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Weekly Bible Notes, 6th July 2003

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary

Year B, Green

First Reading: Ezekiel:2:1-5 Reading from a scroll
Second Reading: Mark 6:1-13
Commentary: Welcoming ...
Meditation: ...and Greeting
Prayers: Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Opening Verse of Scripture—Matthew 4:4

“Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

Servant Lord, grant us both the opportunity and the will to serve you day by day. May all that we do and how we bear each other's burdens be our offerings of love and service to the glory of your name.  Amen

First Bible Reading  Ezekiel 2:1-5

The LORD said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen - for they are a rebellious house - they will know that a prophet has been among them."  (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Second Reading Mark 6:1-13

Jesus went to his home town, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him. Jesus said to them, "Only in his home town, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour." He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Then Jesus went round teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.  (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Post Communion Prayer

Eternal God, comfort of the afflicted and healer of the broken, you have fed us at the table of life and hope: teach us the ways of gentleness and peace, that all the world may acknowledge the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary: Welcoming ...

In the reading from Mark today, Jesus sends out the disciples to go and preach and teach about him, calling others to share in the good news of the kingdom of God. In our services at both churches today, we will be welcoming new members into the family of our church through Baptism. This is, as it should be, a very special and joyous occasion. For the family bringing their child to be baptised, it is a time for thanks-giving for the gift of that new life. At the same time they are claiming for their child his or her part in Jesus’ promises to His church, that through Baptism the child will gain their place in the Kingdom of God. For the church that welcomes the newly baptised person, adult or child, it is not merely that they have gained a new member. The Church collectively takes on the responsibility of the task of encouraging the new member in faith.

Spirituality is a process, a journey upon which we change and develop. All of us find the spiritual journey difficult at times and we need the love and encouragement of other Christians to help us on our way. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to remind us that we all have responsibility to love and care for the stranger as well as the friend. Our Lord’s teaching was about taking practical care of the stranger, but how careful are we of their spiritual well-being? How often to we take the right moment to share what we believe ? To invite along to church a friend who does not normally come? Might we not be missing a God-sent opportunity by being shy about making spiritual contact with a new person?

Finally, how welcoming are we in our church? Are new people forced to sit alone and ignored? Is it possible to come to our church and walk away without being greeted? If the Church is to be modelled upon the teachings and actions of Jesus then it has a duty to be welcoming, generous and loving to the familiar friend and the unknown newcomer alike. Joan Crossley
 

Meditation: ... and Greeting

How many people do you know at Church? If the answer is “lots”, then you could stop reading this. If the answer is “hardly anyone”, then we need to do better. When I was in America a few years ago, I was struck by the way we were greeted in the churches by people introducing themselves with out-stretched hands and friendly smiles! Now that is not the traditional English way. Many people are shy, but that can be mistaken for being distant and unfriendly by strangers. Why not make a point of speaking to someone new over the next few weeks? Perhaps you have once known their name and can’t admit to having forgotten! We all of us in the Church bear our part in representing the Lord Jesus, so why not be brave and greet those around you ? Joan Crossley

Hymns (Mission Praise)

  1. Immortal, Invisible 327.
  2. Give me joy. 492
  3. Great is thy faithfulness 200.
  4. Lord the light 445.
  5. Guide me O thou great Jehovah 201

 

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead


Prayers for Baptism. Creator Spirit, who in the beginning hovered over the waters, who at Jesus’ baptism descended in the form of a dove, and who at Pentecost was poured out in fire and rushing wind: come to us, open our hearts and minds so that we may hear the life giving word and be renewed by your power. AmenKneeling in prayer

We pray for those who are to be baptised today, into the family of this church and of all believers. Help us to nurture and encourage them, and help us to be renewed in our own baptismal promises. For the sake of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lord God, our Father most loving, we would not even if we could, conceal anything for you, but rejoice rather that you know us as we are and see every desire and every motive of our hearts. Help us, Lord, to strip off every mask and veil when we come into your presence, and to spread before you every thought and every secret of our being, that they may be forgiven purified, amended and blessed by you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen


Additional Material

Verse from scripture

‘I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.’ Psalm 123

Collect Prayer

Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Commentary

Prophecy and the role of the Prophet

The theme which links all three of today's lectionary lessons is that of prophecy, with the emphasis on the role of the prophet.

Ezekiel, who lived somewhere about 585 BC, is sent to a “people who are obstinate and stubborn”, his own people, probably in exile. His message was not popular or comforting, and they might “listen or fail to listen”, but that was not an issue for him. His task was to convey God’s word faithfully in a situation where he would not necessarily be welcomed. Prophecy is not some inspired crystal ball gazing, but rather a look at the world through the eyes of God, a task which is not confined to Old Testament times, and which remains as a challenge for us today.

Moving chronologically, we turn to the gospel in which Mark reminds us that Jesus was not always valued and especially not among the people among whom He had grown up. You can almost hear people saying “Who does He think He is? Jumped up so-and-so”. And his work was stultified as a result. The second part of the reading contrasts Jesus’ “failure” with the success of the Twelve as they go out preaching and teaching – not quite what one might have expected. There is some question about the chronology, and it may be that Mark is actually bringing together two stories, the second of which actually happened after Jesus’ ascension, so as to emphasise the point about Jesus’ weakness. Be that as it may, what is important for us is, I think, that Jesus proclaimed the good news fearlessly and was not fazed by lack of success. If you think of it, he had already turned down the spectacular and crowd pulling when he had rejected the temptations in the wilderness. We need not be surprised in our own day if people do not listen – even the healing of a few sick people in his home town did not dispel the cynicism which his fellow townsfolk directed towards Jesus, the prophet without honour in his own country. By any objective standard His whole life appeared to be heading towards failure culminating with His death on a cross. But we know that the outcome was ultimately triumphant.

Paul, in the letter to the church at Corinth, begins paradoxically by saying he does not want to boast, while doing just that! He is making it clear that in any “I’m better than you” game, he is likely to win but that is not his real concern. Set alongside his boasting, he puts another picture of himself. Earlier in the letter he says that while his letters may be weighty, “in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (Chapter 10 v 10). Not quite the sort of person one might have expected. And to add to this he has the “thorn in the flesh” which constantly torments him. We do not know what that thorn is – any suggestion is ultimately guess work. What is key to his life and work is found in verse 9 – God says “my power is made perfect in weakness”. And for that God’s grace is sufficient for Paul. So what is the message these readings give us? Based on a cry in the Old Testament “would that all God’s people were prophets”, we are challenged to prophesy, to look at what is wrong in the world, and to do something about it. It will not be easy and we may often be afraid, but the example of the three lives we have looked at is that what is required of us is faithfulness in that task, and the power to do it will come from God himself. A friend of mine once said “when something is really important, the Holy Spirit won’t let us fail”. And as Paul reminds us at the beginning of the previous letter ( 1 Cor.l v 27) “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise: God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong”. To be part of the foolish things of the world is both our challenge, our promise and our strength. John Stubbs

Prayers for Sunday

Lord God, father of all, you have made of one blood all the nations to dwell on the face of this earth. Pour down your spirit of peace, that we may learn to love each other as you have first loved us. Give us tolerance and understanding towards those who are different from us. Shed your love abroad in our hearts that we might break down the walls of partition that divide your people from each other; until all men and women are brought into unity with each other and with you. That all nations and kindreds and tongues, may with one mouth glorify you. Amen

Grant that it may be our meat and drink to do the will of our Father in heaven. Grant unto us to take up whatever cross is laid upon us and gallantly and gladly to carry it. Grant that as we may share his cross, so we may share his crown; as we share his death, so we may share his life. And so grant that having suffered with him, we may also reign with him. This we ask for your love’s sake. Amen.

Hymn for this Sunday (Hymns for Today's Church)

  • Morning has broken
  • Jubilate
  • Father hear the prayer
  • I rejoiced to hear them say
  • Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

Meditation

From the Gospel reading of Mark

  • We need to carry things ourselves and not expect somebody else to carry them for us.
  • We can all learn to live with a lot less, we know we don’t need most things, they certainly won’t make us happier. However, it is easier to decide that that we don’t need things when we do so voluntarily, not because we are poor and haven’t got anything. It is good to shake the shoes and leave things behind
  • Sometimes are heads are busy thinking about the past instead of the future. There is a story about a couple who would go on holiday, they would be 1 mile, 5 miles, more miles away from home when the wife would say "I don't remember if I switched off the iron. We have to go back and check." And home they would go. Finally one year, the conversation began "I don't remember if I switched off the iron..." and the husband stopped the car and went to the boot and returned with the iron. Some times the excess with which we travel is in our heads.

 

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