Preaching on Ash Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Preaching on Ash Wednesday, 13 February 2013!

or alternatively on the first Sunday of Lent on 17 February 2013.

1)  Isaiah 58: 1 – 12:

When you cry for help, the Lord will say: Here am I!

When Israel returned to Jerusalem (after their exile) they seem to have believed that they were doing all the right things. Yet they did not see the blessings promised in the law of God for those who keep the periodic fast days and prayer times prescribed in the Torah.

Isaiah 58: 2 – 4: Day after day they seek me (God) out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. ³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, and you (God) have not seen it?   Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’   “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit your workers. ⁴ Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.  You cannot fast as you do and expect your voice to be heard on high.

They are confused. They thought that keeping days of commemoration and fasting is enough to please God. It must have been a shock to hear the prophet's strong reprimand of what they considered to be acts of faith. How could God not be pleased with them?

The prophet cuts short their claims to godliness by calling for new values and day to day living to accompany their prayers and sacrifices:  to loosen the bonds of injustice, to share what we have with those who have not, to live in peace with family and neighbours and to help the afflicted. These are not periodic actions like the official days of fasting and sacrifice. This is consistent godly living that will reform their relationship with other people and with God.

The fasting acceptable to God is a daily fast from violence, intimidation and abuse, from filthy language and from selfishness and from ungratefulness for God’s blessings.

People that daily walk with God and seek to do his will, shall see God’s response to their fasting and prayer. They will have the blessings of guidance, healing, help, protection, provision of their needs and the presence and guidance of God among them.

God’s people cannot expect to be blessed if their prayers and their fasts, their worship and their sacrifices are disconnected from the way they live the rest of everyday lives. God wants much more than observing the ceremony and customs of worship. No, the Lord invites us to be his partners in achieving justice, holiness and compassion for all people. God never stops calling us into his own ministry to the people who need him so much. 

And when we live in this partnering relationship with God that results in a restored nation and communities, we have an amazing promise from our Lord:

Isaiah 58: 9: “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and the Lord will say: Here am I.

2)  Psalm 51.  We cannot repair the consequences of being sinners ourselves.

Psalm 51:1-2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51 is about the consequences of and remedy for our sinfulness, rather than merely the individual sins that lies heavily on our conscience as well.

Psalm 51 describes the totality and the radical nature of our sinfulness.

Verse 3: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Sin leaves the sinner liable to judgment and punishment.

Verse 4: Against you (God), you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

Everyone knows that this is true. But what makes the Psalm's inventory of the consequences of sin noteworthy is what comes after these initial general comments.

The Psalmist understands that our sinfulness is much more than a matter of crime and punishment. Instead, he teaches us about the deep-seated and universal nature of our sinfulness that saturates every aspect of human life.

Verse 5: Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me!

He states it clearly that the effects and consequences of our sinfulness are unavoidable through mere human action and initiative.

He therefore goes on to spell out these consequences in intimidating detail.

Verse 8: Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

Sin, he says, deafens the sinner to the experience of joy and causes physical agony.

Verse 11: Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

Our sinfulness creates the feelings of being cast out from God's presence, of being rejected and abandoned – even by the Holy Spirit.

Verse 12. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Our sinfulness obstructs the enjoyment of the good news of God's salvation and destroys the willingness to even attempt to follow God's way, thus spreading its own malignant influence across all the boundaries of our lives.

Verses 15 and 16: Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The Psalmist comes to the conclusion that our sinfulness even prevents the offering of praise and that it perverts our sacrifices for God.

Verse 17: My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

We cannot sacrifice our way out of the consequences of sin, because only a heart that has turned to God in repentance and prayer is an acceptable offering. Only God can deal with our sins.

The deadly consequences of being sinners prevent us from repairing our own lives. Any idea that we can do something by ourselves to patch up the results of our evil nature is foolishness. Psalm 51 reminds me that the purpose of repentance is to beg for God’s gracious help to restore our lives and the lives of those we impacted with our evil choices.  Only God can do anything about our sin and our weak and evil human nature.

We need Jesus Christ, our only hope and our only redemption.

Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent are blessed times of humble repentance and therefore of healing and receiving help and remedy for our natural spiritual status called: sinner!

c)  Matthew 6:1-21

Hypocrisy destroys my walk with the Lord, but humility before God creates true fellowship with God and results in the inheritance of the treasures of heaven!

Hypocrisy is defined as the motivation to help others and reach out to the needy in society in order to be seen by others.

Verses 1, 3 and 4:  Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Similarly prayers designed to impress people instead of seeking the presence and fellowship of God expose me as a hypocrite. 

Verse 5:  And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.

The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word for an actor.  Actors play the character of someone else. Hypocrites do not portray themselves, but a pious character they made up in their minds, with the purpose to gain honour and respect from others.

If you go around talking about your fasting, arrogantly bragging about what you have given up for Lent, you may score brownie points with some (shallow) people, but it will have no impact on your relationship with the Lord!

Verse 17 and 18:  When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,  so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

There is a reward for giving to the needy, for faithful prayer and fasting.  It is a renewed and blessed relationship with our Father in heaven.

It is spiritual growth, changed hearts, characters and lives and fruitful living for God - even the inheritance of the treasures of heaven itself.

Hypocrisy kills true and faithful worship and a honest relationship with God.

Yet, if we treasure our relationship with the Lord and build up this relationship by disciplined living, praying, giving and fasting, our lives will be transformed.

For where our treasures are, there will our hearts also be.

Hypocrisy boils down to materialism.  To even try to manipulate others through donations, public worship and communal fasting for the sake of earthly prosperity, honour and admiration of others, is hypocrisy.  But it eradicates any possible spiritual blessing we may ever receive from the Lord.

Hypocrisy kills our relationship with God and robs us from the peace, keeping and guidance of the Lord in our lives. 

Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent can be such blessed times if our repentance is real, our adding to our lives by giving, prayer and fasting is for the sake of God’s glory, his work, his kingdom and the increased intimacy of our walk with the Lord.   

Liturgical Prayers for Ash Wednesday.

Liturgical Prayers for Ash Wednesday.

(Or if Ash Wednesday is not observed, for the first Sunday during the Lenten Season).

Call to worship:

Grace, mercy and peace be with you, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord, through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit.  

From Psalm 24: 

Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?  Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.  They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Saviour.

Come, let’s worship the God of love and mercy –

Opening Hymn!

Prayer of Worship and Adoration:

We worship you, Almighty God, there is none like you.  We give you praise, for you are our righteousness. We worship you, almighty God, there is none but you!

And now we give you thanks, Father God, because through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour you have given us the spirit of discipline that we may triumph over evil and grow in grace.

You have established for your people a season of grace to renew and purify our hearts and minds;

so that freed from harmful desires we may so live in this passing world, as to set our hearts on the things that are eternal.

So grant, we pray Father God, that the risen Lord Jesus may bring us to true life by the work of the Holy Spirit and make us one body, with him as our only Head.

So may we live in the world to the praise of your glory and at last be raised up from the dust, from the ashes, to celebrate with all your saints in light, the wedding feast of the Lamb with his Bride.

Lord Jesus, tonight we declare our love for you anew. We worship you and stand in awe before you. Glorify your Name, dear Lord, here tonight, and all over the world that every knee will bow before your majesty and grace.  

To you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit we bring our thanks and declare our allegiance – now – and forevermore! 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray.

Amen.

Two or more hymns and songs of praise and worship are sung.

Prayer for enlightenment

Guide us, O God, by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find freedom, in your will discover our peace and by your grace receive eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Readings and Sermon.

Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58: 1-12; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5: 20b - 6 :10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.

After the sermon: A Litany  (with responses)  for the confession of sins:

Minister   (M):  God spoke these words and said:

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods but me.

Congregation    (C):   Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not make for yourself any idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not murder.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not commit adultery.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not steal.  

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. .

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us,

and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M: Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near:

C: Lord have mercy upon us and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us!

OR:

Use this alternative litany for the confession of sins:

Minister   (M):  God spoke these words and said:

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods but me, you shall not make for yourself any idol, you shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain and remember to keep the Lord’s day holy!.

Congregation    (C):   Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M:  Honour your father and your mother. You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, tell lies or covet what belongs to your neighbour!

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind.  You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

C:  Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

M. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

C. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

M. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

C. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

M. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

C. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

M. Lord have mercy on us.

C. Father, have mercy on us.

M. Lord have mercy on us.

C. Jesus, have mercy on us.

M. Lord have mercy on us

C Holy God, have mercy on us.  Amen.

Congregation remorsefully sings a hymn of repentance. 

Minister:  Now in silence we repent because we have sinned against God - and commit ourselves to spiritual growth during the Season of Lent that awaits us!  

Soft music is played for a couple of minutes.

Absolution:

Minister:  

To all those who truly acknowledge that they are sinners, humble themselves before God, and look to Jesus Christ for their salvation, I declare the forgiveness of their sins,

in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Congregation:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

Amen.

As those who receive forgiveness are called to faith, let us, with the Church of all ages and with the one holy, universal and apostolic church, profess of our Christian faith together:

Congregation recites the Apostle’s or Nicene Creed.

Prayer of thanksgiving and Intercession:

O God of life and mercy.

We thank you for forgiveness, for grace in Jesus Christ and for a new life by the power of your Holy Spirit.

We thank you for your Word and that through this double edged sword our biggest enemy, our weak human nature and sinful hearts, is slain and you, dear Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God, became the king of our lives and the Lord of our destiny.

Remember us Lord, and listen to our prayers, as bring before you all the needs of our lives......

Remember us Lord, and listen to our prayers as we bring before your throne of mercy our brothers and sisters who are ill, afflicted or suffering from sadness, depression and heartache......

Grant us and all your children a blessed Lenten Season. Make it a time of spiritual growth, commitment to you and your Kingdom and a time to strengthen and increase our love for you, our Redeemer and our Saviour.  

Prepare our hearts by remembering what Jesus did for us when he suffered, died and was buried for our sake to, at a time so soon to come, be truly able to celebrate that for our sake and for the glory of your name, you rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and graciously reign over us as exalted Lord and God of your Church and of all creation.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen.

Faith and Faithfulness (3). Good and faithful or wicked and lazy?

Faith and Faithfulness (3). Good and faithful or wicked and lazy?

According to Jesus having faith in him leads to being a good and faithful servant.  Those who work diligently in God’s Kingdom until the Master returns for them, will hear his words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  However, it is also true that those who do nothing with the wealth of the Good News about Jesus Christ, freely given to them, will hear:  You wicked, lazy servant! Throw this worthless servant into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The work of God – also called the kingdom of heaven – is like a man going on a journey (Matthew 25: 14 – 30) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.  Then he went on his journey. 

The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put the money given to him to work and gained five bags more.   So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’   His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.   Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’  His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’  His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more and they will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Are we good and faithful servants, multiplying what we received on the grounds of the cross and victory of our Master?

Live harmoniously: Creation and the Law (Psalm 19)

Live harmoniously...

In Psalm 19: 1 – 4 the glory of God is seen as clearly declared in God’s awe-inspiring creation. It says:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.    Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.   They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

The "voice" of creation saturates every corner of the earth, and yet it cannot be heard with our physical ears. It is only heard by a heart filled with faith in the living God!  The skies, its beauty and wonder, interpret and reflect God's glory.  By reflecting on the wonders of nature, God’s wisdom and his might is revealed to us.

But the focus of Psalm 19 changes dramatically from verse 7, singing about the wonderful qualities of the Word of God:  (vv7-9)

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

Six separate words used in the original Hebrew language for the law and the Word of God are meant to show us the total effect of God's Word in our lives:  it is perfect, sure, right, clear, pure, enduring, true and altogether righteous. And It revives, makes wise, rejoices the heart, and enlightens the eyes.

The Word of God brings life to us. It interprets how we ought to respond to the awesome wisdom and might of the Creator.

When we listen to the Word of God we are enabled to live in harmony with our Lord, with his people and his Kingdom, with our neighbour and God’s amazing creation.

The Word of God reveals the wisdom which can and will restore harmony to our lives! 

Liturgical prayers for Sunday 27 January 2013.

Liturgical prayers for Sunday 27 January 2013.  (Epiphany 3)

The glory of the Lord is revealed by his creation and his Word!

Call to worship:  Psalm 19: 1 and  2

The heavens declare the glory of God;   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.     Day after day they pour forth speech;   night after night they reveal knowledge.

Today, as you hear God’s perfect will for your life and rejoice in his gospel – declare the glory of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, our eternal God.  

Speak of the greatness of the Creator and rejoice in his knowledge.

Prayer of praise and for the forgiveness of sins.  (From Ps. 19: 7 – 14)

Glorious LORD, your law is perfect, reviving the soul;

Your decrees are clear in your mind and ours, our Lord, making the simple wise;

Your precepts are right, our God of righteousness, rejoicing the heart;

Your commandment, LORD, is clear, enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;

and, o LORD, your ordinances are true and righteous altogether.

They are more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold;

They are sweeter also than honey, and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Glorious Lord, who can detect our errors and clear us from hidden faults, but you, the God of our salvation and the Lord of life and glory?

Forgive us our transgressions and cleanse us from all impurity by the blood of the Lamb and by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Keep back your servants from proud thoughts; do not let our foolish pride, selfishness and ignorance of your glory and your light, have dominion over us.

But grant us the wisdom of repentance and life through your forgiveness, your grace and your mercy by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Then we too shall be blameless, and innocent of transgression.

We will live for your glory and according to your will.

To the glory of the Holy Trinity,

and in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen. 

Illumination:   (From Ps19: 1 and 14).

Glorious Lord, as the heavens declare your glory and speak without words of the grace of your creation, come and recreate in us your magnificence by the Word that speaks by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O LORD, our rock and our redeemer.

Through Jesus Christ and in his Name we pray.

Amen.

Prayer of adoration and intercession:

All heaven declares the glory of the risen Lord!

Who can compare with the beauty of the Lord?

Forever You will be, the Lamb upon the throne.

I gladly bow the knee and worship You alone.

I will proclaim the glory of the risen Lord.

Who once was slain to reconcile man to God.

Forever You will be the Lamb upon the throne.

I gladly bow the knee and worship You alone. 

Hear our prayer, our Lord and Saviour, remember our needs and listen to our plea!

Today we pray for .........

And as we bring to you the needs of our hearts and lives, listen to us, your own people,  and have mercy on us as we pray for:

·         the beloved country, for a growing economy and jobs for our people;

·         our community and all who share our lives with us, for safety and progress, for joy and prosperity;

·         our congregation and all who worship with us, for remorseful hearts, forgiveness, for growth in Christ through the work of your Holy Spirit and for the joy of redemption and reconciliation with you and each other and for faith and faithfulness, dear Lord.

We pray, o Risen Lord, that as we demand the conservation of your glorious creation, you will preserve and protect in your mercy the works of your hands against greed and evil destruction and teach us to love what you have made even as you love your works through which life is sustained.

We pray, o Word who was made flesh, even our Lord Jesus Christ, that we will see your glory and listen to your wisdom that we too will speak the gospel wherever we are and by whatever we do, that many will come to the knowledge of the Son of God and gratefully embrace your mercy and your love.

Lead and guide our prayers and Holy Spirit, pray through our prayers and plead with the Father on our behalf with heavenly words that we can neither utter nor comprehend. 

Protect us and keep us safe, through Jesus Christ, and by the power of your Spirit, we pray!

Amen.

Faith and faithfulness (2)

As Protestants, and as Presbyterians, we are familiar with the phrase that we are saved by “faith alone”.  But we may ask, and must ask, which faith will save us?

The faith that saves cannot be explained other than in the light of faithfulness.  The story of our faith is the story of Jesus, the faithful Messiah.  Nowhere in the New Testament do we read about a faith through which we become children of God without an intimate relationship with Jesus.  And Jesus is more than the One we believe in. Jesus is the only valid term and condition of owning Christian faith.  It is only because Christ has “done it all” that the sinner’s faith is possible and can be a saving response to God’s offer of salvation.

Being followers of Christ, through faith, implies following him faithfully and reflecting his very faithfulness till the end and to the cross.  The Bible says that faith involves “looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2).   

Salvation involves  relationship with the Messiah and, through him, inclusion into the people of God.  Our relationship with Jesus involves being filled with the Spirit who shows us who Jesus is, and shows us his faithfulness and his power.  The same Spirit that nurtures the response in faith to the Good News of Jesus Christ, then continues to urge us to a life of joyful praise and obedience to God (Romans 1:5, 16:26), and loving service to our neighbour (Galatians 5:6, 13-14; 6:1-2).

When Christian faith matures, the story of faith is completed when we see that God’s faithfulness to his people reflected in the faithfulness of the people of God.

The question always arises, what kind of faith does God require?

The traditional answer from the time of the Reformation has been to point out that true faith is attested to, is proven to exist, by faithfulness. God is not interested in intellectual consent to the facts of the story of Jesus.  It always is and only can be a heartfelt trust in God and his promises of salvation, life and even eternal life as found in the Gospel.

This means that having the “only faith that saves” always results in being practically faithful in serving Christ with his people, in his Church, at worship, at his Table and in his service, all the time!

The Spirit gives us the mind of Christ!

No one knows the deep and divine thoughts of God, except the Holy Spirit.

If we allow ourselves to be lead by the spirit of the world, in other words the thoughts, ideas and ideologies of the unbelieving world, we too may fall into the traps that cause so much distress and the foolishness that plaque the world and the peoples of the world. We may personally suffer when we allow the foolishness of an unbelieving world to direct us and dictate to us.

But we do not have to fall into the traps of human error and misunderstanding.

Because we received the Holy Spirit who teaches us the thoughts of God. The Spirit shows us the wisdom of God and instructs us that we may speak the words of God.

The person who received the Holy Spirit is not subject to merely human judgments about what is important, significant and wise.

Because the Spirit gives us the mind of Christ!

(1 Corinthians 2: 6 – 16).

Liturgical prayers for Sunday 20 January 2013

Call to worship:

Ps 95:6, 7  O come, let us give worship, falling down on our knees before the Lord our Maker.  For he is our God; and we are the people to whom he gives food, and the sheep of his flock. Today, if you would only give ear to his voice!

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now

and shall be forever.

Amen.

Prayer of praise and the forgiveness of sins:

Lord Jesus Christ, You came to us in the Name of the Lord of hosts. You have freed us from the slavery of sin, having being born as a man to die on a cross; You rose from the dead and You are exalted at the right hand of God. You have sent upon us Your holy and life‑giving Spirit and made us a people for Your own possession.

Holy Lord, Grant us a peaceful fellowship with You and with each other today.

The Lord is merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our sins from us.                           Ps.103:8,12

Holy God, forgive us the wrongs we have done

as we also forgive those who have wronged us.

Keep us from temptation,

and save us from evil.

Lord Jesus, crucified for us, help us to love, as you loved,

help us to live as you lived.

Father have mercy on us!

Jesus have mercy on us!

O Spirit of God, have mercy on us.

Amen.

Illumination.
Father, we cannot accept your gospel and your law,

unless you yourself inscribe them upon our hearts.

Therefore, we pray, as they are proclaimed to us today,

let your Holy Spirit imprint them upon our hearts.

So may you come to be our God, and we learn to be your people. Amen.

Prayer of Adoration and intercession:

O God and Lord of hosts, we come before your throne of mercy because you first loved us and to declare our love for you.

Father, through the work of your Spirit we received the good news,

in which we stand, and by which we are saved:

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day;

We believe he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 

He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 

He is our Lord and God.

God, bless Africa:

guard her children,

guide her leaders

and give her peace,

for Jesus Christ's sake.

Heavenly Lord, today, we pray for your church throughout the world and particularly in our country and our city, that it may be united in faith and in its witness to your gospel and your will.

We pray for the nations of the world, especially those facing war, famine or any other disaster.

We pray for our country that there may be justice, peace and a better life for all in our land.

We pray that you will protect us and grant us a time of fulfilment and peace. Strengthen all with authority and those responsible for law and order and guide them, and be near to our nation that everything we do may be for the best of our country and to the honour of your Name.

We pray for the poor, the sick, the suffering, the dying, the sorrowful. We pray for all who are anxious, or in doubt, despair or any kind of trouble.

You called the disciples to announce your good news to the whole world. Help your people to be your witnesses and to win others for Christ. Help your Church to proclaim your gospel and your will faithfully to all who will listen.

Lord Jesus, bring all people to repentance, reconciliation with you and each other, to peace, unity and harmony.

Lord Jesus, you were rich in heaven, yet for our sake became poor:

now move us all to share generously with those who are poor and be with all migrant workers and foreigners amongst us, and protect them and  their families.

Father, bring glory to your Name, bring glory to the Name of our Saviour and Lord; bring glory to your Name through the power of the Holy Spirit.

through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray.   Amen. 

Faith and faithfulness.

Do you trust God completely? So much so that you live according to your faith, to the point that the Lord is able to trust you too? When Jesus Christ returns, it will be the most wonderful of mercies to hear him say to us appreciatively:  "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

God is always faithful, and we should learn to take him at his Word. But do we trust in him unconditionally? Is the fact that we sometimes cannot be trusted not the result of not understanding the absolute integrity of God’s promises and his character to never be anything but faithful to his Word and to his people?

Proverbs 20: 6 says: "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?"  It is increasingly difficult to find someone whose love and loyalty can be counted on. Too many people in our modern society are unpredictable and unreliable, to the extent that we rather expect people to break their word than keep it – and therefore not feel that we are doing something wrong when we too cannot be counted upon when we promised to make a difference.

Paul's list of shameful attitudes and habits "in the last days" (2 Timothy 3:1) is disturbing, when we think that he is talking about God’s people in his Church: "For people will be lovers of themselves...blasphemers... unloving...slanderers...traitors..." (verses 2-4). The consequences of these ungodly behaviours to society, and to the ability of the Church to do God’s work, are catastrophic.

God hates any form of unfaithfulness.

All significant relationships are built on the foundation of faith and faithfulness, in other words on trust born out of trustworthiness. Also our relationships with the Lord and with his people are incomprehensible without faith and faithfulness. Proverbs says that a good friend is a faithful friend, one who loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17)

According to 2 Timothy 1: 13 – 14, to truly "hold fast" spiritually, we must have God's Spirit dwelling within us. And the "fruit" that God's Spirit gives us is composed of wonderful qualities. The apostle Paul listed some of the most important ones:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23)

Can you afford not to follow Christ?

Martin Luther said, "Discipleship that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing." Are we willing to pay the price?

While our Saviour does require a definite response to his call to follow and serve him, he does not seek a rushed response.  Because Jesus does not invite us to an easy journey.  He invites us to take up the cross and follow him. (Luke 14: 28 – 33)  This is why we have to calculate the cost of serving him! We cannot recklessly resolve to follow Christ, before we realize the seriousness of the matter.

To drive this point home, Jesus uses twin parables. One is of a man who builds a watchtower over his land.  To engage in such a task was an expensive undertaking.  The wise builder would not impulsively start to build without considering how much money it would take to complete the job, and end up with a half built tower.

Impulsive decisions do not normally end in success. What good is a half-built watchtower? Can it protect anyone? Does it even begin to accomplish the purpose for which it was designed? No — such a disaster would bring only ridicule and embarrassment. Rather than a mighty tower of strength, the builder would live with a monument to his own foolishness.

In the second parable Jesus tells of a king preparing to embark on a war campaign against another king. But the king has only half the troops of the enemy! If the king has any competence at all, he would not rush into battle despite the odds. To do so would be utterly stupid. The wise king who has planned appropriately, sends out a delegation, says Jesus, "while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace" (32).

These two parables are parallel, but they approach the issue of the thoughtfulness required for discipleship from 2 perspectives.

In the first parable, Jesus calls us to consider whether we can afford to follow him. Because a testimony abandoned because of failure to calculate the cost is tragic!

In the second parable, he calls us to consider whether we can afford not to follow him!  A true follower, after consideration, takes the wise approach of pursuing peace with God, on his gracious terms. A follower of Jesus realizes that nothing less than unconditional surrender is acceptable.

The Word challenges us with 2 vital questions, here at the beginning of the year:

Can you afford to follow Jesus? and

Can you afford not to follow him?

No more excuses, says the Lord!

NO MORE EXCUSES.... See Luke 14:15-24

The definition of an excuse is to make our sin seem less serious. An excuse is an attempt to justify doing what makes God angry.

Perhaps our biggest problem is that we hesitate to admit anything we did wrong in God’s eyes.

We have learned to justify being dirty, unfaithful sinners!

We all have excuses, and we make them at a drop of the hat.

But do we convince God with our rationalizations and justifications for being unfaithful?

God sees through all our excuses.

God knows us from the inside and not only the outside like people do.

You cannot con God.

Our excuses seem frail and feeble under the light of God’s Word and the searching of our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s consider that our excuses are keeping us out of God’s party, his kingdom, his presence and his blessings.  God can and will not help us or forgive our sins, as long as we try to convince him to sustain our excuses.

But, God listens to repentance.  

God is waiting for our repentance

 Jesus Christ came to show us that forgiveness is available. That God is merciful and full of grace.

What God wants is repentance and commitment. Yes, we all have sinned, the Bible tells us that, and God knows our hearts, our unpreparedness to serve him wholeheartedly and our unfaithfulness - and his desire is to forgive us, to restore us and to make us new!

Are you willing to quit making excuses, to repent, turn from your wicked ways and desire to serve God in every respect of your life with unreserved commitment?

Are you willing to live like you serve a living, holy God?

Are you willing to trade your excuses for repentance, forgiveness and newness of life - in Christ?

Liturgical Prayers for Sunday 6 January 2013 – Day of the Epiphany

Liturgical Prayers for Sunday 6 January 2013 – Day of the Epiphany

Call to Worship:   Psalm 29: 1 – 4 and 10 - 11

A psalm of David.

¹ Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people;

the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now

and shall be forever.

Amen.

Prayer of Praise and for Forgiveness of our sins:

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, our light and our salvation.

To you be glory and praise for ever.

You have made yourself known in a most amazing way,

coming in weakness, covering your glory and hiding your majesty,

born to a simple life to humble working parents, and yet announced in the stars of heaven,

and visited by kings.

For these and all your mercies through Jesus Christ our Lord, we praise you:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As we approach your presence today,

and as we behold your glory,

we sincerely repent of all our sins.

We are unworthy of the least of your mercies.

Yet, now, gracious Father, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

forgive us all our sins, cleanse us from all uncleanness of mind and body,

and help us from now on to serve you in newness of life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer for Illumination

Heavenly Father,

Bless the preacher as he preaches your Word today.

Anoint him and anoint our ears and our hearts that we may know your Word and see your love.

Father, have mercy on us.

Jesus, have mercy on us.

God, have mercy on us.

Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession:

Heavenly Father, listen to our prayers as we come to you in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who, although he was born to a simple human life,  was announced in the stars of heaven, visited by kings and now is the King of kings, the Lord of lords and the Head of the Church!

And now we give you thanks,

                because in coming to dwell among us as a man,

                Jesus revealed the radiance of his glory,

                and brought us out of darkness

                into his own marvelous light.

                Reveal, o God, the great mystery
                of our salvation in Christ,

                the light to enlighten all nations;

                And now that he has appeared,

                incarnate in our mortal flesh,

                you have recreated us anew
                in the glory of his immortal life.

Hear our prayers and have mercy on us as we pray for

all who witness to the Good News about Christ in the world,

all who preach and teach today,

every missionary who brings the Word of salvation across the globe,

for those who broadcast the gospel to the least reached nations of the world,

for the Bible Society and all their projects to translate and print your Word into the languages of the all the peoples on earth,

and for your Church and all who maintain your work through sacrificial love.

Merciful God,

have mercy on us and

heal the sick and afflicted,

feed those who are hungry

comfort the sad, depressed and anxious,

protect and heal the abused, molested and abandoned,

love all the children of the world,

bring peace and happiness in every life

and show us your glory through revealing your love and mercy.

Listen to the silent prayer of every heart of all of us who came to fellowship with you today,

provide in all our needs, dear Lord, and in your mercy consider our desires and help us to bring about our dreams, if it would be a good and perfect gift for us!

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Day of the Epiphany: 6 January!

Many millions of Christians call 6 January, this year on a Sunday, the Feast of Epiphany. It is one of the major church commemorations in the Orthodox and Coptic traditions as well as Spanish speaking communities, but we now see that most western lectionaries also take note of this season that starts on 6 January and lasts till Ash Wednesday.

In eastern Christian tradition and in Spanish speaking communities, while the birth of Christ is celebrated on December 25, the arrival of the Magi is celebrated on January 6 and called the Feast of Epiphany. This feast is in Orthodoxy celebrated with even more magnificent festivities and church services than Christmas.

The Epiphany considers that the Messiah was revealed to the Gentiles, while Christmas, the birthday, is celebrated as the day when Jewish believers, such as the shepherds, worshipped the new born King. This is why amongst Gentiles in the East, where the Magi came from, it became such an important day of remembrance and celebration, inspired by the wonder that the meaning of the light and love of Christ was also given to the gentile nations. They also emphasize the revelation of Christ by the Father at Jesus’ baptism with the words: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matt 3:17.) They traditionally remind each other of the first miracle, when Jesus turned water into wine, and the Bible says, this was to reveal the “glory of Jesus”. 

In many western households it is the day when Christmas decorations are packed away.

But it can be much more than that.  It is inspiring to, at the beginning of our calendar year, consider the glory, the power and the message of the Son of God, as it was revealed to his followers through his miracles, parables and teachings while he ministered on earth!

The final and complete epiphany of the glory of Christ can only be understood when we remember his suffering, and his glorious resurrection, focused on during Lent and Easter.

6 January, or Epiphany Day, is a day when we may pray that Jesus will not leave us (even though Christmas is packed away!)  but show us the fullness of his glory, through his kindness and his victory during every season! 

May the light of the Lord shine brightly and festively in the midst of the world’s darkness, setting us free by the truth that Jesus Christ brought to us, his children!

And to our brothers and sisters in the eastern church who celebrate this feast on 6 January with so much passion, ceremony and praise – may you and your churches be truly blessed with a clear and exiting epiphany of the glorious Saviour of the world!