(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (STF) & Hymns and Psalms numbers will be given where available)
Welcome to our Sunday Service, today shared on paper across our Circuit and with the congregation at Christchurch LEP led by Deacon Merry Evans, our Circuit Deacon.
Click on the blue links to follow them for Bible readings and associated links.
OPENING PRAYER
Loving God, help us to remember that you are here with us as we worship. May we pray to you in faith, sing your praise with gratitude, and listen to your word with eagerness; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
INTRODUCTION
Today we think about how Jesus started gathering his first followers. We tend to think of Jesus starting his ministry as a loner, but it is fairly clear in the gospels that Jesus was himself an early disciple of John the Baptist. It seems John endorsed Jesus to take on God’s work and Jesus grew in prominence as John became less so. Some of John’s followers became some of Jesus’s first followers.
Song STF182; H&P84; On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh
We continue with a reading about John the Baptist. He led a movement calling ordinary folk to return to Godly living. He dipped them (baptised) in the River Jordan as a sign that they had committed themselves to change their lives. In this passage we read how some of his followers left him to follow Jesus. The highlighted words become a ‘poem’ later in our service.
READING
25 They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ 26 John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ 35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39 He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
Call and Response (you might like to read this aloud, like a poem)
Among you stands one whom you do not know,
Among you stands one whom you do not know,
‘What are you looking for?’ he said. ‘What are you looking for?’
Standing there watching, Jesus walked by
“Look! Here is the lamb of God.”
‘What are you looking for?’ he said. ‘What are you looking for?’
They asked him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”
He answered “COME AND SEE”
‘What are you looking for?’ he said. ‘What are you looking for?’
They came and saw where he was staying
…they remained with him all day
‘What are you looking for?’ he said. ‘What are you looking for?’
They came and saw where he was staying,
‘WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH,’ they said
It was four o’clock in the afternoon, and they followed Jesus, they followed him…
‘What are you looking for?’ he said. ‘What are YOU looking for?’
To think about
How would you answer, if Jesus asked you, ‘What are you looking for?’ Write down what you would say to Jesus. Read it aloud as a prayer.
Song STF545; H&P 378 Be Thou my vision O Lord of my heart
SERMON
A hugely popular stage musical back in the 1970’s and 80’s was Godspell. It is a sympathetic portrayal of the Gospel story based on Matthew. It is still performed by amateur and school groups. Perhaps you remember the song ‘Day by day’ which incorporates the traditional prayer ‘…to see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, day by day.’ It was something of a hit at that time.
The musical lifts the gospel story and Christ’s teaching from the pages of the Bible and makes it vibrant and relevant to our day. It also introduces people to the hope, energy, and excitement possible in being a follower of Jesus.
One of my favourite songs from Godspell is ‘By my side’ in which a female disciple, whom I assume to be Mary Magdalene, asks Jesus “Where are you going? Can you take me with you?” Her words capture a sense of longing which many of us feel, that our lives (and souls) are cold and lonely, and that walking with Jesus might bring warmth and companionship on the road and lead to a better life. (Is that what she is looking for?) She sings the memorable phrase “Let me skip the road with you” which conveys the simple childlike quality which Jesus requires of us as we start out on our discipleship journey, following him.
However, as the years go by, we all know that following Jesus becomes much more complicated than a child’s skipping game. The lyrics contain a puzzling image when she sings “I’ll put a pebble in my shoe… Watch me walk… I can walk and walk ..”. We are left wondering: why, if you choose to go walking, would you make it more uncomfortable by putting a stone in your shoe? She sings, “I shall call the pebble ‘Dare’… together we shall talk about walking”. The image is like a parable. If you want to walk alongside Jesus you have to make a deliberate choice, like deliberately putting a pebble in your shoe. You choose to walk with courage, be willing to face risks, to go on an alternative adventure. In short you choose to be daring because that’s the sort of path Jesus takes. You have to choose the more difficult path. Jesus’s path is a different path, a daring path. In many ways and at certain times it’s an uncomfortable path. The song asks us if we, too, dare to follow Jesus into the great unknown.
So, following Jesus requires our willingness to step out with daring. And those words ‘…together we shall talk about walking…’. makes us wonder who is it she is talking to as she travels onwards: is she talking with Jesus or with the Pebble (her commitment to be daring)? It could be either, or both. Or perhaps the image of the pebble represents Jesus, who makes our life ‘uncomfortable’? The song is essentially saying, ‘Let’s talk about this journey, Jesus, as we go along.’ That’s something we can all understand: asking Jesus to help us on the way.
On our discipleship journey the conversation she refers to takes place within ourselves, between that part of us which desires to be safe and secure and that part which desires to be daring and be different; between those fearful, tired or bored parts of ourselves and the adventurous parts of ourselves still willing to take a risk; between our wish to hide or to give up and our willingness to persevere in following the path of Jesus; between that part of us that is willing to compromise and accept the way things are, and that part of us that yearns for a better world and a better life. “…Together, we shall talk about walking…” In short, through that inner conversation between our fears and desires and our deliberate, daring actions we will learn to trust more; trust ourselves, trust the path, trust the gospel, and trust Jesus.
The journey is long, and often challenging, it may be tiring and lead to places we would rather not go to, to do things we would rather not do, to meet people we would rather avoid, but we have to persist with our daring, and persevere. Sometimes that requires a fresh impetus, even a fresh decision to carry on, and not give up. It may be necessary to return to that childlike attitude which says, “Look at me, Jesus; I can dare! I can do it!” or in the words of the song, “I’ll put a pebble in my shoe… watch me walk…I can walk, and walk.”
In the last verse of the song, she sings that when she and the pebble have reached journey’s end, she shall take the pebble out of her shoe and takes Jesus by the hand. The implication is that she has arrived, and is not needing to dare anymore. She has gone all the way, living the life of God’s Kingdom here on earth (Godly living) and also gone all the way to make her arrival alongside Jesus in God’s eternal kingdom, in heaven. Discipleship is a long journey!
The song is a prayer. It is a prayer that we all can say. “Jesus, where are you going? Can you take me with you?” Walk with me, Lord, and help me as I travel. I dare to go with you, all the way. Amen.
By my side – Godspell -audio
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fDZQE0ZFXnI
Choose one of these Hymns about the disciple journey
Song STF 674 Would I have answered when you called
Song H&P 667 Begone unbelief, my saviour is near
PRAYERS
God of all time and all places, we pray for your Church throughout the world.
For congregations facing persecution and violence:
may they know your grace and peace.
For congregations struggling financially and numerically:
may they know your grace and peace.
For congregations that are divided and disillusioned:
may they know your grace and peace.
For congregations witnessing in areas of poverty and conflict:
may they know your grace and peace.
For ourselves and our fellow saints in this area and this nation:
may we know your grace and peace.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Choose one of the following hymns
Song STF 673 Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Song H&P 708 Believe not those who say
THE GRACE
Credits: – CCL number 257371 New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.. www.freebibleimages.com; www.lumoproject.com; www.bigbookmedia.com; crosswal
