Marsden
Road Uniting Church
Carlingford
And in Anger...,
Pentecost
15 Sunday year of Matthew 9.30 am
Gathering God’s People
We acknowledge the first people who have cared for this Land, where we
worship, the Wallumedgal.
May
our worship join with the voices of the First Peoples of this Land.
(Abingdon
Worship Annual 2017)
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when the forces of
death pressed against us, we would have no songs to sing to our children. If it
had not been the Lord who was on our side when the instruments of death had us
in their power, we would be the victims of the unrighteous. Sing to our God,
who brings us into a future of hope and life.
Sing to
God for mercy and grace.
Sing
praises to God for laughter and joy.
For our
God is mighty and strong, protecting the lowly from the anger of the oppressor.
Our
God is righteous and just, saving the weak from the cruelty of the powerful.
Sing to
God for mercy and grace.
Sing praises to God for laughter and joy.
Hymn TIS 569: Guide me, O thou great Redeemer (tune – Cwm Rhondda)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAN4EojeF0Y
1.
Guide me, O my great
Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
2.
Open now the crystal
fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
3.
When I tread the verge of
Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Tune: Cwm Rhondda
Opening prayer
Gracious God renew our minds and cleanse our spirits, that we might rise above the petty judgments that keep us from full fellowship with you and with one another. Part the waters of our worries and confusion and save us from the tides that threaten to overwhelm us. Be merciful to us and protect us with your powerful hand, that we might dance and sing to your glory. Amen.
A Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, when we have inflicted injuries upon
others, forgive us; when we have laughed and sung as our enemies faced
calamity, pardon us;
when we have belittled the convictions of others through word or deed, restore us in your mercy. Reclaim us, Mighty One, that amidst the trials of life, we might walk on the dry land of your powerful hope and your loving grace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Declaration
of Forgiveness
"
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, the forces of
death would have claimed us as victims. If it had not been the Lord who was on
our side, we would have fallen to the sword or been drowned by the sea. Dance
and sing to the Lord who is on our side and is on the side of all God’s
children. Amen
Thanks,
be to God!
The
Peace
We live not for ourselves, but for the One who
rescues us from peril and calls us into fellowship with one another. Let us
give thanks for the love of God, as we share signs of Christ’s peace this day.
Peace be with you!
And also, with you!
(You
may like to exchange a sign of peace with those around you.)
A Word with the Children/Young People
Theme: God's Power and Protection
Object: Get ceramic or plastic plate, water, pepper, dish soap, paper towel for demonstration.
One of our Scripture lessons set for this week but
which we will not read later is about one of the most spectacular events in the
entire Bible. (Exodus 14:19-3) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for over
400 years. But Pharaoh refused to let God's people go until God sent 10 plagues
to all of Egypt. After so many bad things happened, Pharaoh finally decided it
was best to let the Israelites go. The Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt.
(For Demonstration - pour enough water on the plate
to cover the bottom.)
But Pharaoh changed his mind again. He sent his
giant army to bring the Israelites back to Egypt. And the Israelites were
caught between the army and the Red Sea. When God’s people saw the Egyptian
army and chariots coming, they were afraid.
(Shake pepper all over the water. Put your finger
into the water and touch the bottom of the plate.)
What happened? (Pause for a few responses.) You’re
right; nothing happened! The pepper just stuck to my finger. Hmm. The Israelites
were afraid that the Red Sea would cover them completely. But Moses said,
“Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch God save you today. The Egyptians
you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you.
Just stay calm.”
Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and God
opened up a pathway through the water with a strong east wind.
Put a drop of dish soap on the tip of your finger.
Then put your finger into the water again and touch the bottom of the plate.
The pepper on top of the water will instantly spread apart.
The people of Israel walked right through the middle
of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! The Egyptians, with
their horses and chariots, followed the Israelites through the sea, but God
twisted their chariot wheels, making them difficult to drive.
When the Israelites reached the other side of the
water, God said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again.” When Moses did,
the water rushed back, and all of the chariots and horses and the entire army
of the Pharaoh were drowned. Not a single one survived.
When the people of Israel saw the mighty power, God
had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe.
Imagine that—God caused the waters of the sea to separate. That’s kind of like our pepper trick, but on a giant scale. God is powerful and He protected His people, and He protects us, too.
Offering Prayer
Merciful God transform our gifts into gifts of hope and joy for a world acquainted with despair. Receive our very lives, and fashion us into instruments of your grace, that we may become love and laughter in places of sorrow and mourning. Mould us into your people— a people of promise and hope, a people who live and die in the Lord. Amen.
Hymn TIS 090: I’ll praise my maker while I’ve breath (plus extra verse from other sources) (tune: Monmouth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKz01u63gq8
1.
I’ll praise my
Maker while I’ve breath;
And when my voice
is lost in death
Praise shall employ
my nobler powers:
My days of praise
shall ne’er be past,
While life, and
thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
2.
Why should I place
in man my trust?
Princes must die
and turn to dust;
Vain is the help of
flesh and blood:
Their breath
departs, their pomp and power,
Their thoughts are
gone within an hour,
Nor can they make their promise good.
3.
Happy are they whose
hopes rely
On Israel’s God; He
made the sky,
And earth, and
seas, with all their train:
His Truth for ever
stands secure;
He saves the
oppressed, He feeds the poor,
And none shall find His promise vain.
4.
The Lord has eyes
to give the blind;
The Lord supports
the sinking mind;
He sends the
labouring conscience peace:
He helps the
stranger in distress,
The widow and the
fatherless,
And grants the prisoner sweet release.
5.
I’ll praise Him
while He lends me breath,
And when my voice
is lost in death,
Praise shall employ
my nobler powers;
My days of praise
shall ne’er be past,
While life, and
thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures.
Text: Isaac
Watts
Tune:
Monmouth
The First Reading: Romans 14:1-14
The Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:21-35
Readings: NRSV Translation
Romans 14:1-14
1 Welcome those who
are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. 2 Some
believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.
3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and
those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has
welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgement on
servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And
they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while
others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own
minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honour
of the Lord. Also, those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord, since they give
thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honour of the Lord and give
thanks to God. 7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do
not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord,
and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die,
we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and
lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before
the judgement seat of God.
11 For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ 12 So
then, each of us will be accountable to God.
13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one
another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the
way of another.
14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that
nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it
unclean.
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22 Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 23 ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” 29 Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
Preaching of the Word -
And
in Anger..., - Matthew 18:21-35
And in anger the Lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay
his entire debt. So, my heavenly Father will also do it to every one of you if
you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart. NRSV Matthew 18:
34-35
This is not good news for those of us who have trouble forgiving.
One woman went to her Minister because she had long-term resentments that
she held against the men in her life. Her father had greatly favoured her
brother and had given him the family business. Her brother offered her a menial
job in the family business after she divorced. Her former husband was
wonderfully successful with a huge income but was miserly and slow with the
child support and alimony paid to her. Her sons resented the divorce and
constantly told their mother how much they wanted to go live with their dad.
In short, she was angry and resentful. And what was worse, the reason she
was angry and resentful was because she was paying attention, had carefully analysed
her situation-and was right!
Her Minister listened carefully and said, "You are really justified
in being angry. What is being angry doing to you?" The woman poured out a
litany of pains, health problems, loneliness, and depression.
Forgiveness was offered as a possibility.
The woman was unable, or unwilling, to forgive. The men in her life did
not change their way of behaving toward her. Her health and wellbeing continued
in a downward spiral, even though she was totally justified in her anger.
We have in us a need for vindication when we are injured. There are
disciplines in law and equity for assessing responsibility for injury, for
assessing the degree of damage that an injury has done, and for determining
payment to restore the damage. But, no one who has ever gone through a
difficult lawsuit leaves satisfied.
We even have a bumper sticker that says, "Don't get mad, get
even!"
It may be that the way most of us imitate God is by claiming that
"vengeance is ours," contrary to what God said.
It may be that the torture described in the text is just what happens to
us when we refuse to forgive. The choice seems to be whether we will be right
and miserable, wrong and miserable, or whether we will be forgiving and happy.
There are some very clear words about this from Jesus that we all know:
"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," or in the familiar
translation, "Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us."
The door to joy and happiness is forgiveness. It seems to work this way.
First, when we forgive, we join with God in doing one of God's essential works.
Doing the will and work of God brings fulfillment to our lives. Second,
forgiveness brings peace to our relationships. Any parent can tell stories of
dealing with the injuries, offenses, and disobedience of children. Without
forgiveness, children can't be raised. Marriage, as our institution and way of
being, can't be sustained without mutual forgiveness.
Married people can't keep from injuring each other. Without forgiveness
the injuries become wounds and the wounds become fatal.
Even more ironic is the reality that most of us can't change destructive behaviour
until we find that we don't really have to change it. One man tells a story:
"I did things that betrayed all of my father's values. He kept forgiving
me. I finally did something that was so bad that I knew he would never forgive
me and would banish me. He forgave me. I realised that there was nothing that I
could do that would make my father stop loving and forgiving me. That realisation,
knowing that I was loved no matter what I did, meant that I didn't have to do
all the stuff anymore."
This story is a minor illustration of God's work in our broken, sinful
rebellion. The cross is God's ultimate act of love and forgiveness. What God
did through Jesus was not correct or legal or right. Rather it was pure love.
God said to all humanity, "There is nothing that you can do that will end
my love for you." It irritates God when we don't share the love and
forgiveness we have received. So, forgive someone -- today!
Hymn TIS 635: Forgive our sins as we forgive (tune – Detroit (Bradshaw))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HixCQUirJxg
"Forgive our sins as we forgive,"
You taught us, Lord, to pray,
But you alone can grant us grace
To live the words we say.
How can your pardon reach and bless
The unforgiving heart
That broods on wrongs and will not let
Old bitterness depart?
In blazing light your cross reveals
The truth we dimly knew:
What trivial debts are owed to us;
How great our debt to you!
Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
And bid resentment cease;
Then, bound to all in bonds of love
Our lives will spread your peace.
Intercessory Prayers
Loving God, we seek your help as we seek to model our lives on the
teachings of our Lord Jesus.
As we hear his words encouraging us to be kind to others, we pray that
we would be mindful of the needs of those who are less fortunate and never to
seek reward or recognition in helping others.
Lord in you mercy: Hear our prayer
We look at the life of Jesus in which he cared for the weak and sick and
in which he reached out to children, the poor and all of those who were
vulnerable. May we be filled with the same attitude of mercy and may we treat
others with equal compassion and dignity.
Lord in you mercy: Hear our prayer
As we think about the death of Jesus, we remember how his life was one
of sacrifice in which he willingly forsook his own needs and instead offered
all he had for the welfare of others. We ask for the presence of your Holy
Spirit to empower us to change and become less selfish, less proud and more
generous in the way that we give of ourselves to others in worship to you.
Lord in you mercy: Hear our prayer
We pray for spiritual vision to see ourselves as we really are. Enable
us we pray to see our own faults with the same clarity that we see the faults
of others.
Lord in you mercy: Hear our prayer
Help us to seek always to give to others the same kindness we would like
shown to ourselves.
Lord in you mercy: Hear our prayer
May our lives be examples of humility that we might treasure others with the measure of love which you have shown for us.
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 TIS 416: Great God, your Spirit, like the wind (tune – Jerusalem)
https://www.smallchurchmusic.com/MP3/MP3-GreatGodYourSpirit-Jerusalem-PipeLC-128-CAM.mp3
Great
God, your Spirit, like the wind -
unseen
but shaking things we see -
will
never leave us undisturbed,
fulfil
our dreams, or set us free,
until
we turn from faithless fear
and
prove the promise of your grace,
in
justice, peace and daily bread,
with
joy for all the human race.
Lord,
shake us with the force of love,
to
rouse us from our dreadful sleep;
remove
our hearts of stone, and give
new
hearts of flesh, to break and weep
for
all your children in distress
and
dying for the wealth we keep.
Help
us prevent, while we have time,
the
blighted harvest greed must reap.
And
then in your compassion, give
your
Spirit like the gentle rain,
creating
fertile ground from which
your
peace and justice spring like grain;
until
your love is satisfied,
with
all creation freed from pain,
and
all your children live to praise
your will fulfilled, your presence plain.
Author: Alan Gaunt
Tune: Jerusalem
Benediction
Plunge into the waters unafraid, for God leads us forth. Walk straight ahead with purpose and passion, for Christ is our guide and guardian. Live as people of powerful hope, for the Spirit renews us each and every day. Go with the blessings of God. Amen
Hymn
779: May the feet
of God walk with you.
(Tune – Aubrey)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X5FHNGM2HA
May the feet of God walk
with you, and his hand hold you tight.
May the eye of God rest
on you, and his ear hear your cry.
May the smile of God be
for you, and his breath give you
life.
May the Child of God grow
in you, and his love bring you
Home.
Robyn Mann (1949 -)
Aubrey Podlick (1946 -)
