Weekly Bible Notes
Ordinary 12- Year B
Liturgical Colour - Green
Introduction
- Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?
- When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
- When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain
- Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
The theme of this hymn by Priscilla Owens (1829-99) is surely right. When life is easy we can plod along regardless, not concerning ourselves with the complexities and deeper mysteries of life. Yet when the going gets tough, when we are faced with enormous problems, then questions come along which can shake the very core of our being. The death of a dear friend, a life threatening illness, these kinds of things can leave us wondering who we are and what point there is in life.
None of us is immune from this angst. In the words of the song by Allan Roberts 'Into each life some rain must fall.' In early Christian art it was not unusual to depict the church as a boat driven hard in a perilous sea, and Jesus in the midst, surrounded by a drenched crew filled with fear as they watch the waves plunge into their boat. We are all like a boat tossed against the "wings of strife." Can we survive ?
The answer, of course, is yes, for we have an anchor that keeps the soul.
Opening Verses of Scripture Psalm 9:8
He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples
with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times
of trouble.
Collect Prayer for the Day
Creator God, in the beginning your word subdued the chaos and in the fullness of time you sent Jesus, your Son, to rebuke the forces of evil and to make all things new. By that same power transform our fear into faith that we might have courage to follow in the way of your Kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
God of all power and truth and grace, you call your church to love and
praise. Inspire us with zeal for your gospel, and grant us boldness to
proclaim your word, that we and all the world may praise your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Methodist Worship
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.
Faithful Creator, whose mercy never fails: deepen our faithfulness to you
and to your living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Bible Reading Job 38:1-11
Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?
(This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)
Second Reading 2 Corinthians 6:1-13
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation. We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also.
(This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)
Gospel Reading
Mark 4:35-41
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to
the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he
was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall
came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and
said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the
wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and
it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do
you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is
this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
(This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)
Post Communion Sentence
Eternal God, we thank you for nourishing us with these heavenly gifts: may our communion strengthen us in our faith, build us up in hope, and make us grow in love; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Commentary
"Teacher, don't you care….?"
If you read through the first four chapters of Mark you will quickly recognise that the ministry of Jesus was not a peaceful one. Indeed it would be possible to say that it was characterised by scenes of terrible conflict. It all starts off well with the baptism and calling of the first disciples but it seems that Mark is just starting off by reassuring us who Jesus really was before all the trouble starts! Jesus is Son of God (1:1) but this serves only to prepare us for the battle to come.
- In Chapter 1 Verse 24 an evil spirit tells that Jesus has come to destroy and he goes on to drive out demons.
- In Chapter 2 Verse 7 the religious leaders turn against him charging him with blasphemy.
- By Chapter 3 Verse 22 they are accusing him of being in league with Satan.
- Then in Chapter 3 Verse 21 even some his own family have decided to arrest him because they think he has finally gone out of his mind, we learn in verse 31 that his mother went along with this.
Little surprise then that by Chapter 4: Verse 35, our reading today, that his own disciples accuse him of not caring from them.
The episode concerns a storm on the lake. Remember that these were hardened fishermen, so this was clearly a storm of some proportions.
I wonder would we have behaved any differently if we were in that boat on Lake Galilee when the storm came and the waves started washing over the boat? Would the fact that you had Jesus with you have made any difference as you watched the water filling the inside of the sinking boat? Imagine no flares, no life jackets, no lifeboats, just you and the others and the imminent prospect of a dangerous swim. Undoubtedly the disciples were terrified, they had real fear and even the fact that Jesus was with them made no difference to their terror. The words of Jesus are a rebuke to the storm, but also a rebuke to the disciples "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
From his words should we conclude that Jesus expected the disciples to have been more calm? I doubt it, to be fearful in the face of life threatening situations is more likely to be a God given gift which help us to survive, it is foolish to walk without fear into danger. I am sure that Jesus would have understood the adrenalin rush as the waves leapt over the boat and the concern of the disciples in the face of the storm. However Jesus would understandably be hurt by the critical words of the disciples which went further than fear and doubted his care and love for them. The words of the disciples to Jesus are a personal challenge to him, "Teacher, don't you care….?"
The early Christian Church would have shared the same lives of confrontation as Jesus. They too knew the anger of the religious authorities, betrayal by friends and family. They would also have recognised evil in the world and understood that they were up against real spiritual evil. So they also may have been tempted to wonder whether Jesus cared for them when they were being killed for their faith. The answer to the question "Teacher, don't you care….?" was an emphatic YES!
So let us bring that message up to date and apply it to ourselves. You and I are in the boat and we face throughout our lives all manner of storms and crises which make us fearful. We cannot stop ourselves from being afraid when we are in perilous situations but we must never doubt that in that perilous situation Jesus is present with us and cares for us.
The early readers of Mark would have been reminded of the presence of their Risen Lord with them at all times, even in the face of organised state persecution and martyrdom. Only by trusting, even when we are afraid, can we come to know that same reassurance and peace which our Saviour brings. (Charles Royden)
Meditation
Alphonse de Lamartine (1790-1860) has described the book of Job as an eternal drama with three actors, God, Humankind (he actually said mankind!) and Destiny, and many scholars agree that the book is a major work of literature, poetry, philosophical debate and written language. But what does it mean to us today? How much time do we spend debating among ourselves when perhaps our time would be better spent listening to God so that we can know how He wants to influence our destiny and the destiny of the world through us?
Hymns
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Praise to the Lord
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Come on and celebrate
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I heard the voice of Jesus say
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Blessed Assurance,
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Lord of Creation (Slane)
Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
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Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian,
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if it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die
Two
prayers for all involved in the World Cup
1. Lord God, the source of all life and joy, recreation and skill, we pray
for all involved in the World Cup, and especially for those who represent
our nation: for good health for the players, for high standards of
sportsmanship and fairness, and for the safety and well-being of all who
will watch, that in our shared enjoyment of the game, we may rejoice in the
one who came to bring life in all its fullness, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
2. God of work and play, Lord of all the nations, guide, guard and protect
all who work or play in the World Cup. May all who watch or engage find in
this competition a source of celebration and a recognition of what it means
to be made in the image of the One who played the cosmos into being. Amen.
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen
Elizabeth, and all who are in authority under her; that they may order all
things in wisdom and equity, righteousness and peace, to the honour and
glory of your name and the good of your Church and people; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the prince of
peace: give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in
by our unhappy divisions; take away our hatred and prejudice and whatever
else may hinder us from godly union and concord, that, as there is but one
body, one Spirit and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of us all, so may we henceforth be all of one
heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith
and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
GOD of love, turn our hearts to your ways; and give us peace. Amen.
A Prayer for Refugees ALMIGHTY and merciful God, whose Son became a refugee
and had no place to call his own; look with mercy on those who today are
fleeing from danger, homeless and hungry. Bless those who work to bring them
relief; inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts; and guide the
nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom
of justice and of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Two Prayers for Justice 1 ALMIGHTY God our heavenly Father, guide the
nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among
them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become
the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
2. GRANT us, Lord God, a vision of our land as your love would make it: a
land where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor; - a land
where the benefits of civilised life are shared, and everyone can enjoy
them;- a land where different races and cultures live in tolerance and
mutual respect; - a land where peace is built with justice, and justice is
guided by love. And give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Mercy LORD, remember Christ your Son who is peace itself and
who has washed away our hatred with his blood. Because you love all people,
look with mercy on us. Banish the violence and evil within us, and in answer
to our prayers restore tranquility and peace. Amen.
A Prayer for the Leaders of the Nations O GOD our heavenly Father, whose
love sets no boundaries and whose strength is in service; grant to the
leaders of the nations wisdom, courage and insight at this time of darkness
and fear. Give to all who exercise authority determination to defend the
principles of freedom, love and tolerance, strength to protect and safeguard
the innocent and clarity of vision to guide the world into the paths of
justice and peace. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Additional Material
- O Lord my God, 506
- I am a new creation, 254 (after confession)
- Praise Him on the trumpet, 558
- I want to walk with Jesus Christ, 302
- Let all the world in every corner sing, 404
- All my hope on God is founded, 16
- Stand up, stand up for Jesus
- Be still for the presence of the Lord
- Eternal Father strong to save
- Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
- Praise the Lord ye heavens adore
- Praise to the lord, the Almighty
Commentary
In my work as a Hospice Chaplain, patients often ask me if I
believe in miracles. I usually respond with a question about what they
understand a miracle to be. (I’ll come back to answering whether I believe
in them later.) They may reply by saying that they hope that God will heal
them, cure them of their disease, and that the only way this can happen is
through a miracle. The theological problem of Theodicy, why does a good and
all-powerful God allow suffering, is one which has faced Humanity ever since
we could begin to reason and speculate. It is an issue and it is a problem
whilever we think that God is Superman, to be called upon to perform
superhuman feats of strength and power that are beyond our understanding and
capabilities. Whilst we maintain the belief that God is at our beck and
call, that He will respond immediately to our cries of suffering and
anguish, then we will continue to be disappointed in God or think that He is
cold and callous and does not really care about us.
Moving on from this worldview and understanding of God, I think that the
Bible reveals to us God who is committed to and intimately involved in,
human life and human suffering. After all, our God is the God of the
Incarnation; God made flesh, God dwelling with us and alongside us.
Scripture also reveals God to us as Immanuel, God with us. God is committed
to human existence; God is with us and alongside us in our suffering. We see
this with Jesus in the boat with the Disciples as they face the storm, Jesus
is fast asleep, but he is with them, he is roused from his sleep and
responds to their cries. But this episode is not so much about Jesus who
acts in a miraculous way to calm the storm, but reveals to us that Jesus is
the Son of God, that He is the Messiah. A miracle always has a point of
revelation, of pointing to something beyond the mere miracle itself and here
the miracle shows us that Jesus and God are one and the same.
The Holy Triune God draws alongside us and dwells with us in our suffering
and pain. There may be times when God will heal a person of their illness
and for these moments of mystery, we must be thankful and rejoice, but that
is not the norm. Our faith, our life, our merit, our efforts, do not make
one jot of difference, but God in his mercy and grace, knows what He is
doing, but we do not and cannot ever know the mind of God. Healing for most
who are terminally ill comes through the patient devotion of carers, family
and friends, who gather to minister to their dying needs and who are
companions with them on their journey towards death and eternity. Healing
ultimately comes through death and the release from all earthly suffering
and liberation into Heavenly glory. Do I believe in miracles? I believe in
the miracle of Human and Divine love and compassion intermingling in the
care of those who are terminally ill. Neil Bramble-Chapman
Meditation Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?
In early Christian art it was not unusual to depict the church as a boat driven hard in a perilous sea, and Jesus in the midst, surrounded by a drenched crew. Some of the crew are depicted filled with fear as they watch the waves plunge into their boat, while others are at peace as they look to Jesus - "steadfast and sure while the billows roll." The church is indeed like a boat tossed against the "wings of strife." The storm that came against Jesus had the overtones of the dark domain. The storm represented powers opposed to God's new initiative in Jesus. Jesus was calling out a people to be with him, and the darkness sought to engulf his plan.
The church today is constantly affronted by the power of the secular city. The waves denounce the Christian ethic, denouncing the historicity of our faith, eradicating our influence within society. The waves come from behind, seeking to "conform" us to the world, sneaking entertainment concepts into worship, leading us to believe that marketing, selling, that the adoption of secular management criteria, are our only hope for future survival.
Will Christianity survive the affront of secularization and the test of marketed religion? Will the individual believer be able to survive the "billows roll"? The answer, of course, is yes, for "we have an anchor that keeps the soul."
Meditation
‘None of us is perfect and none of us has complete faith. That is why we should be very patient with those who seem very far away from the centre of life in the church. Jesus accepted many whose faith was immature and imperfect. He asked no one to sign along a dotted line or give evidence of performing religious duties. He simply asked people to listen to him and follow him. He relied on the Holy Spirit to lead them on in the truth. So must we, whatever kind of believers we are.’
Hymns for this Sunday (Hymns for Today Church)
- Praise my soul 13,
- Colours of day (On notices),
- He is Lord 256,
- Make me a channel 776,
- For the healing of the nations 402
Prayers
Grant, Almighty God, that while your Son Jesus Christ is exalted to the
throne of heaven, we may not be weighted down by the things of earth, but
set our affection on the things above, where He is seated at your right
hand, and lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen
Blessed are you, Lord God almighty, who gave your Son, Jesus Christ, to be
our redeemer and the author of everlasting life; and exalted Him above all
for ever; that at all times and in all places we might be partakers of His
power and His glory. Amen
O God of love, in whose will is our peace, so set your peace in the hearts
of all people that the nations of the world may learn to live as members of
one family and children of one God and Father, to the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus,
establish, strengthen and settle you in the faith; and the blessing of God
Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be among you and remain
with you always. Amen
Commentary
In a nutshell, the 42 chapters of the book of Job describe him being
subject to a divine test to find out if he will serve God without profiting
from it. After a short introduction a debate (in 3 cycles with a few bits
missing) follows with his three friends around the subject of divine
justice. There is then an interlude where the writer asks where wisdom is to
be found, followed by Job’s oath of innocence, aimed at evoking a divine
response. But instead of God appearing, Elihu shows up and chastises both
Job for his complaints and his friends for their inadequate answers. Then,
finally, out of the storm, God appears. He rebukes Job, but speaks mainly
about the beauty and majesty of creation on the earth and in the sky. In the
face of God and His words, Job relents and the book closes with a
description of Job’s restoration.
The gospel reading describes Jesus and His disciples having an encounter
with a ‘furious squall’. And this time it is Jesus who speaks out of the
storm to bring calm and order. The disciples were right to be frightened.
The boat they were probably in would have been flat bottomed and have the
look of a rather large punt. This design had advantages for fishing, and
Jesus had just used this particular boat as a speaking platform as people
thronged around Him at the lakeside.
The parallels are clear. Just as we see in the Genesis story, we have a God
who is in ultimate control of all His creation and who speaks out and acts,
to bring hope out of despair, order out of chaos and peace out of turmoil.
For some people, their lives too seem full of despair, chaos and turmoil.
And all of us have days where the odds seemed stacked against us and where
we long for a bit of order, peace and respite. Order, peace and respite that
can often come by simply turning to God and asking Him to intervene in our
lives, or in a particular situation or event. At any moment in time our
storms may have a significant impact on our lives and may seem extremely
large. But God is infinitely bigger. He is in control. And He listens out
for our prayers.
Job and the disciples, as have many people through the ages, asked ‘Where is
God in my situation?’ Sometimes it can be difficult to see Him or perceive
His actions. Perhaps sometimes we get as far as asking ourselves and each
other about what God is doing about a particular set of circumstances or
events but forget to ask God directly. Or sometimes we’ll send up a quick
prayer asking Him for help, (which He does hear) but don’t spend sustained
time praying with God to try to work out with Him what He wants us to do in
a situation or how he wants us to respond. Busy as He is, I sometimes
suspect God feels a lonely God as He waits for our prayers. He longs to work
with us so that He can bring peace and calm out of our storms. And as we
communicate with Him and see Him in all His glorious majesty we reflect more
of His restoring glory and offer hope into the broken, turbulent and stormy
world in which we live. Sam Cappleman
Lord, teach me to trust you in whatever situations I may find myself. Help me to pray, not just when my boat is sinking, but in all the times and places of my life where you can make a real difference. Help me with my family and friends to establish better relationships, in my place of work to allow you to inform the way I behave. Forgive me when I make you a stranger and walk with me always. Amen.
Lord, lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth. Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe. Amen
We pray for Northern Ireland. For political, Church and Community Leaders, and all who work for peace and reconciliation. For those who suffer because of violence and injustice. For those who use violence and induce hatred. Lord, grant that love may triumph and that your peace may prevail in the hearts of all people. Amen.