Service sheet (pdf)
Call to Worship
Come to the Feast, there is room at the table; come let us meet in this place
Prayer we pray together
Father God, we meet together in mind, purpose and spirit, and even though we are separated in body we are one in your presence. In worship, we marvel at your creation, in worship we thank you for your gift to us of Jesus, His teaching, his healing and his example for living and relating to each other. In worship we welcome the power of your Holy Spirit. Help us to come alive with love and enthusiasm as we live and work for you. As we sometimes struggle in these times, help us to rejoice in knowing that whatever comes our way, nothing can separate us from you. For you are the giver of life, the giver of love and our source of power. AmenYou might like to follow the worship song or if you prefer something more traditional.
A prayer of confession
With phrases such as” How great is our God” or “Great is thy faithfulness” ringing in our ears, we pause…as we confess our shortcomings, the things we’ve done – and shouldn’t have. The things we didn’t do….and should have. Loving God we ask you to pour out your overflowing grace us. As we ask your forgiveness for our weaknesses, and your strength for our renewed efforts, to live and work to your example. This prayer we offer in the name of Jesus Amen.Reading Genesis 32 22-31 (Message)
During the night, Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He got them safely across the brook along with all his possessions.24-25 But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn’t get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob’s hip out of joint.
26 The man said, “Let me go; it’s daybreak.”
Jacob said, “I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.”
27 The man said, “What’s your name?”
He answered, “Jacob.”
28 The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.”
29 Jacob asked, “And what’s your name?”
The man said, “Why do you want to know my name?” And then, right then and there, he blessed him.
30 Jacob named the place Peniel (God’s Face) because, he said, “I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!”
31-32 The sun came up as he left Peniel, limping because of his hip. (This is why Israelites to this day don’t eat the hip muscle; because Jacob’s hip was thrown out of joint.
Reflection
So here we come across Jacob and his family all working hard to get all their possessions across the stream called Jabbok – a good job well done. But the bigger picture around Jacob is about a frail, blind old man,(Isaac, the father) his sneaky scheming wife (Rebekkah) and two very different sons – Esau the hunter, and Jacob the farmer. Esau was the elder son whose birthright would enable him to carry on the family line but Jacob was mothers favourite and had plans for him to take the birthright and cheat Esau! The plan is cunning and complex but let’s just say it worked! – Jacob becomes Isaac’s son and heirThis is an historical event that has its roots in Abraham the father of nations – and you might well think what’s all this? A critical life story, crucial to the Hebrew nation, and it’s based on deceit. – how come?
When we pick up the story Jacob is doing OK he has a wife, family, servants, animals - the future looks good. – and then Jacob wrestles with this man all night! Who is he? He’s special - Jacob knows – he wants not just his fathers blessing got by deceit, but he is seeking Gods blessing! V26 I’m not letting you go ‘til you bless me! And the blessing brings a new name Israel. Jacob knew he had come face to face with God in verse 30 he says“I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!”
Now you may say well that’s not fair - the cheat finds favour with God – But remember our theme The overflowing Grace of God – Jacob knows his past and uses his total strength to find Gods blessing – we’ll come back to this in a minute
Reading Matt 14 13-21(Message)
(Jesus has just heard that John the Baptist has been beheaded)
3-14 When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.
15 Toward evening the disciples approached him. “We’re out in the country and it’s getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.”
16 But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”
17 “All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said.
18-21 Jesus said, “Bring them here.” Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed.
Jesus was saddened by this – this was his cousin after all, and he went away to be on his own – at least that was the plan, but people saw him and followed him. So instead of a time of quiet reflection Jesus taught and healed the sick until late in the day. The disciples seeing a potential problem told Jesus to send away the crowd to get food, and Jesus says “You feed them” “With five loaves and two fish??” they replied.
All were fed and twelve baskets of scraps were cleaned up afterwards! A miracle – the overflowing grace of God makes this happen.
And it would be easy to say – “this happened in the Bible – it doesn’t happen now”…are you sure about this? – perhaps you can think of a time when Gods goodness was poured out for you….
The action in both our passages are as a result of scheming and cunning. These are strong words but pause to think in your own life and experience, do you always put Gods will first? Do you know what Gods will for you is?
Jacob received God’s blessing, all those people who were hungry at the end of the day were fed.
These things happened, not because it was “fair” not because it was the “right thing to do” but because The overflowing Grace of God was poured out. Gods grace is still poured out, overcoming what we might think is fair or right And God’s grace is for us!
Grace is "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not necessarily because of anything we have done to earn it". – isn’t that wonderful ?
Pause for a moment; and look at the picture. Can you see Love? Trust? Safety in each other’s arms?
God cares for our hurts. The God who hears each heartbeat also hears the cry of every broken heart. He is not a God who is faraway and watching over the clouds, untouched by our miseries or unaware of our limitations. He knows our frailty. He knows our frustrations, and He has shared in our deepest griefs.
So I ask you to pray for Gods world - for those in positions of power that they might work together for the good of all people
I ask you to pray for Gods people living in a deeply divided world where wealth, colour, tribal history, war, famine, and persecution and other pressures affect the lives of so many.
I ask you to pray for Gods family, the church, particularly in these days as we seek His will and his way for us.
And bring your prayers together using the Lord’s Prayer
Amen
3-14 When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.
15 Toward evening the disciples approached him. “We’re out in the country and it’s getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.”
16 But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”
17 “All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said.
18-21 Jesus said, “Bring them here.” Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed.
Reflection
This famous Bible story is preceded by a scheming mothers evil plan that results in the death of John the Baptist. And Jesus taking himself off to a quiet place. – Herod wanted to get rid of John the Baptist for personal and political reasons but feared the repercussions from Johns followers. However, at Herod’s birthday party his daughter entertained the guests with her amazing dancing – and in his drunken enthusiasm Herod promised his daughter anything! – and her mother had primed her into asking for the head of John the Baptist on a plate!Jesus was saddened by this – this was his cousin after all, and he went away to be on his own – at least that was the plan, but people saw him and followed him. So instead of a time of quiet reflection Jesus taught and healed the sick until late in the day. The disciples seeing a potential problem told Jesus to send away the crowd to get food, and Jesus says “You feed them” “With five loaves and two fish??” they replied.
All were fed and twelve baskets of scraps were cleaned up afterwards! A miracle – the overflowing grace of God makes this happen.
And it would be easy to say – “this happened in the Bible – it doesn’t happen now”…are you sure about this? – perhaps you can think of a time when Gods goodness was poured out for you….
The action in both our passages are as a result of scheming and cunning. These are strong words but pause to think in your own life and experience, do you always put Gods will first? Do you know what Gods will for you is?
Jacob received God’s blessing, all those people who were hungry at the end of the day were fed.
These things happened, not because it was “fair” not because it was the “right thing to do” but because The overflowing Grace of God was poured out. Gods grace is still poured out, overcoming what we might think is fair or right And God’s grace is for us!
Grace is "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not necessarily because of anything we have done to earn it". – isn’t that wonderful ?
Come to the Feast, there is room at the table Amen
Prayers of intercession
God cares for our hurts. The God who hears each heartbeat also hears the cry of every broken heart. He is not a God who is faraway and watching over the clouds, untouched by our miseries or unaware of our limitations. He knows our frailty. He knows our frustrations, and He has shared in our deepest griefs.
So I ask you to pray for Gods world - for those in positions of power that they might work together for the good of all people
I ask you to pray for Gods people living in a deeply divided world where wealth, colour, tribal history, war, famine, and persecution and other pressures affect the lives of so many.
I ask you to pray for Gods family, the church, particularly in these days as we seek His will and his way for us.
And bring your prayers together using the Lord’s Prayer
Amen
Our closing song is by Stuart Townend, Come all you vagabonds or you might prefer to read the hymn I will sing the wondrous story (StF 323).
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore AMEN
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