his sacrifice,
forever grateful for your love.
Amen.
God of mercy and compassion,
we look to you to forgive our frailty and our weakness.
Like your disciples who went before us,
we have not always understood what you strive to teach us,
we have not always been as bold in our witness as we could have been,
we have not always stood by the faith we hold so dear,
and there have been times when we have betrayed your love.
Have mercy on us, and forgive us,
for we are weak and frail.
Strengthen us for your service,
for we ask in the name
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Almighty God to whose glory we celebrate the anniversary of this church:
We thank you for the fellowship of those who have worshipped here,
and we pray that all who seek you may find you, and,
being filled with the Holy Spirit,
may become a living temple,
a dwelling place for your life-giving presence in the world.
We ask it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Hymn: StF 513 “Take this moment, time and space”
1 Take this moment, sign, and space;
take my friends around;
here among us make the place
where your love is found.
2 Take the time to call my name,
take the time to mend
who I am and what I’ve been,
all I’ve failed to tend.
3 Take the tiredness of my days,
take my past regret,
letting your forgiveness touch
all I can’t forget.
4 Take the little child in me,
scared of growing old;
help me here to find my worth
made in Christ’s own mould.
5 Take my talents, take my skills,
take what’s yet to be;
let my life be yours, and yet,
let it still be me.
Reading John 12.20-33
(20) Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. (21) They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (22) Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. (23) Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (24) Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (25) Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (26) Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. (27) “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—’Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. (28) Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (29) The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” (30) Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. (31) Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. (32) And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (33) He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Talk
Jesus says “Father, glorify your name” But what is glory?
According to a dictionary Glory means magnificence, splendour, beauty, wonder, brilliance. People like glory.
People often want to be associated with power and success. You could say that many people are what you could call “Glory hunters”.
Glorify my name – the former Manchester United’s defender Rio Ferdinand once commented that he saw many more people wearing replica Manchester City shirts these days now that City were winning Premiership titles. He wondered whether they were truly long-term fans who had sort of come out of the woodwork or whether it was simply the case that success attracts those who wish to jump on to the band wagon of reflected glory of a team that is doing well. Of course some Manchester United fans have been criticised for the same thing – you know the sort of joke that runs along the lines of where most Manchester United fans call home – answer “Bournemouth”.
Glory hunters really annoy those who see themselves as the real fans of a football team because they feel that Glory hunters have not earned the right to be real supporters of the team. There is a sense among many football fans that to be a real football fan you have got to have followed your team not just during the times of triumph but during the bad times when your team has struggled, and everything has gone wrong.
Jesus is no glory hunter. He does not say to his disciples “glorify my name”. He says to God “Father glorify your name” and there is all the difference in the world between these two statements.
A glory hunter is self-serving they want to grab some glory for themselves, but Jesus is God serving. Jesus wants to give all glory to God.
Jesus’s idea of glory is different too.
Glory for Jesus comes not so much from triumphant victories but from loving obedience and costly self-sacrifice. Above all glory is to be seen in Jesus’s willingness to die on the cross for our sake.
In an interview the actor Kevin Bacon shared a conversation he had with his 6-year-old son after he had seen the film “Footloose” in which Kevin Bacon had a starring role.
The boy said “Dad that was cool how you jumped up on that roof and swung from the rafters. How did you do that?
“Well son, I didn’t actually do that part, said Bacon, “A stunt man did it”
What’s a stunt man, asked his son
“That’s someone who dresses like me and does things I can’t do. Things that are too dangerous.
“Oh well, what about that part of the film where you spin around on that gym bar and land on your feet” persisted the boy.
“Well son, that was the stunt man again, and not me. He is really good at gymnastics”
“Oh” said the lad, and then there was a long pause.
Dad just what did you do in the movie?
Bacon sheepishly replied “I got all the glory”
Jesus was nailed to the cross in our place, to pay the price of our sins because he was the only one who could do it and emerge victorious. We could not do it for ourselves.
Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross, he stood in for us so that we could both share in God’s glory and share in his eternal life.
Song to reflect on
“Build your Kingdom here” The Rend Collective
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us, we pray
Unveil why we’re made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit, come invade us now
We are Your church
We need Your power in us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You’re our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven’s cause
We are Your church
We pray revive this Earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Unleash Your kingdom’s power
Reaching the near and far
No force of Hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope on Earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here!
We pray!
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here!
We pray!
Songwriters: Chris Llewellyn, Gareth Gilkeson, William Herron
For non-commercial use only. Data from: Musixmatch
Prayers of intercession
God of all, we turn to you to pray for those who,
like Christ, are ridiculed for what they believe
and persecuted for what they hold dear…
God of all, we turn to you to pray for those, who,
like Christ make great sacrifices to share the good news
In full knowledge of the price that they are paying but believe
that price to be worthwhile.
God of all, we turn to you to pray for those who,
like Christ, put their lives on the line for others,
in the full knowledge of the risks they are taking…
God of all, we turn to you to pray for those who,
like Christ, are beaten and abused,
the victims of torture and brutality…
God of all, we turn to you to pray for those who,
like Christ, are betrayed by friends and colleagues
who run away at their hour of greatest need…
God of all, we turn to you to pray for those who,
like Christ, know their need of you,
and turn to you in prayer. 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.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn: StF 415 “The Church of Christ in every age”
1 The Church of Christ, in every age
beset by change, but Spirit-led,
must claim and test its heritage
and keep on rising from the dead.
2 Across the world, across the street,
the victims of injustice cry
for shelter and for bread to eat,
and never live until they die.
3 Then let the servant Church arise,
a caring Church that longs to be
a partner in Christ’s sacrifice,
and clothed in Christ’s humanity.
4 For he alone, whose blood was shed,
can cure the fever in our blood,
and teach us how to share our bread
and feed the starving multitude.
5 We have no mission but to serve
in full obedience to our Lord:
to care for all without reserve,
and spread his liberating word.
Blessing
God be with us in the coming week,
as we think about Jesus making his way to Jerusalem
to die upon the cross and rise again on Easter Day to show us your love
May that same love inspire us with the commitment to reach out to others in his name.
And may the blessing of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be ours for ever and forever.
Amen.
