Worship at Home 31st January 2021

Erica Jordan with Jan HamblinThis first clump of snowdrops appeared in our garden about three weeks ago – soon after New year’s Day. It seemed to be a promise of a new season, a new year and new opportunities. I think, for the whole world, 2020 has been a

dark tunnel which we are still navigating, but there is light at the end of that tunnel, and there is light as we move through it.

STF 706 : Christ, Be our Lighthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g0c4YeABTsLonging for light, we wait in darkness.Longing for truth, we turn to You.Make us Your own, Your holy people,Light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.Shine through the darkness.Christ be our lightShine in Your church, gathered today.

Longing for Peace, our world is troubled.Longing for hope, many despair.Your word alone has power to save usMake us your living voice.

Christ be our light……Longing for food, many are hungry.Longing for water, many still thirst.Make us your bread, broken for others,Shared until all are fed.

Christ be our light…...©Bernadette Farrell OCP Publications via Calamus

We Pray Dear God, our loving Father, we praise You and we bless you that we can come together and worship.May we see Your light shining around us, helping us to see things clearly, and may we see it shining ahead of us, and learn to follow its path. Give us wisdom, understanding and strength to be your true disciples. Amen

The Lord’s PrayerWe Read : Deuteronomy 18:15-21 These are the words of Moses, where he tells the people that God will send a prophet to speak to them. He will speak with authority and be recognised because the things he promises will happen.

We Read : Mark 1:21-28Reflection During the long dark nights since the latest lockdown, for the first time in my life, I started a 1000 piece jigsaw.

This Bible passage was like my jigsaw. I felt I couldn’t find all the pieces I needed.

Firstly, I found myself wondering how Jesus gained the authority to preach in the Synagogue. I guess He wasn’t a regular on the preaching rota, so I have to assume that there was already a curiosity forming in the minds of the regular priests and scribes. Capernaum was a small fishing town, maybe a bit like Salcombe. I imagine that some mouths dropped open as they heard Jesus speaking with personal authority. William Barclay suggests, “He spoke as if He needed no authority beyond Himself, and with the finality of the voice of God.”What passage did He read?

What were the people feeling as He read?How much do we long to hear that voice? (missing pieces.) Yet…. the truth of this authority resounds absolutely as we note the reaction of the people. They were astounded and recognised His voice and words as being true. We see the extraordinary in the ordinary.Occasionally we recognise this authority too, when we read the Bible. Sometimes we can hear Jesus speaking with authority through the pages like God having the last word.The missing pieces are not what we first looked for. They are something completely different. Jesus is completely different. Is He asking us to think differently today?The next part of this passage comes almost without warning. Suddenly, a man with an unclean spirit approaches noisily. In the days before modern medicine, virtually every condition of the mind was blamed on demons, and it’s so easy to forget that it was not so long ago that Epilepsy was considered to be a demonic force. Even today, people are inclined to have little sympathy for those who don’t conform to “normal behaviour” or “what is expected.” What does this say to us today? A line from the animation film, “Shrek” comes to mind, where Shrek says, “It’s the world that seems to have a problem with me.. They take one look at me and say, “Aah! Look! Run! It’s a great ugly stupid ogre!” They judge me before they even know me.” Do we judge before we know?But again, look at what Jesus does. He acts quickly and decisively and this time, uses His authority to help the poor man. “Be quiet!” He orders. “Come out of him!”How wonderful it is that Jesus does not judge the man. He apportions no blame to him, nothing is said that might infer it was his own fault. And because Jesus separates the behaviour from the person, the man is free to go and start his life afresh. He doesn’t need to carry the burden of the demon with him.

Once again, missing pieces that start to fall into place! We see Jesus acting differently – having a personal authority, yet using His power to help others, not to make Himself important. Can we see this in our leaders? Can we see it in ourselves?The last two weeks have had much to say about power and authority and I wrote this just before the inauguration of President Biden. The world holds its breath as we wonder how he will gain authority, retain peace and bring about reconciliation in this fractured country.Apparently another president, President Roosevelt, would meet with his friend, William Beebee, and , after an evening of talk, the two would go out on the lawn and look up into the starry skies. When they had gazed for quite a while, picking out the Great Square of Pegasus and the spiral galaxy of Andromeda, Roosevelt would say, “Now I think we are small enough!” What a good way to align oneself with the Almighty Power of God!Maybe the answers to the questions are the missing pieces in the picture of our relationship with God, or our understanding of Him? Finding the pieces that help us to know Jesus might just provide the insight that we need into how great God really is.

STF 158 : Lord, You Sometimes Speak in Wonders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWj_6zB248Q

Lord, you sometimes speak in wondersunmistakable and clear;mighty signs to prove your presence,overcoming doubt and fear.

Lord, you sometimes speak in silence,through our loud and noisy day:we can know and trust you betterwhen we quietly wait and pray.Lord, you love to speak in Scripture:words that summon from the page,

shown and taught us by your Spiritwith fresh light for every age.

Lord, you always speak in Jesus,always new yet still the same;teach us now more of our Saviour;make our lives display his Name.

© Christopher Idle/Jubilate Hymns Ltd

We Pray Lord God of wonders, we look at the world and see it broken like a shattered jigsaw. Only you can see the whole picture. Only you know how the pieces go together. Help us to be part of the picture of Hope and Love through the example and message of Jesus. May we listen carefully for your guidance as we consider the feelings of every person we meet. Help us to understand and not to judge.Lord of the silence, we think of those who are suffering today in our community. Our prayer list grows, yet each is so precious to us.Lord of the Scriptures, we pray that the leaders of the world and the churches can spread the gospel of Jesus by learning to act and respond differently. Help us to share the word of goodness and mercy with authority.Lord, who gave us Jesus to show us how to live differently, we ask You to hold in your hands all who are working selflessly for others. May their hands be as the loving hands of Jesus, may they see with His eyes and may their tired feet walk just where He would be walking. May they feel the strength to go on through our prayers, until they can see the light of hope shining brightly in the darkness.O Lord, you always speak in Jesus, it is in his name that we offer these prayers today. Amen

STF 351 : In Christ Alonehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn9-UNer6MQIn Christ alone my hope is found,He is my light, my strength, my songThis Cornerstone, this solid GroundFirm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peaceWhen fears are stilled, when strivings ceaseMy Comforter, my All in AllHere in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,Fullness of God in helpless babe.This gift of love and righteousness,Scorned by the ones He came to saveTill on that cross as Jesus died,The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laidHere in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,Light of the world by darkness slain:Then bursting forth in glorious dayUp from the grave He rose againAnd as He stands in victorySin's curse has lost its grip on me,For I am His and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,This is the power of Christ in meFrom life's first cry to final breath,Jesus commands my destinyNo power of hell, no scheme of man,Can ever pluck me from His handTill He returns or calls me homeHere in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Keith Getty / Stuart Townend© Capitol Christian Music Group

We PrayFather, we stand in the strength of Christ alone. Help us to remember that He has no hands but our hands to do His work in the world today, and no feet but our feet to carry His message to the world. AmenAnd may the blessing of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with you, now and always. Amen.CCLI number 23859/643667/643643 - Calamus 19446.