Welcome to This Epiphany 3 - the Wedding in Cana
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Welcome to this Epiphany 3 - The Wedding in Cana Sunday Communion Service The online services are a combination the service sheet with links to Revd Steven, the hymns, music, Instructions: Ctrl-Click on the link in blue to activate the whole recorded service with all the hymns etc. https://youtu.be/ry_4UH8NoGo For the Zoom service, see notices at the end of this service sheet Hymn 1: Father, Lord of All Creation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5fqJaLg3ug Welcome by Revd Steven Welcome our 45th week of online services…. Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you All and also with you 1 Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Confession When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen. Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Amen. Gloria Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, 2 you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen The Collect Read by Bronwen Cook Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; 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 Reading 1 Genesis 14.17-20 by John Barnes Melchizedek Blesses Abram 17 When Abram came back from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the other kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in Shaveh Valley (also called King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God, brought bread and wine to Abram, 19 blessed him, and said, “May the Most High God, who made heaven and earth, bless Abram! 20 May the Most High God, who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!” And Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot he had recovered. This is the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God. 3 Reading 2 Revelation 19.6-10 by Bronwen Cook Paul in Ephesus 6 Then I heard what sounded like a crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, “Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! 7 Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. 8 She has been given clean shining linen to wear.” (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.) 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And the angel added, “These are the true words of God.” 10 I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don't do it! I am a servant together with you and with other believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God!” For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets. This is the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God. Hymn 2 Lord of all my life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp-HghvjtGA Gospel Reading John 2.1-11 by Linda Barnes Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. All Glory to you, O Lord. The Wedding in Cana 2 Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine had given out, Jesus' mother said to him, “They are out of wine.” 4 “You must not tell me what to do,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 Jesus' mother then told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 4 6 The Jews have rules about ritual washing, and for this purpose six stone water jars were there, each one large enough to hold between twenty and thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill these jars with water.” They filled them to the brim, 8 and then he told them, “Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast.” They took him the water, 9 which now had turned into wine, and he tasted it. He did not know where this wine had come from (but, of course, the servants who had drawn out the water knew); so he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best wine until now!” 11 Jesus performed this first miracle in Cana in Galilee; there he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. This is the Gospel of the Lord. All Praise to you, O Christ. Sermon from The Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath, Bishop of Bradwell Proclaiming the Abundance of God John 2.1-11 Today’s Gospel reading is in the familiar setting of a wedding. Most of us can connect to the problem of running short of refreshments for a wedding or other ways that a wedding celebration can be ruined and the party cut short. These images of social disaster evoke within us strong human emotions of anxiety, shame, and compassion. This grand inauguration of Jesus’ ministry at the wedding in Cana is symbolic of a messianic feast at the end of the world. Here our Lord attends a wedding feast and says yes to gladness and joy. In him we find a God who puts joy into life, who thinks it is worth a miracle to keep the party going as we celebrate people. Throughout his life, Jesus of Nazareth celebrated people – people getting married, people being healed of diseases, people enjoying meals together. He carried a spirit of celebration with him wherever he went as he proclaimed a God of mercy and peace and joy. And he wants us to have life, a life in abundance. In this event, Jesus acts decisively in a family crisis. He saves the family from shame and dishonour in the community. Moreover, he is there with them in their moment of joy and celebration. The wedding at Cana is a marvellous picture of the loving relationship we have with Jesus who is present in the various activities of our lives. He is aware that our best efforts require the touch of God and he is always there to reach out to us when we experience difficulties. He brings healing where there is hurt, forgiveness where there is misunderstanding and encouragement where there is a lack of support. 5 The wine in the story is the life of God brought to people through Jesus. He can transform us, taking the ordinary in us and making it extra-ordinary, turning anguish into wonder and want into wealth. He enriches the very ordinary, makes it precious and gives an eternal flavour to the commonplace. The wedding at Cana is a proclamation that God’s party is on. He has invited us in. But God’s party is not just for us! As we enjoy the party, we must be concerned of those who cannot join this party – those who live in perpetual poverty; those who are oppressed and exploited and hence have no dreams of their own; those who are given into addictions and have lost control of their own dreams; those who are looked down by others because of their colour, caste, creed or culture. God invites us to his party. Would we be generous to bring others also in? That is our mission as believers and as churches, and this is what USPG is trying to enable and support in various parts of our world. God is at work and we have a role to play.