Home Service Sheet - 16th August 2020

HOME SERVICE SHEET
16th August 2020


INTRODUCTION

Welcome to our Sunday worship.  This mornings service is based around the Lectionary gospel reading outlining Jesus encounter with the Canaanite woman.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us
 and make his face to shine upon us,

that your way may be known upon earth,
 your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
 let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
 for you judge the peoples with equity
 and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
 let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;
 God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
 let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Click the link below to hear our opening worship song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccTX3djRl44


HYMN:  StF 82 “How Great Thou Art”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKhDCsLrUg



PRAYERS

Loving God,

we lift our arms in praise to you,
  we lift our hearts in love for you,
  and we raise our eyes to adore you.

You are our God, the only true God,
  the God who created our world;
  the God who called Abraham and Sarah to go to the land you would give him,
  the God who called Moses and Miriam to lead your people to freedom:
  the God who still calls people today.

You are our God, the only true God,
  the God who came to our world in Jesus,
  the God who taught, healed and worked miracles,
  the God who went to the cross so we might know forgiveness,
  the God who rose to new life, assuring us of our eternal life.

You are our God, the only true God,
  the God who comes to live with us,
  the God who is our Counsellor and Guide,
  the God who is our power and our strength.

You are our God, the only true God,
  we lift our arms in praise to you,
  we lift our hearts in love for you,
  and we raise our eyes to adore you.
This day and forever more.  Amen.



HYMN:  StF 421 “Empty, Broken, Here I Stand”

We sing our confession this morning in. the words of this hymn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72204B7fgqU



READING:  Matthew 15: 21-28

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon.  Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.



HYMN:  StF 277 “My Song is Love Unknown”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNN9DBobCdw



SERMON

There’s easy no way around it, our gospel passage for this morning is a difficult one to read and a difficult one to hear.

A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus for help because her daughter is possessed by a demon.  The disciples ask Jesus to tell her to go away.  We expect Jesus to help her straight away, but he doesn’t.   Jesus basically says I was only sent to help Jews and goes on, by implication, to call her a dog.  Eventually, because of her faith, Jesus is persuaded to heal her.  On the surface it doesn’t portray Jesus in the best light; but as if often the case with the Scriptures we need to dig beneath the surface.

Jesus was in the district of Tyre and Sidon, a place Jews seldom went to.  We are coming near to the end of Jesus’ life here and the commentaries suggest that he went there with his disciples for a time of quiet; to spend time preparing himself and his disciples for Jerusalem and the cross.  In that region Jesus wouldn’t be bothered by the hostility of the Scribes and Pharisees and he could take a rest from the demands for healings and casting out demons.  Jesus wasn’t running from anything but he sought a time of quiet to prepare himself and his friends for the coming spiritual battle.

But even in Tyre and Sidon Jesus wasn’t left alone.  As he and his disciples were walking along the road the Canaanite woman came to them, persistently shouting, ““Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”

The disciple’s reaction is fairly typical of them and where they were in their spiritual development.  ““Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us” was the demand they made of Jesus.  They had little compassion for the woman and her daughter; she was just a nuisance they wanted rid of as quickly as possible.

Do we ever feel that way about people who come to us for help?  That knock on the door from a friend with an urgent problem when we are halfway through a meal.  That late night phone call from somebody who needs us to come out and help them?  The person in the street who asks for help when we are in a hurry to get somewhere?  How do we react to them?  How do we react when we are busy or tired or just want some time to ourselves and somebody needs our help?

And so we come to Jesus; and I have no doubt that he was moved with love, pity and compassion towards the Canaanite woman. But he had a dilemma.  Jesus understanding was that his Father had sent hm to the Jews and that was who he should focus his time and energy on.  Yet here was a Canaanite woman who showed the beginnings of faith in God and had a daughter in need.  How could he not help to bring a true and living faith to her.

So Jesus turned to the woman and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  Now, when this passage is read out in church this sentence is often delivered in stern, judgemental tones; but what if Jesus said it lightly and playfully?

Then Jesus said, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”  We don’t know the tone of voice Jesus used or the expression on his face.  It could have been said lightly and Jesus could have had a smile on his face.  In fact, given what we know about the character of Jesus isn’t this much more likely?  Isn’t it incredibly likely that Jesus was smiling as he said it, urging her to go on?

And the Canaanite woman does.  “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”  What a demonstration of faith!  By calling Jesus “Lord” she is equating him with God.  By mentioning the crumbs, she is demonstrating faith that even the smallest bit of his power is enough.

The Canaanite woman has come to the faith that Jesus knows she needs.  We can just see Jesus’ eyes lighting up with joy as she speaks and show such great faith.  We can see the smile on his face and hear his pleasure in the comforting words Jesus speaks, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Jesus sees a woman in need.  He doesn’t reject her as his disciples wanted him to do.  But neither does Jesus just heal her.  He does heal her, but he also brings her to faith in him.  Jesus sees both her need for her daughter’s freedom from demon possession and her greater need for faith in him.

How often do we help people both physically and spiritually?  How often do we bring people to faith in Jesus?



HYMN:  StF 685 “In Christ there is No East or West”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNRyGGSOQLQ



PRAYERS OF CONCERN

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

For the peace that is from above
and for our salvation,
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

For the peace of the whole earth,
and for life and unity of the Church,
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

That we may worship God
in spirit and in truth,
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

For all ministers of the Church
and the whole company of God’s people>
For Rev Louise and the people of Bright Street Methodist Church,
following the recent break in and vandalism.
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

For the Governments of the nations
that they may seek justice and peace for all people,
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

For our own country and local community,
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

For the sick and afflicted,
let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

Almighty God,
to whom our needs are known before we ask,
help us to ask only what accords with your will:
and those good things which we dare not
or in our blindness we cannot ask,
grant us for the sake of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who taught us when we pray to say:

The Lord’s Prayer


HYMN:  StF 327 “Jesus is King”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6WnLnaQUes



PRAYER & BLESSING

May the God of love
stir up in us the gifts of his grace
and sustain each of us
in our discipleship and service;
and the blessing of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
remain with us forever.  Amen.