Virtual Worship - 16 August 2020

Service Sheet (pdf)

Call to worship:

Come, with purpose,
into the presence of the living God.
Come to worship, and to be amazed,
to discover and learn new things.
Come, knowing that God welcomes us all with open arms. Amen.

Opening prayer:

Lord God, as we come before you now, we open our hearts to you.
Help us to see that we can learn so much from others,
even from those with whom we think
we may not share much in common.
Make us willing to stand out from the crowd,
to hear your voice, and act upon it. Amen.

Song: 

We listen to or join in with the song, Let us build a house where God can dwell (Singing the Faith 409) or read or sing the well-known hymn In Christ there is no east or west (Singing the Faith 685, Hymns and Psalms 758).

Prayer of confession

Lord, sometimes we look as though we are listening to others.
We may even make all the right noises!
But we confess that our attention is often anywhere but
where it is supposed to be.
Forgive us, Lord, for missed opportunities.

Sometimes we are too distracted by our own concerns.
We care only for ourselves,
and listen only to those who say what we want to hear.
Forgive us, Lord, for missed opportunities.

Sometimes we don’t listen to people
because we don’t like them,
or because they are different from us.
Sometimes we have bad or unhelpful thoughts.
Forgive us, Lord, for missed opportunities.

Sometimes we don’t listen to you, Lord,
because we are too busy,
or a bit frightened about what you might say to us.
Forgive us, Lord, for missed opportunities. Amen.

Introduction to the Old Testament reading: 

Finding what we hold in common is a challenge to all of us. When St Paul wrote, ‘There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus’ (Gal. 3.28), he provided us with a reminder that the things which hold us together in Christ are greater than the things which divide us one from another. In the world there is prejudice based on race, status and gender; but in the church there is unity in Christ. Of course, the reality is often somewhat distanced from this ideal. In the Methodist Conference this year, statements of support for the Black Lives Matter movement came with the rider that the church itself is not covered in glory when it comes to the establishment of just and fair relationships, particularly in regard to issues of racial justice. This is cause for confession, and we should take time to acknowledge before God our failure in this task. But vision is important in establishing a goal. The Old Testament book of Isaiah offers such a vision in the creation of a community open to all:

Old Testament reading: Isaiah 56.1, 6-8.

Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.

And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants,
all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

Introduction to the Gospel reading: 

The Old Testament reading reminds us of God’s promise to add to the people of Israel from beyond its number: ‘I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.’ The gospel story for today provides us with an illustration of this journey into God’s promised future. It also reminds us that undertaking such a journey is not the offer of an easy ride: there will be jolts and jars along the way. In the story we hear how Jesus, the Jew, is met by a foreign woman who requires his help. It is an unequal meeting: In Jewish culture of the day, Jews were seen to be more important than foreigners, just as men were regarded as having a higher status than women. And Jesus, seeing only a foreign woman, seeks to dismiss her as coming outside the remit of his mission. The woman’s reply changes the outcome of the story from being one of set judgement into a turn around of mercy resulting from the recognition of human need.

Gospel reading: Matthew 15.21-28.

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.

Thoughts on the bible passage:

The gospel reading places a challenge before us: how open are we to those who are different to us? Taking the example of Jesus’ encounter with the Syro-Phoenecian woman, if ever a relationship gets off on the wrong foot it is this one. At first glance not offer an encouraging account of this gentile woman who makes her request to a reluctant Jesus. Bible commentaries might offer differing interpretations to the story trying to explain why Jesus spoke to the woman as he did (that he was testing her faith and so on), but the most likely explanation was that Jesus was simply living within the cultural boundaries of his day, and coming face to face with a foreign woman, he was inclined to dismiss the request.

As this story about Jesus was first told, passed around the Christian communities, many who heard it would have been gentiles (that is, non-Jewish) people themselves. How would they have reacted to it? With indignance? Yet, it would also have been an important story to them, because it showed how gentiles were given a place in the work and mission of Jesus.

And, of course, as the story of the gospel develops in the course of the New Testament we see that it is about many gentiles coming to faith; and this is due in part because of a woman who was determined not to let go without getting what she came for. So, we can see how from this most unpromising of beginnings, as a gentile comes into contact with the Good News of Jesus, how the great influx of gentiles into the church would come as a result of the preaching of that same good news. There is a larger vision in this story than one that would keep the good news of Jesus to a chosen few. The Good News is for all people everywhere.

Response - you may wish to use one (or both) of the following suggestions as a response to the message from the Bible.

1. Poem: ‘A house of prayer’ by Marjorie Dobson – read the poem and ask yourself, ‘How do the words of this poem speak to me?’

A house of prayer, where all may come;
a house of prayer to be a home;
a house to welcome every one:
this is the house that God builds.

A house for sinner and for saint;
a house for those whose faith is faint
and for the weak to bring complaint:
this is the house that God builds.

A house of prayer, not just of creed:
a house where bread and wine will feed
those hungry souls who come in need:
this is the house that God builds.

A house for strangers and for friends;
a house whose building never ends,
where nations meet and truth transcends:
this is the house that God builds.

2. Prayer exercise:

Take a few minutes to sit quietly and reflect on what you really want God to be doing in your life. Imagine yourself as the Canaanite woman. Say: Do not give up praying till you feel a peace, that Jesus has heard you. Tell him that whatever the answer, you will accept it humbly and gratefully. Say to him: ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears you.’

Prayers of petition and intercession

The Canaanite woman sought your help. She loved her daughter so much, she was so desperately in need, that she wouldn’t give up till she had her answer.
We pray in faith. Hear us and answer our cry, blessed Lord.

Lord, may we learn from this woman, to wait on you expectantly, patiently, persistently, doggedly. Grant us the courage of our convictions when we truly believe we are doing your will.
We pray in faith. Hear us and answer our cry, blessed Lord.

We pray today for those who feel excluded, whatever their situation, whatever the reason: for prisoners, refugees, the homeless; for the sick, the mentally unstable; for any who feel that they are outsiders.
We pray in faith. Hear us and answer our cry, blessed Lord.

We pray for ourselves when our faith is weak, or we feel that we don’t belong.
We pray in faith. Hear us and answer our cry, blessed Lord. Amen.

Conclude this time of prayer by saying The Lord’s Prayer

Song: 

We end our time of worship today with the hymn, Lord, your church on earth is seeking (Singing the Faith 410, Hymns and Psalms 774) 

Dismissal and Blessing

God’s Spirit empower you
God’s freedom release you
God’s wisdom direct you
God’s justice inform you
God’s mercy inspire you
God’s love be seen in you
And change this world through you. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with us all, forever more. Amen.

Credits. Call to worship, Prayers and Prayer Exercise: Copyright Roots for Churches Ltd, used with permission. Dismissal and Blessing: copyright, John Birch, faithandworship.com, downloaded from www.theworshipcloud.com permission given to use in churches for non-commercial purposes. Poem, “A House of Prayer’, copyright, Marjorie Dobson, downloaded from www.theworshipcloud.com permission given to use in churches for non-commercial purposes. Scripture quotations are from the 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. Used by permission. All rights reserved.