(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (StF) numbers will be given where available)
Welcome to our Sunday Service, today shared on paper across our circuit and with the congregation at Thornton Methodist Church and led by Martin Bashforth one of our Circuit Local Preachers.
Click on the blue links to follow them for bible readings and associated links
Call to worship:
Today begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity when we celebrate the Church universal, the Body of Christ. As we worship God in this place, we pray for the joint witness of Christians of every denomination to a world which needs to hear of God’s all-embracing love. Though we are many denominations, we are nevertheless, one church, with one fundamental faith, worshipping one Lord, Jesus Christ.
Song – STF 690 – The Church’s one foundation
Prayers
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Church universal. For the Christians who, through the centuries, have devoted their lives to learning about your will and your ways, and have passed on their knowledge and experience to those walking in their footsteps. Our own faith and understanding owe so much to their diligence and devotion.
In their quest for finding the truth behind your plans for the human race, our forebears have at times reached differing conclusions, which have caused groups to separate from the centre, and, holding different convictions, to form separate denominations. We rejoice that the branches of the universal Church are now seeking closer understanding, laying aside some of their differences, and striving together to serve the needs of suffering individuals and communities, one example being the foodbank network.
We thank you for the ways that Christian people have historically shaped and influenced governments, and helped the creation of laws which protect the needs of vulnerable members of society.
Lord, enable us, your humble, yet well-intentioned, followers to play our part, small as it may be, in raising the profile of the Christian faith amongst our peers. Equip us, and give us courage to speak out for you and to answer questions from our neighbours, which might help them find Jesus in their lives. May our lives shine a light, which helps others to see their way out of the darkness of today’s world. We ask it in the name of Jesus, who is the Light of the World. Amen
Song – STF 692 – Your hand, O God, has guided Your flock from age to age
Reading
Song – STF 250 – Jesus calls us o’er the tumult
Reading
Sermon
In our gospel reading this morning, we heard about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, following the 40 days he had spent in the wilderness preparing himself. His ministry consisted of teaching, preaching and healing the sick, and also calling others to join him in the work. We heard the very familiar calling of the fishermen, Peter and Andrew, James and John, to become ‘fishers of men’.
Jesus came to make a difference to the world, through making a difference to individual people. By healing people’s physical and mental illness. By helping them to know more about God’s love for them and God’s will for how they should live their lives. And by calling them to repentance. Repentance means a change of direction in their lives, turning their focus from themselves to others. His overarching purpose was to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth, through reconciling people to God, their Creator and Father. This is in essence God’s mission. And it was to join in this mission that the disciples were called. And it is to this mission that Christians throughout all ages are called.
To share in God’s mission, is the calling of individual Christians; it is the calling of local churches, and it is the calling of the worldwide Church (with a capital C).
Our second reading today, from the beginning of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, is a call for unity amongst the Corinthian Christians. They had been disagreeing amongst themselves, with the result that their witness to those around them had been affected and diminished. Paul pleads with them to set aside their differences and to focus on Jesus, who should always be the main object of their faith and worship and witness. They are not to divide into factions who follow different doctrines, but to concentrate on the main work which is to continue the ministry of Jesus and further the mission of God.
The choice of this particular reading is very appropriate for the week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The octave of prayer (as it more accurately called, having 8 days) takes place every year between 18 and 25 January, which are 2 feast days – the first commemorating The Confession of Peter (“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”), and the second the Conversion of Paul (on the road to Damascus). The emphasis of the octave of prayer is for the churches to be united in their pursuit of God’s mission to the world, in order to present the gospel more effectively and to better serve needy people. The object is not to set aside all denominational boundaries in order to become a single world-wide church. It is recognised nowadays that that is most unlikely to come about in our lifetime – if ever. But rather, that the different churches should work together to love and serve their neighbours – doing so, better together than they can do separately. And there is evidence of this happening in West Yorkshire
Here are some examples:-
Street Angels. These are teams of Christians who take to the streets of our cities late at night over the weekend, to minister to people who might have had too much to drink, or are homeless, or may be vulnerable and frightened having been abandoned by their friends.
The first team of street angels was formed in Halifax, some years ago, but the idea has spread and now there are teams in most major cities.
Inn Churches (you may have heard of these). Since February 2010, around 20 churches in Bradford have provided emergency accommodation and hot food for up to12 homeless people for 3 months during the coldest part of the year.
Foodbanks Bradford North Foodbank was formed in 2015 by the churches of different denominations in North Bradford, and it continues to serve the needs of many families, ten years down the line.
These are all excellent examples of work done by churches working together, which would not have been possible, had any of the churches tried to do them on their own. And whilst they are not about preaching or teaching, they are very much in line with God’s mission to the suffering in his world.
Some ecumenical work does involve the sharing of understanding between the different traditions and in recent years, some quite major theological differences have been settled between mainstream Christian traditions, through discussion and prayer and an openness to listen to God’s prompting. The most notable being a joint statement issued by the Roman Catholic and the Lutheran Churches in 1999, which declared:
“Together we confess: By grace alone, through faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.”
Up until this historic declaration, the Roman Catholic Church had always maintained that we get to heaven as a result of our good works, whereas protestants have asserted that we are saved through faith alone. This disagreement was the main cause of the Protestant Reformation in 1517. So, for the Roman Catholics to revise their doctrine, to agree with the protestants over such a major issue was almost miraculous. Nevertheless, there remain numerous other differences between the major denominations, which make the prospect of a single global Christian Church most unlikely in the foreseeable future. Having said that, there is still a richness in the traditions of all the churches, the sharing of which can enrich and enhance the life of all the others.
A few years ago, our church at St Andrew’s was packed and overflowing as Churches Together in North Bradford joined us for a united service. It was a celebration of the things we hold in common, and was a real inspiration to all of us who were there. The preacher was the Dean of Bradford, Very Rev David Ison, who gave an excellent sermon. In his preaching, he touched on one area of shared worship which continues to be a great disappointment. And that is the stance of the Roman Catholic Church on holy communion. Officially, they will not receive bread and wine from any other denomination, nor will they allow members of any other denomination to receive bread and wine at their Mass.
This is difficult to understand and accept for non-Catholics – and also, apparently, for some Catholics. For the Dean told the story of the time when he was visiting Belgium and he attended Mass in one of the cathedrals there. Naturally, when it came to receiving the elements, the Dean held back. But he was encouraged, by the Bishop of the cathedral himself, to eat and drink the elements. Afterwards, when he mentioned to the Bishop the rule against non-Catholic communicants, the Bishop had said to him: “This is not the Pope’s communion; nor is it the Archbishop of Canterbury‘s communion; nor is it John Wesley’s communion – it is Jesus Christ’s communion, and he offers it to all.” O that that view were more prevalent!
But let us celebrate the fact that, across many denominations, in all countries of the world, Jesus Christ today calls people to follow him, and through that calling, equips us to continue the ministry which he began 2,000 years ago. God’s mission is to save the world, and was there ever a time in history when the message of his love and grace needed to be heard and heeded more than it does today?
Paul called the Corinthian Church to be united. I believe God is calling Christians today to be united.
In 2006, the then RC Bishop of Leeds, Rt Rev Arthur Roche, addressed the Spring meeting of the West Yorkshire Methodist Synod. That was a first! He was a very wise and gracious man and he gave a most inspiring address. He told us that an observer of the early church once said: “See how these Christians love one another”. Imagine if our lifestyles led people to say such a thing today!
Faith is what you believe and understand about God and His will. It is not a black and white science. The denominations have reached their different understandings of theology by a variety of routes. They are sincerely held beliefs, held by genuine enquirers, and we should not expect, or even suggest, that they can be set aside at a whim. Any more than we would find it easy to set aside our accustomed ways of worshipping, or being church.
I want to share with you now an extract from a sermon by John Wesley (brought slightly up to date in its language!). It is called “On a Catholic spirit” – ‘Catholic’ meaning ‘all-embracing’.
This is Wesley preaching:
“Do you love your neighbour as you love yourself? Do you show your love by what you do? If you can answer yes to these questions, then you and I think alike. If this is the case, then give me your hand. I do not mean ‘agree with me on everything’. I do not want it or expect it. Nor do I mean: ‘I will agree with you on everything’, because I cannot. My beliefs are not for me to choose. You keep your opinions; I will keep mine as strongly as ever.
“When I say ‘Give me your hand’, I don’t mean ‘worship my way’, nor do I mean that I will worship your way. This is something else we cannot change. We must both act on our convictions.
“I have no desire to agree with you over all points. But if ‘you and I think alike’ and you love God and all mankind, then I ask no more than: ‘Give me your hand’.” This is very enlightened – Wesley was way ahead of his time.
The churches in Britain have come a long way in the last 50 years. From being awkward, often suspicious neighbours, we are now very definitely friends. If this were all, it would be good news. However, God wants us to be more than just good friends.
We are – Paul told Corinthians Ch 12 of 1st letter – the body of Christ. Made up of different parts, each with different functions, but together serving the whole body. What a wonderful analogy: “God put every different part in the body, just as He wanted it to be. There would not be a body, if it were all only one part”
The persecution of the 1st century church caused its members to flee for their lives and become scattered around the known world. What could have been a disaster, was God’s way of getting the message out to a wider audience. Could it be that schisms and breakaways during its 2,000 year history, might in some way be God’s means of enriching, strengthening, challenging the Church. Could it be that the divisions are a reason for celebration, and not matters of regret? One thing which is for sure, the Christian Church, in all its forms, is a dynamic organism and equipped to continue Jesus’ work of salvation. That is why it exists. As someone once said: The church is a rare organisation, which exists for the benefit of people who do not belong to it. “God sent His Son into the world, that through him the world might be saved.” And that is the task which he handed down to the early Church, and by succession, to us. We are, to use Paul’s phrase, co-workers with God. And that makes all Christians co-workers with each other. We are to be more than good friends. We are to be companions. We are to be – if you like – colleagues. We are part of the body of Christ. We are part of a team. Working together for the sake of the Kingdom.
When churches recognise that this is the purpose of Christian Unity, it gives a different agenda to ecumenism. Yes, we should worship together. Yes, we should explore and seek to remove the barriers to common understanding. Yes, we should exchange liturgies, hymns and cultures, to enrich our spiritual life. But we must look beyond ourselves to the lost people outside our churches. And find ways in which we can serve the community better by working together, than we can on our own.
The message for today is that it is OK for Methodists and Anglicans and Roman Catholics to continue to worship independently on Sundays. And also, that it is good also to share together occasionally. Different traditions and different ways of worshipping are not signs of weakness in the church. Merely signs of diversity in how we all engage with God. But remember – we are different parts of the one body of Christ. We must recognise that our common reason for existing is to further Christ’s work of salvation – to seek and save the lost, through works of service, love and evangelism. And our impact on the world has the potential to be more effective, if we work together, and combine our gifts, rather than doing everything separately. This won’t happen overnight; it isn’t something we can walk easily into. But it is an important objective, which must be worked towards.
As a church, we must look for ways in which our mission will be more effective by working with and alongside our neighbouring churches. And equally important, look for ways in which we can strengthen their mission, by offering our help.
There are countless ways in which we can all, as individuals, play our part in mission. Keeping in mind Paul’s picture of parts of the body, all the different parts, with different functions, are equally important, and all must play their part fully. If you are old, or dyslexic, or lame, that is no excuse for not being part of this initiative. We can all offer prayers, encouragement, our money if necessary. And we can all engage with the people living next door to us. To show kindness; to love them; and even – shock horror! – tell them of the difference God makes to our own lives.
And finally…
I hope we can extend this notion of our mission becoming more effective through working together with other denominations, to seeing the potential of working with the other Methodist churches in our North Bradford circuit, for the principle is the same.
Working together is the most positive sign of a united family. Let us, the people of Bradford North Methodist circuit, not be found lacking in courage, imagination or obedience in the challenge of the next few years.
Hymn STF 410 – Lord Your Church on earth is seeking
Intercessions
Gracious God, thank you for the life you have given us and for the love you have placed in our hearts. Grant us the help of your Holy Spirit, as we pray for the needs of the world.
God of peace, we hold before you all parts of the world, where people are suffering from violence. We pray for the situation in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, where innocent people are suffering from a lack of food, water and health care. We pray also for the people of Ukraine, who continue to suffer oppression and bombardment. Lord, please encourage the nations of the world to put pressure on the warring countries to seek peaceful solutions, so that the suffering can be brought to an end.
Lord, we pray for people in our own country who are anxious about the rising cost of living, and many who are struggling to pay for food and energy. Give to our Government wisdom and compassion to take measures which will help everyone to get through these trying times.
We pray for the Christian Church throughout the world. For those in positions of leadership: the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, and all other denominational leaders. And for the people who worship in the pews. May we all hear clearly Your call to discipleship and devote ourselves to the service of our Lord and of our neighbours.
[Include here any recent events across the world which require our prayers, which may have occurred since these notes were written.]
And finally, Lord, we bring to mind friends and families of members of our church, and others, known to us, who have special needs at this time, and for whom we wish to pray. And so, in silence now, we can each offer our own prayers, for those about whom we are concerned. Let us pray together ….
SILENCE
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers and deal graciously with them. Comfort those who suffer and those who mourn; and bring your healing to the sick. We ask all our prayers, in and through the name of Jesus, our living Lord and Saviour, who taught us, when we pray together, to say…… Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. For ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn STF 391 – O Breath of life come sweeping through us
Benediction
Let your peace rule in our hearts, O Lord, that each day we may:
Delight in your strength, rejoice in your grace, and find joy in the doing of your will. Keep us free from sin and grant us your blessing, that we may serve you faithfully, all the days of our life. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen
