Worship for Sunday 30th June 2024, by Rev. Caroline Wickens

Invitation to Worship

Wait for the Lord, like those who hope in God’s mercy.
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Watch for God, like those who eagerly await the morning.
We watch for God, whose power redeems us.
Hear God’s hopeful word, like those who long for pardon.
Sing praise to God and rejoice in God’s love.

Worship Song: StF 78 Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”
Give thanks

Prayers

Let us come before God:
in our strength, in our weakness;
out of duty, out of joy;
seeking peace, needing healing;
in obedience to God’s call.

Let us come in the knowledge
that God knows our needs;
understands our fears
and longs to forgive all that accuses us and hinders our path.

Let us come to the One
who promises fullness of life;
gives strength to the weary
and hope in times of sadness.

Let us come to God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Reading: Mark 5:25 – 34

²⁵Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. ²⁶She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ ²⁹Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ³¹And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?”’ ³²He looked all round to see who had done it. ³³But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

Worship song: StF 657 You give rest to the weary

You give rest to the weary
You bring strength to weak
As they wait in Your presence
There is grace for their need
So I’ll wait, I’ll wait
Yes I’ll wait for You

I will say of the Lord ‘He is my refuge’
I will say of the Lord ‘He is my strength’
I will say of the Lord “He is my shelter, my hiding place’

You can come in the silence

You can come in the noise.

Bringing peace in a moment,

Bringing comfort and joy.

So I’ll wait, I’ll wait

Yes, I’ll wait, I’ll wait for you

I will come to the source of all creation
I will drink from the well that never dries
I will draw from the one who won’t grow tired, the Lord of all.

Reflection

I was talking the other day to a lady who had come to a group for older people at one of our churches. She was delighted to be there for all sorts of reasons. She isn’t able to find work that fits her disability and struggles with finance. She also finds it hard to get out and struggles with loneliness. Talking to her, it seemed that these problems mattered more than her physical difficulties. The group leader was providing support with accessing finance, and she was loving the interaction of the group.

Her story came back to me alongside this story of the woman with the flow of blood, and led me to the question: what healing did Jesus bring to that woman? The restoration of her physical wellbeing kickstarted so many other changes for the better in her life. It brought an end to the financial drain of spending out on unsuccessful medical care, and gave her the opportunity to begin rebuilding a more stable financial situation. It brought an end to isolation and stigma. Jewish tradition is clear that bodily discharges make people unclean – so this woman had lived with uncleanness for twelve years, and had been an outcast because of it. Now, her place in the community was restored, and she found herself in the middle of the crowd explaining what had happened to her.

Jesus’ last words to the woman are important. ‘My daughter, your faith has made you well – go in peace, and be healed of your trouble’. She is well; she can be at peace; she is healed. These are different ways of stating her liberation from her practical, social and financial problems. And all this happened because she found the courage and the trust to approach Jesus. Hoping against hope, she crept up to him in the crowd, dreading attention. Her touch triggered power beyond her expectation and changed her life.

These are two stories of women who found the courage and confidence to ask for help. When we face difficulties, the first step towards getting help is often the hardest. We don’t want to admit that we are not coping very well. Speaking our troubles out to the Lord in prayer often makes it easier to speak to others, while the Lord’s wisdom helps us discern where to look for effective support that can make a real difference. And prayer is important too when others turn to us for help – those arrow-prayers that can be no more than ‘Lord, help me to say the right thing’. Sign-posting to support for specific problems, drawing on our own experience, just listening well – all these can be life-changing responses to need.

Today is the day when new Methodist ministers are ordained following years of training and probation. Our own Catharine is among them. As we attend to this story of the woman with the flow of blood, we pray that they may know when to turn to the Lord for help, and that they may be clear channels of God’s help to others in need, throughout their ministry – and that we too may draw on Jesus’ help so that we find the strength we need, for ourselves and in support of friends, family, neighbours and all who turn to us.

To think about:

Think about times when you found yourself under pressure for any reason. What helped you cope?
What do you think made the most difference to the woman with the flow of blood?
How does your church signpost people to find help?

Prayers for the world’s need

As we reflect on the experience of suffering,
let us remember that even when God seems far from us,
he is with us in our need, and in our uncertainty.

Let us pray that God will, in time transform people’s pain into praise:
turn our grieving into dancing: our silence into shouts of praise!

We remember before you, Lord, those whose lives we have read about in the newspapers this week, or heard about on the news.

We know that, to you, each person is a precious child, not a nameless victim or statistic.
Though we cannot know how they must be feeling, we make our prayer for them, knowing that you bear with us, and know their innermost thoughts.
Turn our grieving into dancing: our silence into shouts of praise!

We remember before you, Lord,
all who live with chronic illness or constant pain
all who share the burden of a loved-one’s ill-health …
Give strength to those who are weary,

that they may find support and know that they need not bear their burden alone.
Turn our grieving into dancing: our silence into shouts of praise!

We remember before you, Lord,
those who feel abandoned or forgotten, isolated, outcast or unclean,
renew in them a sense of their true worth,

that they may see in themselves and in others a reflection of your image.
Turn our grieving into dancing: our silence into shouts of praise!

We remember before you, Lord
Those who live with uncertainty and are tempted to give up hope;
those who have much to celebrate and who have cause to praise you …
May we know your steadfast and constant presence in times of joy as well as times of sadness,
and may we always have reason to praise you – in good times and bad.
You turn our grieving into dancing: our silence into shouts of praise!
Amen.

Worship song: StF 610 Best of all is, God is with us

Best of all is God is with us,
God will hold and never fail.
Keep that truth when storms are raging,
God remains though faith is frail.

Best of all is God is with us,
life goes on and needs are met,
God is strongest in our weakness.
Love renews, will not forget.

Best of all is God is with us,
hearts are challenged, strangely warmed,
faith is deepened, courage strengthened,
grace received and hope reformed.

Best of all is God is with us,
in our joy and through our pain,
till that final acclamation:
‘life is Christ, and death is gain’.

Best of all is God is with us
as we scale eternal heights,
love grows stronger, undiminished;
earth grows dim by heaven’s lights.

We go in the power of our caring, healing, Lord,
to meet the needs of God’s children, wherever God sends us.
Amen.