SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 15TH SEPTEMBER 2024
OPENING SENTENCE
The commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes
HYMN
GREETING
Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
COLLECT FOR PURITY
Almighty God
to whom all hearts be open
all desires known
and from whom no secrets are hidden;
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”
The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these. Amen. Lord, have mercy.
CONFESSION
God is love and we are God’s children.
There is no room for fear in love.
We love because God loved us first.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.
God our Father, we confess to you
and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and in what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry.
Forgive us our sins,
and deliver us from the power of evil,
for the sake of your Son who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
ABSOLUTION
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
GLORIA
sung by Dougie Byers
COLLECT
Guard your church, O Lord,
with your perpetual mercy:
and since without our aid we lose our way,
draw us always, by your help, away from harm,
and steer us towards salvation;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen
FIRST READING
Proverbs 1:20-33
read by Annabelle Guthrie
The Call of Wisdom
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”
SECOND READING
JAMES 3: 1-12
read by Andrew Ratnam
Taming the Tongue
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature,] and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
HYMN
GOSPEL READING
Mark 8: 27-38
read by Rev Chris Wren
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Mark chapter 8 beginning at verse 27
Glory to Christ our Saviour.
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”[a] And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
SERMON
Life is full of questions. Children at a young age asks lots of questions for example: Why is the sky blue? How do airplanes stay up? What are clouds made of? Questions are not just the prerogative for children but are there with us throughout our adult life. What am I going to do with my life? Will the kids turn out all right- will they get good National 5s? Will they meet the right partner? What will life be like for us with AI? What will happen to us with climate change?
Not only do these practical questions beg for an answer, but so too do questions, concerning the spiritual life. Am I saved? When I die will I go to heaven? Why does God allow such tragedy and suffering to exist on the earth?
Then there are the philosophical questions, like which comes first, the chicken or the egg; why does the red paper under a blue light appear black? Is the paper still red? Or the one I liked in my philosophy class in university was,” If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it fall, does it still make a noise?” We could go on and on.
All of these questions have one common element to them which is illustrated by the following story: “A college student tried to prove how smart he was one day by asking his professor the following question, “Is the bird I’m holding dead or alive???” If the professor said the bird was dead, the boy was going to free the bird and let it fly away; if the professor said it was alive, the boy was going to crush the bird. The professor looked at the boy and said, “My boy, the answer is in your hands.” The common element with all questions is that the answer can and does lie with us.
There comes a time when we have to search for the answer that does lie with us. The disciples are asked to search for this answer in response to Jesus’ question -“Who do you say that I am?” There comes a time when relationships get personal – when you have to figure out for yourself just who that other person is to you and what he or she means to you. Perhaps you can recall such times in your life when a best friend asks: “So, is he’s the one…or is she the one?” At some point, relationships get personal—they begin to intrude on our private space and demand that we answer a fundamental question: “just what does this person mean to me.” It’s a watershed question in any human relationship. And once it’s asked, the relationship can never be the same. The question forces us to either move deeper in the relationship or become more distant. It forces us to search our heart, mind, and soul and decide who the other person is.
This is precisely what Jesus is doing here in our reading from Mark’s gospel. Now, it would help our study of this text if we could actually experience the same setting this morning that the disciples did when Jesus originally taught this “lesson”-but we can’t do that so maybe we can build a fairly good mental image of the setting. The first thing you need to know to build your mental image is that this particular teaching took place about two and a half years into Jesus’ earthly ministry. That would mean that the cross was only six months away and knowing this Jesus realized that it was important for him to have some quality time alone with his disciples to help prepare them for what was to come. I mean, time was growing short and he had to make sure they understood who he was, why he had been born, and what was about to be done to him.
The setting Jesus chose for this crucial teaching time was the district of Caesarea Philippi, which lies about 25 miles north-east of the Sea of Galilee. With the cool, fresh mountain air and the stream and the spectacular views- even back then this was sort of a “weekend getaway” kind of place. So perhaps the disciples themselves were in a holiday mood that day-anticipating a couple days in the mountains alone with Jesus. And they would indeed have been alone because back then the population in Caesarea Philippi was mainly non-Jewish so there would have been no interruptions by multitudes clamouring for Jesus’ attention nor would he have to worry about the Jewish religious leaders who by this time were looking for any opportunity to find and arrest him. All this is to say that, by hiking up to Caesarea Philippi, our Lord would indeed have had much-needed, quality time with his disciples.”
Another thing you need to know to get your “mental picture” accurate is that in Jesus’ day the hills of the Caesarea Philippi area were scattered with temples of ancient Syrian Baal worship. As many as fourteen such temples would have littered the landscape. And, not only were Syrian gods worshipped there-there was also a cavern nearby that was said to have been the birthplace of the Greek god Pan-the “god” of nature. And furthermore, there was another huge temple that would have stood there in Jesus’ day built out of white marble by Herod the Great and dedicated to the worship of Augustus Caesar.
So, do you see what Jesus was doing? He stood in this setting-a place that was literally crowded with temples dedicated to the worship of Syrian, Greek, and Roman “gods” and he asked his disciples who they believed him to be-wanting them to realize that he was in fact the one True God in the flesh-the long-awaited Messiah. To me, it seems as if Jesus deliberately set himself against the background of the world’s religions in all their history and splendour-and demanded to be compared with them and to have the verdict given in his favour. Do you see what I mean? With this setting as a backdrop, he forced his “class” to wrestle with vital questions like: “Who is the real God?” “Who is worthy of adoration and worship?” In essence Jesus said, “Guys, look around at the magnificence of all these temples to all these ‘gods’ and then look at me. Who is right? Who is the truth-me or the ‘gods’ of one of these temples?”
This “classroom time in the mountains” was in effect, a bit like the disciples’ “final examination”. It began with the question- “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? What are the crowds saying about me?” Now, Jesus knew the answer to this question (no teacher worth his salt asks a question unless he does!). He knew what people were saying about him but he wanted the Twelve to think carefully about those popular perceptions as a way of building a foundation for their own conclusions. So, please understand, when Jesus asked this first question he didn’t do so as an insecure leader seeking to learn how he stood in the public opinion polls. No-it was a probing question designed to determine the extent to which his students had discovered the true nature of his ministry and message.
Well, I think there was a moment of silence that day as the disciples considered how to reply. I mean, all of them knew what the crowds were saying-that he was a wine-bibber, a glutton, a blasphemer, a false prophet-he had even been labelled a madman-but the disciples didn’t share any of these “negative reviews” with Jesus. No-instead they exercised some tact and only told him the compliments people were paying him. For example, one disciple pointed out that many believed Jesus was John the Baptist reincarnated-come back from the grave to continue his ministry of announcing the Messiah while criticizing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. Another disciple shared the fact that many people believed Jesus was Elijah-considered by some Jews to be the supreme Old Testament prophet.
So, the people who said these things were paying Jesus wonderful compliments-I mean they were comparing Him to the some of the greatest prophets and teachers God had ever sent. They were indeed giving Jesus high praise, but not HIGH ENOUGH because in their minds none of these three prophets was the Messiah but rather just one of the Messiah’s forerunners who had come back to life with God-given miraculous powers. And this way of thinking is nothing new. Since Jesus’ day much of the world has wanted to speak highly of Jesus without recognizing His deity and Lordship. I mean, most people in our day and age will admit that Jesus was a great man; that he was a great teacher-they will admire his Sermon on the Mount. But they will not concede that he was the Christ-the Son of God.
Sometime ago Newsweek’s cover story was, “The Other Jesus” and it listed the opinions that other faiths have when it comes to Jesus Christ. Here are some excerpts: “Muslims recognize Our Lord as a great prophet. They even revere him as the Son of Mary-the only woman mentioned by name in the Koran. Many Jews see Christ as an “admirable Jew” but not as the Son of God. Buddhists depersonalize the Jesus who walked this earth and transform him into a figure more like the Buddha. Some regard him as a bodhisattva, a perfectly enlightened being who vows to help others. Many Hindus are drawn to Jesus because of his compassion and his devotion to non-violence but they find the notion of a single god unnecessarily restrictive.” So, the opinion of the multitudes of Jesus’ day is not that different than the opinion of many people today. They thought that Jesus was great-but not great enough. To many of them, he was just another great teacher come from God.
But that day in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus wanted His “students” to realize that he was great and great enough. He wanted them to realise that in him God had done something different. He wanted them to see that he was not just another teacher come from God. He was God come to teach! He was God in the flesh-the long-awaited Messiah! And at first it looked like none of them had grasped this vital truth. “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke up and said what? “You are the Christ-the Son of the Living God!” You are the Christ!
It was this truth that Peter boldly and consistently taught to all who had ears to listen. What about you and I? Jesus asks the same question- Who do you say that I am? If you say like Peter ‘you are the Christ’, what evidence is there of that confession of faith in your day- to- day life? Amen.
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one substance with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son,
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
God, our Father, your love for us is constant and steadfast.
It’s a love that is without limits and full of compassion and grace.
We thank you for the love that you lavish upon us
and for the honour it is to be sons
and daughters in your heavenly family.
Help us to love you with all our heart
and to love one another
so that by our love we may be seen to be your disciples.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
God, our Saviour Jesus Christ,
your love was so complete for us
that you gave everything on the cross for us.
Help us to be willing to give everything we can
to further the work of your kingdom.
We pray for Bishop Andrew Swift and Dean Reuben Preston
in their leading of our Diocese in its vacancy.
We lift to you the clergy and laity in the different ministries
to which they have been called.
May they be strong in you and in your mighty power.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom and power
fill us with your insight and vision,
that we might discern your grace at work
in our churches and in our communities.
Empower us to be advocates for those
who are oppressed and have no voice.
Guide us to speak out for justice
and equal opportunities for all,
that together we might build your kingdom
founded on grace and love.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of all hope, our security and identity are in you.
We are one with you and one with our brothers and sisters
in the Anglican Communion throughout the world.
We weep with those that weep
and are under great stress and suffering.
We pray especially of those
in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan
who are fleeing their country
and are frightened for their future.
Bring them to a welcoming nation
that offers peace and hope.
Be with all who are left behind in warring countries,
protect them and give them the courage and wisdom
to pursue what is right and true.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of all compassion, your heart reaches out to all those
who are poor and are in need.
We lift to you the refugees from many other parts of the world.
Help them to find asylum and to establish a new life
with security, love and peace.
Help us to play our part, however large or small
in bringing that request into a reality.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of all healing, you delight in helping
the broken hearted and despairing.
Be with all those who have had their lives shattered
as a result of violence and war.
Comfort them and help them find peace and security.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of all peace, you take away anxiety and worry,
and so, we think of all who are struggling at this time,
with fear, or stress, with mental health issues,
or physical difficulties and illness
and ask O God that you would draw near
and meet them at their point of need,
and grant them your peace, your strength,
your healing touch and newness of life.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of life,
we remember those
whom you brought home
to the eternal city recently,
giving thanks for all they were in you
and for all they accomplished in you.
In the quiet we lift their families to you.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of all joy, you delight in us
and bless us with great gifts.
Empower us by your Holy Spirit
to use our gifts for your glory and
may your joy be our strength today and always…
Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
HYMN
BLESSING
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your 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 Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen
DISMISSAL
Go or stay in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ.
