APC 20th September 2020 “Love always protects.” Welcome and Introduction Michael Good morning everyone and welcome to our Sunday morning worship. We bring a special congratulations to David and Agreneth and their families and friends as they gathered in church today for the baptism of their son Luke. And so it’s very appropriate today that we will be reflecting on the words of St. Paul, “Love always protects.” What will it mean for you and me to protect not only our children and family members, but everyone whom God has created? But first, let me lead you in a prayer of worship as we tell God how much we value His love and protection in our own lives. Let us pray… Opening Prayer Glory and honour are offered to you, O Lord Most High, Almighty King of creation. In you, O Lord my God, do we trust! You have been our refuge, our shelter from the storms of life, and we rest securely in you, for you are our dwelling place. You protect us from the evils of the day and night. You guard and guide our footsteps, and even when we trip and fall—you are there, to hold us fast in your strong hands of love. We rest in you, O Lord our God; we trust in your holy Name; we cling to your side, trusting in your saving and redeeming power. Whenever we call, you are always there for us. You give us a deep sense of satisfaction, because we know our lives are in your hands. Heavenly Father, as we gather to worship you today, we pray that you will draw near to us to encourage us, reassure us and give us confidence in you. May the knowledge of your protection inspire us to do all we can to love and protect everyone we know and all the people of our world. Let us now thoughtfully and sincerely share in the words of the Lord’s Prayer together… The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, which 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. Bible Reading 1 Psalm 91 ‘God our Protector’ 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Bible Reading 2 1 Corinth 13 v 4-7 “Love explained” 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Reflection “Love always protects” Let me introduce you to the “Deborah Savings Group” (See image above). It is a happy band of 14 women and two men, from a church in Haiti that is a partner to the aid agency Hope International. Inspired by the Old Testament prophetess, Deborah, they faithfully gather to battle against the isolation, fear, and injustices of poverty—not only in their own lives, but in those of their neighbors as well. One member of the group, Kerline, describes what they do like this… “If there is a community member in need, even when that person isn’t part of the group, we collect money together. We have an offering within the group to support that person,” The group means everything to Kerline who runs a small restaurant alongside a bustling highway in Haiti. At one point she and her children were on the verge of losing their home and the restaurant. She told the savings group about her situation. They gave her a small loan and through that she was able to secure her accommodation and continue her business. Being a member of the savings group has meant more to Kerline than just housing and income, though. On her birthday, group members visited her home to clean it and bring her gifts to celebrate. “I felt like I was part of a family,” she shares. “I feel valued when I’m part of the group—and I know that when I’m with the group, I feel important.” And Kerline says that the hope she’s found is rooted in Christ: “It’s really different when I’m comparing my spiritual life before the saving group and after the savings group. Sometimes, before, I used to think, ‘What am I going to do with these children that I have to raise?’ But now, I don’t think about these things, because I have more confidence that God will sustain me.” Kerline’s story is a perfect example of what Paul means when writing to the Christians in Corinth he says, “Love always protects.” The word that he uses is the Greek word ‘stegei’ which literally means ‘to cover’. It carries the idea of protecting or preserving. We all know what it’s like to get caught out in a heavy shower. What a relief it is when a friend runs over and allows us to stand under their umbrella. Baptism is a bit like that. When we baptise a child, as we did in church this morning, they are brought under God’s umbrella. They are brought under the protection of God’s family the church. It’s important for us as parents and as God’s people to realise that and to take our responsibility to protect children seriously. That’s why all churches including the Presbyterian church are legally obligated to have a Child Protection policy in place and to ensure that any people who work with children are Garda vetted. But loving our children and loving each other the way God loves us will also involve so many other things… It will mean providing physical protection. Sometimes we become weary of Health and Safety Policies including everything that we are currently trying to do to prevent the spread of Covid 19. But at the end of the day, these are practical ways of showing God’s love by protecting people from danger. Driving within speed limits, putting warning signs on chemicals, having age limits for drinking, providing a dependable car and a secure home for your family, resisting the temptation to gamble with our finances, acting with discretion with the opposite sex, and implementing a GDPR policy can all be ways of physically protecting those we love. But as well as physical protection, it’s important that we also provide our children and other people with emotional protection. Taking time at the end of a school day to listen to our children, a spouse or a work colleague, praising and encouraging people rather than always pointing out their faults, refusing to use an aggressive tone or hurtful words, avoiding racist or homophobic attitudes, giving people proper breaks from work and taking any form of bullying seriously- these are all examples of how we can afford people the emotional protection that they deserve. The last thought I want to leave with you is the responsibility we have to protect someone’s reputation and humanity even when they have let themselves, us and others down. A beautiful example of this comes from the story of the birth of Jesus. When Mary became pregnant, Joseph was faced with a choice. To expose her to public disgrace or to divorce her quietly. Joseph being a righteous man, decided to keep the matter quiet, covering what he saw as the fault of Mary and protecting her from public shame. When someone sins, it’s very tempting to become self-righteous like the religious leaders who dragged a woman who’d had an affair into the public eye. But that is not love. Love seeks to cover other people’s failures. Even when we’ve been hurt, love shows mercy and discretion. When we are tempted to gossip and say, “Here, did you hear about so and so…” we are not acting in love. Rather, love conceals what is not attractive in another person and refuses to tarnish their reputation. In a similar way, even when we have to say difficult things to someone, love cushions the blow. Instead of pointing the finger, when correcting someone, we should approach people with grace and in a way that will make it clear to them that we understand the truth, “but for the grace of God there go I”. Of course, none of what I’ve said means we excuse or seek to hide wrongdoing. It doesn’t mean that we try to avoid the seriousness or devastating consequences of some sins. Love always seeks to strengthen what is weak, shield those that are vulnerable and provide healing to those who have been hurt. But it also mean that we seek to protect our own sanity and souls by somehow finding it in our hearts to forgive. And it demands that we somehow look to see the image of the divine in every human being however marred, and hope beyond hope that somehow they might find the transforming power of God to change their ways and make amends. Reflection Love always protects… Who or what is God calling you to protect? What will that look like physically, emotionally and spiritually? Prayer for others Sovereign God, we pray for the weak and vulnerable in our world – those who feel powerless in the face of the massive problems that confront them. Help of the helpless, reach out to strengthen and support. We pray for the poor, the hungry, the diseased the dying. Help of the helpless, reach out to strengthen and support. We pray for the oppressed, the exploited, the abused, the tortured, Help of the helpless, reach out to strengthen and support. We pray for the frightened, the lonely, the hurt, the depressed, Help of the helpless, reach out to strengthen and support. We pray for those who live in lands racked by tension, those who face famine and starvation, those who are unemployed, those who are homeless. Help of the helpless, reach out to strengthen and support. Sovereign God, you have expressed a special concern for the bruised, the needy and the weak of our world. May that concern bring strength to all in such need, and may it inspire people everywhere to work for a more just society, standing up for the needy, and working for that time when there will be an end to suffering, mourning and pain; that time when your Kingdom will come and your will be done. Help of the helpless, reach out to strengthen and support. In the name of Christ, Amen. Closing Words It’s been a joy and privilege to share with you again today. Thanks again for logging on. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s reflection on the nature of Christian love. Please do spend some time in quiet over the next few days. Take time to reflect on the truth that God is your protector. Then ask God to show you the ways that he would like you to protect other people. Two weeks ago we recommenced our midweek bible study. We’ve been enjoying a fantastic time reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer together using the video series called the Prayer Course by Pete Greig. If you are unable to join us, you can catch it online by searching the Prayer Course online or on our website and clicking on Sessions 1 and 2. Even if you missed the last 2 weeks you are still more than welcome to attend this week. It will be in the church again tomorrow night from 7pm to 8pm. The premises will have had a deep clean, hands will be sanitised on entry and exit, we will be socially distanced and all participants are asked to wear face coverings. At our session meeting last week we agreed to the phased opening of a number of our activities. Sunday School and Youth Fellowship and the Women’s Bible Study hope to start back at some point in October. The Wednesday Club and Coffee Doc will begin after the Halloween holidays and the Friday club will start in January. We will give you further details in the days to come. Next Sunday we will be thinking about how love ‘always hopes’. In these difficult days that will be an important reminder for us to help us keep positive. Don’t forget, if you’re coming to church, to send Aleida a text by Friday evening at the latest. Do stay tuned at the end of this recording to listen to a beautiful song that we sang in church this morning. It’s St Patrick’s Breastplate and it reminds us that whether we are just starting out on life, or we’ve been on the road for many years, Christ our Protector walks beside us every step along the way. In the meantime, let me lead you in a Benediction after which I invite you as always, to say the grace together… Benediction As you go from here remember the promise of God: “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honour them.” So go from here with joy, confident that the love and mercy of God goes with you. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and for evermore, Amen.”
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