Printed service for 20th March – Lent 3

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Sunday 20th March 2022
Prepared by Rev. Joan Pell & David Welbourn
Third Sunday in Lent
How many chances do you get?

To go along with this Lent series, we have a Circuit Lent Study Rising to the Call. You can find more details about the study and download it here:

Rising to the Call Study

Call to Worship
The cry of injustice calls us to follow Jesus to the pain of the cross,
as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s rising from death.
Create in us a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within us.
Jesus showed us grace and mercy; we come seeking your forgiveness and renewal.
Together, we seek to follow your path to justice, rising to the call and demands of discipleship.

Hymn: StF 51 Thomas O. Chisholm (1886-1960) Watch on Youtube

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou for ever wilt be:

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Opening Prayer
God of mercy, you have shown yourself to be a God of infinite patience – a God who bears no grudge, a God who weeps over pain and suffering, and a God who shows the power of love by sharing our pain. As we feel shame at the way we are quick to deny responsibility for the injustices of the world, swift to point the finger of blame elsewhere, and slow to forgive, we ask for your forgiveness and your renewal. May we learn how to become more like you in all that we do and say. In your power, may we encourage and support each other to follow your example. Amen.

Scripture Luke 13:1-9 – victims are not to blame

Reflection Rising to the Call: How many chances do you get?

A common assumption among the people of Israel was that those who experienced pain and affliction were being punished by God for their sins. Here Jesus clearly rejects that view as he talks about the innocent Galileans killed by Pilate and those killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed. Jesus challenged the belief that the victims of disasters were to blame. Even today, there are examples where groups would rather lay blame on the victims instead of acknowledging the failings in society that need to be addressed. Women’s support groups frequently claim that the victims are further victimised when they are blamed for inviting that abuse.

Many communities face similar disasters to those Jesus points to. Today, for example, we see areas such as Fijian villages under water due to climate change, and South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are facing farmland becoming substantially drier. The most severe climate damage is falling on those who did not create the problem. Those in the richer countries who created the problem often get away scot-free. The industrial revolution that began in the UK, is recognised as the starting point for climate change. We might like to think that we personally bear no responsibility, but we owe much of our economic prosperity and our global voice to the benefits that have followed from that early leadership. We are heirs of that legacy, and must accept responsibility for its negative consequences as well as credit for the good.

As racial injustice has hit the headlines in recent years, there has been much talk of decolonisation. Some favour decolonisation – the owning up to historical actions which would not be acceptable today and continue to hurt affected groups – whereas others object claiming that we should remain proud of our past. The case is equally strong, and equally controversial, for Britain to take responsibility for the lasting impact of the industrial revolution by providing strong leadership for climate justice. The pattern of plundering of the earth’s resources without second thought began in the industrial revolution and still continues unabated.

Why did the people come to Jesus to tell him about the Galileans? Were they coming to moan, or because they wanted answers, or because they wanted him to do something and delegate their own responsibility? Our responsibility is to never stop trying.

Jesus goes on to talk about a fig tree that has not been bearing fruit. The landowner wants to cut the fig tree down, but the gardener asks for one more year to tend and nurture it. The gardener is going to get some manure and give the fig tree some extra special care. It is never too late for us to change our ways or to try something else. There is always another chance. But, even when we have been forgiven, we will still have to live with the consequences of our behaviour. The later we wait before taking meaningful climate action, the harder the task. Note that the gardener doesn’t just say – give the fig-tree another chance. He takes positive steps to improve the likelihood of success. We should follow that example each time we receive forgiveness, and make sure we commit to additional positive actions and behaviours.

Consider:

What do you want from Jesus?
How have you mistreated the earth?
As you repent and ask for forgiveness, what are you going to do differently?

Prayers
O God of grace, we hear the cry of injustice calling us to follow Jesus to the pain of the cross. A little of the light which has come into the world is snuffed out when we when we fail to seek or offer forgiveness. As we take this Lenten journey, guide us towards the darkness of the cross, emboldening us to rise to the call of each new challenge placed before us, as we trust in your promises, revealing the power of transformation, and the hope of resurrection.

In silent prayer now, lift up your concerns for creation and the world …

Now we join with the Methodist Church in this prayer for Ukraine: Loving God, your Son Jesus Christ, wept over Jerusalem. Today, we weep over Ukraine. We weep for those uprooted from their homes and lives. We weep for those cowering in basements. We weep for those who have witnessed death and destruction on their streets. We weep for those separated from parents, from children, from spouses and siblings. We are amazed at the resilience of people seeking to comfort those in need and so we pray for Governments opening up borders so that Ukrainians can have safe passage. We pray for churches and individuals providing food, clothing and shelter. We pray for medical workers ensuring that shattered bodies are put back together again. We pray for ordinary Russians demonstrating and voicing their disapproval of the military actions in Ukraine. May the Holy Spirit give us the willpower to turn our tears into action also. May we, through our words, prayers and example pursue the things that make for a just peace in the world today and especially in Ukraine. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Our Father …

Almighty God, we come to make confession
for we have sinned in thought and word and deed.
We now repent in honesty and sorrow;
forgive us, Lord, and meet us in our need.

Forgiving God, I come to make confession
of all the harm and hurt that I have done;
of bitter words and many selfish actions,
forgive me, Lord, and make me like your Son.

Forgiving God, I come to make confession
of all that I have failed to do this day;
of help withheld, concern and love restricted,
forgive me, Lord, and lead me in your way.

Redeeming God, we come to seek forgiveness,
for Jesus Christ has died to set us free.
Forgive the past and fill us with your Spirit
that we may live to serve you joyfully.

Blessing

Go from here with a contrite heart ready to bear some fruit.
Go, trusting in God’s mercy, grace and transformation.
May God the Creator, Redeemer & Sustainer be with you now and evermore. Amen.

Hymns reproduced under CCLI License No. 9718
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