Worshipping at Home 13th June 2021
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Trinity 2                       13th June 2021

The Service

The above video is 17 minutes & 59 seconds long
The First Hymn
Welcome!

The weekly visit to church is seen by some as a corrective measure. The thought is that we attend church in order to be brought back into line and to be reminded of the rules. The caricature is that of a time dominated by Commandments and Confessions. The truth, however, is very different. Drawing close to God is liberating and inspiring and reassuring and comforting. Worship is a stretching exercise that helps us limber up for adventure!



Psalm 92: 1-4, 12-15

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Acclamation

Give thanks to the Lord 
and call upon his name.
Make known his deeds
 amongst the peoples.
Sing to him, 
sing praises to him,
and speak 
of all his marvellous works.
Holy, holy, holy 
is the Lord God almighty,
the same, yesterday, today 
and for ever! Amen!

The Collect Prayer

Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love 
are nothing worth: 
send your Holy Spirit 
and pour into our hearts 
that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues, 
without which whoever lives 
is counted dead before you. 
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, 
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever. 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 4:26-34 (The Parable of the Mustard Seed.)

 

He [Jesus] also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces corn – first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. As soon as the corn is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.’



Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.’

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.  He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Thought for the Day

Imagine someone coming up to us and asking, ‘What would the world be like if God were fully in charge?’. Maybe our eyes would glaze over as we conjured up a vision of utopia. Maybe we would talk about an updated version of the Garden of Eden. In Isaiah 11 verse 7 we have an image of a world at peace with itself: The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. Well, how would we describe a world as God would have it? Maybe we would talk about justice and spiritual things such as righteousness. In Revelation 21 we read of a vision where “[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ 

In our Bible reading today we hear Jesus sharing his ideas about the Kingdom of God. He does so by drawing on illustrations from nature. First of all Jesus talks about a farmer sowing seeds. It’s an amusing little sketch because Jesus emphasizes the unstoppable cycle of nature. Forces outside the control of the farmer deliver a harvest. Jesus’ second illustration is about a mustard seed which grows into a large tree. Apparently rogue mustard trees were a real nuisance to farmers. We can imagine the tiny seeds being easily blown about the fields and then, before you know it, large mustard trees start growing in unexpected places. Maybe it’s my weird imagination but I can see Jesus chuckling with delight as he shares these parables. They are fun! More importantly they are about freedom. The words that come to mind are spontaneity and creativity. And these are the ideas that Jesus presents in his vision of the Kingdom of God. 

Recently we have been looking at Jesus’ teaching on authority – where good and respected authority is earned rather than claimed. A leader who tries to stamp their authority on others betrays their weakness and self-doubt. In contrast a benevolent leader who has won the support of others can be at ease within themselves. The imposter lives in fear, and tries their best to control their world. Living under their authority is stifling. In contrast, the genuine leader creates an environment in which people can be free to explore life, think of new ideas, challenge boundaries, dare to make mistakes, bring about change – and all this is possible because someone is in charge…but in a good way. 

Yes, the Kingdom of God is about justice and peace and righteousness, but it is also about freedom and creativity and adventure! 

Let us Pray

Mighty God, to you belong the mysteries of the universe. You transform shepherds into kings, the smallest seeds into magnificent trees, and hardened hearts into loving ones. Bless us with your life-giving Spirit, re-create us in your image, and shape us to your purposes, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lord God, Redeemer and Life-giver, we pray for those in need, for our world, and for ourselves. Pour out your strength and courage upon us, and help us to recognise you not only as you draw close to us but also as we see the supporting love of all who care. We pray faithfully in your name. 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

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: 1 Samuel 16:14-23; Revelation 20:1-6

Tuesday: 1 Kings 18:17-40; Revelation 20:7-15

Wednesday: Isaiah 26:16-27:1; Luke 11:14-28

Thursday: Genesis 3:14-24; Hebrews 2:5-9

Friday: 1 Kings 10:26-11:8; Hebrews 11:4-7

Saturday: 2 Kings 14:1-14; Mark 4:1-20

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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