This short act of worship has been prepared for you. I invite you to share in a few moments with God, knowing that other people within Paulton, Trinity and Chew Stoke Methodist Churches are sharing this act of worship with you.
Revd Martin Slocombe
Today we join with worshippers at Nexus Methodist Church in Bath
Psalm 34: 1-3, 22
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Hymn – Ye servants of God
1 Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim,
and publish abroad his wonderful name;
the name all-victorious of Jesus extol;
his kingdom is glorious, and rules over all.
2 God ruleth on high, almighty to save;
and still he is nigh, his presence we have;
the great congregation his triumph shall sing,
ascribing salvation to Jesus our King.
3 ‘Salvation to God who sits on the throne!'
Let all cry aloud, and honour the Son;
the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,
fall down on their faces, and worship the Lamb.
4 Then let us adore, and give him his right;
all glory and power, all wisdom and might,
all honour and blessing, with angels above,
and thanks never-ceasing, and infinite love.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Prayer
A prayer for God to break through in the life of our churches:
God of love, God for all,
your purposes are more beautiful than we can possibly imagine.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit.
Help us let go of all that holds us back.
Open our lives and our churches to new seasons of humility and faith, of change and growth.
Shake us up with the Good News of Jesus and show us the way. Amen
A prayer of praise and thanksgiving
Almighty God, we meet together in this place to worship you, continuing a tradition which has been celebrated here by generations before us. We come as your people, united with those all over the world, and across all time.
We come to praise you for your unending love, for the way that you have made yourself known to a whole variety of people in every generation, for your guidance in good times and in bad, and for your faithfulness to us. Today, we thank you for those who have gone before us, and especially those who have shared their faith with us, who have inspired us by their example of Christian love, and who have encouraged us on our journey of faith.
We thank you for your promise of eternal life for all those who believe in your name, and even though we are not entirely sure what that means, we know that we can trust in your word, and that your promises are true.
A prayer of confession and forgiveness
Lord, we hear your word, but we are not always ready to trust. We rely upon our own strengths and abilities, and forget to look to you in times of trouble. In our sorrow at the death of our loved ones, our friends and family, it is easy to be consumed by our sadness, and forget to give thanks that they now rest for all eternity in the perfect peace of your presence which you offer to us all.
Forgive us when we forget the great tradition of Christian discipleship in which we now take our place, and give us the courage and vision to share our faith with new generations who are yet to know you.
By your grace, you understand our failings, and forgive us. You give us strength in our weakness, courage to face our fears and inspiration to seek a better understanding of you.
Thanks be to God. Amen
Our gospel reading recalls Jesus’ words having heard of the death of his friend, Lazarus, and arriving at the house, but too late.
Reading – John 11: 20-27
20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’
Reflection
Today is All Saints Day – Saints do not feature very strongly in Methodist tradition in comparison with other denominations. During my training I spent 10 weeks in a Catholic church in Bristol. There they celebrated all sorts of people who had been canonised, there was a Saint for almost every day, and at the daily mass, the Priest would recount the story of their lives, as inspiration for the congregation. I don’t know how he remembered them all! I personally found this fascinating, and I think perhaps we are missing out on a wealth of spiritual nourishment by not engaging with the stories of these people. Recounting their lives of faith encourages us in our own faith journeys to a deeper understanding and relationship with God.
Our Methodist tradition takes a rather more inclusive view of who is a saint. We remember and give thanks for those who have died and who now rest in the eternal love of God, in heaven, however we understand that place, and in particular for those who have shared their faith with us.
So, who is a saint? You are, if you’re a follower of Jesus. God calls a "saint" anyone who trusts in Christ alone for salvation. We are all saints, not just the famous ones.
Tomorrow is All Souls day when, in the Catholic tradition, they remember those who have died, but have not yet reached heaven. This is called purgatory, where the soul exists, not in heaven or in hell, but stuck somewhere in between. They can only reach heaven through the prayers of family and friends still living. I feel less comfortable with this idea.
Jesus’ words we have just heard read from John 11: 25 are often read at the beginning of funeral services. “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die”. They state very clearly that salvation is reserved for those who believe in Jesus. But what about those who profess no faith in Jesus? Are they Saints? Can they go to heaven? I have often wrestled with these words during my ministry, particularly when taking a funeral service for someone who has not accepted Jesus as Lord in their lives.
It is central to our faith that God loves everyone, regardless of their actions and response to Him – that is true. And so, there is a temptation to say that all must be welcome in heaven. But doesn’t that cheapen God’s grace if all are welcomed regardless of their response to the gospel? Whilst acknowledging God’s universal love for everyone, I think we also have to take responsibility for our response to his invitation, and to bear good fruit in his name.
There are many passages of scripture which refer very clearly to the need to reach the Father through the Son, which demands that we make a response to God’s love by positive action. In John 14, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. He tells a parable in Matthew 22 of a king who invites guests to a banquet but they do not respond. They miss out on the banquet, and their invitation is given to others who do respond. Jesus also talks about a vine in John 15, “He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit”.
What happens after death is a mystery. We are told there are many rooms in the Father’s house, that is part of our faith, and gives us hope that death is not the end of life, just an end of this part of it. That is wonderful news for those of us who journey along a path of faith. But what does this say to us in relation to our friends and family who express no faith in God during their lifetime? What happens to those who do not believe in God? Does it matter to them? Perhaps not, but it certainly matters to us.
I’m afraid I cannot give you an answer. There are many things we know, but also many that we are not meant to know, and perhaps this is one of them. Faith is about belief without proof.
But I am drawn to the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Those who come at the very close of the day get the same reward as those who have toiled for many hours. This story says that there is always hope, even at that very last moment before death, to accept God’s love and to be welcomed into his house. The landowner rewarded all who come equally, but he doesn’t go out into the street rewarding those who didn’t bother.
Today we give thanks for those who have accepted and responded to God’s invitation, and who have gone before us, the saints, who now know the reality of God’s mansion. And we also pray for those who have not committed themselves to God during their lifetime.
We give thanks for those who have shared their faith with us, and who have encouraged us to journey with God, to explore our faith for ourselves, and ultimately to join them in the reward we have been promised.
Who are the saints we remember today? We all are.
Amen
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
Loving God, we turn now to our prayers for others, both friends, family, and strangers alike.
We pray for those who have departed this life, and who now rest with you.
We pray for the migrants who lost their lives in the English Channel this week. We reflect on the desperate plight that they found themselves in which made their dangerous actions seem the only way out.
We pray for our Government, and those throughout the world, as they try to deal with the epidemic, and for those whose lives have been changed, both by the virus, and by the measures put in place to try to control it.
In silence we bring our own prayers.
And finally we pray for ourselves, that you will help us to continue in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, keeping faith in you, and offering our experiences of your love to future generations.
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
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.
Blessing of the offering
Song – Here is bread
www.youtube.com/watch?v=emztEMWXoGI
Here is bread that speaks of love
Your body broken for a guilty world
For a guilty world
Hungry, we come to feed on You
Manna from heaven, giving strength anew
Giving strength anew
Lord, by Your cross and resurrection You have freed us
And now we know that You're the Saviour of the world
Open our eyes to see You here with us and burn within our hearts
Risen Lord, risen Lord
Here is wine that tells of grace
Your blood outpoured to cover all our shame
To cover all our shame
Thirsty, we come to drink from You
Fountain of life, our souls You will renew
Our souls You will renew
Lord, by Your cross and resurrection You have freed us
And now we know that You're the Saviour of the world
Open our eyes to see You here with us and burn within our hearts
Risen Lord, risen Lord
Grace, such grace
Here, we find grace
Grace, such grace
Here, we find grace
Lord, by Your cross and resurrection You have freed us
And now we know that You're the Saviour of the world
Open our eyes to see You here with us and burn within our hearts
Risen Lord, risen Lord
Here we are, Your body, Lord
Given that all the world might be restored
The world might be restored
Offering now the lives we live
Freely You gave and freely we will give
Freely we will give
Mark Bradford
Holy Communion
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Father, almighty and everliving God,
it is right to give you thanks and praise
at all times and in all places.
With angels and archangels
and with all your people on earth and in heaven,
we proclaim your glorious name,
evermore praising you and saying:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Holy and blessèd God,
you have created all things
and made us in your own image.
When we had fallen into sin
you gave your only Son Jesus Christ
to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption,
making there the one perfect sacrifice
for the sins of the whole world.
On the night that he was betrayed he took bread;
and when he had given you thanks,
he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
‘Take, eat. This is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way, after supper, he took the cup;
and when he had given you thanks,
he gave it to them, saying,
‘Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.’
Therefore, Father,
we do as Christ your Son commanded;
we remember his passion and death,
we celebrate his resurrection and ascension,
and we look for the coming of his kingdom.
Accept through him
this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;
and grant that by the power of your life-giving Spirit,
we who eat and drink these holy gifts
may share in the body and blood of Christ
and be united with all your people
on earth and in heaven;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
by whom, and with whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours,
almighty Father,
for ever and ever. Amen.
We say together:
Lord, we come to your table, trusting in your mercy and not in any goodness of our own.
We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy, and on that we depend.
So feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, that we may for ever live in him and he in us. Amen.
The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
Distribution of the elements
Silence
Lord our God,
you have strengthened us for our journey
with Christ, the Living Bread.
Bring us to be with you in glory
that with angels and archangels
and all the company of heaven
we may praise you for ever. Amen.
Hymn – Now let us from this table rise
1 Now let us from this table rise
renewed in body, mind and soul;
with Christ we die and live again,
his selfless love has made us whole.
2 With minds alert, upheld by grace,
to spread the Word in speech and deed,
we follow in the steps of Christ,
at one with all in hope and need.
3 To fill each human house with love,
it is the sacrament of care;
the work that Christ began to do
we humbly pledge ourselves to share.
4 Then grant us courage, Father-God,
to choose again the pilgrim way
and help us to accept with joy
the challenge of tomorrow's day.
Fred Kaan (1929–2009)
Blessing
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, remain with you always. Amen.
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