Circuit Written Worship Sunday 3rd September 2023 prepared Rev Ken Stokes
Caesarea Philippi Part 2 – beginning the journey to the cross
Call to worship
Come into the house and know that God is present
Come and know that God’s glory abides.
Come, seek and receive God’s gracious redemption.
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.
David J. Evans (b. 1957)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 20 Words and Music: © 1986, Thankyou Music
Prayers
O God, you have touched our lives
with your grace and your beauty showered upon us, whether we recognise your presence or not.
You have come to us in Jesus,
reaching through the centuries
to show us that love cannot die,
and that your kingdom is among us.
You keep coming to us through your Spirit,
who dances around our lives, longing to catch us up, that we may see the world through your eyes.
You come to us, and we turn to you to receive your gifts, to know your love, and to join your dance of life. Amen.
O God, we confess that we want to follow you, but get easily put off by the twists and turns of the journey.
There are times when we are willing to carry the cross, but there are also many times when we want to lay it down
and let someone else pick it up.
We are willing to speak your word,
but sometimes do so quietly, so that it will not disturb anyone.
Forgive us for our lack of trust in ourselves,
in each other, and in you.
Help us to learn how to reach out when we are struggling and to open our hearts and minds enough to let you empower us.
For, however much we stumble, we want to walk with you. Amen.
Gospel Matthew 16:21-28
(21) From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.” (22) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “God forbid it, Lord!” he said. “That must never happen to you!” (23) Jesus turned around and said to Peter, “Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don’t come from God, but from human nature.” (24) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. (25) For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it. (26) Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life. (27) For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds. (28) I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Son of Man come as King.”
Reflection
Peter says to Jesus “God forbid it”. In the Marvel stories about Spider Man as well as being able to climb up buildings Spider Man’s mutation gives him an additional sense – which is called a spider sense an ability to detect danger and to be able to react instantly. In our reading from Matthew Peter does not need a spider sense to feel the danger that Jesus is going to be walking into. Everything in his being reacts against this idea. Jerusalem is not the place to go. It seems to Peter that Jesus has a death wish. Yet this is the precise opposite of what Peter believes God wants Jesus to be and do. After all, earlier in Matthew Chapter 16, Peter has declared that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s chosen one, the one who will save the people. Peter can’t see how this can happen if Jesus is killed before he has been able to fulfil his destiny. In the popular imagination of many Jews of the time, perhaps including Peter’s, the Messiah sent by God to save the people would be like one of the great heroic figures of the past. A Jewish nation building leader like King David who had fought against Israel’s enemies and established a powerful kingdom. In Peter’s mind and for that matter the minds of many others, death and apparent defeat are marks of God’s absence not God’s presence. So, if Jesus died that would amount to Jesus being rejected by God. No wonder Peter rejects the route Jesus wants to take. Yet Jesus is not interested in engaging in nationalist wish fulfilment. Jesus says to be Peter “Get behind me Satan” Whenever I hear these words read, I think how harsh they sound, and in many ways they are harsh. It can never be comfortable to hear a friend, your hero, your leader calls you Satan, can it? Of course, we need to recognise what Jesus was not saying; Jesus is not thinking that Peter is some sort of demonic force. We need to recognise Satan’s role in Jewish understanding is not to walk about with forked tail and horns in a way that is often our popular conception. Such images were formed more than a thousand years after Jesus earthly ministry in what we call the Middle Ages. Rather in Jewish understanding Satan had a God given task, Satan was the one whose role was to tempt Satan had to tempt humans to do something in a different way from God’s way. So, what is the temptation that Peter places before Jesus. It seems to me the great temptation is one that echoes the temptations that Jesus first faced and rejected during his time in the wilderness. The temptation is to take the orthodox route to conventional political power. This conventional route is one that that has often been followed through history. Human beings for some unknown reason are suckers for brash shouty, so-called strong men. This is a well-trodden route to power. Such men are often successful in their own terms. It can appear to serve them well if not necessarily their countries. People are often attracted by apparent strength –Men like this seem at least initially to offer safety, security, stability alongside a frisson of showmanship. This is a route modelled by King David with considerable military success, yet we know that even at the height of its political and military success David’s kingdom was not a perfect kingdom or truly Godly. It was flawed just as David had been flawed. Later Kings were much more flawed and less aware of their flaws than David had led Israel to national failure Of course Peter may have thought that Jesus could have been a different sort of King. One who did not seek wealth, power and self-aggrandisement. He probably hoped that Jesus would want to establish God’s kingdom of justice and peace – yet when you use the wrong means to get to something – you will inevitably be corrupted by the use of that power.
Crucifixion was Rome’s ultimate terror weapon. They used it to control the population. You see people who are obsessed with power, think the ultimate threat is pain and death. It isn’t. The ultimate threat is to stop being who God intended you to be. Jesus knew that human beings would never be really free until the day someone faced down death. This is why he had to journey to Jerusalem, and this is why he had to face the cross. Yet you can only do that if there is hope of life beyond death. If you think that death is not the end of everything and that you can come through to the other side. This is what Jesus promises us if we trust him, if we follow him, if we let love guide our actions then death cannot control us or overpower us and we will find life beyond our fear.
A song to listen to
I’m not a warrior, I’m too afraid to lose
I feel unqualified for what you’re callin’ me to
But Lord with your strength, I’ve got no excuse
‘Cause broken people are exactly who you use
So give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defence
So I can face my giants with confidence
You took a shepherd boy and made him a King
So I’m gonna trust you and give you everything
I’ll be a conqueror ’cause you fight for me
I’ll be a champion claiming your victory
So give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defence
So I can face my giants with confidence
I’m gonna sing and shout and shake the walls
I won’t stop until I see ’em fall
Gonna stand up, step out when you call Jesus, Jesus
I’m gonna sing and shout and shake the walls
I won’t stop until I see ’em fall
Gonna stand up, step out when you call Jesus
Give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defence
So I can face my giants with confidence, yeah
Give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defence
So I can face my giants with confidence
I’ll face my giants with confidence
Songwriters: Tony Wood, Jordan Bailey, Matt Armstrong. For non-commercial use only.
Questions to think about
1) Jesus seems to have thought Peter was tempting him. Do you ever feel tempted to do something you know isn’t right? If so, by whom, when and why?
2) What do you think “carry your cross and follow me” might mean for you today?
Hymn: StF 325 “Jesus Christ – Perfect Love”
1 Jesus Christ — Perfect Love,
Holy One that knows no fault,
screen my thoughts, make me clean,
know the motives of my heart.
When I see my selfish choice,
when I glimpse your holiness,
then I realise again
Perfect Love has come to cleanse.
2 Jesus Christ — Lord for all,
plant in me the kingdom seed.
Search me, Lord, when I’m found
looking only to my needs.
When I see the way you lived,
how you dignified the poor,
then I realise again
how I need to know you more.
3 Jesus Christ — Lamb of God,
Love resolved to take our place.
Who can write or describe
all of your self-giving grace?
When I look at the brutal cross,
innocence and beauty slain,
that’s when I realise once more
you fully understand our pain.
4 Jesus Christ — King of heaven,
qualified to wear the crown.
In your face, radiant grace
draws us closer to your throne.
When we see your generous heart,
when we touch the world you love,
that’s when we realise again;
Perfect Love is Perfect Hope.
Geraldine Latty (b. 1963) and busbee
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 325
Words and Music: © 2005 Thankyou Music
Intercessions
Let us pray for those who suffer at the hands of others:
those who live under unjust regimes
who are persecuted, beaten, tortured, and imprisoned
for being who they are, or believing what they believe.
In the name of Christ who was scourged and mocked and crucified, loving God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for those who suffer as the victims of warfare
those who are physically or psychologically scarred
children taught to hate and adults to live in death’s shadow.
We pray for the widowed and orphaned, for homeless refugees
today we remember particularly those who cower in fear of bullets, bombs and shells in DR Congo, Ukraine, and Yemen.
In the name of Christ who wept of the city of Jerusalem because she would one-day fall, loving God, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for those who suffer from the harshness of nature:
those who are born disabled
those who are the victims of storms, flood, droughts and famines made worse and more frequent by human climate change.
Today we pray for those who suffer from drought in sub-Saharan Africa and those who experience floods like the people of Pakistan and those experiencing the after effects of the wild fires in Southern Europe, Canada and the United States.
We pray those who are ill and those who are dying……
In the name of Christ who healed those who were brought to him, loving God, hear our prayer
Let us pray for those who suffer through the selfishness of others:
those who starve while others eat too well
those who are lonely while others are too busy to care
those who are neglected because their voice is small.
In the name of Christ who lived for others, loving God, hear our prayer
Let us pray for those who suffer because they love:
for the bereaved and for those who are anxious about relatives and friends.
for those who weep at the evils of the world,
for those who deny themselves to give loving care.
In the name of Christ who gave himself on the Cross in obedience to love, loving God, hear our prayer
Let us pray for those who suffer because of their own actions.
those who suffer guilt, whose lives are full of regret.
those who despise the people who they are.
those who have made themselves unloving and unlovable.
In the name of Christ who pronounced the forgiveness of sins, loving God, hear our prayer.
Lord, we rejoice that through the ages your saints have been prepared to suffer as they followed your way of love. We pray that we, encouraged by their faithful witness, may be ready to give all in the service of your eternal kingdom of love.
In the name of Christ who called for his disciples to take up the cross, loving God, hear our prayer.
Lord, on the Cross of Christ we see you sharing in the suffering of your world. We rejoice to know that in our darkest hours you are with us, and we commend into your love those whom we know are suffering in any way. 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 673 “Will you come and follow me”
1 Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
in you and you in me?
2 Will you leave yourself behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?
3 Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean,
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you and you in me?
4 Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?
5 Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.
John L. Bell (b. 1949) and Graham Maule (b. 1958)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 673
Words: © 1987, WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH Scotland. <www.wgrg.co.uk>
Blessing and dismissal
Lord Jesus, give us the wisdom to follow you,
the strength to carry our cross,
and the hope of your coming kingdom. Amen.
