​Loving God,
we are forever grateful for all the good gifts you give us, for eyes to see, for ears to hear,
for a brain to understand, and a heart to love.

Call to worship
We know that all things work together for good
for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Come and worship
and seek to know more of God’s purpose and love for you.
Amen.
​
StF 255 The Kingdom of God is justice and joy

​Prayer
Loving God,
we are forever grateful for all the good gifts you give us,
for eyes to see, for ears to hear,
for a brain to understand, and a heart to love.
We praise you.
Loving God, we have your word set before us and we strive to be true to the way you call us
to follow.
We know that you want the best for us, and we long to be obedient.
But so often we trip up, lag behind, or fall down in pain and despair.
We pray, loving God, that you will show your grace and love to us, the people called by your
name.
Guide our steps, and keep us from taking the wrong track.
Keep us strong in our faith when temptations lie in our way.
Accept our tears of repentance for our shortcomings,
and wipe our eyes again that we may see the light of the love and forgiveness that shines
from your face.
Through Christ our Lord who has won the victory for us,
and calls us to share with him in glory. Amen

​Reading. Matthew 13 v 31 - 33, 44 – 52
31  He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a
man took and planted in his field.  32  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows,
it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its
branches.”
33  He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman
took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
44  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it
again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  46  When he found
one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
47  “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and
caught all kinds of fish.  48  When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they
sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.  49  This is how it will
be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the
righteous  50  and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
51  “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52  He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the
kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new
treasures as well as old.”

StF 161 Speak, O Lord as we come to you

​Message
Today we have a cluster of short parables from Matthew about the kingdom of heaven: two
pairs of parables and a fifth using an image from fishing.
The first uses exaggerated language, because while the mustard seed might be small it is not
the smallest, and it hardly grows into a tree. The likeness to the kingdom is not so much
with the smallness of the seed but with the transformation into what it becomes: a huge
shrub, several feet high in Galilee. It is an image of growth.
The second parable, about yeast, also uses an exaggerated image. The amount of dough
that the woman produces is way beyond normal domestic needs. Sixty pounds of flour
would be enough to feed more than 150 people. Again the image is of growth – this time
secret growth – for the smallest speck of yeast, if left overnight in a covered bowl, will
leaven enough dough to feed a village. This is how the kingdom develops: from the smallest
beginnings but with miraculous growth.
In a society without banks, burying possessions was the best way to keep them safe.
Someone who chances on a hoard is filled with joy, but the hoard is of such surpassing value
that he uses everything he has to buy the field and gain possession of the treasure. Similarly,
a businessman dealing in pearls that are found in the Mediterranean will give up everything
to gain the one pearl that outstrips in value all the others put together. Such are the joys of
finding the kingdom of heaven.
The final parable is of a dragnet that is taken out to sea by boat and hauled onto the shore
with ropes, a common practice for some of Jesus’ followers on the Sea of Galilee. However,
not all the fish can be consumed. According to Leviticus 11, only fish with scales and fins can
be eaten by a Jew. Fish such as eels, and any shellfish, are not kosher and must be rejected.
The dominant idea is of separation at the end, as it was also with the parable of the wheat
and the weeds earlier in Matthew Chapter 13. So the themes in the Gospel reading are:
miraculous growth from small beginnings; the surpassing value of the kingdom; and the
separation of the righteous from the rest. We need wisdom to understand God’s words
including Jesus’ parables, so we need to be attentive and listen for his voice. He calls us to
repent from our wrongdoing and turn towards him, so that we recognise the “treasure”
which will bring such peace and joy that we are willing to abandon the rival attractions of
the world around us.

Stf 713 Show me how to stand for justice

Prayer of intercession
Loving God, there is so much that is not right with your world,
And yet we know that the best solution isn’t always for us to jump in and try to fix it.
Help us to listen, help us to learn, help us to discern the work you have called us to do, and
the things you are challenging us to let go of.
Help us to do all that we can, all that is ours to do, and to let you – and the people in the
communities we serve – be in the driving seat.
Inspire us, by the gentle nudge of your Spirit we pray. Amen

StF 728 O God, you search me and you know me

Blessing
May the joy of the kingdom go with you.
May the peace of the kingdom sustain you,
and may you know the king of the kingdom, Jesus Christ,
to be your friend and Saviour
as you journey through this week. Amen

​I’m not a gardener. I don’t have a garden. In fact, I’ve got one house plant and that’s doing much
better now it’s with my neighbour’s plants.
​

​This is the day that God has made holy:
Let us rejoice and be glad!
This is the day that God calls us together:
Let us rejoice and be glad!
This is the day that God calls us to praise.
Let us rejoice and be glad!

Stf. 455 ALL MY HOPE ON GOD IS FOUNDED                                         

​PRAYER OF ADORATION & THANKSGIVING
O God of the universe, we thank you for your daily care:
You know us completely, you know all our needs,
You are familiar with all our ways.
We give thanks to you with all our hearts:
We will glorify your name forever.
We thank you for the natural world,
For its wonder and variety,
For the beauties of form, colour and texture
In which we can delight.
We give thanks to you with all our hearts:
We will glorify your name forever.
We praise you for the gift of loving and being loved,
For friendship and understanding.
We give thanks to you with all our hearts:
We will glorify your name forever.
we thank you for language, history and culture,
for learning and imagination which opens up the world to us;
for visions and dreams which challenge and inspire us.
We give thanks to you with all our hearts:
We will glorify your name forever.
Help us to hear you during this time of worship,
Through the songs we sing, through the words we hear,
Through the conversation we share:
Guide us in the way of hope,
That the place of stones may become the gate of heaven
And we may live to your praise and glory.
Amen 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Lord, we have failed you in words, thoughts and actions.
We have not lived as your children,
But as people who have no inheritance or hope.
Forgive us for the words we have spoken to wound and hurt.
Forgive us for thoughts which we have encouraged
And which have led to guilt and pain.
Forgive us for the actions we have taken hastily
And which cast a shadow on our lives.
Forgive us for the way our wrong-doing is entangled with the wrongdoing of others:
Lord have mercy, with that generosity which you show towards all creation,
Forgive what we have been,
Help us to turn aside from despair and decay,
And make us the people we ought to be,
Your children of grace and love.
God, in Jesus, hears the words of our prayers and our hearts.
Amen. Thanks be to God

LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen

Stf. 728 O GOD YOU SEARCH ME AND YOU KNOW ME

​Genesis 28:10-19a
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. 11He came to a certain place and stayed there for
the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head
and lay down in that place. 12And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top
of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13And the
Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of
Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14and your offspring shall be
like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north
and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.
15Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land;
for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ 16Then Jacob woke from his
sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ 17And he was afraid, and said,
‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of
heaven.’18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head
and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19He called that place Bethel.

MATTHEW 13:24-30, 36-43
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
24 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who
sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds
among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the
weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did
you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” 28He answered,
“An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?”
29But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.
30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect
the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying,
‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ 37He answered, ‘The one who sows the good
seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom;
the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the
harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and
burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and
they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them
into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous
will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!​

WHEAT AND WEEDS
I’m not a gardener. I don’t have a garden. In fact, I’ve got one house plant and that’s doing much
better now it’s with my neighbour’s plants. I wonder if it’s because it has someone or some plant to
talk with. I wonder if you are a keen gardener. And if you are, I wonder what you made of today’s
gospel story, the parable of the wheat and the weeds? Though I’m not a gardener I can tell you that
re-wilding is ‘on trend’. There’s a move away from manicured lawns to allow about wild growth
because research tells us that when we allow the weeds to grow a bit this is healthier for our eco-
system. But please remember, this isn’t a reflection on gardening but God, God’s ways, and the
Kingdom of Heaven.
Unusually, this parable has an interpretation. I say unusually, because on other occasions the
gospels tell us that Jesus refused to interpret the parable. But here in this one we are given an
interpretation.
The one who sows the good seed = the Son of Man (thought to be Jesus)
The field = the world
The good seed = the Children of God
The bad seed = the children of the evil one
The one who sows the bad seed = the evil one
The harvest = the end of the age
And we are told at the end of the age the weeds from the bad seed will be destroyed and the wheat
from the good seed will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of heaven.
That seems straightforward enough, doesn’t it? Until we go back to the parable itself and realise
that before the end time the weeds are not to be gathered in but left until the end time. But now it
is for the wheat and the weeds to co-exist. And that doesn’t make the garden a very tidy place. Or
the world.
This parable reminds us that ultimately the judgement of good and evil is God’s judgement not ours.
It is God in the end who will decide.
It also reminds us that judgement will come in God’s time, not our time or the time when we want it
to happen. It is God in the end who will bring about that judgement in God’s time, not according to
what is convenient for me.
The warning about not separating the wheat and the weeds too quickly is a warning about not
jumping to conclusions too soon. After all it is very easy to define what we are not ourselves as evil.
The church has a long history of doing this, of othering people who don’t fit the social norms. When
those in power decide some people are sinful and belong outside of the fold until they become more
like us. It is such thinking which led to black people being enslaved, generations of women not being
educated to the same level of men and child sexual exploitation being ignored because somehow
the child victims were thought to have brought it upon themselves. It is too easy to define as evil
what is different or strange or what we fear. The parable for me is a warning against us not doing
this. We might be uncertain or unsure, but in the end God will judge.
A second problem with identifying evil is that in doing so our own actions can become evil, or at
least graceless, even if our initial intention is good. Think about how high-profile criminal cases
sometimes bring out mobs of people baying for blood, pounding the prison vans and threatening
violence against the perpetrators. Whilst there might be genuine anger at what has happened how
is this a response of grace? We need to be careful we do not lose our own humanity by
dehumanising and calling other people monsters.
So, for me this parable is about allowing the wheat and the weeds to co-exist. And when we can’t
make sense of what’s happened to allow God to be God in the situation; because some things are
God’s decision and not mine and some things need to handled in God’s time, not mine.
The wheat and the weeds co-exist in the world. Wheat and tares are better for the eco-system.
The wheat and the weeds co-exist in me too. Like St Paul I want to say For I do not do the good I
want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. (Romans 7:19). I’m not totally good. I’m not totally
evil. I like to think I’m more good than evil, but I recognise I don’t always get it right. I know
goodness and evil co-exist in me.
And if good and evil co-exist in me, then I think they probably exist in you.
And if good and evil exist in us, then I think they probably exist in the institutions and systems which
make up our lives. Like the NHS, which does an enormous lot of good; but when it fails it seems to
fail terribly. Or the benefits system, which is designed to support the poorest and most vulnerable in
our society, but sometimes ends up labelling people as the undeserving poor.
Good and evil co-exist in the church too. I don’t mean Kingswood Methodist church. I mean every
church. Of course, that’s not what we are called to be. We are called to live our community life as a
vision of the Kingdom of Heaven. Even if we love our church, most of us, can’t say we know our
church to be always totally good and in all circumstances. We may become disillusioned when we
realise the church isn’t perfect. But the wheat and tares are likely to co-exist in every church,
because the wheat and tares, good and evil, co-exist in all of us who come to church.
So, for me, and for us as Christians I think the question is how do we live authentically in the world
of wheat and tares where goodness and evil co-exist?
The problem of evil has been debated by much better philosophers of religion than I will ever be and
down through the centuries as God’s people have tried to make sense of the world in which they
live. In the end for me, it may all be quite simple. I might like a tidy life and a tidy world, but that
isn’t going to be whilst the wheat and the weeds co-exist. In the end I need to trust in God; and
God’s love, for ultimately it will be God who decides in God’s time. And in between all I can do is
seek to choose the response of goodness and love, made real to me Jesus’s life and work, in all the
decisions of my life.

stf 615 LET LOVE BE REAL

A prayer of Intercession

Loving God, we bring our prayers to you in the power of your Spirit trusting that you will
hear our prayers for the world, ourselves and for your church.
Faithful God, we thank you for the generations of people who have followed you in the past,
especially those who have guided and inspired us. We pray for all the people who are
seeking you today. Help us speak to your word of truth with confidence and in unity, so that
those who are searching and listening for you, will be able to see and clearly hear your
message of love and grace for them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

Creator God, we pray for people and nations of our world whose voices are not heard as
they struggle with the effects of war, flood, famine, wild-fires or drought;  where anger,
hatred and greed seek to destroy any hope of peace.  We thank you for the many
organisations who seek to bring relief, support and peace to the needy of our world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
​
Father God, we thank you for all the people who continue to work so hard to keep us safe.
Our Police, Fire Service, Paramedics and our NHS.
We pray for our neighbours and the people we work with, that as we meet with them, you
will give us understanding and insight into their cares and needs, so that we may be able to
love, help and serve them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

Gracious God, we pray for people we know who are ill, anxious or bereaved, for those who
are lonely or living alone, and for those who are weary and carrying heavy burdens due to
the economic effects of the rising cost of living.  Please name in a moment of quiet anyone
on your mind.
We pray that you will lead them, and us, towards the answers to their problems and your
healing and wholeness.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer

Loving God, we offer ourselves to you in faith and confidence.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit to guide and lead us.
Show us, as we go out into the world how we can best serve you wherever we are. We
commend ourselves and all people to your unfailing love.
Loving and merciful God
​accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen​
 
stf 595 LORD WE HAVE COME AT YOUR OWN INVITATION

BLESSING
 May the boldness of the Spirit transform you, may the gentleness of the Spirit
lead you, may the gifts of the Spirit equip you to serve and worship God; and
the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be wit
you and remain with you always. Amen

Prayer - Gracious loving Lord, we worship you. You are so powerful, majestic, loving and caring for your
creation. You reveal yourself through our experience of life and in the way you invite us to be your children
through Jesus. You know us by name, enfolding us in your love.
Yet we confess we have spoilt your world by our greed, treated one another unfairly, valued some by what
they have, ignoring the poorest. We have allowed hatred, fear suspicion to divide us, sometimes chosing to say
think or do what is wrong. Forgive us. Give us courage to make amends where we can and aim to live as you call
us to. May we know the peace of your forgiving love.
Almighty God, thank you that you have shown us that it is your will that we should live together as your children.
with understanding and respect. You sent us Jesus to guide our way to you and understand your will. You call
your people into the fellowship of the church through which we may witness to your divine purpose for us all.
Thank you that you empower us by your Holy Spirit, that we may offer your love and fulfill our witness to you. Through Jesu Christ our Lord, Amen

Lessons Romans 12  1 - 10 New International Version
A Living Sacrifice12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of
yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the
faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and
these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and
each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If
your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is
teaching, then teach; 8 if it is  to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is
to lead,do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another
in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
 Matt. Ch. 13, vs. 1 - 10 & 18 - 23 The Parable of the Sower
13 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?”

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.”

Stf  611 - Brother, sister, let me serve you

​Sermon -
The Scotsman Dr. Sir James Simpson was a courageous scientific pioneer who discovered chloroform
(which renders patients unconcious during surgery, without jepardizing recovery.) He was knighted by
Queen Victoria, was president of the Edinburgh Royal College of Physicians, and was the most eminent physician
of his day. Many of the discoveries he made were brought about by experimenting on himself. Shortly before
his death he was interviewed for a major printed artical in which he was asked 'What is your greatest discovery?'
He replied 'My greatest discovery is Jesus Christ is MY Lord and Saviour.'
This weeks theme in our series states - 'We will live in a way that draws others to Jesus.'
Now that isn't a new idea; in fact about 2000 years ago, the writer in his Letter to the Hebrews suggested, 'Let
us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.' Surely that will excite people to
​ learn about Jesus.
But here's the problem as seen by many outside the church, your all cranks!
Well it must be true because everytime a Christian is portrayed on TV,, there's always something funny about
them. (And I don't mean Funny Ha, ha !)
I was watching a cops & robbers film on TV the other day - it wasn't my choice you understand, it was my wife's
and I was stuck watching it. There was only one Christian in the story and he was definately odd. Well they
always are, aren't they? Weird; cold and unloving, simpering and soppy, or calculating and critical. Or they
stand alone in market places shouting 'Beware the judgement to come!'
Where does such a warped idea of christians come from? My opinion is that we aren't that obvious in society;
we don't want to appear pushy - forcing our faith into everyone elses face. That's not nice, not polite. So we tend
to keep quiet about what we believe in so that we can't be accused of ramming it down eveyones throat. But
the quieter we are the fewer people know we exist or what we stand for. Consequently only the unusual ones
stand out and we're all tarred with the same brush if we mention God's love for his children and our faith in him.
Meanwhile the rest of society seems full of people saying what they want, like, prefer enjoy insist is their right
. It would seem this is the age in which each individual is entitled and expects to do as they want. I've just
been reading a holiday brochure which states, 'Everyone is different. Welcome to a holiday as individual as you
are.' Which is all very well for holidays but society doesn't work like that. Neither do churches. Churches
run smoothly when eveyone is involved, working together for each other. Then we can fulfill the work God calls us
​ to do and point others to Jesus.
'You are a community of possibilities' wrote Dennis Lennon - a writer for Scripture Union. He went on, 'So look
for God's calls out of comfortable institutional predictability into limitless possibilities; moving on with Christ'
I discovered that to be true for me at a Christian weekend conference in my late teens. Everyone there had a
call - even me, although I ran away from it for several years - trying other things instead, one after another.
Never attempting to struggle beyond the basics or demanding study and effort. Shallow roots.
Jesus was concerned that our life has real purpoe - to find him as our own Lord and Saviour, and with the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, point others to him too. So thats where the talents and gifts granted by the Holy
Spirit come in; so that we may fulfill our calling, whatever that may be.
In Rom ch. 12, St. Paul writing to his friends, urges them to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. But
their sacrificial living was to be seen in their caringfor each other. Christians loving and working for other
christians. He uses the illustration off the body with many limbs and organs, all working together to make the
​ body function properly. He likes that idea, doesn't he, because he uses it and develops it you notice in some
of his other letters too. So he lists these gifts for them to use for the benefit of their fellow christians.

PROPHESY - or speaking God's message is very specifically for his own people who know him not, for those
who don't. They wouldn't understand or appreciate it. It's to uplift, reassure, warn, encourage and educate people
to know his will.
SERVING - This is something we can all feel more at home doing. Yet some people stand out at it. They can
help folks feel relaxed, comfortable, reassured. Bringing help to all in whatever need. Jesus healed, fed,
taught served and cared for everyone who came to him. He invites us to do the same.
TEACHING - My son is a teacher and he obviously thinks professionally trained people are the only ones who
can teach. Quite how he thinks he learned to walk and talk, feed himself, ride a bike and do everything else
which isn't taught at school, I don't know. However, we, God's people are busy doing it amongst ourselves in
​ every conversation, fellowship and meeting, by his grace.
ENCOURAGING - To be encouraging is to be caring and helpful. It's edifying, lifts pressure, excites, challenges
and supports those under pressure. After being encouraged you might go on to achieve something you
previously thought was beyond you. It can turn lives around. After being made redundant by my company
which was closing down, I was encouraged to set up my own business, which was still going strong until I retired
16 years later.
Jesus encouraged his disciples to go out on mission. They reurned excited and amazed at their success.
CONTRIBUTING - This doesn't just mean money, it means time and effort too. It requires love, care and the
Holy Spirit's guidance to get it right. Being generous at the right time for the right cause to the right person can
​ have far reaching effects. Beyond our expectations.
There were many sick, lame, blind people in Israel in Jesus day and he didn't just go around curing them all.
But when he cured Blind Bartimaeus, Bartimaeus responded by publicly praising God and spreading the word about Jesus.
LEADERSHIP - The last gift mentioned in Paul's list. Perhaps that's for a reason. Good Leadership is done with a
light touch. The best leaders inspire others to do and be the best they can. Sometimes in strange ways. Do
you remember one of Bruce Forsythe's favourite catch- phrases, 'I'm in charge!' Always said with a twinkle in his
eye. And causing everyone to laugh and get on with it. We all have opportunities to lead in our own way. Not
doing what others do with your knees knocking, but what you are capable of - reading a lesson with
understanding which may be just what someone else needs and building their faith. Or again using your skill in
a group so that together a task is completed. It's not our decision to take on the various responsiblities, it's
the guidance of our Lord. Jesus at the centre. Paul urges unity - yes even in kingswood. Put up with, bear with
those weaker than you in some way. We aren't all clever. Christian Theology is a vast subject which has
been studied by great minds down the centuries yet none has claimed to be right or know it all.
Jesus healed, cared for and taught, accepted and loved the Jews of his day. surely the oddest, most
​awkward, annoying, rebellious of people - except perhaps for the person sitting next to you!
David Bosch (a Mission Studier) wrote - ' Churches are a movement. An Institution is, by it's nature,
conservative. Institution Churches tend to keep everything calm, pleasing many; Movement Churches may
incite wonder, delight disturbance and resentment together. Institutional Churches are passive, yielding belatedly
to influences from outside; Movement Churches are active, creative imaginative innovators. They influence.
An Institutional Church becomes a community of predictability; Movement Churches assume the Lord is active in
the affairs of society and seeks to discern his wisdom there. It's a community of possiblities.
Now, everyone of us IS actively involved. Sow generously. God is generous, magnanimous, profligate with the
seed. And we carry that seed of his love, proved by our Salvation through Jesus Christ. How well are we
growing; what harvest produce for our Lord? What sort of Church are we?  Amen

Stf  692 - Your hand O God has guided

Prayers -
Loving Lord, we hear your call to go out into the world. But we want to stay here in fellowship together. We care
for one another, living perfectly adequate Christian lives just as we are. Why go out into a world of strangers?
May your Spirit convince us that your love is to be shared, your Salvation for everybody. So equip us with
hearts overflowing with Good News courage and resolution.
You call us to take your message. We use lots of pious words and phrases in our worship. But Lord we aren't
really sure what they mean,so how can we use those words we scarcely understand to people who have
never heard them? We pray your Spirit will give us the right words to use, of comfort, concern, joy, peace and
love to those who so need them, provoking a deep response. 
You ask us to tell everyone. Yes we know your love is for all, but surely you should send someone else
who understands their needs and wouldn't put their foot in it. We pray that your Spirit will break down barriers
that separate, so that even we may bring your healing love into the lives of your children everywhere, for
Jesus sake, Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
​Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen

Stf 415 - The Church of Christ in every age.

Benediction - Go into the world to serve God and our neighbours.
                    May we know we are united with God, the Church, all Christians
                    May these become a reality in our lives, our relationships, our attitudes.
                    So may the blessing of our one God who has called us by one faith,
                    Inspire us, encourage us and give us joy and love,
                    For the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ,  Amen.

Father, you are the source of creation, the giver of life.
Jesus, you are the one who embodies the freedom God offers, embracing life as it should be lived.

Prayers
Almighty God we rejoice that we worship you with your people across the
world in north, south, east and west, that your praise is sung in grand
buildings and in open air, by young and old. We join our praises with those
who have served you in the past and will worship you into eternity.
Father, you are the source of creation, the giver of life.
Jesus, you are the one who embodies the freedom God offers, embracing life
as it should be lived. You showed the great love of God in your death and
resurrection.
Holy Spirit, you are the inspiration and motivation to live the kingdom life here
and now as you have guided God's people through the ages.
God of truth and love, we confess we have not always lived the kingdom life
and followed the example of Jesus. Be merciful to us and we ask for your
forgiveness thorough Jesus Christ our Lord.
May God grant us pardon and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of Jesus, Amen
​
: StF 25 God is here! as we his people

God is here, with us – we know this because he came to earth in human form in Jesus, who lived our life and
died our death and rose again from the dead and lives now, by his Spirit,

God is here, with us – we know this because he came to
earth in human form in Jesus, who lived our life and died our death and
rose again from the dead and lives now, by his Spirit, within all who love
him… we praise him singing

Stf 363 My Jesus,

Introduction to the theme…
Today we are thinking about how we can gather more people to Jesus - sometimes Jesus talked
about drawing people to God being like bringing in the harvest. But maybe it’s helpful for us, to think
how we became aware of Jesus - What was it that connected you to Jesus?

Reading – Matthew 10:40-42 The Message
40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One
who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God
is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a
large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of
water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true
apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

Maybe you were drawn to Jesus by accepting one of his friends, and what they offered to you. One of the main ways that people will meet Jesus is by receiving what you offer them out of your love for God. And then they
may want to know who it is that inspires you to show that love. Jesus promised to us that he would always be
with us -we sing in gratitude for that promise which he gives to us before we promise to serve him in return

StF 563 O Jesus I have promised

​Talk
That last verse sums up what we are doing here as church:
As partners of the living Christ who risk the path he trod, with
wondering love we find we share the timeless joy of God.
For me it has been a joy to share with you in that timeless joy as we have
walked together Christ’s path these last ten years.
And it is when you have offered acceptance to all and anyone, and when
what you have offered to all and anyone has been accepted, that Christ’s
church has been built up in this place. For the church is made up of those
who accept help and those who offer it, and Jesus says that both are
equally important.
As we have explored how we can live in a way that draws others to Jesus,
some of us have looked at commands of Jesus in the Bible – which range
from doing to being – giving to receiving.

Others have worked together to build using Knex – working together and
not against each other, supporting not getting in each other’s way; and as
we accept what each different person offers in the building, we share the
joy, as we step back and see what we have built together.
Some of you looked at how plans that were made a few years ago for a
new welcoming space at the Heart of the church building have been
fulfilled and enabled us to receive more people and be received by them.
And this inspires us, not to say ‘our work is done’ but to embrace new
opportunities to live in a way that draws other to Jesus.
And last but not least we have prayed for our world –placing hearts to
symbolize the love of God for different countries whose people’s needs we
bring to Jesus in prayer.
It has been a joy and a privilege to work with you and God, here, for this
time. I know that as you accept and are accepted by your new Minister and
by many more people in this community, you and they will continue to be
drawn to Jesus, building his church on earth.
Amen

StF 706 Longing for light we wait in darkness

Prayers for others
Holy God, we bring our prayers for others, feeling the pains and burdens of the
world, with confused minds and uncertain steps but knowing that you are our God
and you do hear our prayers. And so, for the world we pray:
Holy, Holy, Holy God we pray.
Hear our prayer.
The world is full of uncertainty, people’s lives are full of uncertainty, many do not
know where they are from and where they belong and where they are going and who
they are, may they in their uncertainty find a grounding and an anchor and a
welcome through the words and the deeds of people they encounter.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.
For ordinary citizens in Ukraine and Russia who struggle to comprehend what the
war between the nations is all about, where it is going, what is the truth and what is
false. For those fearful for their lives, for their families, for their well-being and their
future. For those who simply want to live in peace and harmony, with food enough
and a home secure with friends and neighbours. For those who have no choice but
to fight and those who have to decide the next actions and work out their
consequences.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are fleeing their homes, their countries, their cultures, due to
poverty, persecution, greed, war and neglect. Those who see no future for their
homeland, no peace, no comfort, no welcome, no hope, no joy, no love. For those
who trek and sail with no belongings or support, crossing borders and cultures in
uncertainty and desperation. We pray that those peaceful folk who travel and journey
may find hospitality and welcome and space to build secure and safe lives and
livelihoods.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who cannot flee their homes, who continue to live in poverty and
fear with war, treachery and starvation knocking at their doors. We pray for them,
hope, kindness and love when so often they are alone and bereft.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who seek to make money, wealth and fortune at the hands of
others, dragging them into despair and pain. For those who sell addictive and illegal
drugs with little or no thought of the damage and harm and devastation they will
cause. We pray for those who are addicted, whose lives have been damaged, often
beyond repair, who are on a perpetual cycle of need and dependence driving them
into violence, poverty and violence.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for governments and leaders worldwide who share the responsibility for the
climate and its changes, its health and its future, its wellbeing and its survival. For
areas where deforestation is happening at an alarming rate against all sensible
advice. For those nations dealing with flood and drought and consequent poverty
and need.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those we meet day by day, at home, at school, at work, when shopping,
when walking, when talking, friends, family neighbours. May they all see and know in
us the presence of a loving God, the welcome that as Christians we are called to
give, a smile, a listening ear, a hand to guide, a touch of comfort, a word of prayer.
loving God we pray;
Hear our prayer.
And all the prayers of our hearts, spoken and unspoken.
Amen.​

The lords prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen

StF 707 make me a channel of your peace

Blessing
May the boldness of the Spirit transform you, may the gentleness of the Spirit
lead you, may the gifts of the Spirit equip you to serve and worship God; and
the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be
among you and remain with you always. Amen