Worshipping at Home 10th October 2021
Home Worshipping 

Trinity 19                     10th October 2021

The Service

The above video is 18 minutes & 20 seconds long
The First Hymn
Welcome!
In many churches there is a moment when a Plate is passed around and we put a pledge card or donation on it. Sometimes we call it a Collection Plate, but maybe calling it the Offering Plate would be better. Traditionally, an Offertory was a gift that enabled a church to do more than pay its bills. It funded its mission and enabled it to be generous. Profoundly, we live because God is generous.


Psalm 96: 1-9
O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in holy splendour; tremble before him, all the earth.

Acclamation

Glory to our bounteous King;
Glory let creation sing;
Glory to the Father, Son,
And blest Spirit, Three in One.

The Collect Prayer

Faithful Lord, 
whose steadfast love never ceases 
and whose mercies never come to an end: 
grant us the grace to trust you 
and to receive the gifts of your love, 
new every morning, 
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sharing the Peace

We are the Family of God;
In the one Spirit we were all baptised
into one body.

Let us then pursue all that makes for peace
and builds up our common life.

(At this point please think of others
and in your heart send them
the message: Peace be with you.)

Bible Reading

Mark 10:17-31 (The temptations of wealth.)

 

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.”’ ‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’ Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’ Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’ ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – along with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’

Thought for the Day

We live in a funny old world. We often talk about being ‘One World’ and that we are all members of the one Human Race. Especially during this pandemic we talk a lot about our local security and wellbeing being dependent on the whole world being secure and well. And yet we live in a world where the experience of life varies enormously. In this country we hear politicians talking about the need to ‘level up’ the country - meaning a fairer distribution of opportunity and prosperity. Imagine the poorest in the world making the same plea, ‘Please level up the world’. It’s a reasonable request, but as we consider it we realise that the difference in levels is enormous. For many people in the world every day is a crisis of survival. For us, a crisis is whether the full range of Spiderman toys will be in the shops for Christmas. 

Despite the enormity of the problem, many of us still hope that something can be done to level up the world. We wonder how we might improve the opportunities and prosperity of others so that everyone can have a chance of enjoying our standard of living. The problem is that we can only enjoy our standard of living because others can’t. We live in a world of finite resources, and there is just not enough to go round for everyone to live the European or American dream. Inevitably we are forced to realise that in order to level up the world, some of us need to level down. The new religion on the block seems to be Hedonism where too many of us eat too much, drink too much, have too much, and produce too much waste. 

In Jesus’ world, material prosperity was seen as a sign of God’s blessing. This is why the disciples were so surprised when Jesus announced, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’. We might shake our heads at the poor rich man who was at the receiving end of that comment, but what of us today? How many people today pursue a lifestyle that can only be described as ‘Hedonism and the hope of Heaven’?   

In November there will be a gathering of world leaders to consider the dangers of climate change. It is true that only large scale international action will save the planet, but that does not mean that individuals can stand back and carry on as before. Climate change or not, there is a strong moral argument not so much to level up the world as to level out the world. Our prosperity cannot be enjoyable if it is at the expense of others’ poverty. Life offers so many pleasures, and Jesus himself often indulged in them. The secret is to enjoy life with an informed and clear conscience. That is the path to being ridiculously happy.

Let us Pray

Creator God, only you see the big picture, this earth that, spinning through space can sustain the life we see and hear, warmed by sun, refreshed by rain, fed by seed sown and harvested, if we will only play our part. Forgive our complacency, our arrogance and greed, and raise up leaders who, with wisdom, can work together for the good of all, and save this precious gift
for future generations. Amen.

May we, in faith, see this world through your eyes, hear this world through your ears, touch this world through your hands and bless this world through your grace. Amen.

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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(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.)
The Blessing

Go in the power of the Spirit to live and work to God’s praise and glory. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.


Amen

 The Second Hymn

Bible Readings for the Week

Monday: Obadiah 1:1-9; Revelation 7:9-17

Tuesday: Obadiah 1:10-16; Revelation 8:1-5

Wednesday: Obadiah 1:17-21; Luke 16:19-31

Thursday: Genesis 14:17-24; Romans 15:7-13

Friday: Isaiah 47:1-9; Revelation 17:1-18

Saturday: Isaiah 47:10-15; Luke 22:24-30

If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns, please contact us

Henley in Arden The incumbent/priest in charge John Ganjavi
telephone 01564 792570 or email Incumbent/ Priest in charge

For a full list of church contact details please click here
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I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.
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