​APC 10th Jan 2021          “Stories Jesus told…Seeds and Weeds”
 
Welcome   and Introduction                 
Good morning everyone and welcome to our Midweek worship.  Over the next few weeks we’re going to curl up with a good book.  It’s a book of short stories written by none other than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  Though full of people and circumstances we will find familiar, these parables will sneak up on us, catching us off guard.  At times they will take a sudden and unexpected twist and always we will find our secret thoughts exposed in the author’s healing light.  But before we open this book and listen to the first story let us take a moment to invite the writer of this book to give us eyes to see and ears to hear.  Let us pray…
 
Opening Prayer – Barren Soil
Almighty and loving God, we thank you for all the ways you have sown the seed of your word in our lives- through the living relationship we share with Christ, through the movement of the Holy Spirit within our hearts, through the preaching and the reading of the scriptures, through the fellowship of the church and our online reflections, through the daily experience of your love in the world around us.
Forgive us for all those times when your word has failed to take root.  Forgive us for the shallowness of our faith and our unwillingness to dig deeper.  Forgive our failure to prepare ourselves for worship, our carelessness in making time for you, our laziness in discipleship, our preoccupation with all that distracts us from our true calling.
Loving God, forgive us that our lives have been barren when they should have borne lasting fruit.  Sow afresh your word in our hearts and nurture it within us, so that we may grow in grace and yield a rich harvest of your spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Let us join together in the words of 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.
 
 
 “Stories Jesus told… Seeds and Weeds.”
 
As you know, last July sadly my mum lost her battle with cancer.  We miss her terribly but we do take great comfort in the knowledge that she had such an amazing love for God and that she is now safely with him in heaven.  We look forward to seeing her again someday soon.
One of the things I remember about mum most was her love for gardening.  Mum’s idea of heaven was to spend a whole day in the garden.  She could make any little slip grow and her garden was always filled to the brim with beautiful flowers, shrubs and bushes.  I’ve honestly never seen anything in her garden that wasn’t in the picture of health.  You could have cut anything and sold it in any flower shop in the country. 
But none of this happened by accident.  Mum was constantly listening to gardening programs on the radio.  She was always reading gardening books.  She never missed an episode of Gardener’s world and was very fond of Monty Don.  She planned everything she did meticulously before she ever put root to soil.  She would consider the aspect of the garden, the condition of the soil and she would spend many hours preparing the soil with manure and grit, digging the right depth of hole and choosing the right plant before planting anything.  She would feed, water, prune and tie back meticulously and at just the right times of year.  No insect or disease was safe from her laser vision.  Nothing was left to chance.   The results were always spectacular.
Of all the stories Jesus told, mum would have loved the parable of the sower.  She knew from experience that for healthy growth, nothing could be taken for granted and constant vigilance and hard work was the only recipe for success.
In this story, Jesus compares our Christian lives to the cultivation of plants from seeds.  He reminds us that if we are careful, we will grow up to be real Christians who love God and whose lives are full of good fruit like kindness, generosity and love.
But he also warns us that if we aren’t careful, there are many things that can stop us from growing as a Christian.  In fact He says that if we don’t look after the seed of our Christian faith very carefully then it can wither and die and we can eventually stop following Jesus altogether.  Jesus entitled this story, ‘the parable of the sower’.  Let’s listen to that story now as recorded for us by Matthew in Chapter 13 of his gospel…
 
MATTHEW 13 v 1-23
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
 
In this story there are four types of soil.  In 3 soils the seeds don’t grow but in one soil they flourish.  Let’s think about each of these soils for a minute and see what we can learn about how we can grow in our love for Jesus.
 
1       THE PATH
The first soil is actually a hard path.  When the seed falls there it gets eaten by birds and trampled on by people walking along the path.  Jesus says that our hearts can be like this when we read the bible or when we come to church or listen to something online and we don’t understand it!  That’s because learning lessons from God is not like learning Geometry or how to swing a golf club.  It’s not like understanding Spanish or learning to play the piano or violin.  That’s because the lessons God wants to teach us are spiritual lessons.  Only God can help us understand the spiritual lessons that He wants to teach us.  These are lessons that don’t just stay in our head but that make their way deep down into the recesses of our souls.  There they work on us from the inside out changing the way we think and act and speak.
So let me ask you a question…
If only God can help us understand and accept the spiritual lessons He wants to teach us, what should we pray to God before we step into church or open our bibles or log on to a spiritual reflection?
 
2       ROCKY SOIL
The second soil is full of stones.  These stones stop the seeds from getting their roots down deep into the soil.  That means they can’t reach any water so when the sun comes up the little green shoots get too hot and they dry up and die.
Jesus says that if we are not careful our Christian faith can be like this seed that falls on the rocky soil.  Let me tell you two stories to give you an example of how this can happen.  I’ve simply made up names in each case.
Michael was a young man who was about 15.  He had grown up in church.  When he was little he loved to go to Sunday school and youth club and summer camp.  He loved to sing songs about Jesus and say his prayers at night.  When he was a bit older he went to the church youth group and just last year he attended special classes led by the minister.  After these classes they had a special service in church and he along with some other young people were welcomed as full members of the church.  He really enjoyed being accepted like the adults and it was a wonderful feeling to be able to take the communion bread and wine.  Then some of his friends in school and on the rugby team heard that he went to church.  They started to tease him and say things like, “Surely you don’t believe in the bible!  Nobody believes that anymore.  Christianity just stops people having fun in life!  Sure evolution proves that God does not exist!”  Very few of his friends went to church and often they would phone him and say, “We’re going down the park to kick the ball around on Sunday morning.  Would you like to come?”
Eventually the pressure became so strong that Michael told his parents that he didn’t want to go to church anymore.  It wasn’t long before Michael said he didn’t believe in God anymore.
Then there’s Janet, for years she and her husband had tried to conceive.  When she eventually fell pregnant they were overjoyed and so grateful to God for His miraculous answer to their prayers.  But all their hopes and faith were shattered when the baby died during childbirth.  Well-meaning friends tried to say that God was in control and that somehow even in this, God had a plan and purpose.  All Janet heard from that message was “God killed my baby.”
Jesus said we need to be very careful because pressure from others and the deepest hurts of life can not only leave us reeling with anger and unanswered questions, they can cause us to give up on God altogether.  So let me ask you,
What are the things that have happened and who are the people who might cause you to stop following Jesus?  Where can you turn to for help?
 
3       THORNY SOIL
The third type of soil Jesus tells us about is soil that has a lot of weeds growing in it.  As the seeds grow up they look healthy but slowly over time the weeds begin to grow up around the seedlings.  They stop the seedlings getting enough light and they take a lot of the water and food from the soil.  They wrap around the seedlings and stop them from getting tall.  All this happens very slowly and gradually until eventually the seedling stops growing and dies.
Jesus says that if we are not careful we can be like this.  We can look like healthy Christians, but over weeks and months and years there are lots of things that can be like weeds in our lives.  These things can take our minds away from God.  They can stop us from making time to pray or read the bible.  They can prevent us from coming to church regularly until eventually without us even realising it we have stopped loving Jesus and stopped wanting to worship God or obey Him in our lives.  Jesus describes 3 different types if weeds that we need to look out for and weed out of our lives.  He calls them the concerns of life, the love of money and the love of pleasures.
How can anxieties, money or pleasures be like weeds and damage your
growth in Jesus?
 
4       GOOD SOIL
The last type of soil Jesus tells us about is Good soil.  Here I have a tray of bad soil.  It is bad because it contains a lot of things in it that would stop seeds growing.  It also needs some other things put into it to help the seeds to grow.  Jesus says that if we are to keep on growing and following Him then we need to have hearts that are like good soil.  For the soil of our hearts to be good we need to take the bad things out of it and put good things into it.  So let me ask you this question…
What changes might you need to make in your life to improve the spiritual soil in your heart so that God can produce good fruit in your life?  What might you have to take away or do less of and what might you have to put in or start doing more?
Let us pray…
 
Prayer                  For those fearful of the future
Living God we pray for those who face the future with uncertainty and anxiety- those who fear it, who despair of it or who feel they have no future.
We pray for those in the troubled places of our world – those who long for peace, an end to conflict and a time of harmony, but who in their hearts have given up hoping.
We pray for those who face trauma and upheaval in their lives – what seemed secure swept from under them, what they had hoped for denied them, what they had trusted in proven false.
We pray for those who doubt their ability to cope with what life may bring – those overwhelmed by pressures, paralysed by fears, crushed by sorrows…
We take a moment in silence to especially remember all those working in our hospitals and healthcare facilities and especially those who face very difficult decisions about how we might cope with the increasing admissions to hospitals and ICU beds…
We pray for all those faced with difficult decisions- circumstances beyond their control, unexpected dangers, awkward choices.
Living God reach out to all for whom the future seems uncertain or unwelcome and bring the assurance that even in the darkest moments, the greatest challenges, the most worrying times, you are there, able to give wisdom, courage and strength, to bring light out of darkness, hope out of despair, joy out of sorrow and good out of evil.
Lord grant the confidence that there is nothing in heaven or on earth, in life or death, in the present or the future that is finally able to separate us from your love. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, 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.  Please do spend some time in quiet over the next couple of days reflecting on the parable of the sower. 
 
Unfortunately, but understandably, for the foreseeable future church services will only be allowed online.  The good news is I will be providing online services on Wednesday and Sunday mornings until church reopens.  So let me encourage you to tune in again on Sunday as we continue our journey following the ministry of Jesus.  This weekend we’ll reflect on the amazing domino effect of discipleship.  As Jesus calls people to follow Him and they in turn invite their friends very soon the good news spreads.
 
As the challenges of Covid continue I’m conscious that this is a very difficult time for us all.  If you are feeling particularly low, then please do reach out and let me know.  I’ll be more than happy to meet and pray with you in a safe and socially distanced way.  And let’s keep a special eye out for each other by picking up the phone and seeing how someone is.
 
But for now, let me lead you in a Benediction after which I invite you as always, to say the grace together…
 
Benediction       
Loving God, lead us out into the world, renewed in vigour, in hope, in faith and in purpose.  Send us back to live and work for you, sharing your love and living your life.  And…
 
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.”        
 

​APC 10th January 2021          “The Baptism of Jesus.”
 
PART 1
Welcome and Introduction          
Good morning everyone and welcome to our Sunday morning worship.  Today we begin our journey to Easter following Jesus through some of the main events during His life and ministry.  As we enter a New Year, it’s a huge concern and disappointment that the number of Covid infections has been rapidly increasing and we are back to full lockdown.  But let us remember that in all of this, God is still the same.  He is faithful and His mercies and help are new every day.  So let us approach God as we worship Him through the words of the beautiful hymn, “Great is Thy faithfulness”.
(End Part 1)
 
Opening Song                “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
 
 
Part 2
 
Let’s take a moment to talk to our heavenly Father, let’s pray…
 
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you that you are always with us, in the bad times as well as the good, the difficult as well as the easy, the sad as well as the happy.
Lord of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
We thank you that though we have sometimes been unsure of the way ahead, you have always been there to guide us, though we have felt discouraged, you have offered us fresh inspiration, though we have been in despair, you have given us hope.
Lord of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
We thank you for the assurance this brings us that your steadfast love never ceases, that your mercies are new every morning, that great is your faithfulness.
Lord of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
May that conviction give us confidence in the days ahead, so that whatever problems we face, whatever disappointments we experience, whatever sorrows may befall us, we will still find reason to look forward, reason to believe in the future and reason to hope.
Lord of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
In Jesus name we ask it, Amen.
Join me as we say the Lord’s Prayer thoughtfully and sincerely together…
 
 
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.
 
 
 
Introduction to Kids Video
We come to the part of the service which is especially for the younger members of our church family.  So if your kids aren’t beside you right now, why not pause the recording, and call them in to watch a short animation about the baptism of Jesus.  And at the end of this video I’ve a few words to say to the children so don’t let them rush away.
(END Part 2)
 
Kid’s Video             The Baptism of Jesus
 
PART 3
 
Kid’s Talk Summary
Happy New Year boys and girls.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the little video about Jesus’ baptism today.  It’s hard to understand exactly why Jesus was baptised because He never did anything wrong so He didn’t need forgiven and He didn’t need His sins washed clean.  Most people think He did it to identify with us, to really understand what it’s like for us to need to say sorry to God and stuff like that.  That’s one of the great things about Jesus - as well as being completely God he was also totally human.  He understands everything we go through.  So if you’re finding it hard again not being able to be in school, talk to Jesus about it because He understands and He will help you when you pray.  If you ask your mam or dad they can go onto the church website scroll through and find a link to a colouring sheet of John the Baptist Baptising Jesus.  Don’t forget to tune in again next Sunday.  Bye for now and I hope your online schoolwork is still fun.
Colouring Sheet Link

www.kidssundayschool.com/preschool/coloring-pages/john-the-baptist
 
Bible Reading         Matthew 3 v 1-17
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[a]
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”  13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Reflection                       Why was Jesus Baptised?
Over the next few months I want to bring you on a journey following the lectionary readings for 2021.  Along the road we will stop off at various moments in the life of our Lord Jesus and prayerfully reflect.  We will walk with Him as he teaches and heals, as He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey.  We will see Him cruelly betrayed and nailed to a cross.  We will marvel at His resurrection and reflect on His ascension.  We will consider the outpouring of His Spirit and the impact this had on the earliest believers.  All the time we will be asking, “What does this mean for us?”
Today we begin at His ordination for public ministry.  Picture the scene- Joshua, a local carpenter, the son of Joseph and Mary, makes his way through a crowd of people gathered beside the banks of the Jordan River.  His cousin John is standing in the water as one by one, people from the crowd step forward and allow themselves to be ceremonially washed.  It’s a strange scene.  Controversial in fact.  Jewish people didn’t get baptised.  Circumcision was their sign of identity.  Baptism was only for people who weren’t Jews but who wanted to convert.
Something new was happening, a spiritual awakening among the Israelites.  The movement was led by John, nicknamed ‘the Baptist’.  He was an eccentric chap, living out in the desert, wearing clothes made from camel skins and dining on nothing but locusts and wild honey.  But he was also deeply spiritual, a man of prayer.
It was this closeness to God that made His message so powerful even if it was difficult to hear.
Here’s a snapshot of his sermon-
“Do you remember Elijah and Isaiah, Ezekiel and Hosea?  Well, just like them, God has told me to give you a really important message.  He says, “You need to turn around!”  “God’s special King is about to hit the scene and you need to get ready!” 
“Don’t think because you’re Jewish that will be enough!  Don’t think just saying ‘sorry’ will be sufficient either!  God is perfect.  If you want to be ready to stand in His Royal presence then you’ve got to change your ways!  You’ve gotta show that you’re sorry by the way that you live.  If you’re a tax collector that’ll mean no more greedy fiddling of the books.  If you’re a soldier it’ll mean treating people fairly and not grumbling about your pay.  If you know someone’s in need it’ll mean helping them out by sharing what you have.
If you do this God will bless you and invite you to be part of this new era.  But if you don’t, he’ll come down on you like a tonne of bricks.
If you want to be part of this, then come down into the water and show God you’re serious by confessing your sins and allowing me to baptise you with water as a sign of God’s forgiveness and cleansing.”
John’s message was powerful stuff.  Despite its gravity it attracted hundreds of Jewish people.  In fact, there was such a crowd it had the Scribes and Pharisees worried.  So they had gathered to listen to the message and to see what was going on.  But none of them were joining the crowds stepping down into the water and confessing their sins.
Knowing their resolve to keep the Jewish faith and to guard it against any form of heresy, it’s not surprising that none of the religious leaders responded publicly to John’s message.  But what is surprising is that also lining up, was Jesus.  It wouldn’t have been surprising to the crowds.  To those who did know Him, he was just Joshua the local carpenter, Mary and Joseph’s son.  But when he reached the front of the queue His cousin John nearly fell over – He knew, that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
In a whisper he said, “Josh, what are you doing?  You’ve no sins to confess.  You don’t need forgiveness or baptism.  In fact, why don’t we just swap places?”
Jesus looked up and replied, “I’ll explain later, for now just go ahead and baptise me.  I need to do this to fulfil all righteousness.”
You know as I began to study this passage this week I felt very much like John.  I was asking myself, “Why on earth would Jesus bring himself to be baptised when he had never sinned and didn’t need to be forgiven or cleansed?”
What did Jesus mean in his answer to John, “This is to fulfil all righteousness?”
Having studied several commentaries and read several more online articles, to be honest with you, I don’t think anyone can say for sure what Jesus meant by this phrase or why exactly he got baptised.
It may be that since this was the time for Jesus to begin His public ministry this was the best way of announcing Himself to as many people as possible.
Jesus’ mission was to introduce a new covenant, a new agreement, a new way of being part of God’s family.  He, in fact, would be that way, through His death and resurrection.  This new way would not depend on your gender, ethnicity, social standing, education or religious affiliation.  It would be based on your trust in Him and on your willingness to turn away from all that is wrong and to live God’s way.
It made sense for Him therefore to align Himself with the message that John was preaching because this is what His own Kingdom message would be like in the days to come.  But in addition to aligning Himself to the message, I think Jesus allowed Himself to be baptised in order to identify Himself with the people who He had come to save.  What exactly this identification was, or how it fulfilled all righteousness, we cannot be certain.  What we can be sure of is that His baptism was an act of humility.  Perhaps like Nehemiah and other leaders of the past, as he was baptised, Jesus may have represented the people by confessing the sins of the nation before God. 
What we can also be sure of is that to be our perfect human representative, Jesus had to live a perfect human life.  Therefore, I think that somehow even this moment of submission and humility enabled Him to experience what it would mean for a human being to bow their head and heart before God.  I think this was just another piece of the mysterious jigsaw that would allow Christ who is completely God to also live a perfect human life in order to be fully righteous and provide a perfect sacrifice for human sin.
You know when I spent time in Africa, we ate food that I would never normally choose to eat simply because we did not want to offend the people who had so kindly killed and cooked one of their most prized and costly possessions.  How could we have expected our hosts to listen to our message about Jesus if we had not willingly eaten the goat’s head and goat’s intestine stew that we were served?  It may be the fact that he had gone through the same religious right of baptism, that would enable Jesus later on to call people to follow Him.  Certainly no- one could say to Him, “Well if this is what you believe and what you want us to do, why didn’t we see you down at the Jordan when John was baptising?”
It may even be that Jesus asked John to baptize Him simply as an act of obedience to God's purposes. You see in v 33 of John Chapter 1 we discover that God had given John the promise of a coming Messiah and had told him that “the man on whom you see the spirit of God come down and remain – He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”  By being baptized, Jesus fulfilled that promise. His baptism was simply the right thing at the right time: the last act of His private life.
In addition to identifying Himself with all humanity in obedience to God, many believe that Jesus’ baptism also provided a very public opportunity for God to officially ordain His Son into the Priesthood and to reveal His identity to a watching world.
You see in the Old Testament before someone could become a Priest they had to be ceremonially washed or anointed for the ministry to which they had been called.  Jesus, is our Great High Priest and so many see His baptism by John as an ordination into His High Priestly ministry to fulfil all righteousness. 
There is no doubt that as Jesus was baptised He was in some way ordained and commissioned by God the Father for His ministry to the world.  That is one reason why as soon as he was baptised, the heavens opened, the spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove and the voice of God was audibly heard saying, “This is my Son whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.”
We don’t have time to look at all the details of this amazing incident this morning, but let me just bring your attention to one or two things.
The Dove and the voice from the heavens would have been very familiar to the gathered crowd.  God’s spirit was often depicted as a dove in the Old Testament and on many occasions God spoke directly to His people as He did with Moses on Mount Sinai.
These miraculous signs would have informed the crowd that this man who had just been baptised was special and that God was speaking.
What they heard God saying was, “This is my Son who I love.  I am well pleased with Him.”
Again, to those well versed in Old Testament scriptures, these two phrases would have been familiar.  The first is a direct quote from Psalm 2.  There David is described as the Son of God.  But it is also mentioned that a King would come who would be even greater than David.  One to whom even he would bow.  From this, the people listening would have been left with the sense that this carpenter, Joshua, was somehow also a very special King, even God’s promised King, one greater than David.
The second phrase is a direct quote from Isaiah 42.  There Isaiah talks about how God would send a suffering servant.  This suffering servant is more fully described in Isaiah 53 as one who would be despised and rejected and who would die, bearing the judgement for the sins of God’s people, sheep who had gone astray.  Somehow, mysteriously through that death, His suffering would bring healing and peace to God’s people.  From this, the people watching would have been left with the sense that this cousin of John was a special servant of God who would experience much suffering.  Somehow that suffering would bring them healing and peace.
I can imagine the conversations went on long into the night.  I’m sure many a jar of wine was consumed that evening.
Like those first century followers of John, we too are left wondering at the baptism of Jesus.  How exactly did he identify with all humanity when He went into the water?  How does their understanding of His Sonship contrast with ours all these years later?  What was happening when Jesus suffered on the cross?  How do I feel about being a son or daughter of the King?  How do I feel about being loved so much by God?  And how can the suffering of Jesus help me in mine?
We thank God for His word, Amen.
 
Introduction to Song of Response
 
It’s amazing to think that Jesus identified with us completely, not only at His baptism but through every experience of life.  Let’s respond to that by listening to a song that reminds us of the amazing Hope that Jesus understands everything we go through for all our ways are known to Him…
(End Part 3)
 
 
Song       “All my ways are known to you”
 
 
Part 4
 
Prayers for others
 
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you love us and that your Son identified Himself completely with us.  Lord, you understand our disappointment and our fears with the increasing numbers of Covid 19 infections and the restrictions that we are facing because of the new lockdown.
So Lord we look to you for the help and strength to go through another period of uncertainty.
 
We remember especially all those working in hospitals and in care facilities.  Father, give to each one protection, energy, wisdom and patience.  Grant your peace to those who are anxious and afraid.
 
We pray for all who are working to administer vaccines.  Give them wisdom, strength and perseverance.  May this process go as smoothly and successfully as possible.  Grant that over the next number of weeks that many countries around the world will develop an overriding immunity to this disease that will enable life to return to normal.
 
We pray for all those who are currently sick and whose own treatment is facing delay because of the Pandemic.  We remember too all those who have died in this past year and the people who continue to grieve their loss.  Grant each one your comfort, your help and your healing.
 
We pray for our children and young people.  Help them to readjust to online schooling.  Thank you for all the work of their teachers in hugely difficult circumstances.  Give them energy and wisdom to know how best to deliver their teaching online and help each student to engage with the work as enthusiastically as possible.  We ask that you might calm the fears of those who are due to sit important exams this year.  Help them to trust that you are in control and that you have a plan for them that is good.  We think especially of Pre School teachers as they provide care for the children of Frontline workers.  Grant them courage and help in their planning for reopening and health and safety in the days ahead.
 
We remember those at college, especially those who are finding this lockdown particularly isolating and lonely.  Give them and their friends and family wisdom to know how best to receive the support that they need in these days.
 
We pray again for our government and ask that you will continue to give them wisdom, resilience and clarity in their decisions.  Help us all to be patient with each other and to do all we can to support one another in these days.
 
We think also of the ongoing discussions between Britain and Europe over Brexit.  Father may the relationships and the discussions of all concerned be positive and ultimately result in agreements which will be helpful to everyone concerned and enable smooth and peaceful working relationships to continue in the future.
 
We pray for all church leaders in these difficult days and ask that you will guide them and give them energy and creativity to keep pastoral contacts alive and to provide opportunities for worship that will be helpful ad meaningful to their congregations.
 
Take a moment now to pray for one or two people you know who need God’s help at this time….
 
All this we ask in the name of Jesus, our Great High Priest who can empathise completely with our humanity and frailty, 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.  Please do spend some time in quiet over the next couple of days reflecting on Jesus baptism and the wonder of how much He identifies with us in every way.  
 
As I said on Wednesday I want to thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout 2020.  There has been a great sense of togetherness and mutual support in our congregation despite the difficulties we have faced.  You have also shown a great spirit of generosity in contributing towards the needs of many charitable causes.  Just recently, I received a very nice thank you letter from Springboard for your donation of Euros 640.  So thank you to everyone who contributed to that. 
 
As is our tradition, on Christmas Day we had a special collection for the poorest and most vulnerable in our world who have been especially affected by the Covid 19 pandemic.  The money that is raised through this Moderator’s Appeal will be channeled directly through our Partner Agencies ‘Tear Fund’ and ‘Christian Aid’.  If you weren’t able to make it on Christmas day then you can still contribute to our Moderator’s Appeal. You can donate online using the Church bank details on our website, just mark your donation for the Moderator’s Christmas Appeal.  You can also contact our treasurer Aleida Van der Flier to pay using a mechanism that is more suitable for you.
 
I’d like to thank Aleida for leading our service online on Sunday 27th and to thank our Moderator for leading us last Sunday.  I think you’ll agree they both did an excellent job.
 
Unfortunately, but understandably, for the foreseeable future church services will only be allowed online.  The good news is I will be providing online services on Wednesday and Sunday mornings until church reopens.  So let me encourage you to tune in again on Wednesday to help keep the embers of your faith aglow.  As the challenges of Covid continue I’m conscious that this is a very difficult time for us all.  If you are feeling particularly low, then please do reach out and let me know.  I’ll be more than happy to meet and pray with you in a safe and socially distanced way.  And let’s keep a special eye out for each other whether that means just picking up the phones and seeing how someone is.
 
But for now, let me lead you in a Benediction after which I invite you as always, to say the grace together…
 
Benediction   
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
And…
 
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.”  
 

​APC 6th Jan 2021   Epiphany – “A Light to the nations”
 
Welcome and Introduction          
Good morning everyone and welcome to our Midweek worship.  May I begin by wishing you and all your loved ones a very happy and healthy New Year.
It’s been lovely to have a week off and to enjoy some quality time with the family.  But it’s also great to be back with you today to worship our God together.  Today, in Ireland, the 6th of January, is Nollaig na mBan known as “Little Christmas” or “Women’s Christmas.”  It was a day traditionally when the men took over the cooking and housework to give women a rest after all their work especially over the busy Christmas period.  It’s a tradition that is seeing a revival and hopefully when we have greater freedoms of movement next year, our ladies can enjoy a well-deserved night out together.
Today, throughout the world, in the Christian church is called Epiphany, and officially marks the end of Christmas.  It’s a day when historically the church has reflected on the wise men and on the baptism of Jesus.  We’ll be exploring why Jesus needed to be baptized on Sunday, but today I want to spend a few moments reflecting on the story of the wise men.  But let me begin by calling us to worship through the words of Psalm 8….
 
Call to Worship              Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory in the heavens.  Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour.  You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Let us pray…
 
Opening Prayer – An Epiphany Petition
God of love, we remember today on this Epiphany Sunday, how wise men from the East came seeking the new born King, how finally they reached the end of their journey, and how they knelt in worship before the infant Jesus.  Help us to learn from their example. 
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to continue faithfully on the path you set before us, remembering that true faith involves a journey of discovery as well as arrival at a destination.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to seek your will resolutely, even when the way ahead is not clear.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to look at the world around us, and to recognise the signs through which you might be speaking to us.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to keep on trusting in your purpose even when the responses of others may give us cause for doubt.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to offer to Jesus our wholehearted devotion- not simply our gifts but our whole lives, given to Him in joyful worship and grateful praise.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
 
Let us join together in the words of 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 Readings
 
Isaiah 60 v 1-6
 
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
    and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant,
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
    bearing gold and incense
    and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
 
Matthew 2 v 1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
 
Reflection               Epiphany – “A Light to the nations”
Epiphany, or Three Kings' Day, is the 12th day of Christmas, with today, January 6, marking the official end to the festive season for many Christians and the day that they will take down their Christmas tree.
In the West, Christians began celebrating Epiphany in the 4th Century. It was used to celebrate both the visit of the wise men to Jesus shortly after his birth and also Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist.  In fact right up until the 19th century, Epiphany was considered more important than Christmas Day,
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the wise men followed the star of Bethlehem across the desert to meet the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The gifts were symbolic of the importance of Jesus' birth.  The gold representing his royal standing; frankincense his Priestly Role as the mediator between God and humanity; and myrrh, an embalming spice, reminding us that Christ died to take the judgement for our sins.
The word 'Epiphany' comes from Greek and means 'manifestation'. It celebrates 'the revelation of God in his Son as human in Jesus Christ'. The six Sundays which follow Epiphany are known as the time of manifestation.
For many churches, the season of Epiphany extends from January 6 until Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The last Sunday of the Epiphany is celebrated as Transfiguration Sunday.
Festivities for this ancient Christian Day of Celebration vary around the world.
Hundreds of years ago, roast lamb was traditionally served at Epiphany in honour of Christ and the three Kings' visit.
In Spain/Mexico whoever finds the small statue of a baby Jesus hidden inside their slice of the Rosca de reyes throws a party on Candlemas in February.
In some European countries, children leave their shoes out the night before to be filled with gifts, while others leave straw for the three Kings' horses.
In Bulgaria, Eastern Orthodox priests throw a cross in the sea and the men dive in - competing to get to it first.
In Prague, there is a traditional Three Kings swim to commemorate Epiphany Day at the Vltava River.
In New York, thousands take part in an annual procession featuring camels, colourful puppets and floats.
As we begin our journey over the next few months following the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, today I thought it might be helpful to reflect on what the wise men, can teach us about what it really means to worship Jesus Christ, the King of Kings…
From the writings of Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, we discover that these Magi came from a tribe called the Medes.  Having failed in an attempt to overthrow the Persians, the Magi substituted ambitions for power and prestige to become the priests of Persia.  They became men of holiness and wisdom skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural science.  They were interpreters of dreams and experts in astrology who could foretell the future by looking at the stars.  They were used to recognising significant changes in patterns in the night sky. 
In those days on the first day of the Egyptian month Mesori, the dog star, Sirius, rose at sunrise and shone with extraordinary brilliance.  The name Mesori means ‘the birth of a prince’.  We can’t be certain if this was the star they followed.  What we can be sure of is that something in the night sky spoke to these experts saying – “A King is born!”  This would not have surprised them because historically at that time there was an air of expectation throughout the world that a great King was about to arrive on the scene.  In those days the Roman Emperor Augustus was being hailed as “Saviour of the world” and the Roman poet Virgil was writing his fourth Eclogue known as the ‘Messianic Eclogue’ describing the golden days that were to come.  So we can have confidence that the story of the Epiphany is no legend or fairy tale.  Matthew gives an accurate historical account of something that happened in the ancient world.  Men were waiting for a new King, even God, to come to bring in this golden age for which they longed.  The Magi saw something in the night sky that told them this King had been born, so they travelled thousands of miles to Bethlehem to bow at His feet in worship.  It is obvious from all of these details that the wise men went to worship Jesus for who He was.  Herod, in contrast, only wanted to discover this new King’s whereabouts so he could have him killed because Jesus was a threat to his throne.
From this we are reminded about the nature of true worship.  The word worship means ‘giving God His worth’.  That involves respecting and obeying God simply because of who He is and not because of what we can get from Him.  The wise men sought to worship Him simply because He was King.  Herod sought to find him simply to secure his own future.
You know all of life can be worship.  Whatever we do, we can do it in a way that respects that God is our King, that He is our first love.  We can live each moment with an attitude of thanks for all He has given us and with a desire to represent Him well among our friends and family.  We can come to church to hear from God, to thank Him for His kindness, to say sorry for ways that we have ignored Him and to seek His help and guidance.  But equally, we can live life for ourselves, without any real thought of God, without spending much time talking to Him or reading the bible, without any real consideration for how we are representing Him, without much gratitude for all that he has given us.  We can even come to church for many reasons other than to give God the praise and thanks and honour and respect that he deserves.
As we begin a new year, the wise men cause us to reflect and ask - Do we genuinely love Jesus?  Do we really live our lives with the constant thought that He is the King of Kings, our King, our true boss?  Do we regularly thank Him for dying for us, and for giving us His Spirit to live in us?  Do we give Him the credit for the gifts, talents and intellectual abilities we possess and the things we have achieved?  Do we really come to church each week longing to learn more about what He is like and how we can live to please Him?    Are we willing to give Him what is valuable to us whether that be time, talent or money so that others may be helped and many may be encouraged to worship Him too?  Are we happy to get involved in church life, to play our part, welcome and care for each other in response to God’s love to us?  Are we willing to lay the deep hurts and questions we have about life at His feet, bowing to His greater wisdom and knowing that one day he will right every wrong and wipe every tear?
Let me encourage you to be a wise man or woman in 2019.  Follow Jesus.  His ways are best.  Like the wise ones of old you may find that means your life may have to take a different direction.  A life that is responsive and obedient to the King of Kings.  Sure that will involve risk, it may make you unpopular with the Herod’s of this world who have no thought for God or His Christ.  It will mean sacrifice. It will involve battling temptation.  It will leave you with unanswered questions and wrestling with doubts.  But it will be worth it.  For as we follow the star of Bethlehem, we will discover something amazing.  When we seek Him for the right reasons and worship Him simply for who He is and what he has done for us, unexpectedly, we will find that He will respond by showering us with His blessings, treasures of far greater worth than anything we can find anywhere else – a deep sense of joy and peace and meaning and destiny that is almost impossible to put into words.  May God grant us all a fresh epiphany to see in Jesus the greatest treasure in life.  And in light of that may He show us what it means to truly worship Him….
 
 
Prayers for Others – Epiphany Intercession
 
Lord of Light, we have remembered today the journey of the wise men- how, inspired by  what they took to be a sign, they set off in search of a new born King, a King who would change not simply their lives, not merely the life of His people, but the life of the world.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
We remember how they persevered in their quest, travelling in faith, even though they had no clear idea of where they were heading, or any certainty of what they would find when they reached their destination.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
We remember how they refused to be discouraged, despite their reception in Jerusalem, despite the fact that no one seemed to have any idea that anew King had been born.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
We remember how they kept going, single minded in their pursuit of their goal, until at last their determination was rewarded and they came face to face with the infant Jesus.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Living God we pray for all who seek today, all those who are looking for a sense of purpose in their lives, all who are searching for spiritual fulfilment, all who long to find you for themselves.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Help them to keep looking, even when the journey is demanding and no end seems in sight; to keep believing even when others seem oblivious to their quest or scornful of it; to keep on trusting even when those they look to for guidance seem as confused and as lost as they are.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Living God, you have promised through Jesus Christ that those who seek shall find.  May the experience of the wise men inspire all who seek for truth to keep on searching, in the assurance that they too, come what may, will one day complete their quest, and discover you for themselves.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Take a few moments in silence now to pray for one or two people or one or two situations…
 
All these prayers we offer in the name of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
 
 
Closing Words
It’s been a joy and privilege to share with you again today. Thanks again for logging on.  I do hope you found this morning’s service an encouragement.
 
I want to thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout 2020.  There has been a great sense of togetherness and mutual support in our congregation despite the difficulties we have faced.  You have also shown a great spirit of generosity in contributing towards the needs of many charitable causes.  Just recently, I received a very nice thank you letter from Springboard for your donation of Euros 640.  So thank you to everyone who contributed to that. 
 
As is our tradition, on Christmas Day we had a special collection for the poorest and most vulnerable in our world who have been especially affected by the Covid 19 pandemic.  The money that is raised through this Moderator’s Appeal will be channeled directly through our Partner Agencies ‘Tear Fund’ and ‘Christian Aid’.  If you weren’t able to make it on Christmas day then you can still contribute to our Moderator’s Appeal. You can donate online using the Church bank details on our website, just mark your donation for the Moderator’s Christmas Appeal.  You can also contact our treasurer Aleida Van der Flier to pay using a mechanism that is more suitable for you.
 
I’d like to thank Aleida for leading our service online on Sunday 27th and to thank our Moderator for leading us last Sunday.  I think you’ll agree they both did an excellent job.
 
Unfortunately, but understandably, for the foreseeable future church services will only be allowed online.  The good news is I will be providing online services on Wednesday and Sunday mornings until church reopens.  So let me encourage you to tune in as often as you can to keep your faith alive.  Let me also encourage you to phone around each other and keep encouraging one another and to pray for one another.  This Sunday we will begin our journey following Jesus through snapshots of his teaching and ministry until eventually at the end of March we will come to Holy week and Easter when we will reflect on his final week, death and resurrection.  So there’s lots to look forward to.  But for now let me close by leading you in a Benediction after which I will invite you as always, to say the grace together…
 
 
Benediction
Go out into the world to share the many gifts that have been given to you.  Do not let them go to waste; share them through the power of the Spirit.  And as you do so, may the grace and peace of God abide with you along the way.  And…
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.