Post Communion Sentence

We praise and thank you, O Christ, for this sacred feast: for here we receive you, here the memory of your passion is renewed, here our minds are filled with grace, and here a pledge of future glory is given, when we shall feast at that table where you reign with all your saints for ever. Amen

Commentary

Bible Notes Hebrews 4: 12-16

The Word of God. In this part of the letter, Paul is explaining the action of the word of God. It is not a neutral thing but alive and active in the world. The action is not to be trifled with. The writer makes it sound almost like a weapon, a scalpel perhaps which cleaves between truth and falsehood, cutting away evasions and half-truths. The Word of God is a force to be reckoned with. God can see into the hears and minds of his people. Translations of the final phrase of verse 14 vary from the vague “with whom we have to do” to a much more powerful “”Before whom we must render account”. Although both are correct the latter translation is more of a warning against evasion. The picture drawn in the first half of the passage is slightly threatening, saying in effect “lies are useless” but in the second part, the compassion of God pours like balm. Christ is the compassionate priest, one who will intercede with God on our behalf. Jesus is able to understand our human frailty because of his human aspect. He knows the temptations with which we are confronted. Jesus understands the problems of being human and will not judge us with inhuman harshness. The final phrase conjures up a lovely, truly heart-warming image. We are invited to come near to the “throne of grace” where all will be judged. There, at the foot of the throne we will find not coldness but loving mercy. That gracious compassion can then be turned outward to those in need. The image drawn is of a forgiveness which overflows from God to us and from us to those around us. Comforting words indeed.  Joan Crossley
 

Meditation

We only deliberately waste time with those we love – it is the purest sign that we love someone if we chose to spend time idly in their presence when we could be doing something more constructive.    Sheila Cassidy

Hymns and Psalms

1. 276 When morning gilds the skies

2. 135 Go tell it on the mountain

3. 704 O Jesus I have promised

4. 739 May the mind of Christ my saviour

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

God and Father of us all, in Christ you gave us one Lord, one faith, one baptism; look in your love upon the church, the fellowship of the baptized, and renew her life in unity and peace. Amen

May Almighty God order our days in His peace, and grant us the gift of His Blessing. May He set us free from our anxiety, and firmly establish our minds on the foundation of His peace and tranquility. May He adorn our lives with the jewels of faith, hope, and love; may He keep us from all harm in this present world, and lead us safely into life everlasting. Amen Archbishop Robert ca 1000 AD

May the living waters of Christ cleanse us, may the Spirit descend upon us, and the blessing of God be with us, this day and for evermore. Amen

Additional Material

Verse of scripture

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

Almighty God, you have made us for yourselves and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
Pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself, and so bring us at last to your heavenly city where we shall see you face to face;
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.

Post Communion Prayer

Lord we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Meditation

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. Martin Luther King

Commentary

Wealth and riches

It was not uncommon at the time of Jesus to consider that a person who had wealth and riches was blessed by God. Believe it or not, it is still a view which exists today. Some people think that when things go badly for them that this is a sign of God's disapproval. Occasionally if a person suffers prolonged illness they will be heard to utter the words, 'What have I done to deserve this?' The answer is of course 'Nothing'. God does not reward us with blessings, or punish us with curses.
This explains why in our reading today Jesus is able to say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The wealth of the rich is not a sign of God's blessing, indeed Jesus sees wealth as having the potential so to divide our commitment and loyalty to God, that the rich are in a perilous position. Considering that many of us are a lot wealthier than the folks living at the time of Jesus, we need to listen to the words of Jesus this week very carefully.
 

Notice how Jesus does not mention some of the commandments which we might expect. Jesus does not say

1. have no other gods
2. no graven images
3. no taking God's name in vain

Instead he tells the man to sell everything which he has and give away the money. This is a sure way of ensuring that there was no possibility of the material possessions of this world distracting the disciple form Jesus.

The gospel story describes a seemingly impossible situation. How could a camel pass through the eye of a needle? How could a rich man enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Through our own efforts it would be impossible, but with God, nothing is impossible. In the gospel readings over the past few weeks Jesus has spoken several times about the need to come to Him as a child. To come to Him not as a rich person who, through power and money can exert influence, can make things happen, can be in control, but come to Him as a child who is totally dependent on the Father. To rest in His love and favour, to allow Him to make the impossible happen. Psalm 90 speaks about being contained in God’s love, about being secure in God’s presence, and implores us to measure our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom so that we can rest in His love and let His favour and grace touch us. To allow Him to make the seemingly impossible happen for each one of us. To trust to Him as a child trusts their parents. For us, just as it was for the rich man in the gospel, the more riches we have, the harder it is for us to hold on to them lightly and trust in the Father alone. Indeed, for some it will be as hard as getting a large camel through the eye of a small sewing needle. For others, the camel becomes so small that the eye of the needle becomes a gaping hole through which it is possible to walk with comparative ease.

Commentary on Hebrews

The writer of Hebrews starts today's passage by contrasting the Word of God, made incarnate through His Son Jesus Christ, as being living and active, in contrast to the old laws and codes of the Jews, which were becoming increasingly dead and ritualistic. To the writer there is a fundamental change in the way religion must be viewed and understood in the light of the New Covenant God has made with the world through Christ.

This is clearly seen in the description of the Word of God as being sharper than a two edged sword. On the one side this sword brings a message of sacrificial love, God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to live among us and to die for us. On the other side it brings a message of judgement, our sinful nature is exposed and laid bare before this Holy God, and it is to Him we will be asked to give account. Nothing can be hidden from His eyes.

Sin separates us from God, and because we are sinful something needs to happen if we are to have access back to Him.

To the Jews, and to many of the readers of Hebrews, the only person who could mediate between man and God was a priest. More specifically it was the high priest, who on the day of atonement each year, Yom Kippur, represented the Jews before God, by sprinkling the blood of the sacrificial goat on the mercy seat. The writer of Hebrews points out that in Jesus we have a High Priest par excellence who gives us eternal access back to God by atoning once and for all for the world. Even though Jesus knows all our weaknesses, because he has been tempted just as we are, He still reaches out to us in love, as the living Word of God.

Jesus' actions are not driven out of duty but out of a sacrificial love of humanity. This is one of the themes that Mark picks up in the parable of the rich young man. The rule of the New Covenant is the rule of love. The old rules of duty and law have been superseded. Just as Jesus let go of the glory and riches of heaven to serve His Father, so we must let go of the things that hold us back from serving God. The rich young man went away sad, he felt he had more to give up than most. It looks like he was not prepared to sacrifice everything he valued to follow God into eternity. How fortunate Jesus didn't think and act the same way.

Prayers for Sunday

'Good Teacher, what must I do to win eternal life?'

Judge of all we pray for those whose lives fall short of your standards and who need your help and guidance: governments who have failed their people, families full of disagreement and misery; churches without vision or joy; women and men whose lives are empty and meaningless. Good Teacher show us what to do to win eternal life. Help us to seek good and not evil: that we might live. Amen

'I have kept all the commandments since I was a boy.'

Ruler of all, we pray for all those whose lives are ruled by the observance of duty and not by love: governments who execute justice without mercy; families who care for but do to delight in one another; churches where doctrine matters more than people; women and men who judge and condemn others. Good Teacher, show us what to do to keep the rule of love. Help us to seek good and not evil: that we might live. Amen

'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor. Then come follow me.'

Saviour of all, we pray for all those who long to let go of all that holds them back from following you, yet are afraid: governments under the thumb of the wealthy and powerful; families burdened by the materialism of society; churches unwilling to use their resources to alleviate need; women and men who dare not give their lives to you. Good Teacher, show us what to do to be made new in You. Help us to seek good and not evil: that we might live. Amen

(From Companion to the revised Common Lectionary, Christine Odell)

May the love of the Father enfold you, the wisdom of the Son enlighten you, the fire of the Spirit inflame you; and may the blessing of the triune God rest upon you, and abide with you, now and evermore. Amen

Hymns for this Sunday

Praise Heaven is open wide Tune Diademata

Heaven is open wide, and Christ in glory stands,
with all authority endowed and set at God's right hand.
Above the world of noise, extends his reign of peace,
and all the blood of martyrs calls our angry ways to cease.

Heaven is open wide, and perfect love we see
In God's eternal self-revealed: the blessed Trinity
Christ for the church has prayed, that we may all be one,
And share the triune grace whereby, creation was begun.

Heaven is open wide, and Christ in glory stands:
The Source and End, the First and Last, with justice in his hands.
Let all the thirsty come where life is flowing free,
and Christ, in splendour yet unknown, Our morning star will be.

Come on and celebrate 99 Mission Praise

O God our help in ages past, 498

Jehovah Jireh, my provider 354

I want to walk with Jesus Christ 302

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult, 359

O Jesus I have promised, 501

Father in heaven 135 Mission Praise

Like a mighty river flowing Mission Praise 419

Jesus took a piece of bread, Tune Royal Oak

Chorus
Jesus took a piece of bread, he shared a cup of wine.
'eat and drink with me,' he said, 'because you're friends of mine!'

We eat and drink with Jesus
because we are his friends,
remembering his promise
of life that never ends.

We share with one another,
the bread and wine he gives,
and celebrate together,
the special life he lives.

We rise up from the table,
and go where Jesus sends,
to tell the world the gospel
of love that never ends.

Lord, you have been our home, our shelter                                                    adonay ma’on attah hayyita lanu b’dor vador
from generation to generation.
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting You are God.
You return human beings to the dust,
saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or a passing hour in the night.
So teach us to measure our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Relent, O Lord! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendour to their children.
May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us;                                                    vihi no’am adonay eloheinu aleinu
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.