Morning Service for the Fifth Sunday of Easter 2024
HYMN Blest are the pure in heart NEH 341 – Franconia
1 Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God,
The secret of the Lord is theirs,
Their soul is Christ’s abode.
2 The Lord, who left the heavens
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King;
3 Still to the lowly soul
He doth himself impart,
And for his dwelling and his throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.
4 Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for thee.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
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
PRAYERS OF PENITENCE
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith,
firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all.
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.
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COLLECT
Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, Amen.
FIRST READING – Acts 8.26-40
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptised?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptised him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
HYMN – It is a thing most wonderful NEH 84 – Herongate
1 It is a thing most wonderful,
Almost too wonderful to be,
That God’s own Son should come from heaven,
And die to save a child like me.
2 And yet I know that it is true:
He chose a poor and humble lot,
And wept, and toiled, and mourned, and died
For love of those who loved him not.
3 But even could I see him die,
I could but see a little part
Of that great love, which, like a fire,
Is always burning in his heart.
4 It is most wonderful to know
His love for me so free and sure;
But ’tis more wonderful to see
My love for him so faint and poor.
5 And yet I want to love thee, Lord;
O light the flame within my heart,
And I will love thee more and more,
Until I see thee as thou art.
GOSPEL – John 15.1-8
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
SERMON
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch meeting with Philip on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza is an extraordinary one. The story reveals a surprising amount of detail concerning the eunuch. It tells us that he is a man held in esteem, he has charge of his nation’s Treasury, but although he has servants, at least a driver for his carriage, he is himself still under authority. We are told where he comes from: the region translated as Ethiopia, refers to Nubia and Abyssinia, and we know from the Roman historian Pliny that there was country called Meroe which was governed by a dynasty of Queens under the title of Candace. The eunuch would, therefore, have been African and probably black. Not someone who would easily blend into the Jerusalem crowd.
And we know that he went to Jerusalem on no official business, he was there to worship, says the writer, so we know that he was a man influenced by the spreading Judaic vision of God – he may even have been connected to a local community of Jews and attended some part of their Synagogue services. Now he wishes to know more and has gone to the heart of Judaism, the Temple to look for the God he has become aware of. But in this he would have had problems, in the Deuteronomic version of the law eunuchs were specifically excluded from the assembly of God.
So, here is a man who knows what it is like to be an outcast, for all his rise to privilege and power. He also knows what it is to suffer, he must have been constantly reminded of the possibilities and the joys of life for ever put beyond him by the cruel act of his enslaving and its consequences. In the ancient world to have no heirs, no family, was considered a personal tragedy.
And here we find him on a desert road reading the 53rd chapter of the book of Isaiah, one of the passages which we traditionally read in Holy week, commonly known as one of the suffering servant poems, a piece of writing which has puzzled scholars through the centuries.
And so this trusted eunuch, this man with a past, this man who knows what is to be excluded, rejected, abused, this man whose heart is so moved to worship the one God that he will undertake a dangerous and possibly fruitless journey to Jerusalem; this man finds an echo, a sympathy, an understanding in the work of Isaiah who writes about rejection and suffering and cruelty and injustice – but who writes that he who so suffered somehow will bring salvation to his people.
And in this moment of wonder, into his puzzlement steps Phillip full of zeal and energy and on fire with God. Because he was one of the disciples who has just got the point, understood that Jesus had not been defeated by the Cross, rather that he had accomplished everything through the Cross, through his suffering and humiliation, and in his utter passivity. Through being the man Isaiah foresaw would make all the difference in the world to the world.
So Phillip is able to show the eunuch that his rejection, the exclusion, the humiliation, was borne by God as well. And he sees sense in this God, and so he can see sense in his own wounded life.
Such a God is still a mystery, but a God who shares the pain of his world can be loved and surrendered to, embraced and worshipped.
So there and then in the first muddy stream they come across he is baptised into the grace and gift and hope and love of the God who will not reject him.
And there is more – well might the eunuch be reading Isaiah because he also had a vision of a time when the kingdom of God would be understood as inclusive not exclusive – in Chapter 56 he wrote:
Do not let the foreigner joined to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.” For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name… these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
And in this story from the Acts of the Apostles the Good News of the welcome and the inclusiveness of God is proclaimed – the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophetic hope.
We are told of no more conversation, Philip is snatched away, the eunuch must have had many more questions but they have all but faded into joy and he rejoices – surely the proper response to the realisation of the acceptance and love of God.
St John talks in his epistle of the love of God and its search for a response in us, expressed first to God and then to one another. In God’s search for response and our freedom to give it or refuse it is the mystery of faith. In the story of the eunuch we find the thirst for faith and, in the grace of God, its welcome.
May we never tire of the challenge of responding to the welcome and the love of God that will ever seek us, ever draw us into grace and glory – if we will but let it.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;
he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles: this we have received,
and this we believe. Amen. 1 Corinthians 15.3-7
HYMN Jesu the very thought of thee NEH 385 – St Botolph
1 Jesus, the very thought of thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far thy face to see,
And in thy presence rest.
2 Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than thy blest name,
O Saviour of mankind!
3 O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind thou art!
How good to those who seek!
4 But what to those who find? Ah, this
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is
None but his loved ones know.
5 Jesu, our only joy be thou,
As thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
And through eternity.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION – Sheila Forbes
Let us pray to God our father recalling the legend of St George.
We pray for us whom you created to mind the planet and live together following your commandments to create your kingdom here on earth. We are errant and tribal however and drawn into our own camps; our ears are filled with the sounds of our personal echo chamber. We are consumed with the need to pursue our mission for the world around us. When filled with righteous indignation, help us to stand back, pause and walk in the shoes of those we resent.
We ask this not just for ourselves but for all leaders jostling for position and political power. Keep those in government from the hatred that leads to extremism. Give the leaders of nations a true patriotism which does not light the fires of anger and aggression but the burning desire to see justice and respect for all, regardless of race or religion.
We bring before you all those caught up in the ruthless, political anger and ambition of leaders: the people of Gaza, the hostages taken from Israel, the people of Sudan and Ukraine.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
God our creator, in the week of our patron saint, a date shared with Shakespeare we give thanks for a heritage which can bind people together through music and literature, helping us to recognise our shared joy and pain. We give thanks for the freedom we enjoy in the western world to explore through the arts the love, the grief, the anguish and laughter of our existence.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
God our father and mother, we hold before you those who are ill or in any kind of special need. We pray for all tormented physically or mentally and those feeling the strain of caring for someone at home, however willingly the care is given. We pray for those coming to terms with a terminal illness either their own mortality or someone they love. In a moment of quiet, we bring to you those about whom we are anxious, including Daisy Warne and Keith Atton.……….We remember the pupils caught up in the shooting in Wales and the young girl responsible
May they feel the comfort of your presence and a hope into the future.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Father, we know that death cannot separate us from your love. In that knowledge, we commend to your keeping those who have died and all who miss them. We think especially of Marie Bawcutt and her family.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Finally, we thank you for this time of celebration for the coronation of our King. Thank you for the company of our families, friends and neighbours. We pray that we can enjoy fun and relaxation together on this memorable occasion.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
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.
BLESSING
May Christ, who out of defeat brings new hope and a new future,
fill you with his new life.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen
HYMN O Jesus I have promised NEH 420 – Thornbury
1 O Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.
2 O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.
3 O Jesus, thou hast promised
To all who follow thee,
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
4 O let me see thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in thy strength alone;
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend